Page 67 - TheGoldBug1969-70

february 16, 1970 the gold bug page 9 January term response favorable By Cathy Shultz program will be completely computerized. This aspect by the absence of normal course pressures like exams A !irst glance Into the stacks of complexquestlonatres is being handled by Bill Elliot. The quesUonalres will and grades." This had a "positive effect ODtheir atti- taken to evaluate the Januar-y'I'erm program reveals,wlde~ be broken down and tabulated by class, course, sex, tude toward the course." Other trends In what the stu- spread enthustasm according to Dr •..Melvin D. Palmer, and grade point Index. Four fully computerized reports dents liked included "the Informallearntng atmosphere, chairman of the eo-roc, committee measuring the ex- will be available for faculty and administration Involved the time allowed for addltlonalreadingon~esubject, and periment. in future planning of January programs. In addiUon a the concentration on one topic especially In view 01 the The committee will present Its final report copy of the ten page general report presented at the normal fragmentation." Dr. Palmer explained further to the faculty at their March meeting. Dr. Palmer, em- faculty meeting will be given to each faculty member that the students seem to feel that during January Term phasized that their job has been to evaluate only the Jan- and to the GOLD BUG for dissemination to students. the disturbing effects of fragmentation were eliminated. uary Term and to help with future plans. The committee At this point, the evaluation is somewhat sketchy has not and will not evaluate the entire school calendar. and Dr. Palmer could only point to trends rather than Objections to the January Term have not yet been Dr. Palmer stressed that it is "not the committee's job a detailed analysis. He did say that he was pleased analyzed and, therefore, no trends are avaf Iable, When to recommend, but to analyze and report." with the response all the way around and that In all all analyzing and compiling is complete, the names on The committee started working on the evaluation last areas the response seems to range from «postttve to the questionalres will be slashedoffandthequestionalres September when they wrote approxtmately twenty colleges excitement". For most students their "reactions ex- with students' permission will be sent to the professors. with January terms asking about their methods of eval- ceeded their expectations." A random sampl\ng of two courses indicated that the vaste to have their questlonalres gave their permission majority uation. It took three months to plan a satisfactory In- The non-participating students were asked why they sent to their professor. Dr. Palmer felt that this was strument of evaluation explained Dr. Palmer. Both the didn't par ticipate and how the program could be made an Indication of the "rapport developed between student eommtttee and faculty are "Confident and happy with the more attractive to them. Out of a 55% response, 90% and instructer" in such a course structure. '"tool," which consists of four cuesttonairas plus written favored the idea of the Januar-y Term but feIt that they evaluations. The four categories of questlonalres are plan to participate next year. The other 10% had the participating students, participating faculty, non-parti- same reasons for not participatlng--the need of a break When aSked about the EnglfshIeetur s coursewhich had cipating students, and non-participating faculty. All or money--but felt more strongly about it. "There was 107 students, Palmer- pointed out that the committee administrators and students working In individualized only one student who objected to the very idea of study- "doesn't plan to make much of a typical situations, be- special studies have been asked to evaluate their re- ing anything intensely," Dr. Palmer clarifies. cause we knew ahead ot time that they would be a typt-. lationship to the program. Dr. Palmer feels that the Of the non-participating faculty, a majority, 9 out of ca l." He was quick to add that he didn't want students evaluation is comprehensive and emphasized that any- 17, favored the philosophy. Many of the others indicated to think that the committee would be unrespenstva to one can have a personal interview with the committee that they would accept it with some changes. Their rea- their opinions regarding any course, Dr. Palmer point- if he feels the questionalre is inadequate or does not sons for not par-ttcfpatl ng included using the time to do ed out that it was bastcajjy just "a bug in the program" adequately reflect his opinions. research and not having enough students enroll in the and that that was "Dr. Lightner's problem." Although the report is far from finished the committee course they were offering. Personally, Dr. Palmer liked the progr-am before they chairman was able to comment on the evaluation. All There has been no trend established by either the began the evaluation and added that "the evaluation has cuesttonatros are being read. Dr. Royer and Mr. 'I'alt participating faculty or the administration as their re- COnfirmed my Interest." He continued by saying that are reading the faculty questiinaires; Dr. Palmer, Sher- analyzed. The faculty cuesuonarre was very stmtjar "granted there are bugs the first year In any program idan Cecil, Bill Elliot, and Charlie Moore the student to the students; especially the section which dealt with and these will be ironed out. As a first program I am questionaires. , the phllosophy of the program. very happy with the response." Part I of the questlonatre which deals with the phlf - Again emphastzf ng that the evaluatlnn has not yet osophy of. the January Term" how well each course re- been completed, the chairman commented on the fol- The committee will have more specific information flected this philosophy, and individual reactions to the lowing observed trends. "The students were impressed in Mar-ch, including the reaction to the pass-ran-system and to what type of courses should be offered. Voluntary ROTC Mixed results in first year of experiment By Jerry Hopple ROTC. He noted that students are "more highly motivated" In one of the most Important actions of the past few under a voluntary system. They show "more enthusiasm" years, it was decided last year to make ROTC voluntary in both class and drill. Classes are smaller and students on an exper+mentat basis. can receive individual attention. For the first time since before 1919, freshmen and The voluntary program will be reviewed dur ing the next sophomore students are not required to take Military few years, and student enrollment Is a crtucat ractor In SCience. Projected enrollment for second semester shows determining future status of ROTC. Despite the withdrawal that 141 students haveslgnedupforROTC,while 198 wer~ of 55 students from the basic course, there are stil179 in the program at the start of the first semester.,Fr~sh_ freshmen and sophomore cadets. This Is below the sug- men enrollment has declined from 74 to 41. The number gested number, but is probably not a serious problem yet. ROTC: a vanishing institution or a going thing? 