SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 | THE MEREDITH HERALD • Educating Women to Excel | VOL XXVII • ISSUE 1
Mike Easley
SCANDAL
(SEE PAGE 3)
Visir-to
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ELEVEN MAJORS STEPPING IT UP
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Elisabeth Lynne Bjork
Staff Writer
She walks into her class the second week
of college. An anxious undercurrent of whis
pers fills the room. She joins them. Then the
professor steps in and confirms the rumor:
their program might be cut. The students im
mediately wonder what will happen to them,
their career, and their life.
But what the students need to think
about is what will happen once they’ve left.
Although the majority of Meredith College
students are unaware, this situation is play
ing out on campus this minute. Eleven dif
ferent majors at Meredith College are under
review by the college for under-enrollment
and could possibly be cut from the college’s
picture. These majors span a wide range that
includes French, music, computer science,
and women’s studies. However, if any dras
tic cuts take place, they will not affect stu
dents currently enrolled in the programs.
So we must look into the future. What
would life at Meredith be like without these
studies? What was The Wizard of Oz with
out Technicolor? A nice world, but black and
white just the same... What can we do to.pre-
serve the color, to provide a positive impact
that will last even after we graduate?
The music, dance, and theater programs
are all under review. Several departmental
heads of programs under scrutiny agreed that
Meredith College would experience a great
loss if it no longer offered the fine arts. Some
felt Meredith would be a weaker college and
draw in fewer students. Carol Finley, Associ
ate Professor of Dance and Director of Dance
at Meredith College, said the loss of fine arts
majors would “create an artistic void.”
The French major, while still not heav
ily enrolled, has increased dramatically in
the number of students over the past couple
years, according to Dr. Veronique Macheli-
don, head of the French program. Dr. Sherry
Shapiro, Director, Department of Women’s
Studies, pointed out that the women’s stud
ies major has been at Meredith for only five
years, so naturally it would not have a large
number of students enrolled yet.
All the departments under review hope
to make a strong case to the review commit
tee. Each feels her department is important
and adds to the texture of life here at Mere
dith. Dr. Machelidon noted that if the French
major were gone, students at Meredith would
be left with only the option of majoring in
Spanish as a foreign language. Dr. Jacquelin
Dietz, Head, Department of Mathematics and
Computer Science, said she was concerned
that if the computer science major were cut,
it would be hard to get it back and students
would be limited.
In addition, heads are concerned with
the very little warning they received and the
impending deadline to submit their proposals
to the review committee. Although several
of them think the review in itself is benefi
cial, they are not keen on the way it has been
presented or the method by which only the
eleven majors were singled out for review.
Whether or not they agree with the re
view, they have all thought of great ways to
make their programs more well-known and
more attractive to students, both at Meredith
and in the community. Some of them' are
highly enthusiastic about the ways in which
they can show students their excited pro
grams.
Dr Machelidon says one solution is to
encourage students to double major or at least
minor in French. She believes French goes
well with many other majors and interests
and students should be encouraged to declare
their major as early as possible so students
can explore options of second majors and/or
minors.
Dr, Dietz plans to eliminate the BA in
Computer Information Systems and replace it
with a BA in Computer Science. Then, with
the availability of both a BS and BA in Com
puter Science, students don’t have to limit
themselves to a four-year computer science
degree and may pair it with something else.
Some departmental heads, including Cath
erine Rodgers, Department Head, Professor
of Theatre, feel the most important project
is simply to acquaint people with their pro
gram. Dr. Shapiro says the next step for the
women’s studies major is to introduce it off-
campus and expand its recognition.
The music department, led by Dr. Fran
Page, involves its students in its quest for in
creased popularity and enrollment. Dr. Page
encourages students to wear stylish Meredith
Music Department t-shirts off-campus as well
as on, and to attend and help out at a wide va
riety of musical functions in North Carolina.
Some musical events for high school students
will be held on Meredith soil this year, ^nd
Dr. Page mentions the music faculty and stu
dents have many other tricks up their sleeves.
All Meredith students can help spread
the word about Meredith’s many exciting
programs. Meredith bumper stickers and
t-shirts always help identify Meredith as a
staple in the Raleigh community. Encourage
friends to think seriously about the instru
ment or foreign language they love, or about
their interest in religion. Remind them that
Meredith hosts many options for the unde
cided, including women’s studies, econom
ics, and computer science. It is time for you
to step out of your black and white comfort
zone. When you graduate, know that you
have made a colorful impact on students for
years to come.
Green Tip for
the Week of
September 2
According to clea-
nair.org, “Americans
throw away 2.5 mil
lion bottles every
hour.” Do you part
and buy a reusable
water bottle instead
of using dozens of
plastic bottles.
Visit vifww.meredith.edu/
sustainability/ for more
information on recycling.