Members of a committee formed by ASWU to address the results of a recent constituency report submitted a letter to the President’s Cabinet today.
The constituency report commissioned April 30 polled 288 students about a decision by the financial aid office and dean of enrollment Fred Pfursich to reduce the minimum GPA requirement to maintain the academic scholarships to a 2.0 at the beginning of the semester. (See article “Financial aid, enrollment offices reduce GPA required to keep academic scholarships“)
The constituency report asked student how they felt about the change, whether they felt Whitworth’s academic reputation was affected, and if their own academic performance was affected.
A committee was formed at the May 7 meeting to write a letter to the President’s Cabinet discussing the results.
Here is the letter in full:
To the members of the Presidential Cabinet,
On April 30th, 2008, ASWU conducted a constituency report to see how students felt about the new merit-based scholarship GPA maintenance at
It is our understanding that one of the main reasons for this change was to give students a little bit of cushion and stress-relief as they conduct their studies. However, our report found that students have several other motivations to study in addition to keeping scholarships. In addition to maintaining scholarships, personal achievement, graduate school, and future career opportunities were also considered important reasons to strive for a higher GPA. Therefore, we disagree that students want or need an academic break in terms of a lower GPA standard for maintaining merit based scholarships.
We as students are concerned that the lowering of these standards interferes with the rigorous academic reputation towards which
In the short term, we recommend that the current scholarship requirements return to their previous level of 3.0 from the fall, 2007. In addition, ASWU is more than willing to assign a few students to a committee next year to address the greater issue at hand. We want to progress to the point where students can say that they value the community, personal atmosphere, and challenging academic environment. These changes will help keep Whitworth on a path towards these goals; we are proud of the value of a Whitworth diploma, and it is our desire that future students will maintain the same feelings about our University.
The Associated Students of
*Please see attached constituency report*
Financial Aid Constituency Report - April 30, 2008The draft of a recent constituency report handed out by ASWU President Scott Donnell at the May 7 meeting shows students feel the recent decision to lower the GPA requirements of the merit scholarships was a “bad move”.
According to an article in the April 15 issue of The Whitworthian, the financial aid office, along with dean of enrollment Fred Pfursich, decided to reduce the minimum GPA requirement to maintain the academic scholarships to a 2.0 at the beginning of the semester
Several members had mentioned constituents were unhappy with the change at the April 30 meeting.
The constituency report polled students on how they felt about the change, whether they felt Whitworth’s academic reputation was affected, and if their own academic performance was affected. According to the draft of the constituency report, 288 students were polled.
According to the draft, 66 percent of students surveyed felt negatively about setting the GPA requirement for the merit-based scholarships at 2.0. Many of the students felt it lowered standards and motivations for students to work, according to the draft.
Some of those who felt the change was positive stated that it relieved the pressure on incoming students who are not used to the workload, according to the draft.
Seventy-two percent of students surveyed felt the change negatively affected Whitworth’s academic reputation, according to the draft.
According to the draft, “students want to increase Whitworth’s level of academic reputation to University status.”
Sixty-seven percent of students surveyed said they were either unsure of how the new minimum would affect their performance or that it would not affect it at all, according to the draft.
According to the draft, students gave a wide variety of motivations for their academic performances. Personal achievement and preparation for graduate school were the top responses given, according to the draft.
Members formed a committee to write a letter to the President’s Cabinet discussing the results.
Clubs
Members unanimously passed two new club charters for a Sociology Club and a French club.
According to the new club charter, the purpose of the Sociology Club is “to create an opportunity for those interested in the field of Sociology to advocate the sociological concepts and principles [and] to explain diverse patters of human behavior within the context of human groups.”
Senior Jeremiah Sataraka said the club is open to Sociology majors and minors, as well as anyone who is interested in joining.
The purpose of Le cercle Français is “to provide additional opportunities for Whitworth students to improve their language proficiency, build cross-cultural friendships, and to be culturally enriched,” according to the club charter.
Finances
Members passed a requisition for $774 to fund a research trip for juniors Kevin Sonnanburg and Annie Didier to Texas Tech University by a hand vote. Sonnanburg and Didier will be assisting Nicholas Willis, associate professor of mathematics, with his research this summer, according to a letter submitted to ASWU by Willis.
“Having [Sonnanburg and Didier’s] help during this time in Texas would be a giant step in making our project this summer a success,” Willis said in the letter.
Members also passed a requisition for $500 for the Colleges Against Cancer club by a hand vote.
