Page 156 - Phoenix1999-2000

Thursday, April q, 2000 - Page 4 ~EWS Adminstration discusses the aCTA agreement ., English course offerings reduced next semester continued from page 1 continued from page I on alcohol awareness, and I thought that But are students happy with it? An in- ing a full-time professor when Dr. Panek, class, depending on how well the students this was a real solid program," said Bos- formal poll recently conducted by the English department chair, leaves on sabbati- test," states Bendel-Sirnso. ley. Phoenix proves that in no way are students cal forjbe 2000-2001 school year. Dr. Panek The English Department will be offering "In order to make a decision. we thought satisfied with the program. would normally carry a full course load, 20 sections of Composition and Reading in that we should experience OCTA first- Out of 15 freshmen. sophomores, and teaching three classes per semester. the fall 0[2000, which significantly impacts hand," said Philip Sayre, dean of Student juniors polled, all agreed that aCTA was Instead, Dr. Pam Regis will be filling in the number of higher level courses that can Affairs. "So we went through (he program, a waste of time. Freshman David Johnson, as department chair while Panek is away. be offered. In reality, claims Bendet-Simso, which at the time was the fuJI seven hours. a communication major, said "No one re- However, she will not be able to take on his only 16 literature courses can be taught by There were some doubts about the program, ally took it seriously. II was too long and course load, so that will still leave the de- fuJI time professors in a semester, not includ- but we thought it contained really good in- too boring." partrnenr short three classes. ing any honors, journalism or grammar formation and we decided 1'0go with it." Only one student had something posi- Second, the department is offering more classes, The college then signed a four-year deal tive to say about aCTA, and he didn't even first-year seminars than ever before, says Dr. According to college policy, the faculty with the Prevention Research Institute, a participate in the program. Kelly Mary Bendel-Simso, assistant professor of must give half their courses to majors, which not-for-profit organization who developed Dunnavant, a senior theater major, said, English. accounts for eight courses, and half to lim the research-based aCTA program. "Even though people hate aCTA, the fact "It is the faculty's responsibility to make year service courses. However, between Why did the college Jock in a deal for that they know about the material they sure the seminars work - and we're mak- first-year seminars and Composition .and so long? Mainly because "the program of- teach is important" ing a contribution," claims Panek. Because Reading, the course load tends to shift in fa- fered $35,000 worth of free training," said Bosley still sticks up for the program, of this commitment, the English department vor of the first year students. Although they Sayre. The only thing saying that "It is a good program, but we will be offering six seminar courses to in- do try to keep things balanced, Panek re- the college had to pay for was the student are never able to successfully present it. coming freshmen: two sections of Great marks, "it's difficult to serve all things manuals, which the freshman orientation Students want to be entertained. they don't Works of the Western World, three literature equally." budget covered, want to learn, and the way we teach acTA classes, and an Introduction to Journalism Another shift in the scheduling for fall is Another reason that Sayre ultimately in a three hour lump contains 100 much class. the disappearance of Professional Commu- decided to go with OCTA was that "we felt .Jecture and it rushes the presenters." The freshman seminar program has nication, formerly known as Technical Writ- that we could adjust the program to better Scott Kane, assistant dean of Student grown since it was started in 1995, says ing. Because Composition and Reading fitWMC." Affairs. agrees with Bosley that it is a good Bendel-Simso. Originally, the seminar was places such a high demand on the Writing The original program, was mainly based program, and "there are parts of it that are optional, and WMC only offered between Center during the first semester, Professional on a lecture format, OCTA presents the four important to students," he said. "However, eight and 15 courses across the entire cam- Communication had to be moved to the sec- phases of alcoholism, it gives lessons on the strength of the program is its instruc- pus. However, the seminar became rnanda- ond semester, Panek explains. tolerance, il provides guidelines on how to tors, and in order to gain the full benefit tory in 1997, and now WMC offers about Although most of the English majors in- drink responsibly. and it deals with the we need to become better teachers, espe- 32 courses from which first year students terviewed said that the lack of course offer- long-term effects of drinking. cially myself." can choose. The large number of seminars ings is not causing them serious problems, "That is one of my criticisms of the pro- Kane, unfortunately, will probably being offered does lie up the full time pro- they did express dissatisfaction with the fall gram, that it deals too much with the long- only have that chance for one more year. fessors'schedules. schedule. "After a spring semester. that of- term effects," said Sayre. "There is not as " In all likelihood, this is probably going Since the English department has an ad- fered 16 different courses to English majors, much immediate impact on students be- to be the last year aCTA is taught to first- junct staff of six, it would make sense 10 have I am disappointed in the lack of variety of cause it doesn't focus on the 'one night year students," said Sayre. some adjuncts teach first-year seminars, thus classes being offered," says sophomore En- problems' that so many student have." He has several reasons 10 support his allowing the full time professors to spend glish major Erin Clarke. :JL Another criticism that Sayre has is that decision. "For one thing, OCTA still gets .Il).9re time working with the English majors. English major Jared Miller agrees, "[It's] the program was too repetitive. Many stu- a lot of crtticlsrn," he admits. q\!.,~wever, while the department has excel- slimpickings," he;refi?,arks, ". dents who were first to take the program Sayre also cites that a change in what lent adjuncts, says