FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1977
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
VOL. XXXIX, NO. 1
Student-Faculty Retreat Reviews Mission^ Goals, Objectives
Does Bennett Have a Future?
by Kay Dolberry
The perseverance of the pri
vate college is somewhat ques
tionable.
Due to such adversities as di
minishing funds for support, ris
ing operational expenses, decreas
ing enrollments, new and different
anticipations from students as
well as from the job market some
private colleges will be subjected
to changing their concerns, others
to closing their doors.
Since Bennett is one of two
black private colleges for women
in the United States, how do we
combat these societal changes so
that all too soon we won’t be
come a monument to the past?
On May 10-11, 1977, the Co
lonial Williamsburg styled Quail
Roost Conference Center, located
about thirteen miles from Dur
ham, N. C., was the scene in which
selected members of the faculty,
staff and student body retreated
in an effort to deal with the ques
tion of Bennett College’s future,
its mission, goals and objectives.
Those in attendance were: the
Rev. Peter Addo, Dean Harold
Bragg, Myra Davis, Mary Eady,
Wilhelmina Gilbert, Dorothy Har
ris, President Isaac H. Miller, Jr.,
Dr. J. H. Sayles, Ouida Scarbor
ough, Louise Streat, Dean Chelsea
Tipton and Dr. William Trent, of
the faculty and staff and Kay Dol
berry, Marilyn Hicks, Cassandra
Jones and Rochelle Moody of the
student body.
President Miller, who presided
at the conference, in his opening
statement put the purpose of the
conference into a perspective by
going back to what he considers
to be the “roots” of Bennett Col
lege. In answer to his question
“Who are we?” he said that we
are an embodiment of five things.
We are a church affiliated college,
we are a women’s college, we are
a liberal arts college, we are a
career oriented college and we are
a black college.
We are these things; yet, he
New Members Join Family
During the opening session of
Bennett College’s Faculty/Staff
Institute, Dr. Isaac H. Miller an
nounced new faculty appointments
and staff additions for the aca
demic year.
New administrative appoint
ments are Dr. Mary Lynn Sadler,
Dr. Donald F. Martin, and Dr.
Morris C. Peterkin. Dr. Sadler re
ceived her undergraduate educa
tion at Duke University. She
serves as director of the Humani
ties Division and chairman of the
Communications Department. Her
doctoral study was done at the
University of Illinois.
Dr. Martin, new director of the
Division of Social Sciences, com
pleted his undergraduate studies
at North Carolina A. & T. State
University and graduate study at
the University of Akron. Also
serving as chairman of the De
partment of Social and Behavioral
Sciences, he received the doctorate
from Ohio State University.
Appointed director of the Divi
sion of Education is Dr. Peterkin,
an alumnus of Cheney State Col
lege. He received the masters of
education certificate from Temple
University, the masters of arts
from Governors State University
and the doctoral degree from the
University of Pittsburgh. He also
chairs the department of Secon
dary and Professional Education.
Joining the Science faculty is
Joella Hendricks, instructor in the
Department of Health, Physical
Education and Recreation. Receiv
ing her undergraduate education
at Missouri Western, she com
pleted graduate study at Colorado
State University.
Cheryl McLeod, a graduate of
Chatham College, serves as part-
time instructor of mathematics.
Mrs. McLeod received her grad
uate study at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Also joining the Mathematics
Department is Dr. John F. Wiggs,
an alumnus of Oakland City Col
lege. He serves as assistant pro
fessor of mathematics and physics.
Dr. Wiggs completed graduate
study at Indiana University and
doctoral study at North Carolina
State University.
Dr. Robert C. Miller, assistant
professor of History and Social
Science, received his undergrad
uate degree from Colorado State
(Continued on Page 3)
said, we may be “like unto a new
born infant who daily is exposing
a new surface of its nature to a
constantly changing environment.”
He also listed on a handout
prior to the conference some im
peratives regarding what he felt
the college’s immediate and future
mission should entail.
The participants were divided
into four groups which the presi
dent charged with the task of ad
dressing themselves to the ques
tion of how to go about “achieving
a greater sense of community in
institution.” He said, “For out of
the community relations I think
we can achieve the ownership of
goals which is necessary to make
our venture a success.”