Junior Sarah Ozanne said the club needed assistance in covering the payment for the Cancer Awareness shirts the club sold during the spring. The shirts did not sell as well as expected, leaving the club in a deficit, Ozanne said.
Members approved the budget for the 2008-09 academic year and had an opportunity to question dean of enrollment Fred Pfursich about the recent decision to lower GPA requirements for maintaining merit scholarships at the April 30 meeting.
Pfursich said 87 percent of Whitworth students currently hold one of four merit scholarships, also referred to as academic scholarships. The scholarships are awarded based on high school performance, Pfursich said.
According to an article in the April 15 issue of The Whitworthian, the financial aid office, along with Pfursich, decided to reduce the minimum GPA requirement to maintain the academic scholarships to a 2.0 at the beginning of the semester.
Pfursich said one of the main reasons for lowering the requirement was the concern that students who were still considered to be in good standing at Whitworth would lose their scholarships.
To remain in good standing, a student must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, according to the 2007-09 Whitworth course catalog.
The requirements for earning a merit scholarship have not changed, Pfursich said.
Pfursich said a key factor of this change is self-motivation. The financial aid office does not expect students will become lazy as a result of the change, he said.
After Pfursich’s presentation, sophomore Tyler Hamilton, who works in the admissions office, said many people in admissions had no knowledge of the change prior to the decision.
Members discussed whether the requirement was adequate and whether the issue was important. ASWU President Scott Donnell said a constituency report will be done regarding this issue. After the results are in, the body may or may not form a committee to review the issue next week.
Finances
Members unanimously passed the proposed ASWU budget for the 2008-09 academic year.
Financial vice president Kendra Hamilton said the finance committee passed several requisitions, including a requisition of $78 for flowers for the family of freshman Dan Burtness, a student who died April 28 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident.
The Whitworth Running Club received $320, while senior Mandi Curtin received $191 for a research project on campus and sophomore Blair Daly received $80 to cover a trip to a Republican convention.
Members chartered a club, learned about the scheduling process for the Whitworth Aquatics Center, and received an unofficial budget for next year at the April 23 meeting.
Gary Kessie, assistant director of community programs at the Whitworth Aquatics Center, said academic classes and the varsity swim team’s practice times are scheduled in first. The rest of the times are divided up by looking at the demands of both the local community as well as the campus, Kessie said.
The Aquatics Center runs on a zero-based budget, Kessie said. This means that the majority of the operating expenses, such as pool chemicals and paying staff, come from the profit of the community programs, he said.
Currently, there are lap swim times for the Whitworth community Monday through Saturday from noon until 1:00 p.m., as well as time on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 8:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m., Kessie said.
Finances
Financial vice president Kendra Hamilton passed out copies of the unofficial budget for next year to members. Members have a week to review the budget changes and share them with their constituents, Hamilton said.
The projected expenses for the 2008-2009 school year $371,450.00, an increase of $31,250.00, according to the proposed budget.
The budget is funded by a student fee, which will increase by $5 to a total of $95.00 per student next year. The proposed budget includes $830.00 designated for the unallocated funds, which all students can access.
The budget will cover various expenses ASWU encounters, as well as fund chartered clubs, student media services, dorms and various student programs put on by ASWU coordinators, according to the proposed budget.
Members will vote to approve the budget at the April 30 meeting, Hamilton said.
Club Chartered
The Whitworth University Running Club was chartered by a unanimous voice vote.
According to the club charter, the club’s purpose “shall be the promotion and encouragement of long distance running and fitness to all levels of recreational athletes.”
Sophomore Aubrie Ekman said starting next year the club plans to meet once a week, as well as set up a buddy system to members to keep running. There are already several races appropriate for different levels of runners the club plans to participate in, Ekman said.
Motorcycles for Missionaries
Members of the LS 350 (Transforming Leadership) informed members of the Motorcycles for Missionaries project. The class is sponsoring a 36-hour fast to raise money to help missionaries travel from village to village in Uganda. The money students would typically spend on lunch will be sent to pay for a motorcycle instead. The fast will start on April 30.
President Bill Robinson, Chuck Boppell, the retiring chair of the Board of Trustees, and Walt Oliver, the newest chair of the board, attended the beginning of the ASWU meeting on April 16.
Boppell said he looked forward to remaining on the board as a regular member.
Oliver said he looks forward to being a part of the legacy that the former chairs of the board had left for him.
Read more about the trustees in the next issue of The Whitworthian.
Club reports
Junior Blair Daly updated ASWU on the Spandex Optional Bike club. Between 40 and 50 students took advantage of the club’s recent event to repair bikes for free, Daly said.
