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SGA
Beat
ASU grad tabbed
to head diversity efforts
Sarah Newell -
Staff Writer
Dr. Harry Williams,
Appalachian State University’s newly-named associate vice-chancellor
for diversity, told the Student Government Association senate he will
work in a non-confrontational manner with departments and will aim his
recruitment efforts at prospective students who genuinely want to come
to the institution.
“We want people who want to be here. We don’t want to create
an environment where we’re begging people to be here,” said
Williams.
Williams said he wants to spread the message that Appalachian is a great
university to every minority high school student across the state.
“I want to get the word out about ASU to the different diversity
communities,” said Williams. “Appalachian was not Time’s
“College of the Year” for no reason.”
He told the senate they could help get the message out about what a great
school Appalachian is through talking to students at their former high
schools.
“I’ve looked at the things that have hindered diversity—mainly
racial diversity—here at ASU. One of the main things we noticed was
the small number of African American students who pursued advanced degrees,”
said Williams.
Williams said he plans to work with all of the departments on campus,
as well as the staff and students, to increase diversity.
“It won’t be confrontational,” he said. “It’ll
be a positive direction and will enhance ASU.”
SGA President-elect Ryan Eller said he intends to work closely with Williams
once both are officially in office.
“The first thing I want to look at is the Diversity Plan the trustees
brought up at the last meeting,” said Eller. “I want to sit
down with Dr. Williams and make sure that the plan is enacted.”
“I feel that Dr. Williams is really on track with where the university
needs to go, regarding increasing the diversity numbers,” said Eller.
“It really makes me happy to see Dr. Williams look at the gap in
ethnic diversity among both the students and the faculty and staff, as
well.”
Williams, who received both his undergraduate degree and two master’s
degrees at Appalachian, said he was happy to come back to Appalachian
to help the university move to a new level.
“When I first toured the school in 1981 when I was recruited to run
track for ASU, there was such a warm, natural feel, and I’m glad
that it’s still here, that it still exists,” said Williams.
Williams worked at Appalachian 20 years ago recruiting undergraduate students.
He was also the president of the black faculty and staff.
“It’s a blessing to have him be from this area, because he knows
the atmosphere around Watauga county and ASU,” said Eller.
Chancellor - Student Development Beat
Plan
points to reasons behind low numbers
part two
Studies show SAT is racially biased, says SGA VP-elect
Shea Kuczko - Staff
Writer
A plan of action
has been established to help Appalachian State University reach the numerical
goals for minority enrollment set by the new Diversity Plan.
One reason for Appalachian’s lack of diversity cited in the plan
is the inability of some African Americans and Latinos to achieve the
minimum SAT score necessary for admission. However, the plan did not offer
any follow-up solution.
“Several studies have proven that the SATs are racially biased. For
example, when I took the test I was given a question about tennis. It
just so happened that I played tennis, but many African Americans don’t,”
said Student Government Association Vice President-elect and current SGA
Diversity Committee Chair Ezell Williams. “It’s not that African
Americans aren’t competent, it’s that the test is biased.”
One step recommended in the action plan is an increase in the yield rate
for admissions of minority students.
The plan also identifies lack of minority faculty and staff as another
obstacle to a truly diverse campus.
Williams said this is one of the reasons why adjustment is so difficult.
She said she thinks a stronger base of mentors who are of color would
help minority students adjust more quickly, especially freshmen.
“A welcoming atmosphere is the most important solution to every problem
in my opinion,” said Williams.
The action plan also recommends the hiring of two additional admissions
counselors to focus more on the recruitment of minority students, two
moves that could be affected by the university’s current fiscal plight.
“I am not aware of any impact on this plan because of the hiring
freeze, but freezes often impact the entire university,” said Assistant
Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Tracey Wright.
Current admissions counselors are now being asked to actively recruit
minority students.
The Diversity Plan expresses the university’s concern for the image
of being projected as located in a place surrounded by recreational activities
more geared to non-minority students such as rock climbing, hiking and
skiing. The composers of the plan believe that image is not one that attracts
African Americans or other minority students.
