4 News
The Pen
November 1998
Attendance policy gives
student/faculty an
alternative
By Sharonda Brown
Staff Writer
Saint Augustine’s College has
adopted a new classroom policy that
is designed to set limits on how
many unexcused absences a student
can have per class.
The policy was suppose to go into
effect August 19, 1998, but due to
unexpected problems, the catalog
was unable to be presented to the
students, faculty, staff, and admin
istration for the next school year.
The policy states, that a student
should be given one unexcused ab
sence per credit hour, and requires
an instructor to give each student a
course syllabus which consists of the
classroom attendance policy, class
schedule, upcoming projects, chap
ters to read, test, quiz dates, ^nd of
fice hours. The policy also gives the
instructor the right to withdraw a
student from a course because of un
excused absences.
Some students believe that this
was unfair, but the new policy will
help everyone focus on how to
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handle this problem.
The new policy was developed at
the Professional Development week
which was held in January of this
year. The idea came about when
instructors complained about stu
dents not attending classes regularly.
“We had to find a way to be fair
to the students and instructors in the
issue of unexcused absences,” said
Dr. Maurice C. Taylor, senior vice
president of academic aflFairs/pro-
vost. “The new policy is designed
not to penalize the students that at
tend classes, but to penalize those
students that do not attend regu
larly.”
Taylor also said that he hopes the
policy will motivate students to at
tend classes and keep the \^dthdrawal
rate at a minimum.
“I never knew the old policy
changed,” said Lisa Coke, sopho
more, biology major. “I hope the
new policy will help students use
their heads and take time out for
class.”
“The policy docs not affect me in
anyway since I’m motivated to at
tend classes on a regular basis,” said
Alexa Elliott, junior, business ad
ministration. “If a student has not
been attending classes already, then
I’m not sure they will after the new
policy goes into effect.”
The new policy’s aim is to im
prove classroom attendance for
both the student and the instruc
tor. The instructor may recom
mend to the head of the depart
ment that the
student who has violated the policy
to be withdrawn from the course.
The request requires the instruc
tor to get an approval from the di
vision chairperson and written au
thorization from the provost.
As in the old policy, students
with written documentation for
their absence from class, were al
lowed to make up any missed as
signments.
Although there are no changes
being made to the new policy at
this time, it is up to the Board of
Trustees to make any changes nec
essary after the catalog has been is
sued.
The classroom attendance
policy will be enforced at the be
ginning of the Spring semester of
1999.
The poliq^ was adopted so that
it may persuade each student to at
tend classes. However, a student
that refuses to follow the new
policy may be penalized for their
actions.
Colloqium
series kicks off
new year
By Nakia McLean
StaffWriter
The 1998-99 College Collo
quium series kicked off this year
with its theme being “Strength
ening the Foundation for Higher
Education.” The Colloquium
series are scholarly discussions
that are open to faculty, staff and
students. The purpose of the
Colloquiums is to share informa
tion amongst members of the
St. Augustine’s College commu
nity.
The Center for Teaching and
Learning in collaboration with
the Department of English and
Communications are the initial
sponsors of the Colloquiums.
The first Colloquium focused
on the Learning Community
Program and its mentoring ar
rangement for first year and
transfer students. The program
was designed to strengthen stu
dents critical thinking and prob
lem solving skills, as well as pro
mote spiritual, social, financial
and physical well-being. The
programs motto “It takes a com
munity to educate a student,”
acknowledges the programs en
ergy towards making St. Aug an
exceptional environment to live,
learn, and grow.
The speaker for the discussion
was Carolyn E. Knowles, Direc
tor of the Learning Community
Program, and associate professor
of business.
This year marks the third year
of existence for the Learning
Community Program and the
Colloquium series as well.
In attendance of this meeting
were six faculty/staff members
and one student.
“I really wasn’t that surprised
at the turn-out at the first ses
sion,” says Knowles.
The series takes place once a
month, look out for the next one
in November.
President
continued from page
Photo by Antoinette Togba
Camela Cohen, SGA presient takes time to talk to
students in front of Latham Hall.
apathy must also decrease when pro
grams and activities are put into
place.”
Doing what Cohen does is not
easy.
In addition to being student body
president, Cohen also has a job at
Wake Medical Center, and an in
ternship.
When asking students what they
feel about Cohen as president, as
well as what she is doing, Dana
Payton, a freshman, said, “She has
gotten a few things together and I
feel she is doing her job.”
Annette Hinkson, senior, had this
to say, “I haven’t seen her do any
thing other than the penny drive,
• but I am expecting to sec something
from her before the end of the se
mester.”
ArthurC. Hickman, senior, feels
she needs to initiate more activities
and educational programs which
will allow interaction with odier stu
dents and faculty.
With the different views, students
have eixpectations from Cohen as a
student leader.
“I haven’t always been a leader, ”said
Cohen, “But now will be the time
to step up.”
president for student affairs and
SGA advisor, due to inactivity and
problems with the student consti
tution and it’s structure.
Last year, the SGA president, vice-
president, public relations director
and the senior class {>resident were
stripped of their duties after an in
cident in which they were caught
drinking alcohol in the SGA ofifice
located in the student union.
“I want meetings where we find
solutions, and not where we just
fiiss,” said Cohen.
Instead of concentrating on ninety
percent students and ten percent on
faculty, staff and administrations, to
build student/faculty relationship,
Cohen plans to concentrate more on
faculty. She wants to see if their
dedication goes beyond the class
room. Cohen stated that she, “plans
to let faculty know that their com
mitment is not only in their work
but involving themselves in aaivi-
ties and functions after their regular
9 to 5 jobs.
If this method must work, student
Revision
continued from page I
the fountain in front of the fine
arts building, the fountain in
front of the library is being re
paired. This fountain was closed
due to carelessness of the stu
dents throwing trash in the
fountain which was clogging it
up. By this abuse, staff from
physical plant were coming out
twice a week to clean up after
others thoughtlessness.
St. Aug is also enduring an
other type of face lift.
The physical plant have been
cutting down trees on the yard
during the October. The reason
for this face lift is the keep fall
ing tree limbs from touching on
the school’s primary source of
electricity.
Ifduringastorraatrtewas
to fall on the power lines, there
would be a power outage for at
least a week or two. Being that
we are a private institution, we
would be last on the list of
Carolina Power & Light to re
store power. Along with this,
trees needed to be cut because
of their old age and deteriora
tion at the roots.
The changes that are being
made on the campus are in the
best interest of the faculty, staff,
and students.
So, “as v/e appreciate our cam
pus, the new changes are look-
ing good for the new century
up ahead,” said Crystal Best, se
nior.