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Volume 46, Issue 129 | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013 | ndsmcobserver.com
Housing office plans for dorm renovations Several residence halls will remodel, rearrange to open more beds for undergraduates By MEL FLANAGAN News Writer
T he Un iversit y w i l l renovate severa l residence ha l ls for a va r iet y of reasons t h is su m mer, accord i ng to Jef f Shoup, d i rector of t he Of f ice of Housi ng. Shoup sa id for approx imately si x yea rs t he housi ng of f ice has been gat her i ng data on whet her t he ha l ls a re ma k i ng opt i ma l use of t hei r space. “We’ve been look i ng more closely at t he ha l ls a nd how we use t hei r rooms a nd squa re footage,” he sa id. “Ou r goa l has been a nd cont i nues to be to ma ke su re t hat, for exa mple, what is a double i n Di l lon [Ha l l] is close to a double i n Sta n ford [Ha l l].” Shoup sa id h is of f ice
st ud ies housing applicat ions each yea r to determ i ne if t he residence ha l ls ca n ha nd le t he nu mber of spaces requested. “Somet imes we get a few more st udents mov ing of f a nd somet i mes a few more stay ing on,” he sa id. “It’s k i nd of f luct uated.” Rega rd less of t he g uesswork i nvolved, Shoup sa id h is of f ice does sig n if ica nt resea rch to be fa irly conf ident in pred ict ing how ma ny spaces each residence ha l l w i l l need t he fol low ing yea r. “We look at t he nu mber of people we have reta ined a nd t he a nt icipated nu mber of f i rst-yea r st udents a nd it’s a bit of a n educated g uess, but I t h in k it’s prett y see DORM PAGE 5
WEI LIN | The Observer
The Office of Housing will add study spaces and a kitchen to Lyons Hall, above, this summer. The Office has reviewed all residence halls to assess ways to maximize square footage.
CIFs give feedback to faculty SMC senior earns fellowship By KELLY RICE News Writer
EMILY DANAHER | The Observer
By CATHERINE OWERS News Writer
T he s u r e s t s ig n of t he s e me s t er ’s end c ome s w hen t he C ou r s e I n s t r uc t or Fe e d b a c k ( CI F ) r em i nder em a i l i s s ent out to e a c h s t udent ’s i n b ox . For t he f a c u lt y mem b er s u nder s c r ut i ny at t he end of t he s eme s t er, t he s e e v a luat ion s me a n mor e t h a n
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a si mple r em i nder t h at s u m mer i s ne a r. Pol it ic a l s c ienc e pr ofe ss or a nd de pa r t ment c h a i r Rut h A bb e y enc ou r a ge s her s t udent s t o s p end t i me f i l l i ng out t he CI Fs a nd to u nder s t a nd how pr ofe s s or s u s e fe e d b a c k . “CI Fs a i m t o me a s u r e s t udent e v a lu at ion of f a c u lt y t e a c h i n g ,” A bb e y s a id . “T he f a c u lt y i s v er y
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awa re of i mp or t a nc e of t he CI F me c h a n i s m, but m a ny s t udent s a r e u n a w a r e.” A bb e y s a id f a c u lt y mem b er s a r e a ble t o s e e t hei r CI F s c or e s on l y a ft er t he y p o s t f i n a l g r a de s, a nd t he fe e d b a c k r e s u lt s of t en m at t er mor e t h a n ju s t a r bit r a r y s u g ge s t ion s see CIF PAGE 4
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Saint Mary’s senior Nichole Clayton is the latest Belle to be named an Orr Fellow, a two-year entrepreneurial opportunity for undergraduates seeking post-graduation experience. Orr Fellows are selected from a pool of applicants each year to enter the professional world through paid positions with Indiana’s most dynamic, high-growth companies, a College press release stated. Clayton, from Bay City, Mich., double majors in communication studies and business administration with a concentration in management. For the next two years, she will work with Courseload, a company dealing with digital textbooks. Clayton said the process of attaining the fellowship began by networking with Saint
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Mary’s alumnae and current Orr Fellows Melissa Jackson and Amanda Lester, the first SMC students to become Orr Fellows. “I first heard about the fellowship when [Jackson and Lester] came to class to discuss the opportunities within the fellowship,” she said. “From there, I visited them at the [Notre Dame] Career Fair in September and moved forward with the interview process.” Clayton said the process lasted four months, ending on Finalist Day in December. “It was a long process filled with a series of in-person interviews, personal essays and meet-and-greet information sessions,” she said. “After each event, a few more candidates made it through to the next round. “Finalist Day was an exciting yet long day of interviews. see FELLOW PAGE 5
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