CAROLINA
ESLEYAN
COLLEGE
rr't Tx ‘
1 he Decree
Rocky Mount, N.C.
IoL.15.N0.4
''Wesleyan's Student Voice Since 1984''
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1999
esleyan students hold protest
By RIKKI HESS
Editor-in-Chief
On Monday, Nov. 22, at 11
IE inquiring students gathered
Und Wcslcyan’s fountain to
nicipaic in a peaceful dcmon-
iiraiion after a series of email’s
Ui out over the school web mail
|iy concerned members of the
teleyan community.
Protest signs read. “Is Chowan
^ally more important than
Wesleyan?", “Not for Sale," and
for Sale?”
Professor Bill Lightfoot, stu-
ienis Anthony Morrone, KaTrina
Lewis, SGA, and others started
Itesenes of emails on the Nov.
and they continued up until
students left for the Thanksgiv-
fng break. The series of emails
lead Seniors Anthony Morrone
bnd KaTrina Lewis to organize
be Proposal for a Better
|Wesleyan.
Over the past four years, the
Irclationship between Lewis and
jMoiTonc has grown and they have
Ihad many profound discussions
about the lack of communication
between the students and the ad
ministration. Morrone said, “We
felt that the protest was the best
avenue to take. We would like to
keep the ball rolling.”
Many other questions other
than the issues that are mentioned
on the proposal were brought up.
They were discussed by five
members that were sent in place
of President White: Vice Presi
dent of Academic Affairs Bob
Tnillinger, Vice President of En
rollment and Student Services
Tyrone Bledsoe, Director of Ad
missions Alan Felton, Vice Presi
dent of Operations Belinda
Falkner, and Vice President of
Development Linda Stallone.
A majority of the students said
they did not find that their ques
tions were adequately answered
and they are looking for another
event in which President White
will be able to attend. As for
Morrone. “I would just like to be
better informed, and I would like
to know what is happening with
out having to ask.”
T f
*; \ ■ Vi
m
CAMPUS PROTEST — student Sonny Gonsalves (left) holds protest sign while We.slcyan officials
Dr. Bob Trullinger, vice president of academic affairs, and Alan Felton, director of admissions, wait
their chance to address the assembled students.
Proposal for a better Wesleyan'
(Editor’s note: Following is
\ the full text of the "Proposal for
I a BeUer Wesleyan.. ”)
After much discussion and re-
I flection, the students of North
I Carolina Wesleyan College are
I writing to demand solutions and
I ®swers to our grievances. Soine
tiave been attending this institu-
lion for many years and are wor-
I ried about the politics that go on
^sre and worried about who
'"akes decisions concerning our
livelihood. Students have tried to
Slate concerns, whether the con
cerns are printed in the college
''^wspaper or from conversations
administrators, in the past
ut to no avail. For whatever rea-
son, these grievances have not
n effectively addressed and we
' the time for answers is now.
^ following questions and
stitenients should be addressed
responses forthcoming:
^ selling of college prop-
*0 another institution, not af-
' "''th our college is a ma
jor concern. Why should we have
to share our facilities with elemen
tary/secondary aged students?
Our college library is over
crowded as it is and so are our
computer labs. Wouldn’t allow
ing elementary/secondary aged
students to share our facilities
lessen the academic quality, ath
letic quality, and socid quality of
our campus?
• The accreditation of our col
lege has been a concern for years.
The students are fed up with ru
mors of our school either being
closely watched or not being ac
credited at all. Also, what threats
will we undergo if the board,
which reviews our accreditation,
finds out about the MBA program
in the ADP? Will students who
suffer this threat possibly gradu
ate from an unaccredited college
or will the college be forced to
close down totally?
• We are excluded from learn
ing about the management and
operation of our board of trust
ees. Sure the board has recently
allowed the SGA president to at
tend in addition to the appointed
graduating seniors; however, the
representation is not enough. Why
are the meetings closed to those
who wish to attend and observe
what goes on? There is a lack of
current student representation on
the most important board of our
school.
• The course selection for ei
ther fall or spring has deteriorated
in recent years. We have observed
a low number of upper-level
courses offered each semester.
There should be more classes and
selections of classes offered to
accommodate transfer students’,
as well as u-aditional students’,
academic schedules. Why are
some classes only offered during
certain semesters? By selectively
offering classes, students who
have the opportunity to graduate
in three years or less are forced to
lengthen their college careers in
order to enroll in classes that
%
TONY MORRONE AND KATRINA LEWIS ORGANIZED PROTEST.
should have been offered earlier.
• There are an ever-increasing
number of commuters who attend
our college. There is an inconve
nience for students, whether they
travel two minutes or two hours,
to arrive and find classes have
been canceled. Why hasn’t some
one set-up a database that elec
tronically rctrievc.s commuter in
formation and informs them of
class cancellations or school clos
ing.'
• The hours of operation of
(Continued on Back Page)