Daly also said there will be another bike ride up to Riverside State Park on April 19. The club has created a Facebook group, Daly said.
Senior Sarah Ozanne said the Colleges Against Cancer club is hoping to raise $32,986, or the cost of tuition this year, at the upcoming Relay for Life on April 18.
The event will last all night, and there will be food and entertainment, Ozanne said.
Finances
Financial vice president Kendra Hamilton said the finance committee passed three requisitions. The Club de Español received $300, Open Conversation: Orientation received $225 and the RAs in Stewart, Boppell, Shalom and Keola received $100 to help pay for advertisements for the Week of Jubilee.
Executive Vice President Katie Zerkel said 959 students voted in the general elections on April 9. The percentage of votes each executive candidate recieved are:
President:
Obe Quarless - 50%
Peter Cleary - 49%
Executive Vice President:
Kalen Eshoff - 94%
Financial Vice President:
Kendra Hamilton - 52%
Carl Chan - 47%
Financial Vice President Kendra Hamilton said the current unallocated budget for ASWU is $3,913.06.
Unallocated funds are funds that students can access through ASWU.
The newest elected members of the 2008-2009 ASWU are:
Executive Positions:
President: Obe Quarless
Executive Vice President: Kalen Eshoff
Financial Vice President: Kendra Hamilton
Senators/Representatives:
Arend: Patrick Yoho
Ballard: Emily Dickson
Boppell: Aaron Quigley
Duvall: John Dorrenbacher
Mac: Eric Vanderheyden
Off-Campus Senator: Seth Flory
Off-Campus Representatives: Angela Anegon, Brian Stenberg
Stewart: Dan Lewis
Warren: Jeremiah Sataraka
Members chartered another new club and heard more about the schedule changes taking place next semester at the meeting on April 9.
Members voted by a 12-7 hand vote to charter the Aikido Kokikai Spokane club. According to the club charter, the purpose of the club is “to provide a place and way to safely practice Kokikai Aikido.”
Junior Kevin Sonnanburg said Kokikai Aikido is a form of martial arts that involves mainly throwing the opponent, instead of punching or kicking at them.
Kokikai Aikido is used mainly in self-defense, Sonnanburg said. He also said there are currently no other places to practice Kokikai Aikido in Spokane.
Sonnanburg said he plans to instruct club members in some of the basic moves of Kokikai Aikido.
Members also heard from Gary Whisenand, director of Institutional Research, about the recent schedule changes.
According to a Feb. 26 article in The Whitworthian, the change in scheduling will provide better use of classroom space as well as allow for staggered lunch breaks.
Staggering the lunch breaks will alleviate some of the congestion in Sodexho at lunch time, Whisenand said.
Whisenand said the main conflict with the schedule is Whitworth’s current policy of providing both three- and four-credit classes.
The schedule change is mainly a result of putting three-credit classes in the 8:00 a.m. time slot instead of the four-credit classes, Whisenand said.
Whisenand said the change will also provide for set chapel times, as well as a set faculty governance time.
This means the faculty will be able to meet on a regular basis to carry out their responsibilities, Whisenand said.
The five ASWU executive candidates gathered in front of a small crowd of students in Lied Square on April 7 to discuss their platforms and stances on different issues at Whitworth. General elections will be held Wednesday.
Current Executive Vice President Katie Zerkel began the night by asking each candidate what his or her vision was for the various positions.
Junior Obe Quarless, who serves as the current sports events coordinator in ASWU and is running for president, said his vision is to make sure students are heard.
“My main vision is to invite people into the student body and make sure ASWU is doing everything they can to create the Whitworth experience for them,” Quarless said.
Junior Peter Cleary, who is also running for president, said he wants to make sure things get done next year in ASWU.
“Specifically, I want to do this by connecting more strongly to the student body,” Cleary said. “I want to work in very concrete ways to get connected. If ASWU is not connected, then why do we exist?”
Junior Kalen Eshoff, who is running unopposed for EVP, said she hopes to connect ASWU with students and listen to student needs and desires.
“My position would be to listen to students by connecting the student body and ASWU, and turning visions into reality,” Eshoff said.
Junior Kendra Hamilton, who is running for financial vice president and currently serves as FVP, said she wants to educate students on how they can better access the unallocated funds in ASWU.
“It’s been difficult for students [to get money] because they don’t know the process, and they don’t know how to go through the paperwork,” Hamilton said. “My vision is to reorganize it so that everything is streamlined and easier for students.”
