By Meg DePanise<\/p>\n
Provost Conway-Turner met with Hood College students in a forum held Monday at 8 p.m. in Hodson Auditorium to address concerns regarding schedule changes that are to go into effect next fall. The Provost delivered a presentation and then opened the floor for questions to be addressed by her and registrar Nanette Markey.<\/p>\n
Katie Hays, SGA Academic Affairs Chairperson, said the goal of the night was \u201cto dispel any misinformation that may be circulating around campus.\u201d The changes to the schedule have given rise to a number of groups on campus and many students have turned to social media to express their distaste with the administration\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n
Hood Student Power<\/a> is one of the most prominent of these groups. At the forum four members led by Grant Gallagher approached the Provost on stage to deliver their petition signed by 245 Hood students who are concerned about the changes. \u201cWe\u2019re asking Hood to live up to those values of hope, opportunity, obligation, and democracy,\u201d Gallagher said addressing the audience and the Provost.<\/p>\n The real schedule changes and \u201cnothing else unusual\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n The Provost began her presentation with the basics. \u201cThe schedule is sort of the backbone of which everything else particularly during the day happens around,\u201d she said. The schedule is typical of any college schedule and is designed to meet the needs for both undergraduate and graduate students.<\/p>\n She went on to discuss the motivations for the changes. One was to more effectively make use of the entire week. She said that with few Friday classes and common hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays there was a lot of compression in the week.<\/p>\n The current schedule is also designed for three-credit courses. The recent addition of a number of four-credit classes required accommodations in order to meet the minimal number of minutes standard for a four-credit course.<\/p>\n The new schedule also prevents the possibility of overlapping classes. It also is projected to enhance the retention of students and allow students to more successfully complete their degrees within four years.<\/p>\n The Provost said the new schedule will maintain a more effective common hour. The current schedule has common hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. The new common hour will be 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.<\/p>\n She said that Tuesdays and Thursdays are a popular time for classes so they wanted to regain that time so that students can make the most of it. \u201cBut we also heard in the forums that we held with faculty, staff and students that the common hour was very important to students and many others,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The Provost recognized that choir will be directly impacted by the change to the common hour but the change was made on the basis that the majority of people expressed they needed more time to engage in activities they wanted. \u201cI\u2019m the first to say that no schedule is perfect and that people have to change based on the new change and new common hour so I was aware that the choir would be one of those places that would have to make a change in how you practiced,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The Provost said that the schedule will continue to have the average student taking 15 to 16 credits, 85 to 90 percent of classes will still be held during the day, and three hours will be reserved on Wednesday for other activities. \u201cNothing else unusual,\u201d the Provost said.<\/p>\n The Provost provided two example schedules and addressed some major points of student concern. \u201cThe notion that somehow you are going to have really long days, it\u2019s not happening,\u201d she said. Students will now have more options with the new time slots provided so that they can more easily finish their requirements.<\/p>\n Another key student concern was time for work, volunteering, internships, and research. \u201cYou will continue to do those around your schedule in the same way that you do it now as hundreds and thousands of students have done it before you and will continue to after you so yes, there is flexibility there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The new schedule, the Provost said, is \u201cnothing really mysterious, it\u2019s an enhancement of the current schedule.\u201d She continued: \u201cIt is student centered in that we are looking to remove obstacles that our students had moving throughout their degrees and it provides you choice and ability to really balance your interest with other co curricular interests that you have.\u201d<\/p>\n The smoke hasn\u2019t cleared yet.