Newspapers / Brevard College Student Newspaper / Oct. 5, 2007, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 News BC implements academic Early Warning system The Clarion | October 5, 2007 by Ben Goff News Editor If you’re not attending class or doing your assignments, chances are you’ll soon be hearing from Shirley Arnold. This week saw the introduction of a new academic “Early Warning” system designed to identify students who are struggling after the first four weeks of class and to assist them before their grades are adversely affected. According to Arnold, director of Academic Support Programs, the system is just an outgrowth of the strong student-faculty relationships thatBC is able to have as a small college. The system was originally proposed in the Academic Support Committee (a shared governance committee made up of faculty from each division, staff, and students) last year, and is being used for the first time this semester The system allows professors to enter information about each student through the Webtwister academic software. Professors are able to comment on students’ participation, attendance, and overall performance. According to Arnold the system has been well received thus far by professors. A report based on faculty comments is then compiled and sent to Arnold and VP for Enrollment Management Joretta Nelson. The information collected is used to identify students who are struggling academically after the first four weeks of class so that they can receive academic support before it is too late to bring the grades up. Academic support persoimel direct students to the help that they feel would be most appropriate to the individual student, which may include their professors, coaches, tutors, or counselors. The system is meant to be an aid to students, and does not force students to take any action. The information collected is also kept confidential, and does not go on any record. Arnold sends out an email at midterms to any student whose semester GPA is below a 2.0 offering academic support, but hopes that the early warning system will make this a thing of the past by helping students who are having difficulty before their grades are affected. Arnold described the system as a way of “helping students to be responsible,” and emphasized that students are ultimately responsible for their own academic performance, with this system merely being “a way that Brevard College cares enough to go the extra mile.” Students identified through the system will receive notification via email or in their campus mailboxes. Nelson encourages students to look for such notification and be proactive in addressing any academic issues they may have. SGA Beat by Mandi Pearson Opinion Editor SGAs executive board attended the National Student Goverimient Association conference in Washington, D. C. last week with the intent to improve the student government as a whole. President Beth Brooker has a new plan. Brooker stated that the conference was very informative; she plans to improve SGA by plaiming new activities and getting students more involved. The conference included many workshops, such as problem solving in student government and how to plan successful events on campus. The executive board now has the “just do if’ attitude. They plan to improve communications between the students and the administration. SGA wants students to come to them with problems they are having around campus and work as a team to improve such issues. Campus Life is holding a leadership conference for students this Saturday, Oct. 6. The executive board will be involved with workshops on leadership and will also present the new plan for SGA. SGA urges you to come see the changes that are going to be made. Step it up BC by Ben Goff News Editor On Saturday, Nov. 3, BC Recycles Club and the Environmental Issues Committee will be holding a “Step ft Up” rally on campus to help raise awareness about global climate change and to encourage political leaders to make smart energy choices. The rally is scheduled to take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the BC soccer field. The rally will include several activities, with participants using their bodies to spell the words “step it up” on the soccer field as the backbone. This rally is part of a national program that has involved thousands of people in over 1,400 rallies nationwide. The main tenant of the rallies is to encourage congress to cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. For more information on this rally, or if you would like to help organize it, please email Robert Cabin at cabinij@brevard.edu. For more information about the Step ft Up organization and global warming, go to http:// WWW.stepitiip2007.org/ Debate / Young Politicians meets every Thursday at 5:30 in MG 139.
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