'Remedial-U' label fear of instructors by Shlwnd'ra• John1lon Stntmd R~tr
Sc\tral North Idaho College f3Clllty fear the
m of an emphasis on higher education due
10 rcoeo1 growth of dC\dopment:11 ed001tion d.Nes. Some believe lha1 Lhc 8f0\\1h of da.sses 1ha1 develop or refresh high school level skills wiU mean NIC will not be taken seriously as an institute of higher ed001tion; others support the gro"1h of de\'dopment:11 education. Sh3ron Smith, chair of the learning o.s.1btancc divi5ion, suppons emphasis on dcvclopmenllll edua11ion. Smith said the da.sses arc necessary for NIC's role in serving the communicy bccausc many students arc entering colli:gc after having been away 9:\tral )'ta/S and need to reoovcr the kno" ledge they !tamed. "These claS5CS arc incrcmenud in nature; "hen you finish one cou~ you can move 10 the nr:xt logical progression. Srudents gain (from ~ das.1cs) oompc(COcy in math, "riling and study skills," Smith said. For Smith, though, "incrcmenllll" i~ the key "tll'd-"lf stUClenlS didn't at some point mcm! on, Lhcn NIC would be a joke." Right Smnh said, NIC may not be taking itself seriotuly by numbering ilS c ~ lower than other colleges. "NlC Math 020 is the equivalent in most colleges of Math 040." Smith said lha1 NIC could not do away "uh <b'Ciopmcnial education because the problnn of students coming to college underprq>aJCd will nOI go away, and "" c do nOI want 10 turn those people away. "Should the undcrprcparcd be pcnaliz.cd because they don't "rite as wcU as 50ll1COllC cbc or lhookl they be allowed to dc-.-dop tha;ie skilh?" If NIC is 10 be taken seriously, " I think we should rc:auit good students Ulcc we recruit
"°"•
athletes," Smith said, by aggressively promoting its academic successes in the c:ommunicy. Psychology instruaor Don Sprague agrees lhat as a community college, NIC must provide some developmental eduauion. but with a finite number of resources, the college will have to decide when loo many of those resources arc devoted LO developmental education. Sprague agro:d lhal NIC has LO ro:ruit good s1udmts from loal1 schools, but is afraid lhesc students may choose 10 go elsewhere if they sec NIC as a primarily developmental institution. According LO Sprague, students ready for credit classes arc being denied all lhat NIC could offer thcn1 in higher education; but he tieCS
n po5Sible solution.
"I think honors programs would benefit those students and the fnculty, and I think ii would change the image of the college from 'Remedial U' to a college lha1 is providing for the full spectrum of studmts." Sprague also ~uggests more prerequisites, especially in the social scicm.%S. "I don't want 10 sound Ulcc an elitist, but I have had to water down das.1cs to ac:comrnoda1c those students who do not )'Cl have the skills to lllke those courses." Sprague expressed concern about the future of NIC. " I am really afraid as we put rnott and more of our resource. into developmental education, the f)Cf(.'q)tion of NIC as lhe 'spccia.l,ed' junior college will grow. The result is that parents arc going lo automatically pRC!ude us "ncn thinking about where they arc going 10 5tl1d their capable sons and daughters." P""'1tStt
REMEDIAL
p. 2 J - -
HATS OFFl-
TOUR de IDAHO-
orcheatra presents muslcal salute.
Cycllsts gear up for the season.
SN 1tory p. 17
SH 1lory p. 1M2
,11~~.~~
Childhood Innocence - Erin Rowe follows Meggan Fisher down lhe the Chlld Development Center at North Idaho College. See story and P p. 9.