Junior Carl Chan, who is also running for FVP, said he wants to ensure that the ASWU funds are being spent in the best way possible. Chan also said he wants to build relationship with campus club leaders and to help students feel comfortable starting new clubs.
“I want to deal with people, not the organizations,” Chan said. “I want to work with club presidents and representatives so that I can see where they’re coming from.”
When questioned about their individual opinions on the recently chartered Open Conversation: Orientation club, all the candidates agreed that the club is an opportunity for students to discuss sexual orientation and make themselves heard.
“It’s important to start to question our own beliefs,” Hamilton said. “We are at college. We are supposed to be learning. Change is supposed to occur, and we need to facilitate that.”
Eshoff, Chan and Cleary, who all currently live in Stewart, were asked how they expected to train and prepare ASWU members in their jobs when they have no current experience themselves.
“I’m not worried about being able to know the positions because that will come quickly, especially if I’m in communication and am seeking out the criticism of those who know about those positions,” Eshoff said.
Cleary said that being familiar with the different ASWU positions can be built up without being in a position.
“By going to the meetings and shadowing the current president, I’m hoping to build up familiarity,” Cleary said.
Chan said he feels he knows enough people on ASWU that he can sit down and learn about the various positions from them.
The presidential and FVP candidates said they would like to remain involved in ASWU even if they don’t win, but that their participation would probably be more limited.
“I cannot say I would be as involved as I am now because of my other commitments,” Quarless said. “But learning what’s going on [in ASWU] is an obligation for students – we’re paying for it, so we should know what’s going on. So I will continue to be a part of it.”
Hamilton said the relationship between the three executive positions is not hierarchal. Instead, it’s a combination of different strengths, Hamilton said.
“We all focus on different things,” Hamilton said. “We are elected because of leadership qualities, but not because any one else is better than the other.”
Quarless added that in order to work together, it is important to recognize each individual’s differences as well as bring out their strengths.
“We do have a good sense of what’s going on, and we do care. That’s the bottom line,” Quarless said.
When asked how they would work with leaders outside ASWU, both presidential candidates said communication and visibility are important.
“In order to be connected, it’s important to be visible,” Cleary said.
The presidential and FVP candidates were asked to explain why they felt they were a better choice for their positions. Chan said he felt he is more willing to work with people than Hamilton.
“I feel I’m approachable and that people can come to me work things out,” Chan said. “I’m willing to listen and eager to learn about what other people have to say.”
Hamilton said her experience in ASWU makes her a more qualified candidate for FVP.
“I have been in ASWU for two years now, and I have the experience already to see what needs to be changed,” Hamilton said.
Cleary said he felt he is able to relate to people better than Quarless, which makes him a better candidate for president. Quarless said he is more familiar with both the student body and with ASWU itself than Cleary is.
When asked how they would help freshmen become more aware of ASWU, both Quarless and Cleary said there needs to be an increase in visibility. Quarless also said he would like to conduct the general assembly in the dorms and that he wanted to have a space in the HUB with current ASWU information.
“The information that is talked about [in ASWU] needs to be put out,” Quarless said. “There needs to be more immediacy and intimacy.”
Hamilton said she hopes to start having meetings once a month with students in order to help them understand how to access the unallocated funds.
“My goal is to make unallocated money more accessible to students,” Hamilton said. “I am committed to open sessions and outlining the process so that students will be better represented and will better understand the government.”
Chan said he hoped to make the monthly club council meetings public so students can see how the club process works.
“I want to build relationships with [club] leaders so I can be able to hold them accountable and insure that the money they are given is being well-spent,” Chan said.
All of the candidates agreed that ASWU serves to represent the students while student life works more intimately with students in their everyday activities.
“Student life works with the life of a student,” Cleary said. “ASWU is the student voice, elected by the students, for the students.”
Hamilton said an important aspect of promoting unity maintaining a balance between letting people do what they want and connecting them.
“We have to allow students who don’t fit in to let them make their own path,” Hamilton said. “At the same time, we need to build bridges. We can’t let people grow apart.”
Eshoff said there needs to be some division on campus.
“Students are starting to value honesty over niceness,” Eshoff said. “Whitworth is becoming a more honest microcosm of what life is going to be. If we get feedback that students are dealing with this, we can help spread that to the bodies of change.”
Chan said that clubs and other organizations can help to facilitate education of cultural differences, which promotes unity.
“Things like Open Conversation: Orientation are great venues for people to voice their opinions,” Chan said.
Cleary said he would like to draw examples from other universities to help bring unity.
“I would like to get connected with other student body presidents to learn, and try to implement ideas that have worked for them,” Cleary said.