The four groups, led by Ms. Gil
bert, Ms. Harris, Mrs. Streat and
Mrs. Eady, each came up with
practical “how to’s and methods
of implementation in answer to
the president’s call. Each group
approached its task somewhat dif
ferently and revealed its findings
to others in closing reports. How
ever, it was the consensus of all
that those findings and recom
mendations be followed up with
out hesitation.
The first follow-up meeting of
I
Dr. Miller opens conference.
Photo by Myra Davis
the Quail Roost Conference took
place on July 11. It consisted
mainly of regrouping the concerns
raised at the retreat so as to
achieve maximum effectiveness in
making the suggested measures of
reform realities. Specific reform
measures were listed under the
broad categories of Student Af
fairs, Academic Affairs, Fiscal Af
fairs, Developmental Affairs and
Cultural Climate.
(Continued on Page 3)
Labor Day Festivities at Bennett College
Ranged from Morning Brunch to a Disco
Labor Day activities took place on the campus quadrangle.
Photo by Myra Davis
by Joyce Bass
Labor Day activities on Ben
nett’s campus this year ranged
from an early morning brunch
with all the “fixins” to an evening
disco in front of David D. Jones
Student Union.
Monday's activities in the camp
us quadrangle began with volley
ball games, badminton games,
ping-pong and the ever-popular
“blanket-on-grass” card game. It
was a little later in the day when
most of the “on the ground” ac
tivities took place.
Lined in six rows were the eager
participants for the sack races and
three-legged races. While most of
them managed to get through the
race in an “upright” position,
there were a few of them who
“took the count.”
The softball game attracted fe
males and males of all sizes from
miles around, but that wasn’t the
highlight of the day.
With burlap sacks marking the
line, the opposing teams in the
tug-of-war stood facing each other
anxiously awaiting the go signal.
The wistle blew, the rope broke
and the group went down, laugh
ing. A second attempt was made.
Again, the rope snapped. The win
ning side was victorious with the
winning knot.
Smoke from the grills aroused
impatient hungry mobs who sur
rounded and attacked the grills
and food with a vengeance. Hot-
dogs, hamburgers, potato salad,
lemonade and beans made the
menu. But the best was yet to
come! Watermelons by the truck
load climaxed the festivities.
The Labor Day disco music was
provided by Pyramid Productions
and was well attended. Two of the
campus Greek sororities gave the
Labor Day crowd a soul “stepping”
show which added that extra
something.
Around 1 a.m., as the lights went
out in Player Hall, voices could
be heard saying, “I ache all over
. . . but wasn’t that fun? Wouldn’t
it be nice to have it every week
end.”
Cuts Remain the Same
New Attendance Procedures Announced
by Sheila Purnell
The procedure for reporting class absences has been revised.
Dean Chelsea Tipton stated that there was too much con
fusion on college procedure concerning unexcused absences.
Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are allowed one unex
cused absence for each semester hour of credit awarded for a
course in which they are enrolled.
Senior students with a “B” average or above in a course by
the first letter grading period may use their discretion in at
tending the course. Seniors with less than a “B” average at the
time of the first letter grading period are subject to the same
class attendance regulations as all underclassmen.
The following pi-ocedure for reporting class absences is
effective for the academic year 1977-78.
1. All class absences should be cleared with the teacher of
the course for validation.
2. Teachers should report student absences on appropriate
forms to the office of Freshmen Studies and Academic Support
Services only when a student has reached the maximum number
of absences allow'ed for a given class.
3. Absences due to illness should be verified by a physician
or the campus medical staff.
4. Teachers should excuse all absences related to field trips
or other official college-sponsored events approved by the Dean
of the College. Notices of these excused absences will come from
the Dean’s office.
5. Other requests for excused absences should be referred
to the Office of Freshman Studies and Academic Support Ser
vices.
6. After a student has exceeded the maximum number of ab
sences allowed for a given class, a dropped notice will be sent
by the Dean of the College to the teacher of the course, ad
visers, Office of Records and Admissions and the student.
All matters pertaining to this procedure should be referred
to Dorothy Harris, director of Freshmen Studies and Academic
Support Services.