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Volume 79 Issue 20
Senate conference funding controversy erupts
Cory Birdwhistell
News Editor
It came down to the last Senate
meeting of the year. Two issues,
melded together into one, begot
controversy. The ensuing conflict
resulted in the resignations of Trea
surer Brian Burton and Milner
Senator Wolf Melbourne.
The issue is whether to fund
New Generation Ministries' fuel
expenses to the national NGM
conference in Atlanta next spring.
It is an issue poignant during this
time in which Senate is struggling
to define how it will fund club con-
Molly Sawyer and Charles Scheckler pose with Scheckler's sculpture. It is
displayed outside ofHege-Cox Hall
Education studies majors allowed
to walk at graduation after 4 yrs.
Cory Birdwhistell
News Editor
At Wednesday's faculty meet
ing, the faculty did not approve a
Community Senate-sponsored
proposal to allow some seniors
who have not completed degree
requirements or have special cir
cumstances to walk at graduation.
The proposal included several
categories ot exceptions, includ
ing:
• Students who are four credits
or less shy of graduating, but who
plan to enroll in a summer or fall
course,
• Education studies majors, who
Guilford CoUege, Greensboro, N.C.
ferences. Yet it also brings up the
past issue of the fundamental na
ture of NGM.
Senator David Fleig, who will
become treasurer next fall, blocked
consensus on approval of the
NGM budget. He did so because
the conference will not occur until
next April, so during this interval
Senate would have time to solidify
their statement on club confer
ences.
As well, he believes the confer
ence would serve little purpose for
the club's development.
Senate Secretary Stephanie Jen
nings, next year's Senate Presi
are required to study for four and
a half years,
• Other students with extreme
extenuating circumstances,
• Students who are eight or less
credits short of graduating who
present a petition to the proper
authority.
Anna Nichols, chair of the Sen
ate Academic Affairs Committee,
provided several examples to back
up the proposal. She noted that stu
dents may be advised poorly or
may have trouble transferring
credits from other schools.
Emily Drennen, student repre
sentative to Curriculum Commit
tee, noted that she has to choose
dent, also blocked consensus.
She did not feel comfortable
funding the conference on grounds
that it follows the tenets which
were objectionable in the club's
original budget. As well, she felt
it was dangerous to fund a confer
ence for a club as controversial as
NGM.
But her main concern regarded
the precedent-setting of funding a
conference for a first-year club.
Last week Jennings presided
over an ad hoc committee of stu
dents which formulated recom
mendations to the Senate regard
ing club conferences. Among these
between receiving departmental
and Honors program honors, or
walking with her own class at
graduation. This is because she
needs two additional weeks to
complete her honors thesis, but has
completed all of her degree re
quirements.
The faculty strongly opposed
points one and four. Adrienne Is
rael was adamant in her disagree
ment, pointing out that five years
ago Guilford had a similar policy,
and as a result lost academic cred
ibility. During this time, 10 percent
of the "graduating" class had not
Please see GRADUATION page 5
is the statement, "All Community
Senate Sponsored Organizations
participating in the budget process
for the first time should special
request their conference."
This is to assure that the club
becomes a viable organization on
campus before they receive con
ference funding, which is typically
very expensive.
Therefore, Jennings insisted that
the NGM budget follow this guide
line. "It was difficult for me to
hold things up, but what I did, I
did in good conscience," she says.
Burton takes exception to this.
"This was a clear example of two
Women's studies
major deb
Cara Skeat
Staff Writer
Guilford students may soon be
able to major in women's studies.
Although it will not be considered
by the entire faculty until Wednes
day, the issue has already created
much discussion.
The major is designed to be one
half of a double major. It would
encompass course work in several
different departments. Each course
would be relevant to women's
studies or gender awareness.
The framework for such a ma
jor already exists at Guilford, as
serts sociology/anthropology pro
fessor Laura O'Toole. Courses
such as Sex and Gender and
Women/Body/Voice are regularly
offered. They would be incorpo
rated into the women's studies
major.
A model for the major is the In
ternational Studies program, says
O'Toole. It also operates as a
double major and involves taking
courses from several departments.
O'Toole cites the
interdisciplinarity of the major as
an opportunity to "integrate stu
dents and faculty." However, con
cerns have been raised regarding
"tensions about which courses to
offer" that "already exist within
departments" and the integration
of the "whole major" as the cur
riculum committee's report reads.
O'Toole is one of the major pro
ponents of the major. It is "very
consistent with what's going on in
the rest of the country," she says.
O'Toole also points to the num
Katie Haddox
April 21,1995
people deliberately blocking con
sensus," he comments. "It is the
president's responsibility as
charged by the constitution to ex
ecute voting in this situation."
When Burton asked Senate
President Rich Ewell for a Senate
vote on approval of the NGM bud
get, Ewell refused.
"Everything was blown off,"
Burton says. Therefore he walked
out of the Senate meeting, an
nouncing that he officially resigns
his responsibilities as treasurer and
senator.
Please see CONFERENCE page 5
ber of Guilford students already
participants in the Women's Stud
ies concentration as evidence for
a major. "We want them to have
public recognition of their work,"
she says.
Bill Stevens, professor of man
agement, is a critic of the major.
He says that while Women's Stud
ies courses should be offered to
anyone interested, "adopting an
46
It is an issue of
whether [women's
studies] is good from
the point of view of
the curriculum and of
the majors.
-BILL STEVENS
exclusionary approach doesn't
solve past exclusion. It only com
pounds it."
The major is not exclusive,
counters O'Toole. Men would be
welcomed into the program, she
says, and it would give both men
and women a "sense of the past
that would enable them to work
better together."
"We need to self-segregate when
necessary and come together when
necessary. We need safe places,"
O'Toole continues. "We have a
desire to have men in our discus-
Please see MAJOR page 5