Page 86 - ThePhoenix1986-87

Page 8IWestern Maryland College/February 26. 1987 An interview with Pres. Robert H. Chambers III... College tackles declining enrollment What does the future hold for Western Maryland College? itself. What's next in terms Phoenix: Will WMC thrive despite a declining number of high school of campus the renovation plan- I.!! tllo! dormitories? seniors who choose to auena Chambers: The next college, government cutbacks in immediate step will be to ...;,.. financial aid, and a shift towards renovate a lot of the individual careerist majors in larger areas around the campus for schools? What role will/he new clubroom meeting spaces for Conference Center play? What's Greek Organizations and for other neu in the renovauon plans? In organizations. thefollowing interview conducted kinds of student to go on with But we are going by Phoenix reporter Leo Ryan, the other dorms as well. All of Western Mary/and College them need renovating and we are President Dr. Robert fl. going to go systematically Chambers,III discusses these and through them. We think we've other questions got some good facilities here. We don't want to build any new Phoenix: As a result of the declining numbers of high school dormitories, got but I think use the ones we've some could seniors nationwide each year, the renovation. competition for those students Phoenix: Are there any plans among colleges and universities to renovate or expand the library? has greatly increased. How will Chambers: Definitely! We Western Maryland College fare in have right now in the legislature this competition in the years in Annapolis two bills, one in the ahead, and which factors will keep but one that will have somewhat own country is all about, Your and the ability to grow no matter House of Delegates and one in the us in the race? wider horizons in terms of own education makes more sense. what uncertainties you're faced Senate, and by mid-April we will Chambers: It's true that the admissions. When I was working at with. know whether the legislature will .. nwnber of seniors--generally--has Phoenix: Expanding the another college, I took part in Now Iknow that there is a been declining for some years, applicant pool will enable creating a program which sent trend-not just here, butelsewhere-- approve these bills. If they do we grant will be getting a handsome By an abhorration, the nwnber of Western Maryland College to be some sixty students to an England to move towards disciplines from the state that we can use to seniors this year is up slightly more selective in the admissions school that hadjusr been founded-- which are cereenst. Business renovate our library and expand it, over what it was last year, but process. Which factors or the University of Buckingham. Administration, I believe, is the We're talking in terms of five then we're going to enter into a "student qualities" would It's a good school and it's biggest major that we have on million dollars or more. slide again which will continue influence that decision process? flourishing. Michael Barrett, the this campus right now. We need a much better well into the nineties. There's no Chambers: 1 would like to vice-chancellor of the University, Communications is the second library than the one we've got doubt about it-call the colleges in have students who are is coming to this campus in biggest, These seem to be career- now. There's a Library the United States are competing academically strong, but also hopes that we might be able to oriented disciplines. On the other Committee--of which r am the for a smaller group of students. strong in lots of other ways. I create more interest in that area, hand I'm not so sure that they are Chairman--and we've visited five We took dramatic steps last don't think that you pick from and I cenairuly have that interest, necessarily more career-oriented look year. What we're doing is trying your applicant pool only the myself. than, say, English. It probably other campuses to So we're off at ~ libraries elsewhere. to increase the size of our brightest kids, but you also pick Phoenix: The Carnegie comes down to how the courses and running on that problem. applicant pool and we're doing it the ones who you think are going Foundation recently published a are taught. If you have a liberal Phoenix: What about affinity with a rather sophisticated to bring the most to the college. report in which it stressed the arts-oriented faculty, they are housing? Can we expect to see it marketing plan using the And that can be in any number of importance of a liberal arts going to teach courses in a liberal continue next year? Doonesbury comic strip. I'm spheres: we want oboe players education. It argued that arts fashion, and the education Chambers: I personally like optimistic about it. . .I think our for the band, football players, complacent career orientation may that students get will be a liberal the idea of affinity housing. The marketing plan is going to help basketball players, as well as be shaping a citizenry that is arts education. idea of groups of students coming us ride through this rather difficult potential Phi Beta Kappa impressively productive yet fails Phoenix: Due to constant together with a common purpose time. students. It's a mix, I think, that to promote the public good or use government cutbacks, it is makes sense to me. If you're One way of dealing with the makes the strongest student body. its knowlege for humane ends. becoming increasingly difficult as housing of affinity decline in the number of eighteen Phoenix: You mentioned an Allhough WMC is a liberal arts for the middle class student to speaking experimented with it this we've year-olds is to focus on other increase in applications from school, the fact remains that this attend Western Maryland College. year in Daniel MacLea, I say we groups. So I think the college abroad. Why doesn't Western "complacent career orientation" is How can this situation be should continue with it if it has got a lot to look to in terms Maryland College more actively not uncommon on campus. improved? works. If it doesn't work, then of expanding its applicant pool encourage its own students to go What can be done to change such Chambers: Obviously, it's forget it; let's move on to with older students, and students abroad by publicizing study attitudes? increasingly expensive to go to an something else. But as long as from different geographical abroad programs more or perhaps Chambers: Since the independent college such as individual students want to live backgrounds. We are, for developing its own program? beginning, colleges have, to no WMC. Not everybody can afford together and can make some sense example, right now recruiting Cbambers: I wish I had a good small degree, been in the business it We don't want a student body of their wish to do so, then I more heavily abroad than has been answer for you there, but I don't. of enabling students to prepare for that is made up of relatively rich think its our job to try to find a the case in the past, and the I don't know why WMC has not, careers. I'm not going to be one people who can afford to payor number of applicants that have in its own history, encouraged to bad mouth careerism in the the relatively poor people who are means of allowing them to live talking I'm come from abroad this year is much study abroad. My personal good sense. I do myself believe-- all on full financial rides. We'd together. anyone And specific not type of about dramatically up over what it was belief is that there is no more and I truly believe this--that the like to have all kinds of people group. This would include social last year. powerful experience than six best kind of career preparation is a here. groups-greek organizations--as I personally would like to months or a year spent abroad. liberal arts background. That calls for us to provide well as the types of groups we have a more geographically No matter how sophisticated What a liberal arts more financial aid, and thus our have living in Daniel McClea represented student body from and savvy you may be, no mauer education should give you is the financial aid budget has doubled in now. across the United States. We how good your courses may be, kind of tools that you need to the last three years. What the is a fact of know where our feeder schools no matter how powerful your succeed in any kind of career ... to government is taking away we are life. Affinity housing congregate in People will are, and we want to continue to be faculty may be, nothing quite adds meet any kind of challenge that having to provide. 70% of our groups. That's what they want to able to go to lhe same wells that up to the strength of the comes along. You know what students are on financial aid of do. And I think that as long as were good to us in the past. So experience of living abroad for a those tools are: flexibility, a either cne kind or another-- we'll continue to be time. You grow tremendously. certain amount of articulateness, whether it be from the stale, the fundamentally a Maryland school, You appreciate more what your an ability to shift with the times, federal government, or the college continued on page 11