Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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"Ihc (Bamecock Study: Academics trump college students’ social lives by Richard Barnes The Gamecock American students are putting more emphasis on academics rather than so cial lives and feel colleges and universi ties are sluggish to respond, according to a recently released survey. The survey, conducted by consult ing firm Zogby International, polled two separate samples of about 1,000 students. Participants were selected at random from the student population of roughly 50 American colleges and universities, including Michigan State, the Universi ty of North Carolina and the Universi ty of California systems. The survey was sponsored by the Foundation for Academic Standards & Tradition, or FAST, a New York-based education think tank. The survey concluded that 63.4 per cent of students surveyed put a greater emphasis on their academics than on so cial opportunities. It said students were much more inclined to pursue learning opportunities than those in previous stud ies had been, even if that meant having to make some sacrifices on the social front. The survey also indicated 68.7 percent of students surveyed felt their professors were not challenging them as much as they could, and a considerably smaller 34.7 percent felt their education suffered from “dumbing down.” Donald Greiner, USC’s associate provost and dean for undeigraduate af faire, said USC has several methods to communicate with students regarding the difficulty of classes. First, every faculty member is re quired to have a syllabus. This allows students to gauge the difficulty of a class very early in the semester. Greiner said another method USC uses to ensure students are continually challenged is to consistently admit bet ter students. “USC has raised entrance require ments three times in the last six years, causing the average SAT for the enter ing baccalaureate student to soar to 1130,” Greiner said. “We believed that we wouldn’t suf fer [by raising admission requirements], because good students want to go where good students go. The more difficult it became to get in, the more good students try to get in.” The final method USC uses to pre serve a challenging academic environ ment directly involves the student’s them selves, Greiner said. At the end of each semester, in each class with five or more students, the students are given an op portunity to evaluate the class. If students feel their class was too easy or difficult, they have the oppor tunity to say that in the evaluations. These evaluations are then reviewed by the de partment chair and the departmental teaching committee, Greiner said. The evaluations become a part of the faculty member’s tenure and pro motion file, which is examined by the Provost’s Office when the professor is under consideration for tenure or pro motion. Another major concern brought up by the survey, although not backed by statistical data, is that students fail to gain both a theoretical and a practical per spective of their topic field. USC is already combating problems its graduates might have in their fields through a series of University 401 class es, Greiner said. The University 401 class in a disci pline is designed to emphasize the prac tical elements of the field and assist the student in seeking graduate and profes sional opportunities. Greiner said he’s finding students are becoming more ready and eager to leam, a trend he hopes will continue. “The past eight years have been the best of my career because the students are better prepared,” Greiner said. “They’re much more curious about what there is to leam and know.” The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com. ‘USC has raised entrance requirements three times in the last six years causing the average SAT score for the entering Baccalaureate student to soar to 1130.' Donald Greiner ( USC's associate provost Feeling Submissive? Visit GARNET & BLACK’S Submissions tables, McMaster and Russell House on Greene Street, _11 a.m.-3 p.m. today!_ 2000-2001 LOCAL SERVICE INTERNSHIP NOW AVAILABLE!! Come to an information meeting and find out how you can join other USC students to: • Gain Valuable Work Experience • Make Life Long Friendships • Potential to Earn Academic Credit • Receive Financial assistance • Change Someone's Life!! Wednesday, September 27,2000 • 6:00 pm Russell House University Union Room 301 Dobson Volunteer Service Program UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA The Dobson Volunteer Service Program is a Capstone Service Experience at the University of South Carolina. Applications are available in the Campus Activities Center, Student Government, and the Russell House Information Center. The application DEADLINE is October 2, 2000 at 4:00 pm Questions? Contact the Office of Community Service Programs @ 777-6688 <fc ft i Tuesday September 19 • Driving under suspension, no head lights and open container, 700 block of Sumter Street. Two officers were standing at Sumter and Devine streets when officers saw a vehicle travel ing toward them with no headlights at about 1 a.m. The reporting officer flagged down the vehicle, and when the officer approached the car, he noticed the subject had an open beer between his legs. After arrest ing the subject, police later found out that his drivers license was under sus pension. Monday September 18 • Assistance rendered, Thomson Stu dent Health Center. The victim stat ed to police that while playing rac quetball he was hit in the left eye, breaking his goggles, which cut his eye. The EMS was notified and the victim was transported to Palmetto Baptist Medical Center. Sunday September 17 • Larceny of internal Zip drive, Thomas Cooper Library computer lab. USC employee Michael Sharp said someone removed an internal Zip drive from a Dell Optiplex Com puter. Estimated value of the Zip dri ve is $100. • Larceny of barricade, the National Advocacy Center parking lot. Em ployee Cynthia Roach reported to police that someone removed the re flective board from a three-piece bar ricade. Estimated value of the re flective piece is $50. • Disorderly conduct, East Quadran gle. A resident was detained in hei room when she didn’t leave during a fire drill. When police arrived, they discovered the subject on the flooi of the bathroom vomiting. Her room mate told police she had taken sleep ing pills. When EMS arrived in the room, she allegedly refused to go to the hospital. After disobeying sever al verbal requests by the police and using strong profanity toward the re porting officer, the officer arrested the subject. Tuesday, September 19 • Armed Robbery, Butger King on Devine Street. Four males with black stocking caps carrying small hand guns approached the victim, Latora Wallare. The suspects demanded she lead them to the rear of the restau rant, where the suspects allegedly stole money from the safe. The sus pects allegedly proceeded to force Wallare to take the remainder of the restaurant money from the cash draw ers of the drive-through windows. The four men continued to order the victim by telling her to get on the floor. They then fled the scene. The complainant did not see the suspects. Monday, September 18 • Disorderly conduct, Millwood Av enue Children’s Home. 23-year-old Antoinette Pinckney said that, dur ing a verbal altercation with the sus pect, the suspect attempted to strike her with a chair. The complainant knows the suspect, and charges will be filed against him. • Shoplifting, West Beltline Boule- | vard. A gas station employee reported that an unknown subject pumped $25 of unleaded gas and drove off with out paying. The model and make of the car are unknown. Sunday, September 17 • Malicious Injury to Private Prop erty, Century 21, Devine Street. Kendall Wisseman, 28, said someone removed a small portion of grass from the front lawn and threw it at the front door. The complainant was sit ting at the front desk and did not see the person or people. I • Drunkenness, Five Points. Henry Grady Ward, 54, refused to pay his $48 bill at the Village Idiot. The sus pect was obviously drunk. Upon ar rest, police found a corporate cred it card in Ward’s back pocket. Saturday, September 16 • Disorderly Conduct. Complainant Gayle Goldsmith said she and tlic sub ject had an ongoing dispute over the subject moving the victim’s trash cans. The victim s;iid the subject came off his porch and ran up to the complainant, yelling and using pro fanity toward her. The subject also allegedly used racial epithets and threatened to do bodily harm. The victim wants to sign warrant, knows subject by name and sight because of previous disagreements. Register Now Earn a full semester's credit in just eight weeks with Midlands Technical College's mini-semester. Classes start October 16 and end December 11. More than 80 classes are available in the mini semester. Many Midlands Technical College classes transfer to the University of South Carolina. For more information, visit www.midlandstech.com or call (803) 738-8324. f; Learn differently. Work differently. No Late Fee iv% Midlands h # Technical College ■■HHMPIHirTf' m&flm pBfg^yM wmmmAi %m / * f, *F i vi. : • I'