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CflJ^KgUAMPUS Ullnnu ¥ Win XT..~.K^_ 1 T ^^5 ^/ 1U«_«k *>1 1HAA Volume LXXVI, Number I 7 March 23, 1990 Ash Addresses State Of Academia, State Of College At Inauguration SYMBOL OF LEADERSHIP: James L. Ash, twelfth president of Whittier College, receives investiture from Chairman of the Board of Trustees Rayburn S. Dezember. Students Petition Archer Over Grievances In RA Controversy —By Caitlin Duffy QC Staff Writer In his inaugural speech on Friday March 16, President Ash addressed the decline in academic quality, incoherence in curriculum, the de-emphasis and impoverishment of undergraduate studies, lack of faculty participation outside of the classroom, and the lack of inherent goals in undergraduate education as five areas of concern in higher education. "Whittier College has addressed all of these five concerns and has come up with effective solutions," said Ash. Ash said that the decline in academic quality is effecting students from kindergarten to college age. "Faculty members no longer have the courage to confront issues of basic liberal learning," Ash said. Ash added that he feels this problem does not affect Whittier College because of the dedication of the faculty members. "College curriculums around the country are in disarray, many campuses are facing a frustrating search to find intellectual L By Michele Apostolos QC Assistant News Editor Senior Spencer Stinson has circulated a petition which states that members of the student body are "outraged by the method that President Ash and Dr. Archer used in selecting seven of the RA (Resident Advisor) positions for the 1990-91 school year" and is asking that a list of demands be met by President Ash, Residential Life, and the Faculty Masters. Circulation of the petition is in response to student concerns voiced at the "Face to Face" discussion held Tuesday night in Wanburg Lounge between Dick Archer, Dean of College Life, and students. 93 people attended the discussion, including members of each society, FACU, Iota Chi, Resident Advisors, alumni, faculty, and faculty advisors. The petition demands that the decision process be revised so that all students interested in the Residential Living Management course will have an equal opportunity in the selection process, that the power be reinvested in Residential Life, so that they can work in conjunction with the Faculty Masters, and if the students Dr. Archer has selected are the best qualified, they will be selected by both Residential Life and the Faculty Masters. According to junior Jeff Laiblin, within the first thirty minutes of circulation, approximately 175 to 200 signatures were gathered. Several students participating in the discussion vocalized their unhappiness with Archer's decision to appoint the seven RA's coherence," said Ash. Ash said that although many colleges simply make "lip service" to this goal, he feels Whittier faculty members have done a good job of assisting the students in constructing coherent curriculums. "One way we have done this is by offering paired courses to help students make connections between different disciplines," said Ash. The de-emphasis and impoverishment of undergraduate studies was the third problem Ash addressed. Ash described die lack of participation and emphasis of many campuses' Freshman English course as "scandalous" and that in his opinion it is the most important course in the curriculum. "Faculty is necessary for students to learn how to write well because they are responsible for producing literate graduates," said Ash. Ash said Whittier has addressed this problem in an extremely effective way by offering freshman writing seminars in classes with as few as 15 students, taught by faculty from different departments. Ash also spoke about the issue of impoverished undergraduate studies. "Increased tuition is causing tragic social effects in which only the elite will be able to attend private colleges," Ash said. Ash said that Whittier is addressing this problem by making the commitment to continuing to make financial aid available. Ash introduced the lack of faculty participation outside the classroom as the most important problem which institutes of higher education are facing today. Ash. made reference to the German model of education in which the faculty are involved strictly academically. "This concept can be extremely destructive to a campus," Ash said. In contrast, Ash said that a model used by such prestigous universities as Oxford and Cambridge, which selected Please see SPEECH page 3. ,« **§*' I d^&s A .jQr^^gi before they completed the course which is a prerequisite for becoming an RA. During the discussion, Stinson said, "I don't think this is Mr to the other students in the class." Sophomore Alvin Henderson asked Archer if he would consider "recanting the people appointed." Archer said that he would not because he had already given the seven people his word. Archer said sixteen of the twenty-three positions are still available. In the past, RA appointments were made by Residential Life, but with the implementation of the Faculty Masters Program beginning next year, the policies are changing. "I feel that if this sets a precedent, that the Faculty Masters will gain control to do anything," Stinson later said. At the discussion, Archer said whenever there is a faculty masters system, the masters have a right to determine who the RA's will be. "Faculty Masters have a determinant voice," said Archer. According to Archer, the situation in question was due to a lack of communication, "In