'photn by Ander$on of students in the soph program has dropped from 60 to 38, junior enrollment has increasedbyone,from 29 to 30, and there are still 32 senior cadets. Milford Sprecher is among the 33 freshmen who have Summer February students dropped the course. He describes ROTC as a "a bIg joke" and says that it was "no challenge" academica.Ily. Mike Mock, who decided to withdraw from the program after New outlook on campus life the first drill, was very critical of ROTC - "a bunch of mindless bodies out there in green uniforms." Two juniors havewlthdrawnfrom the advanced program. George Shellem withdraw because he did not feel that he would make a good officer. In addition he felt unable to 1B_yLennie Swift and Connie Ehrhart participate because of personal and political reasons. semester and many took night eour se s ,They Celtthat they of a college The environment changing is constantly Chris Spencer, who dropped out of the advanced program through the never-ending flow of students, faculty, and needed these courses to make-up for the academic de- because of personal convictions, commented, Itl could administration in and out of the school. Summer-February ficiencies of the program. It was a widely held opinion not see myself perpetuating such an institution." Inaddi- students are part of this change at Western Maryland that the selection of courses offered should be widened, tton to Spencer and Sheliem three other juniors are pre- College. All of the students are part of this change at and Alan Baker and Lois Lawson emphatically stated that sently trying to be relieved of their contractural obJlga- Western Maryland College. All of the students intervlew- the plan should be either' abolfshed or enlarged so that uons. 'ep are exerted to be back, and Chr-Is Master even threat- first semester courses could be offered to these students Lt. Col. Bobbie Mitchum, professor of military science, ened to "pitch a tent inthe quad" during first semester. during second semester. SammyGrovecomparedthepro_ says that he is not "too alarmed" at the dropout rate for As a result of the experience of Iiving and working together blem to that of being presented with only the second half freshman and sophomores. He pointed out that, according over the summer, a closeness developed in the group that of a book. The students could not get the courses that they to guideline figures, there should be 100 students in the has carried over into second semester. For this reason needed during second semester and as a result some of basic program and 25 senior cadets. He feels that the the Summer-February students do not feel out of place them are now involved In claasas that the y do not need and Western Maryland ROTC program can continue to pro- on campus and most of them are looking forward to meet- in which they have little Interest. Kirk Johnson and Joy duce at least the minimum number required. Col. Mitchum tng new people. Staub even thought that they would need to go to summer pointed out that all 38 sophomores have applied for the Our new young men and women thought that the informa- school again to make-up what they missed through the advanced course, including seven who have applied for lity of the summer brought them closer to their professors program. Problems resulted when courses that the stu- two-year ROTC scholarships. The enrollment of juniors and to each other. Connie Spanos and Joy Staub felt that dents needed were closed because they could not take part is normal. the progr-am presented them with a cross-sectionofW.M.C, in pre-registration, which was a hectic and confustng ex - Mitchum stressed the fact that the ROTC program is students; those who were down points, thosewhowere try- per-renee, in a process of change In order to make military science ing to get ahead, and those who were athletes. The people When askedifshecametoJanuaryTerm,Joan D'Andrea "more compatible" with the college environment. The enrolJed in the program composed "one big family," and regretfully stated that "we were not invited to January college curriculum is being revised and upgradedacademl- since there were no activities plannedforthemtheyfound Term." Many of the students eltpressed their desire to cally. Instructors are strongly encouraged to get advanced things to do together over the weekends. Ginny Haifley attend January Term, and one boy who did attend had to degrees. A. new two-year program exists for transfer stu- talked about the pick-up stick tournaments and everyone pay two-hundred dollars because he was not considered a dents and lor students who had previously dropped ROTC. talked about the boy's soccer games in the quad. There "full-time student of Western Maryland College." students The general opinion of the Summer-February Students in the two-year program have six weeks of basic was alot of hard studying and most of the students feel is that although the program is far from perfect, it is an summer came between their sophomore and junior years. that the study habits they developed overthesummer will attempt and perhaps beUer than nothing. The st,udents Another Innovation Is the three year scholarshlp,lnaddl_ leave them no problem In adapting to the academic Ilfe who did go to summer school and who are back now feel tion to those given for two and four years. during second semester. that they will do well despite the def1clences of the pro- Col. Mltchum Is very strongly in favor of voluntary The Summer-February stUdents had jobs during first gram.