PAGE 2 — THE DECREE — DECEMBER 5,1986
Opinions and Eilitorials
Special students need
special consideration
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Wesleyan purpose needs balance
If you were the manager or
owner of a company in which
27 percent of the work force
consisted of employees faced
with unique problems, would
you consider providing these
employees a sanctioned for
um to aid in the resolution of
their problems? The situation
is analogous to the percentage
of^non-traditional students en
rolled on the Rocky Mount
campus of N.C. Wesleyan
College.
According to Cliff Sulli
van, Registrar of Wesleyan,
188 of an on campus student
population / of 678 are 25
years old or older. The in
creasing number of these so-
called "non-traditional" stu
dents would indicate that
colleges need to be more
aware of the need to address
certain unique problems faced
by such students.
Among the problems faced
by many of the non-tradi
tional students are problems
associated with commuting
distances, class scheduling,
and required attendance at
class related lectures and ot
her functions. However, and
maybe more important, is the
problem of an attitude of
alienation from campus activi
ties that can be experienced
by older students. Most non-
traditional students would
like to become more involved
in campus activities, but find
it hard to do so. Whereas the
Rules apply
Dear Editor;
I feel it is about time that we
discuss thp issue of hypocrisy among
our so-called teachers here on
campus. We are all at a responsible
age where our actions may be
questioned as well as our motives.
Hence, what we do is brought about
by our own intellect and judgment.
The students placed in charge of
securing the dorms and campus
grounds tend to forget such things. I
feel, as a resident student, that these
people are here to help me, not to
reprimand me for my actions. Don't
get me wrong, I understand their
exist guidelines by which I must
live. But if I wanted someone to
scold me everytime I made a mistake
I would have stayed home and
allowed my mother to do it.
Now the issue at hand, hypocrisy!
range of these problems can
not be solved entirely by any
college, we believe the older
students would benefit from a
forum at which such prob
lems could be discussed.
From an academic view
point, Wesleyan is to be com
mended for its diversity of
programs, its class sched
uling, and its general helpful
attitude towards the problems
of the non-traditional student
as exemplified by the college
staff. However, we would
suggest that a simple but ef
fective step could be taken by
the college to better accom
modate the needs of these
students.
We believe that the forma
tion of a sanctioned organ
ization, possibly under the dir
ection of the Student Life Of
fice, would provide at least a
forum to those students who
wish to participate in the or
ganization. Functionally, this
student organization should
have regularly scheduled
meetings and a faculty advi
sor to serve as a commun
icator between the students
and administration.
We believe that an attempt
by Wesleyan's administration
to aid the assimilation of an
increasing number of non-
traditional students into the
college's campus life is neces-
saiy and would be appre
ciated by those students af
fected.
to everyone
The word means the practice of
professing beliefs or virtues that one
does not hold or possess. Such issues
as open house policy and drinking
may be addressed to further explain
my point. It seems that only when
one of our so-called leaders is
interested in breaking or ignoring one
of these policies that it is pennitted.
This is not right!
Our rules and regulations are not
made for a specific group of people,
they are made for every-one. If you as
a leader have your stereo up loud on a
Monday night, do not attempt to
punish or scold someone guilty of
the same infraction on a different
occasion. So an action would be
completely unwarranted as well as
hypocritical.
Concerned Student
By DOLORES WOOD
The purpose or mission of Wes
leyan College has been the topic of
discussion in many forums lately. It
has been the implicit or explicit sub
ject of several articles in recent issues
of this paper. These articles have
approached the topic from the view of
the college student, staff, faculty, and
administrator.
I have been on three committees
which have directly dealt with this
issue. The corporate faculty has also
spent portions of many meetings
discussing the intent and the wording
of a statement of institutional pur
pose.
Wesleyan's focus on its purpose is
not unique among institutions of
higher learning, presently or histor
ically. The topic has been debated,
often heatedly, for the past 200 years
in this country. Higher education in
colonial America was reserved and
geared for the needs of the elite. Lib
eral arts subjects such as logic, Latin
and rhetoric, which had defined the
educated man since the time of Clas
sic Greece and Rome, were taught to
the student of religion, law or medi
cine. The purpose of the curriculum
was to develop a disciplined, logical
mind and a facility with commun
ication necessary to benefit from the
education.
