cabrini college, radnor, pa. 19087
friday, feb. 15, 1985
vol. xxxi, no. 16
College confident of state evaluation by Lucia L. Laurito Today, Feb.15, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) concludes a three day on-campus evaluation of the college's education department. Every five years, the state comes to the. college with an outside team to review the program. The team is composed of administrators and .teachers. The purpose of the team is to see that the college is meeting the standards that were set up by the PDE. To do this, the evaluating team members will talk to students, teachers and administrators. The evaluation by the PDE gives the college the power to certify. students to teach. According to Dr. Ruth Sower, chairperson of the education department, a thorough review of all programs in the education department has been going on for one year. • This evaluation of the education department differs from the Middle States evaluation in March. The evaluation by the PDE will evaluate the eight certification programs in the field of teacher certification. The Middle States evaluation is a comprehensive review of the entire college, according to.Dr. Joseph Romano, vice president. According to Sower, the evaluation is a mutual growth experience for the members of the faculty and the evaluating team on how to make education programs better. "The evaluation makes us focus on the broader issues...lt is a good system," Sower said. "We have to deliver unification standards throughout. We have unique standards and we want to make sure we meet those standards." "The evaluation will rPveal that we offer a very strong program ,n teacher educa- tion " Romano said. "Since our last review in 1980, we have consolidated the various
education departments into one strong division offering majors in early childhood, special education, elementary education and five areas of secondary education." In reviewing the education program, strengths and weaknesses have been cited by the advisory board and department members. One of the strengths, according to Sower, is the field experience program. "Our field experience program is unique/' she said. "There are very few schools where students are assigned to a placement and supervised each semester, as well as being assigned to a new school." "The faculty are out in schools," Sower continued. "There is a good interchange. They will help the st.1dents deal with what is going on day to day." Romano added, "We have also strengthened our program by offering more field work; education majors begin their field placements in their sophomore year. I am . certain that the Pennsylvania Department of Education will applaud our efforts in this regard." Another strength is that the faculty of the department has experience in basic education, elementary education and secondary education. "Some colleges have faculties that have never been in a classroom," Sower said. Suggestions have also been made for improvements in the education department . It has been suggested, according to Sower, that more emphasis be placed on · classroom management. Another suggestion concerns field experience in the junior year. It has been proposed that the handbook be changed and adapted to specific upper level courses.
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It's never too late: Dorothy Micale, senior, ponders the decision of choosing the perfect Valentine's Dav card earlier in the week. Valentine's Day is an o_ccasion that can be celebrated every day. So, if you forgot your valentine yesterday, or your valentine forgot you, remember, the spirit of Valentine's Day only begins on Feb. 14. (photo by Cara Graham)
Poll revealsstudentscontent.about residentlif
-by Donna
M. Horsley
· Recently, 272 Cabri~i residents participated in a sur~ey about the effectiveness of the resident life program. As a result of the survey diverse views and -recommendations were ex2ressed concerning: the parietal policy, an -0ncampus recreational establishment, housing situation, drug policy, and the sensitivity of the resident life department in regards to the welfare of the students. Sixty-four polled feel that visitation rights should be extended 24 hours on weekends, though 46 percent were satisfied with parietals on weeknights which allow visitation from noon to midnight. . "What is the big deal? Twenty-four hour visitation would erase the 'sneakiness' going on. Not everyone who is going to come to Cabrini for the night or weekend has the money to spend it in a hotel," Roseann Giardiana, sophomore, said. Kathy Gamble, sophomore, said, "It is a pain when a brother or male friend wants to spend the weekend and they have to sleep in a guys dorm where they don't know anyone." Although Gamble feels the parietal policy on weekends should be changed, she likes the visitation policy on weeknights. "There are times when it is really noisy and it's naturally quieter when the guys leave," Gamble said. According to Mary Ellen Lilly, director, resident life, the issue is not whether the male or female spending the week-
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end is ·your brother, sister or friend but the lack of privacy and oftentimes inconvenience that results when members of the opposite sex spend the night. Julie Hassler, sophomore, transfer student from Shippensburg State University, said, "At Shippensburg, each dorm made up their own policy concerning parietals. It just worked out that everyone chose visitation all the time. It didn't really bother me because I made up my own policy with my roommate, so I wasn't inconvenienced." · In view of a proposed extension of the visitation hours on either weekend or weekday, Lilly believes there is sufficient interest on the part of the students to open dialogue with their house council on the issue. "We could try to set up a service through the hall councils where certain guys or girls would be willing to take in or entertain guest1,," Lilly said. Sixty percent polled strongly feel there is a need for a pub-like establishment on campus. D'awn Blades, sophomore, said, "It is important to have a place on campus where people can dance, socialize and all can intermingle; you can't do that in the game room or Widener Center." "I feel there is a need for a pub-like establishment on campus where students can go and feel comfortable in an atmosphere used as an outlet, encourging people to get to know one another better," Lilly said. ·
Discover careersin religion The religion departmen't sponsored a symposium on careers in religion. For a story on the· day-long presentation, see the features section, page 5. (photo by Mark Magner)
Eileen Jensen, s~nior, president of Xavier Hall, feels the resident life program is good overall primarily because she sees the staff working at solving the problems in Xavier Hall. With the actions taken by resident life and the admin istration involving drugs, cries of inconsistency were often -expressed. Yet 85.4 percent polled agreed that the resident life department effectively applies the college's drug policy. The results of the survey also concluded that 90 percent agree that their reside .nt assistant is sensitive to their needs as an individual. "I look up to my RA. like a big brother," Chris Francis. freshman, said. Over 70 percent feel the director and managers of resident life are approachable and the majority of students polled feel that their resident assistant is sensitive to their individual ·needs. However, 27.1 percent polled do not feel ·comfortable approaching a resident assistant other than their•own with a problem. "The R.A.'s don't reach out to anyone other than those in their house or dorm; they should be more well-rounded but I realize that is easier said than done," Jane Rezich, senior, said.
85 Club
Budgets Announced The student government association budget committee held its spring '85 budget hearing. For a breakdown on club budget allocations. see the SGA section page 11.(photo by Mark Magne;)