Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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STUDY On Oct. 25, a special meeting was called by Edward H. Beard sley,' dean for freshmen, to discuss the "...problem of student defin ciencies in the basic skills of reading and writing." Though such a problem would not seem to be a topic of con versation at an institution of higher education, many staff and faculty members at USC have come to that, very realization, according to Mrs. Lila Bruckner, coordinator of the communication skills and development center. "It's easy to blame someone else," she said.' "We could blame the high schools," One of the possible solutions that came from the Oct. 25 meeting, according to Bruckner, was a pilot program in which counselors from the CSDC will actually go into the classrooms where instructors have complained about poor reading and comprehension skills. Friday, Bruckner will attend a History class and go over with the students, at the instructor's request, the fundamentals of studying a text book. Beardsley said he hopes eventually to have all freshman sections, at the beginning of the semester, set aside a couple of class meetings to go over the fundamental. He said he had recently seen statistics that 20 per cent of USC freshmen scored leess than 400 on Sto SKILLS . .Prc A student, whoso regularized curri, with one of thee reading or writin the verbal sectiop of the SAT ad missions test. "We don't know the sources of these problems," Beardsley said, but it does appear to be a problem all over the country, and it's getting somewhat worse." It's not a majority of freshmen that lack fundamental reading and writing skills, he said, but there are a "significant number" with inadequacies. Mrs. Bruckner thinks the communications skills center is one of the obvious solutions to the problem. As an indicator, she said the first time there was brief mention in The Gamecock two years ago, "over 100 students converged on our office, we just weren't prepared." Now the center, located on the second floor of the Pendleton Building, handles about 250 students and preparing students, and according to Ron Hudson, who teacheq the effective reading ake ~ay Starts At Take Y FL p by and talk Team o Or C< * ~.271 Columb P~hone 765-5991 >grams Ofl schedule won't pe culum, can set up h ounselorsin anythin g to. effective noteth program, "We could handle 100 more, before we would have to expand." Aside from teaching groups of students in study reading and reading basics, the center goes after the student who needs in dividualized training. Kathy Sullivan, coordinator for this aspect of the center, said a student student whose schedule won't permit a regularized curriculum, can set up his or her own with one of the counselors in anything from better reading or writing to ef fective notetaking. There is no credit given for any of the programs offered at the center. Aside from teaching groups of students in study reading and writing basics, the center goes after the student who needs in dividualized training. Kathy Sullivan, coordinator for this aspect of the center, Comn [11,ooo upon < our First BC Y ANAVY.. to~ the Naval C n campus Nov. )ntact: Lt. Jim 1 Middleburg [ ia, S.C.- 292C Anytime between Fered In B< 'emit a is or her own g from better -Yking. said a student whose schedule won't pernit a regularized curriculum, can set up his or her own with one of the counselors in anything from better reading or writing to effective notetaking*. There is no credit given for any of the programs offered at the center. Bruckner said they are intended to supplement the regular course program. Costs for each course range from $5 to$20 which covers the cost of materials. The skills and development center is funded within, the university as part of the counseling bureau. Veterans preparing to enter college after lapses in their education after high school also are included in the center's programming. Upward Bound, a federally funded program, operates on the philosophy that veterans nped somp hrihing up and ommissioning LD Step lET )fficer'informa 5th--9th. raylor )r. 1SICS before they enter the regular college curriculum, Hudson said, while also paying the vets regular educational benefits. Finally, the Opportunity Scholars program, also federally funded, is supported by the center in the reading, writing and study skills area. Opportunity Scholars was established to help the educationally and financially disadvantaged to get a college educations. Dean Beardsley said use of the communication skills center was one avenue by which to solve the deficiencies found in the study habits of college students. "We feel obligated not to let these people out of here without them reading and writing effectively. Otherwise they could be shackled for life." Navigators Set Weekend Congress The Navigators, an in terdenominational -Christian fellowship is having a "Congress on Evangelism" this weekend, Nov. 2-4, in Myrtle Beach at the Ocean Forest Hotel. Everyone at USC is invited. We will be learning to make disciples of Jesus in everyday life. Call Rolley at 3774 for any and all information. lion