Williams admitted it is difficult for African Americans to adjust in Boone.
“These activities are not things that African Americans are accustomed
to doing, but I think that we realize that there is so much more to do
in this area and we have adjusted well,” said Williams.
One possible solution to the perceived lack of activities attractive to
students of color is broadening the variety of musical acts that appear
on campus.
“More funding for different acts to be able to come to Appalachian
would offer more for African Americans to do, socially,” said Williams.
“Nickel Creek, and several other bands who are only of interest to
a certain group of people, were just here,” said Williams. “I
think that we should have acts like Outkast and Lauryn Hill, someone that
everyone would be interested in.”
Clubs
- Organizations Beat
Earth
Day festivities slated to begin Sunday
Crystal Thompson
- Staff Writer
The annual Earth
Day Celebration is slated to begin Sunday and will feature activities
planned by six campus organizations.
Members of Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT), Students Actively
Volunteering for the Environment (SAVE), the Solar Club, Sustainable Development
Recreation Management and Geography and Planning planned three events
for the celebration, beginning with Sunday’s Spring Cleaning from
11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
“It will be a hands-on service project at Mountain Mission Farms,
an eco-community, where we will be hauling brush, planting bushes and
painting,” said ACT Community Service Coordinator Jenny Koehn.
There will be transportation provided and a cookout after the service
project. Students should sign up in the ACT Community Outreach Center
by noon Friday.
The Earth Day Celebration will be held Monday from 11 a.m. – 5:30
p.m. at Duck Pond Field with food, fellowship, music and
information.
“Students have been pulling this together since the beginning of
March. There will be a variety of local environmental organizations there,
as well as some innovative displays by student organizations such as the
Solar Club, who will have solar-powered ovens out there.
There will be music and speakers throughout the day,” said Koehn.
Bands that will play include Banana da Terra and Boo Boo Grey Dog.
“Speaker topics will include local environmental issues, eco-feminism,
campus recycling, and much more. The event will be fully solar-powered,”
said Koehn.
“This is a litter-free event, so bring your own reusable plates and
cup.”
Students can also get information on how to get involved locally and nationally
and how to help the environment.
The Earth Day Parade will close out the events on Monday, starting at
5:45 p.m. from Duck Pond Field. Those wishing to see the event should
arrive at the field by 5:30 p.m.
“There are many steps to securing a parade permit, but with the help
of a local community citizen, Jerry Williamson, we were able to see this
idea turn into a reality,” said Koehn.
“We are hoping to get a lot of folks out for this. We will line up
by Duck Pond Field/ Stadium Parking Lot starting at 5:30 p.m. and will
head to the Jones House at 5:45 p.m.,” said Koehn.
The parade is a first-time event that will head straight down the middle
of Rivers Street from the stadium up to Depot Street, then to King Street,
ending at the Jones House. The festivities will end at 7:45 p.m.
Alex Hooker and the Fever City Boys, a local bluegrass favorite, will
provide the music and Jeffrey Scott from the National Committee for the
New River will be the featured speaker at the Jones House.
“Students, staff and faculty are welcome to any of these events.
Walkers, people on bikes, roller blades and skateboards are all welcome,
but no motor vehicles are allowed though. The more the merrier,”
said Koehn.
“We’ve discussed logistics during weekly meetings and have put
together what we think will be a pretty neat day,” said Koehn. Let’s
hope the weather is on our side. There is no rain location. I guess rain
is just part of our environment.”
Academic
Affairs Beat
Campus-wide
Pharos printing almost reality
Chris Bohle
- Staff Writer
The transition
from free printing in campus computer labs to charged printing is
nearly complete, a move campus officials say has been the only possible
option to employ.
Although this change has evoked an ample amount of negative feedback
from many students, Dr. Doug May, director of Academic Computing Services,
asserts it saves money and paper and promotes responsible printing.
“Last year, we literally threw away, or recycled, $120,000 worth
of paper that was not used from all of the labs,” said May. “It
just isn’t a wise thing to throw away all that money.”