transition to new administration there was simply a breakdown in communication," he said. Stinson plans to submit copies of the petition to Director of Residential Life Ken Kelly, Ash, and Archer. f A w SHOW OF SUPPORT: Faculty and visitors applaud President Ash with a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech. Ash's Speech Gets Warm Response From College Staff And Community By Thong Phan-Quang QC Staff Writer Faculty reactions to President James Ash's inaugural speech last Friday showed a positive response to the message Ash sent to the college community. In his speech, Ash criticized the American educational system for its complacency, praised Whittier College's faculty for their dedication to teaching, and reaffirmed the college's committment to higher education. "I think these things [inauguration ceremonies] are important. He's [Ash] the guy we want to have here," said Charles Adams, professor of English. Dave Garland, mathematics professor, felt Ash's speech was a bit preachy, but added, "All in al1. it was better than any graduation speeches I've heard." "I think Dr. Ash said the right things. I'm glad he reaffirmed Whittier's committment to a pluralistic student body. That was very well received by various members of the faculty and student body," commented Tom Wong, professor of history. "Jim Ash has let out the good news, what he calls the best kept secret. And that is how we do what we do at this college," said Rafael Chabran, Spanish professor," I think he did a really good job of outlining the strengths of this college." Big UC schools don't care about the undergraduate, said Chabran. He cited Berkeley, where he did his undergraduate studies, as an example. Student participation and attendance at the inauguration was lower than some faculty had expected. "I was disappointed that not too many students showed up," said Steve Gold, professor of sociology. Gold added, he was "impressed by the BSU [Black Student Union]; they showed solidarity." The BSU, dressed in black, did not march in the procession with other student organizations. They were already seated in the amphitheatre as the procession entered the theatre. Ash, the BSU, and the recently formed AdHoc Committee on Black Student Concerns are currently investigating the issue of declining enrollment of black students at Whittier College.
Object Description
Title | The QC, Vol. 76, No. 17 • March 23, 1990 |
Publisher | Associated Students of Whittier College |
Description | The Quaker Campus (QC) is the student newspaper of Whittier College. The newspaper has been in continuous publication since September 1914. |
Subject | Student newspapers and publications -- Whittier College (Whittier, Calif.) |
Date | March 23, 1990 |
Language | eng |
Format-Medium | Newspaper |
Format-Extent | 8 pages ; |
Type | image |
Format of digital version | jpeg |
Repository | Wardman Library, Whittier College |
Rights-Access Rights | Property and literary rights reside with Wardman Library, Whittier College. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Special Collections. |
Date-Created | 2013-09-27 |
Image publisher | Whittier, Calif. : Wardman Library (Whittier College), 2013. |
OCR | .. |
Description
Title | 1990_03_23_p001 |
OCR | CflJ^KgUAMPUS Ullnnu ¥ Win XT..~.K^_ 1 T ^^5 ^/ 1U«_«k *>1 1HAA Volume LXXVI, Number I 7 March 23, 1990 Ash Addresses State Of Academia, State Of College At Inauguration SYMBOL OF LEADERSHIP: James L. Ash, twelfth president of Whittier College, receives investiture from Chairman of the Board of Trustees Rayburn S. Dezember. Students Petition Archer Over Grievances In RA Controversy —By Caitlin Duffy QC Staff Writer In his inaugural speech on Friday March 16, President Ash addressed the decline in academic quality, incoherence in curriculum, the de-emphasis and impoverishment of undergraduate studies, lack of faculty participation outside of the classroom, and the lack of inherent goals in undergraduate education as five areas of concern in higher education. "Whittier College has addressed all of these five concerns and has come up with effective solutions," said Ash. Ash said that the decline in academic quality is effecting students from kindergarten to college age. "Faculty members no longer have the courage to confront issues of basic liberal learning," Ash said. Ash added that he feels this problem does not affect Whittier College because of the dedication of the faculty members. "College curriculums around the country are in disarray, many campuses are facing a frustrating search to find intellectual L By Michele Apostolos QC Assistant News Editor Senior Spencer Stinson has circulated a petition which states that members of the student body are "outraged by the method that President Ash and Dr. Archer used in selecting seven of the RA (Resident Advisor) positions for the 1990-91 school year" and is asking that a list of demands be met by President Ash, Residential Life, and the Faculty Masters. Circulation of the petition is in response to student concerns voiced at the "Face to Face" discussion held Tuesday night in Wanburg Lounge between Dick Archer, Dean of College Life, and students. 