PAGE 4 The News Argus September 1989
STEP Program Receives Excellent Reviews from Participants
By Shirley M. Hunter
CONTRIBUTING WRITER ‘J
Summer 1989 for 30 recent North
Carolina high school graduates was a time
for change and adjustment on the Win
ston-Salem State University campus.
This summer was the first U-ial of the
university's Student Transitional Educa
tional Program. STEP is designed to
assist high school graduates who did not
meet the WSSU's admission requirements
because of low SAT scores or low grades.
"STEP also gives students an oppor
tunity to make the transition from high
school to collcge easier," said the pro
gram's director, Tracy Hicks.
' For six weeks the students were
involved in rigorous study. Students
attended classes from 8:30 to 3:30 p.m.
and were tutored in English, Math, and
Reading.
The F*rogrammed Logic for Automat
ed Teaching Operations (PLATO) lab at
WSSU is where the students spent much
time this summer PLATO helped them to
become familiar with computers and to
use a variety of computer skills tests in the
areas they are studying.
By attending PLATO students can
improve their skills in problem areas.
Also, PLATO helped prepare the students
for their placement exam that they took at
the end of the session.
How did the students perform?
According to English instructor Ollie
McDowell, "The students did an excep
tional job and no one should have difficul
ties with the tests."
"The program has done a lot for me
and I recommend that the program contin
ues," said STEP student Angela Parker,
"It teaches you to be responsible and the
best part about it is we're all on our own."
However, Maurice Jackson from
Lawndale, N.C. said, "I think the program
should be shortened to four weeks
because a lot of us got homesick."
"STEP has definitely been a success,”
said Hicks. "The outlook for STEP is a
positive one," she added "and hopefully, li
will increase the admissions of the stu
dents with low grades as well as SAT
scores who would like to attend WSSU."
The cost for STEP was S275. The
price included a variety of extra-curricular
activities such as shopping sprees, muse
um visits, and amusement park visits.
The students purchased their own books.
When asked about costs Parker said,
"We got our money’s worth."
WSSU
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
place the trees in various locations we
plan to take full advantage of it". He
then added "Looking from 1-40 at the
back of the physical plant does not look
very good, so we are considering putting
trees there to enhance the less than
desirable view. We want to re-design
the whole area" Hodge remarked.
The new library, which is still
under construction sustained minor
damages and those damages have
already been repaired. According to
Hodge the library was insured by the
contractor, but not all the buildings on
campus are insured.
When asked why he replied,
"Money is not available to insure all
the buildings on campus, however,
they are insured by the state. All the
schools are insured by the state." An
assessment of the damages that each
building suffered was compiled and
placed in a manual.
The K.R. Williams Auditorium is
undergoing extensive repair which is
beheved to have been hit the hardest.
Hodge stated that he is trying to limit
the amount of programs taking place
in the auditorium. Repairs are still
underway and it will be a long time
before the University will be back to
normal.
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