Newspaper Page Text
UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1989
Mercer students protest possible calendar change
By TAMMI ROBINSON
“The Administration that stole
Six Weeks!*’, “We want
Coomer!” and “We have a voice,
give us the choice!”, were the
slogans Mercer University students
chanted during a protest that oc-
cured Monday, Oct. 30, in the
quadrangle in front of the ad'
ministration building. The protest
decision concerning the new fall
quarter calendar which if adopted
will eliminate the current six week
break.
The protest organized by Sarah
Cambridge, Jason Poole, Greg
Long, Kim Puckett, and James
Lamb was an effort to let the ad-
ministration hear from the students
their displeasure concerning the
calendar change. From ten o'clock
until four, hundreds of students
gathered in the guadrangle during
the course of the day. chanting,
holding up signs and showing sup
port between classes. The protest
also gained attention from televi
sion news station.
At the protest, many students felt
the same way as Kim Puckett,
Sophomore. “We'nr hoping the ad
ministration will listen to the
students and then maybe it will stop
them from jumping to decisions
without consulting us. It's not an
issue of vacation, it's an issue of
student voice."
Ruby Fowler, Senior, said, "I’m
not here necessarily because it will
change the Administration's deci
sion. I'm here because I think it's
important for me to express my
distaste for the way the Administra
tion makes many of it's decisions.
She continued. “As a parent. 1
think it's important for me to set an
example for my children. 1 have to
be consistent in expressing my opi-
Continued on page 3
Calendar change
passes committee 7-6
By JAROME GEAUTREAUX
On Oct 27. the Academic Calen
dar Committee convened to vote on
the proposal to change the existing
fall quarter system. Presently, lall
quarter begins in early September
and ends before Thanksgiving. The
new system would require students
to begin classes in late September,
break for a 'ong Thanksgiving
weekend, and return for exams bet
ween Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This change would mean the end of
the six week Christmas break. This
decision reached by the Calendar
committee precipitated a student-
faculty protest in front of the Ad
ministration building on Monday,
Oct. 30.
The Committee voted seven to
six in favor of the new fall quarter
system. The minutes of the meeting
do not reflect the votes of each
committee member. However,
sources indicate that those
members voting for the change in
cluded Andrew Deile-Business
school faculty, Peggy DeBosc-
special assistant to Dr. Coomer.
Continued on page 11
Channel 41 interviews students during
Forum held to discuss semester proposal
By DREW NORD
Wednesday night in the Trustee’s
Dining Room. eight
representatives of Mercer's facul
ty and administration met with
students in an open forum to
discuss the proposed change from
the present quarter system to a
semester system. Representing
faculty and administration were Dr.
Siege of the College of Liberal
Am, Dean Joiner of the Business
School, Dr. Coomer: vice-
president of academic affairs. Dean
Kelley of the School of Engineer
ing. Bill Miller: vice-president of
enrollment management. Bobby
Pope: athletic director. Dean
Jenkins: director of student affairs,
and conch Sighted of the basketball
team.
With approximately 100-150
students present, the proceedings
got underway with each represen
tative stating his department's posi
tion on the proposed change. Dr.
Siege commented that (here is a
new requirement of the Southern
Association of Colleges and Secon
dary Schools that all schools
belonging to this organization must
conduct an assessment program.
Siege added that “as a result of this
requirement, the college (Liberal
Am) is ita the process of re
evaluating its goals." Siege ex
plained that following a poll of the
deans of the College of Liberal
Am, the deans said that "we prefer
in the midst of this process of
assessment, that we not have a ma
jor interuption occasioned by a
change to a semester program.”
Siege, justifing his remarks, stated
that this change “would be a
massive undertaking " However,
the College of Liberal Arts has not
reached an official position on this
proposed change yet. Dean Joiner
expressed a similar statement say
ing “we have not determined a
final position in the business school
yet either, but we are meeting Fri
day hopefully to be able to do
that." Joiner also commented that
the majority of the faculty of the
business school feels that "we
should carefully think this through
and make sure we have touched all
the bases.” Dr. Coomer. vice-
president of academic affairs, ex
pressed his support for a change
stating that officials in other univer
sities such as Emory "discovered
that httre was a great reduction in
academic stress" by changing to a
semester system. Coomer added
that “the major questions among
the deans at this point is not
whether or not we should go to a
semester system, but when." Dean
Kelley of the Engineering School
expressed that as a teacher he
“would love to move to the
semester system" explaining that a
semester system would smooth out
the teaching process enabling the
teacher to spend more time with the
material. However. Kelley stated
that “from a student's perspective.
I’m not sure I would agree. " As far
as the view of the Engineering
School. Kelley said that after a
vocal vote, “the School of
Engineering very' much wanted to
go to a semester system." Bill
Miller, vice-president of enroll
ment management, expressed a
strong desire to change to a
semester program saying, "I'd like
to do it tommorow if 1 could figure
out a way to do it." Miller stated
his opinion is based on the fact that
the semester system in his words
"is a stronger academic program"
and that "management-wise, it is
much easier to manage a semester
system.” Bobby Pope, athletic
director for Mercer, showed sup
port for the semester system stating
that since athletic competition may
not begin until classes start, the
semester system would be better
"because it gives us an opportum-
Cootinued on page II