Bendel-Simso, :'[we] '. True, this dors.oop.e.em t9 be reo big of agreed with Sayre, and after OCTA's first you are teaching every couple of years is want to a~oid the situation where a student's a deal - with nine courses being offered" year, the program was cut in half. Since that good, ~d that the teachers of OCTA are first intro [to WMCj is with someone not statistically there would be less than ten time the program has been revised again, probably getting a little bored with it attached to the college." people in a class - more than enough room mainly due to student criticism, according Bosley said she is actively looking to "We wish to have students relying on for aIL to Sayre. replace aCTA with II new program. people who wiJl be here [because it] But what happens if the courses offered "We have tried to pay attention to Sayre believes that one possible re- builds a better relationship with the college," are not the ones one needs? "We have ulti- aCTA's criticism and respond to it, and I placement program is Alcohol 101, a Regis adds. mate control over whether or not someone think we've done that," said Sayre. "We computer-based program that is currently Finally, the department also has a re- graduates," says Regis, encouraging dis- could have gotten our of the contract and being used to deal with students with mul- sponsibility to provide Composition and gruntled students to talk to their advisers ended the program," he said, "but we've tiple alcohol violations. "By the end of the Reading to all students who need it. "With· about scheduling problems. been changing it enough so that we are rela- fall of 2000 we will know exactly what .420 incoming freshman, we really need to "Nobody is going to go without the stud- tively happy with it." program we are going to use," said Sayre. offer b~tween 18 and 22 sections of this ies they need to graduate," adds Panek. Students cannot share IDs as Glar tightens security MICHAEL STOKF,S "Twenty years ago when you attended this Barry Bosley, director of Facilities Man- participation by students in the committee, Staff Writer college, you came here and you had the one agement and Auxilary Services, is the pri- and if students want to change something, Recently a WMC student named and only meal plan. You paid for room and mary overseer of the ID cards. He said that they need to be a part of it." "Johnny" was very hungry. He was a com- board, which was meant to provide for each the cards are strictly for personal use and If security is the biggest issue, then what muter student without a meal plan, who student's needs. That was it." are mainly for protection for the students, would be the problem if "Johnny's" friend yearned for one of the infamous Glar Sayre said that students now have more saying that check.ing the cards at GJar's en- was standing next to him at the entrance of lunches. So, "Johnny" borrowed an ID card options with their meals, including the num- trance is like "checking [D's in a bar." Bos- Glar, asking that the card be swiped twice? from one of his on-campus friends, and at- ber of times they can eat in a day, the hours ley went on to say that the practice of bor- Both Dolid and Bosley said that it all boils tempted to gain entrance into Glar on that they can eat, the number of meals they have, rowing cards is not ok, and that if students down to a security issue, and "that practice fateful Wednesday. After checking the pic- and even the fact that they can use some want to gain access to Glar they can use other is in direct violation of school policy." ture on the card, the dining service atten- meals to eat in the Pub. "Four years ago stu- options, such as using money on their de- Sayre, however, said "I don't see it being dant denied "Johnny" entrance into Glar. dents didn't even have those options," he clining balance or using a guest pass. a security issue if it's your card and you're Luckily for "Johnny," Campus Safety said. "How do we know that the student gave standing there inviting a friend in." was not notified about the incident, and he As for the school's strict policy of not permission for their friend to use their card," As for the punishment for this offense; was able to eat at Glar by way of a friend's sharing ID cards for the use of loaning out said' BOSley. "Why even have pictures if director of Campus Safety, Mike Webster, guest pass for three dollars and fifty cents. meals, Sayre said that the cards are like csedir you're going to change that plan? We have said that the incident would be referred to This incident upset "Johnny" and many cards, wbich are only to be used by the an obligation as the college, and security is one of the residence life coordinators, who of his friends because they felt that, as-adults, bearer. "I see where those students are com- the biggest issue." will then deal with the matter. Webster said they should be able to use the meal plans in ing from [those who believe it is ok to share Alan Dolid, director of food services, that they have documented a coupl'e of those whatever way·they desired. They felt that if mealsl, but it is very difficult to balance the agreed with Bosley. He said overa11 there has violations this year, and that he considers the "Johnny's" friend wanted to "treat" him to system. It is in place as security for the stu- been "improved 'Customer satisfaction" incident to be a '''minor theft." lunch at Glar, there should be nothing wrong dents, so that people don't go around steal- among the students concerning their meal Can this policy ever be changed? Accord- with that, since Johnny's friend pays for his ing others' cards for their own benefit." plans over the past four years, and that a lot ing to Sayre, Bosley and DoIid, yes it can. own education, including his mea1 plan. - Sayre added that Western Maryland Col- of the changes have benefited the students, "~Anything can be considered," said Sayre, " Why is the meal plan policy is so strict? lege is "an extremely well-behaved campus." "A lot of the changes that come about "U's up to the students. They have to chal- Philip Sayre, dean of Student Affairs, He does not believe that if students were are initiated in the food committee, which lenge the policy," said students now have a lot more freedom _ a1lowed to use other students' cards for meals students are encouraged to be a part of," said So for all of you "Johnnys" out there, go with the meals than in previous years. the campus would tum into a crime haven. Ootid. "Lately, there has been ahnost zero to the food committee meetings.