Student Newspaper of Saint Augustine’s College Raleigh, N. C. March 2000 Volume 8, Number 3
Suber plans for bright future for college
From Staff Reports
It has been almost three months since Dr.
Dianne Boardley Suber was inaugurated as the
president of St. Aug’s, and she has begun to
implement her plans to make the college a
first-rate institution.
Subers vision for St. Aug’s is to develop
and expand a school that has a reputation for
training exceptional teachers who can work
anywhere in>the world. This vision includes
ensuring that the school offers a quality
educational experience for its students. The
expected result will be to have businesses to
graduate schools honored to have a St. Aug’s
graduate.
In her inagurual speech, Suber stated that
her expectation for the college was to make
St. Aug’s “a premiere institution of excellence
and education.”
“We will find the resources to assure
that St. Augustine's remains a premier
institution, not just a premier historically
black collegc."" :
No stranger to education, Suber has had
a great deal of experience in teaching and
administration. She started her career as a
kindergarten teacher and was appointed
assistant principal four years later, becoming
the youngest assistant principal in Newport
News area.
Six years later she was promoted to
principal.
During her tenure, she says she was able
to learn a lot about planning and
administrating. After her years as Principal,
Suber accepted a job at Hampton University,
her alma mater, as vice president of
administration services.
While at Hampton Suber realized she had
two choices, she could become a school
college or a business, have to continually made
in order for the institution to change and
grow.
“The only thing constant is change,” Suber
said.
Suber also believes that there is no limit to
what students can accomplish and offers
words of advice and inspiration.
“Always strive to be competent and
strategize to be in the right place at the right
time,” she said. “Develop a network of men
and women. Reach back and pull somebody
along, and prepare somebody to take your
place.”
Suber is a graduate of Hampton University
and is one of the many members of her family
members to attend the school, including her
parents, her older daughter Nicole, and her
sister. Suber’s youngest daughter is a
sophomore at the university and her brother
is currently working on his associate’s degree
in aviation at Hampton.
Photo by Annette Hinkson
PmsiderLtJ3ian£i Sub.^r g 'jt !=cme in her •
office. She hopes to make St. Aug’s a top-flight educational institution
a
superintendent or a college president. Suber
chose to become a college president.
“I didn’t want to be the president of just
any college,” Suber said. “But the right
college.”
For her, St. Aug’s was the right place -one
with a connection to her family’s history.
“Let’s take a trip back into time,” Suber
said, remembering the details of an incident
involving one of her parents’ pre-integration
trips to the South. “It was a time when black
families traveling on the railroad from the
South to the North. There were not many
places they could to stay. One of the famous
places to stay was right here at St. Aug’s in the
dorms.”
Suber’s said that when her parents stayed
here, they were two of the many travelers
residing on the campus. She said that college
administrators at the time would leave for
break and purposely leave the dorms unlocked
for travelers coming through. This gave Suber
an automatic appreciation for the college.
And after visiting the college and getting
to the know the college community, St. Aug’s
is where she chose to come.
Suber wants all of the graduates of the
college .to be comparable to any student,
anywhere in the world. But for that, there
must be change.
She said that appropriate and necessary
adjustments in any entity, whether it be a
We will find the resources to
assure that St. Augustine's
remains a premier institution,
.not just a premier historically
black college.
President
DianneBoardley-Suber
Students protest Saturday classes
Diana Christie
Staff Writer
St. Aug’s students weren’t upset
they have to attend Saturday classes
to make up the days missed because
of the January snowstorm, only
about the manner in which they
were notified.
Some students feel they should
have been notified by letter or by e-
mail about the decision. This would
have enabled them to make any
necessary changes in their schedules
without having to deal with
aggravation.
“I have a weekend job, and my
boss was very upset about the short
notice but he understood,” Kyle
Hassell, a junior communication
major said. Hassell said that his boss
realized the importance of his
education and accepted the
changes.
Although Hassell’s boss
understood the importance of
Saturday classes, not everyone was
so understanding.
Kelli Spriggs, a junior sociology
major, was one of a number students
who were disturbed by lack of
notification and felt an explanation
from administrators was needed.
“I want fellow students to
understand they have a right to be
properly notified about issues
concerning them,” Spriggs said.
“Students are the reason why this
institution exists.”
The group of students decided
to talk to their fellow classmates and
start a petition for a formal apology
and proper notification. They
managed to collect 190 signatures
for their petition in one day at the
Falcon Cafeteria. The students said
that their main concern was the lack
ii
One must stand for
something or fall for
anything.
Kelli Spriggs, junior
sociology major
of communication between the
administration and students.
“Learning about Saturday classes
the Wednesday before was a big
inconvenience and very
unprofessional,” Shanika Perry, a
junior computer science major said.
The decision to have Saturday
classes was made abruptly in case
there were any more severe weather
conditions in the near future,
according to Graham Watt,
executive assistant to the president.
“The decision was made in the
best interest of the students,” he
said.
Watt also said that according to
the Southern Association of
Southern Colleges and Schools —
an organization that accredits
colleges— missed classes must be
made up.
Students feel that even though
this may have been a last-minute
decision, they still should have
received written documentation on
the matter.
“How could the decision be
made with the students best interest
in mind and we weren’t officially
notified?” Spriggs said. “I found out
about Saturday classes because
someone told me. Why didn’t I, as
a student, receive a letter?”
ncluded a formal apology from
the administration for the manner
in which they were notified about
Saturday classes, official proof about
why the classes have to be made up
and the college’s inclement weather
plan published in the school catalog
or student handbook.
At a Feb. 1 meeting, members of
the group received a verbal apology
from Dr. Suber. Dr. Watt issued a
memorandum to all students listing
the dates and times of the Saturday
make-up classes.
Although the students only
achieved one of their goals, they
weren’t disappointed. They believe
other students may be inspired by
what they have done and be
encouraged to stand up for what feel
is right.
“One must stand for something
or fall for anything,” Spriggs said.