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Volume 92, Issue 7
www.guilfordian.com
October 28, 2005
Guilford plans to strengthen writing-intensive curriculum
Kate Talbot
Staff Writer
During the 2006-2007 academic
year, Guilford is due for its reac-
credidation by the Southern
Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS). Guilford must
meet specific SACS criteria for a
Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)
in order to become reaccredited.
A QEP is given to all schools as
something that must be accom
plished within five years of the
reaccredidation process. Guilford
is in this process right now. In
March, a member of the SACS
committee will visit campus and
observe how Guilford intends to
carry out the QEP.
As part of Guilford's QEP, this
year's Strategic Plan, Principled
Problem Solving (PPS), is a funda
mental part of Guilford's learning
processes.
The nature of PPS is open to
discussion. Some faculty members
felt that PPS is the practical appli
cation of a liberal arts education
and some feel that it must help
with cognitive critical thinking
skills. Either way, the QEP may
overlap with Principled Problem
...sF
■ f-; *
Student writing will be the focus of Guilford’s Quality Enhancement Plan
Solving.
According to the SACS hand
book, "The QEP should comple
ment the institution's ongoing
integrated institution-wide plan
ning and evaluation process." Last
Spring semester, Guilford assem
bled a 17 member study group -
including staff, faculty, adminis
tration, and students - to decide
the focus of the QEP.
The group discussed many
options for the QEP. They consid
ered strengthening the curricular
and co-curricular bond between
Guilford students' education and
their transition away from
Guilford.
This plan, however, was reject
ed because it lacked a well-
defined focus. The study group
found it difficult to assess and
provide a clear framework for its
implementation.
The study group ultimately
decided on the enhancement of
student writing to be the focus of
the QEP.
Ken Gilmore, Assistant
Professor of Political Science,
played a key role in the develop
ment of the QEP and the study
group.
"We all sense the importance of
writing," Gilmore said. "By focus
ing on writing, you learn to
enhance other communication
skills. Guilford has a history of an
emphasis on writing, so a lot of it
is stuff we're already doing, but
now we'll be doing it better."
On Oct. 7 more faculty mem
bers and the board of trustees
gave their approval for the QEP's
focus on writing. Student Senate
has been briefed on the QEP and
will hold open forums in the com
ing months to see how the student
body feels about this approach.
Continued on page 3
Clubs crowding student activities staff
Nasi Eaton
Staff Writer
As part of all the growth and
change occurring on campus,
Guilford's clubs may be undergo
ing some renovation too.
Guilford only has the resources
to support 50 clubs at once. With
49 clubs, and six on the waiting
list for approval, this poses a
problem. Community Senate
decided that the best way to deal
with this is to consolidate some of
the more like-minded clubs. They
hope to get the number of clubs
down to 42.
Some of the clubs that Senate
ill
has considered consolidating are
the women's and men's rugby
clubs. Fancy Feet and Fingers
with Expressions in Dance, and
Forever Green with Organic
Gardening.
"We're not dictating how these
collaborations should work," said
Ali Stewart, Community Senate
President. "It's just about pooling
money and other resources
together, as well as creating clear
lines of communication between
us and the groups."
Community Senate held the
first of a series of forums on Oct.
11 to discuss this matter. Many
club heads and representatives
attended, and not all of them were
happy to hear about these consol
idations.
"Merging the two dance clubs
together would limit Fancy Feet
and Fingers to not being able to do
their swing dance, and would
limit Expressions in Dance to not
being able to showcase our differ
ent forms of dance and Spirit and
Spirituality within the communi
ty," said Amber Donaldson, a rep-
Residence life inspects rooms
Community Senate holds open meetings every Wednesday evening
Continued on page 2
Colin Harnish 8 Warren Parker
Staff Writers
Fall break is a time to relax and
reflect on the first half of the
semester; it is also a time when
Residence Life searches student's
rooms for health
and safety viola
tions.
During
inspections.
Residence Life
checks several
things before
moving on to the
next room. Fire
safety is a big
concern to cam
puses nation
wide - fires in
dorms have destroyed buildings
and killed students.
"There was an incident at Seton
Hall a few years ago where stu
dents died as the result of a fire in
their dorm," said Alyson Kienle,
j Associate Dean for Campus Life.
I "We want to make sure that stu
dents are safe here at Guilford, so
checking for fire code violations is
a big part of that process."
In addition to checking the fire
alarms, they look for illegal items
like candles, alcohol (if residents
are under 21), and any illegal
drugs or paraphernalia. There is a
complete list of illegal substances
and violations on page 47 in the
student hand
book.
In past years,
students com
plained about
rooms that were
searched exces
sively and that
had items that
were either tam
pered with or
missing.
"Last year 1
locked my door
and went home
for fall break, and when I got back
my door was unlocked and my
alcohol was missing, even though
1 was 21," said senior Marcus
Bowers. "1 was never charged with
anything, so 1 guess someone who
was searching the room just took
it."
Continued on page 2