The effect of this paper waste was the shift to charging students
for printing, a move made earlier this year in widely-used computer
labs, and which is now being encountered in nearly every lab on campus.
“We had to find a way to encourage students to print more wisely,
and this was the only choice we had,” said May.
The modification was not intended to be a punishment but rather a
reminder to students to print only what they need, said May.
Many students assume the change was established because of the ongoing
budget cuts, but Dr. Stuart Towns, chairman of the Department of Communication,
disagrees.
“They have been planning this for a year—I don’t think
it has anything to do with budget cuts,” said Towns.
In fact, even under the new system of charging students, the university
still is losing money on printing costs, said May.
Students are being charged 3 cents per page, while 4 cents per page
would have to be charged to break even, said May.
In addition to the under-priced printing cost, coupons were distributed
at the beginning of the semester redeemable for $6 of free printing,
said May. However, many students threw away the coupon, leaving themselves
no room to complain, said May.
“One of the questions we have been asking ourselves is if we
want to give another allowance [coupon] next year,” said May.
“We have to think of that since so many people apparently threw
it away this year.”
Another possibility would be the combination of no coupon and a price
of 4 cents per page, which is from the school of thought that claims
printing should pay for itself.
Either way, the money students pay for computer and technology services
that are included in their student fees are still going to the right
place, said May.
“The monies that are set aside in student fees [for technology
purposes] are still being used for these purposes,” said May.
“We’re not making money by any means—just avoiding
the tremendous paper loss.”
May said he will not know for sure exactly how the system will be
modified next year until he discusses the issue with the newly-elected
Student Government Association President and Vice President Ryan Eller
and Ezell Williams.
Police
Beat
Haas:
Board aims to educate, not punish
Becky Diverniero
- Staff Writer
The Student Judicial
Board is an administrative process and is not meant to punish students,
said Director of Judicial Affairs Judy Haas.
The board strives to raise awareness rather then punish, she said.
“The general purpose of the board is to provide a fundamentally
fair process for students who dispute allegations that have been made
against them,” said Haas. “Education is our ultimate goal.”
The Student Judicial Board was established in 1991 and consists of
12 board members and a chairperson. All board members must be full-time
students, have a minimum grade point average of 2.25 and be in good
standing with the university. They must also serve one-year terms
and be available on Tuesday nights, which is when cases are held.
The board’s jurisdiction ranges from conduct off-campus to inside
the classroom, said Haas.
“We have authority over anything outside or inside the classroom
that’s not related to academic integrity,” said Haas. “Meaning
the turning in of papers, cheating off of somebody, things like that.”
The board members are required to receive training in the Code of
Student Conduct, communication skills, diversity issues and sanctioning
guidelines. During a case hearing, members must decide whether or
not students are in violation of the code. If they are found in violation,
the board will recommend a sanction, based on precedence and the Code
of Student Conduct, to Vice Chancellor of Student Development Dr.
Gregory Blimling,
Erin Cook, Student Judicial Chair, has been on the board since her
freshman year.
“When I was a freshman I was looking to go into the legal field,
and I thought the board would be a good view of what I wanted to do,”
said Cook.
Cook, a junior, is double majoring in criminal justice and psychology.
She became chair last fall and plans to return again next year.
“I’ve learned a lot [from being on the board],” said
Cook. “It’s taught me how to be open- minded, not judge
on first appearances and work effectively with people.”
As chair, Cook must review cases before they are heard and put together
a write-up after they are decided.
“It gets time consuming,” said Cook. “But I love it,
so time is a small sacrifice.”
Although some students may feel odd about judging their classmates,
Cook said peer pressure is not a problem.
“There is a set standard in the Code of Student Conduct, and
as a freshman, I found out the precedents and that [decisions are]
really a group effort,” said Cook.
The Office of Judicial Affairs is not a court of law, said Cook.
“We’re not out to get students,” said Cook. “We
just want them to realize that there are consequences to their actions
and that they’re in college now. It’s time to take responsibility.”
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