With the establishment of the new
republic, men such as Benjamin
Franklin began to support the need of
a formal approach to educating citi
zens for the industrial and agricultural
needs of a new nation. With this
movement began the debate of the
purpose of higher education — train
ing or education.
Wesleyan is now, and has been for
some years, supported largely by its
preprofessionalprograms.The major
ity of graduates at commencement are
listed under criminal justice and the
various business degrees. This re
flects a national focus of the past 10-
15 years. There is a view of college
as a time to begin training that will
prepare the graduate to enter a partic
ular job. College: has not recently
been viewed as a time for self reflec
tion, for shaking off provincial up
bringings nor for stretching one's hor
izons.
Apparently Wesley anis successful
at training its graduates for career suc
cess. Our professional departments
continue to grow each year. Why
then does Wesleyan cling to an open
ly admitted archaic approach to educa
tion? Schools are, after all, busi
nesses and a neatly packaged product
is easier to advertise and sell.
Through its mission statement in
the student catalog, Wesleyan profes
ses a belief in the importance of a
liberal arts foundations for all pro
grams: professional, humanities, sci
ences, and athletics. Tlie lofty goals
of truth, freedom, and dignity are
meshed with more pragmatic aims of
social responsibility and producti
vity. This is not merely a statement
for the public. The faculty at Wes
leyan basically agree with this mis
sion. In fact, it is the reason they
have chosen to teach here.
This apparent agreement seems in
contrast with my opening statements
of the number of debates about the
mission of this college. This also
raises many questions about the
sources of these debates. Is the mis
sion statement so general that no
individual can disagree with it? Is it
also so broad that no institution can
translate it into course requirements?
Do the non-preprofessional depart
ments give support to the athletic
program and business departments so
that they will have students in their
classes?
I am not naive enough to believe
that Wesleyan could remain open if it
offered a classic liberal arts cur
riculum. Nor should the reader be
gullible enough to believe there are
not some faculty who would like to
try. I do believe there is a general
consensus that an athletic program
has more valije than merely as a
recruiting tool and that the business
department provides a greater service
than filling class seats in literature
classes. There seems to be a basic
agreement among faculty, staff, and
administration about the importance
of a broad, liberating education as a
basic for all career choices. Wesleyan
publicly purports to believe that the
historical dichotomy of college mis
sion need not exist. Business men
and women can also develop an ap
preciation of philosophy and culture.
Scholars of the humanities and arts
are enriched, not distracted by exper
iences with practical concerns.
I hold little hope that Wesleyan
will or should completely resolve the
issue of its mission. Scholars thrive
on disagreement. One defines what
one is by defining what one is not.
We will continue to balance the core
curriculum with major requirements
in an attempt to balance thi? needs of
the student and the integrity of the
college.
Although our curriculum is dyna
mic in nature, it must also have a
sense of stability. I would like to see
a more public realization that we are
in basic agreement. I think it is time
that we all stop jealously guarding
every three-hour slot in our pro
grams. I hope that we will continue
to broaden our own horizons and
liberate our own thinking as well as
that of our students in this matter.
OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
Editorial Hoard — Eva Bartley, Donald Martin, Matt McKown,
Barry Nethcrcutt, Christopher Ostling, Tom Rivers, Linda Smith,
Laura-Lee Spedding, Greg Williams.
Illustrator — David Gilliam
Photographers — Glenn Futrell, Steve Wiggins
The Decree is located in the Student Union, North Carolina
Wesleyan College, Wesleyan College Station,: Rocky : Mount, sNC
2780L; Policy is determined by the Editorial Board of TAe Decz-eeii
Republication of any matter herein without the express consent of
the Editorial Board is strictly forbidden, r/je Decree is composed
and printed hy The Spring Hope Enterprise.
Opinions published ido not necessarily rcflect those; of North
Carolina Wesleyan College.