Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Freshman Course Continues BY JOYCE SLATER of The Gamecock staff Good news--University 101 is here to stay! On the basis of a recent evaluation conducted by the Educational Development Office of USC, University 101, a program for freshmen, is to be continued, according to present coordinator, Dr. John Gardner. Universiity 101 is a course designed to orient the freshman to the University by helping him develop more positive attitudes toward the University and the learning process. It was originally set up under the Thomas F. Jones administration in 1972 as an educational experiment. It was made a permanent course in 1973. Persons instrumental in designing the course at that time were R. V. Heckel, H. Manning Hiers, John Zuidema and Barbara Finegold. Because the first evaluation of the performance of University 101 did not adequately meet the requirement of ob jectivity because key persons involved conducted it, last December the ad ministration deemed it necessary to conduct another evaluation. The person in charge this time is Dr. Paul Fidler, director of the Educational Development Office for USC. Fidler said he is very pleased with the outcome of the evaluation. It was both sub jective and objective in that questionaires were administered to freshmen who did not Welcome We invite yo store. You'll men's and wor other friends 0 your "GAME( handy applical office at Louri Park 2 hour behind Lourie / /I take University 101, to the faculty who taught the course, and to the freshmen who took the course. Fidler pointed out that major con cerns of evaluation questioned the effect, if any, of University 101 on the academic per formance and retention of freshmen students and more accurately measured whether the course is working at USC. As a result of the study, Fidler reports there is some indication that University 101 makes a difference in student survival rate. This indication will be watched very carefully this fall. Fidler said University 101 is doing an ex cellent job of orienting the student to University life through three major areas: 1. Students are better informed and make better use of University resource personnel faculty members. 2. Students make better use of such ser vices as career counseling, development center, minority affairs office, com munication skills, libraries, legal aid clinic and others. 3. Students participate more actively in University extracurricula activities. Most striking of the findings, Fidler said, is that both faculty and students feel that the course is meeting a need and should be continued. Specific recommendations will be to U.S.C. and to i to visit us at our downtown store (1601 Find your favorite famous brands of i ien's apparel. Don't be surprised if yot nost students shop at Lourie's). But mo OCK CHARGE ACCOUNT" on your I ion below and bring it along with your s e's, downtown. s FREE (with any transaction) in the 's Downtown. umainemIinillnNuhinnliinliinillimuitiIIIII,IIIIIII Applicatioi Lourie's Gam STUDEN, NAME... MAILING ADDRESS CITY....... I ZIP... I.ID. NO.,_ _ _ _ I FRESHMAN ( ) SOPI NEAREST REL4 INAME.... . . IADDRESS...... CITY......_ _ ZIP... DOWNTOWNa IMilSflhS3Unt3I*hgB IunBaBGttng1 I angu enn essamassa,g available upon final completion of the~st0udy Present coordinator of University 101, Dr. John Gardner, provided Fidler with all in formation necessary to the study. Gardner said he is enthusiastic about the outcome of the evaluation and also pleased with support from the administration. "We will try to communicate more clearly what the course does with advisors, faculty, and students," Gardner said. "Also, we hope to offer more diversified classes this fall, that is, a University 101 course aimed at students interested in education and journalism," he said. Gardner believes the course has undergone many changes since its inception under Jones. "The basic philosophy is the same, but University 101 has been given more structure and more organization through several in novations," he said. "We now have a central office of planning and implementation for the course," he said. "Also, recruitment of a broader spectrum of faculty members is going on and we are getting more shape and direction for the course from faculty members," Gardner said. The enrollment for the course is 1400 studeits. Gardner said this is evidence of how the students feel about the value of the course. Lourie s... Main) or our Dutch Square ne quality and fashionable run into your roommate or ;t important, be sure to open irst visit. Just fill out the tudent ID card to our credit Municipal Parking Building IIiINIMIiIIIhIIINIIIhIINiinH lnNinin muiinginnuinigigggNg*1q for Complimentary Ecock Charge Account 'INFORMATION ----.--.SAT ........................m...... TIVEATEINFORMATION . .........STATE __ HONEI O OE ( ) JNO IOR9 TIEDUT IN OR A TIONI SM N tnu N....ni... .-.88BEEB8iBBBBBssatata