<\/b><\/p>\n Gallagher commented on the outcome of the forum: \u201cTonight, Hood students have a lot to be proud of. We went to the forum and delivered a petition with 245 names, that’s one in 10 students after petitioning on three occasions. The Provost gave a promotional presentation and dodged questions. Administration’s supporters in the audience, including one of the SGA execs who decided to work against student opinion before actually meeting with students, heckled us. But we delivered a petition signed by 245 students who are against these changes and want to have a real say in decisions made at our school. I think it’s clear who raised the strongest and most constructive voice, and we’re happy about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Hays said she was appreciative of the Provost coming out and the forum was successful in providing examples and explanations for the upcoming changes. \u201cAs the Provost said, no schedule is perfect but I think these changes next semester will go a long way in allowing students more flexibility in their schedule and help them to graduate in four years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Drake Halpern, SGA president, wrote this in the SGA February newsletter: \u201cAs we look back on the Civil Rights Movement and the changes that followed, we at Hood are experiencing changes of our own. With these changes we venture into uncharted waters at Hood. In these times of change Student Government is doing all that we can to advocate for the students.\u201d<\/p>\n Bianca Padilla who previously served on SGA and now is a member of House Council said that she hopes students got their questions answered. \u201cAs a senior graduating from Hood I wish that I could have had these schedule options,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope everything works out in the end and I look forward to see what happens next year.\u201d<\/p>\n While some students said that they feel at ease after hearing the specifics of the changes, others expressed that they are frustrated with other issues. The forum brought concerns regarding Hood\u2019s email system and additional scheduling conflicts, many surrounding the 18.5 credit cap for full-time students, to the forefront.<\/p>\n Junior Sarah Tapscott believes that with the addition of four-credit classes the number of credits a student can take without paying extra tuition should be increased. \u201cThe excuse that Hood is actually really giving with the 18.5 is garbage,\u201d she said. \u201c18 isn’t easily divisible by four so people can’t take five classes a semester anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Other students were more concerned about the process that led to the ratification of the changes. \u201cRegardless of whether or not the changes are positive I would like to know more about the voice that students had in deciding on them in the first place because I don\u2019t personally feel as if our input was effectively given in the actual process of deciding on these changes,\u201d Sandow Sinai who also delivered the petition said addressing the Provost.<\/p>\n She said that three open forums were held. \u201cWe repeatedly sent emails out to students inviting them so much that we had some students telling us to stop doing it so we did invite input into the process,\u201d the Provost said. \u201cI\u2019m sorry that you didn\u2019t want to come but you know we did certainly invite students.\u201d<\/p>\n Many students said that they didn\u2019t receive the emails or that they could not attend the forums at their scheduled time.<\/p>\n Some feel that they don\u2019t have enough of a say in their education. \u201cEven the faculty are against these new changes,\u201d Melissa Cutts, a sophomore, said. \u00a0\u201cOne of the reasons that was given to the staff was they are trying to prevent students from partying on Thursday nights.\u201d<\/p>\n Other students were opposed to Monday\u2019s forum being held on a snow day. \u201cYou know, I would have gone, but having the thing on a day where classes are cancelled from ice seems like they don’t really care about the students,\u201d Kelsi Harshman, junior, said. \u201cAnd even if we had classes and no weather, it was still during night classes. Why not schedule it during common hour, or some other time where everyone could attend?\u201d<\/p>\n Attendance of the forum was lower than anticipated with about 50 students and scheduled to end at 9 and last an hour, the conversation lasted only about 30 minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m getting the idea that some of the students that want to speak up are being told to stay silent and that the few who do speak up are being ignored, so others are not speaking up because they feel like there’s no point,\u201d senior Gwen Turner said.<\/p>\n Senior Lanee Higgins suggested something different. \u201cAt Hood we have a communication problem that extends far beyond the flawed email system,\u201d Senior Lanee Higgins said. \u201cStudents spread things through social media but all of the students who attended the forum last night were not as vocal when addressed with the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Junior Mary Hickman said that she is apathetic about the changes. \u201cNo Friday classes is unheard of,\u201d she said. \u201cI think that people are getting upset over this because we’ve gotten a bit spoiled over Hood’s old scheduling policies.\u201d<\/p>\n The core requirements also recently adjusted, eliminating the upper level course requirements. This is a change that the majority students and the administration agree on. \u00a0The Provost said at the forum: \u201cWe have made several I think important steps forward that will benefit students. The core changes are one and the schedule change is another. And what was the center of both of those changes was to expedite student\u2019s ability to be successful in college and move through the program. \u201c<\/p>\n The new schedule as well as the summer schedule will be released two weeks before Advising Day on April 4.<\/p>\n Watch the full video of Monday\u2019s forum here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"