93 people attended the discussion, including members of each society, FACU, Iota Chi, Resident Advisors, alumni, faculty, and faculty advisors. The petition demands that the decision process be revised so that all students interested in the Residential Living Management course will have an equal opportunity in the selection process, that the power be reinvested in Residential Life, so that they can work in conjunction with the Faculty Masters, and if the students Dr. Archer has selected are the best qualified, they will be selected by both Residential Life and the Faculty Masters. According to junior Jeff Laiblin, within the first thirty minutes of circulation, approximately 175 to 200 signatures were gathered. Several students participating in the discussion vocalized their unhappiness with Archer's decision to appoint the seven RA's coherence," said Ash. Ash said that although many colleges simply make "lip service" to this goal, he feels Whittier faculty members have done a good job of assisting the students in constructing coherent curriculums. "One way we have done this is by offering paired courses to help students make connections between different disciplines," said Ash. The de-emphasis and impoverishment of undergraduate studies was the third problem Ash addressed. Ash described die lack of participation and emphasis of many campuses' Freshman English course as "scandalous" and that in his opinion it is the most important course in the curriculum. "Faculty is necessary for students to learn how to write well because they are responsible for producing literate graduates," said Ash. Ash said Whittier has addressed this problem in an extremely effective way by offering freshman writing seminars in classes with as few as 15 students, taught by faculty from different departments. Ash also spoke about the issue of impoverished undergraduate studies. "Increased tuition is causing tragic social effects in which only the elite will be able to attend private colleges," Ash said. Ash said that Whittier is addressing this problem by making the commitment to continuing to make financial aid available. Ash introduced the lack of faculty participation outside the classroom as the most important problem which institutes of higher education are facing today. Ash. made reference to the German model of education in which the faculty are involved strictly academically. "This concept can be extremely destructive to a campus," Ash said. In contrast, Ash said that a model used by such prestigous universities as Oxford and Cambridge, which selected Please see SPEECH page 3. ,« **§*' I d^&s A .jQr^^gi before they completed the course which is a prerequisite for becoming an RA. During the discussion, Stinson said, "I don't think this is Mr to the other students in the class." Sophomore Alvin Henderson asked Archer if he would consider "recanting the people appointed." Archer said that he would not because he had already given the seven people his word. Archer said sixteen of the twenty-three positions are still available. In the past, RA appointments were made by Residential Life, but with the implementation of the Faculty Masters Program beginning next year, the policies are changing. "I feel that if this sets a precedent, that the Faculty Masters will gain control to do anything," Stinson later said. At the discussion, Archer said whenever there is a faculty masters system, the masters have a right to determine who the RA's will be. "Faculty Masters have a determinant voice," said Archer. According to Archer, the situation in question was due to a lack of communication, "In transition to new administration there was simply a breakdown in communication," he said. Stinson plans to submit copies of the petition to Director of Residential Life Ken Kelly, Ash, and Archer. f A w SHOW OF SUPPORT: Faculty and visitors applaud President Ash with a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech. Ash's Speech Gets Warm Response From College Staff And Community By Thong Phan-Quang QC Staff Writer Faculty reactions to President James Ash's inaugural speech last Friday showed a positive response to the message Ash sent to the college community. In his speech, Ash criticized the American educational system for its complacency, praised Whittier College's faculty for their dedication to teaching, and reaffirmed the college's committment to higher education. "I think these things [inauguration ceremonies] are important. He's [Ash] the guy we want to have here," said Charles Adams, professor of English. Dave Garland, mathematics professor, felt Ash's speech was a bit preachy, but added, "All in al1. it was better than any graduation speeches I've heard." "I think Dr. Ash said the right things. I'm glad he reaffirmed Whittier's committment to a pluralistic student body. That was very well received by various members of the faculty and student body," commented Tom Wong, professor of history. "Jim Ash has let out the good news, what he calls the best kept secret. And that is how we do what we do at this college," said Rafael Chabran, Spanish professor," I think he did a really good job of outlining the strengths of this college." Big UC schools don't care about the undergraduate, said Chabran. He cited Berkeley, where he did his undergraduate studies, as an example. Student participation and attendance at the inauguration was lower than some faculty had expected. "I was disappointed that not too many students showed up," said Steve Gold, professor of sociology. Gold added, he was "impressed by the BSU [Black Student Union]; they showed solidarity." The BSU, dressed in black, did not march in the procession with other student organizations. They were already seated in the amphitheatre as the procession entered the theatre. Ash, the BSU, and the recently formed AdHoc Committee on Black Student Concerns are currently investigating the issue of declining enrollment of black students at Whittier College. |
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