University of South Carolina Libraries
Dropouts At USC Analyzed SWAM WEEK END SPECI It's reversible, one side is rayon canvas, I other side rubber. Front-zippered, hoodec multi-patch pocketed, with contrast-stitch detailing. The sleeve edges can be turneti back, if you wish. Either side makes a ver.y attractive way to avoid the rain. JUNIOR SPORTSWEAR * ALL ST( DOWNTOWN * RICHLAND MALL * D1 BY VIVIAN DAVIS of The Gamecock staff Helping students cope with with drawing from school is one of the jobs of the Records Office and Residence Life, Paul P. Fidler of Student Affairs said. "Withdrawals are people who officially leave the University at some point after the term has begun. Drop-outs may be with drawals," Fidler said. During the academic year 1972 73, a study on the withdrawals at the University was conducted. That fall 437 withdrew, and that spring 603 students withdrew, all on the main campus, Fidler said. Of these totals, 30 per cent in the fall and 40 per cent in the spring were freshmen, he said. At the approximate time of the ERRYS on min FACED CH * COAT AL he and JTCH SQUARE study, Fidler said, withdrawing became a real pain for the students. "They'd have to get through about 12 checkpoints," he said. "The withdrawal process has become streamlined to a point where the student has the option of filling out a form in the Records Offices or they can come to us Residence Life," Fidler said. "We got very concerned about the number of students leaving," Fidler said. There have been at tempts to find ways of salvaging students or trying to find some way for them to stay in school, he said. Some schools have a single counselor to do this, he said. The only University provision for counseling withdrawing students is the Office of Residence Life. "The greatest number of students who come to me come because an academic dean advised them to talk to someone before leaving," imi Parrott, assistant dean for esidence life, said. Parrott said the students who withdraw often have financial, cademic or personal problems. "The other withdrawals are the nes who've gotten sick and with awal has been recommended for em," she said. "In each case it's going to be ifferent as to what a person has to o to get back in school. A lot of ings are involved," Parrott said. me students do not understand e academic penalties involved, he said. "My personal preference is that meone at the University should tk to a withdrawing person, not to iassle, but to help," Parrott said. Even though Residence Life is e official place for a student to go or withdrawal counseling, some tudents have gone to the Coun eling Bureau for help. Dr. Don Swanson, director of the ounseling Bureau, said it would ke 300-600 hours of counseling ime to deal with the present umber of withdrawals. The verage counselor is expected to pend 20 hours per week with students, he said, and this would * Library From Page 1 ill be loaded in boxes and carried ut of the building on conveyors. e boxes will be loaded on trucks nd brought to the new library. After all the moves are com aleted the new library will be filled o50 per cent of its capacity, roombs said. At the present rate f growth, which is about 35 shelf eet of books a day, it would take pproximately ten years to reach ull capacity, he said. *********** * NEEDi2 The GAMI CirculIatio An Advertising Ma For more information Russell Houne or call 7 mean at least 15 weeks of non-stop counseling. "I'm not making a judgement as to the value of this, but we don't have the resources here to deal with this," Dr. Swanson said. "To do a conscientious, professional job, it would take a full-time person," he said. There are different decisions for different people, he said. "For some leaving school is the best decision. I really hate to see a kid leaving with a sense of defeat," Dn Swanson said. Archie H. Porter, Director of Records, had the numbers of with drawals for the 1974-75 academic year. Last fall 643 sludents with drew, he said. Of this number 196 were freshmen, 90 were transfers, 60 were readmits and 395 were continuing students. Porter said last spring there was a total of 517 withdrawals. The number of freshmen withdrawals had dropped to 15, the number of transfer students to 56 and the number of readmits to 47. Porter said the number ef continuing students who withdrew increased to 399. "The official withdrawal form insures a student he has an honorable withdrawal and so he won't be penalized," Porter said. According to the application for withdrawal, students are en couraged to have exit interviews with the Office of Residence Life, the academic dean, student ac counting, the assistant dean tor campus relations, campus security, the treasurer's office and the division of educational ser vices. In addition a student may want a room and property checkout, a return of military science equipment and a checkout with the library system. If a student does not want to have these interviews, he puts his own initials in the. spaces provided. Porter said that at his previous job at West Georgia College a student had to go through the Counseling Bureau in order to withdraw from school. He noted that the University does not have a mandatory system of counseling, but he said a student should have the priviledge of talking to a counselor. ir JOB? CCOCK Needs A n Manager And nager For The Fall Semester. come by room 317 77-4178.