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Students experience culture in coffee Volume 67 | Issue 12
IUS Timeline
By KIM KERBY Staff kdkerby@ius.edu Earlier this year, IU Southeast received the Gold Award in the Pride of CASE V Awards for Excellence in Specials Events, Series of Events. CASE stands for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and this award honored the many 70th Anniversary celebrations that were held both on and off campus last year. Brady Miller, special projects manager, completed the award application for IU Southeast and was also in charge of many of the major events on campus. Miller said he is proud of IU Southeast for receiving this award because it shows the university’s level of engagement with the community. “I think [this award] speaks to how well so many people can work together to put on events like this,” Miller said. “I can easily think of more than 30 people who had some kind of critical role in executing these events.” Chancellor Sandra Patterson-Randles said she agrees students should be proud of IU Southeast for all the hard work put into the 70th Anniversary celebration. “For IU Southeast to receive a top-notch award like this, students should be reassured that they have chosen an academic home that is serious about quality,” PattersonRandles said. “I hope all our students, faculty and staff share my pride in this achievement, since their efforts and support contributed significantly to its success.” Miller focused primarily on four 70th Anniversary events held during the 2011-12 school year — the timeline and kick-off celebration for the first week of classes, Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner, Thing-A-Ma-Dig and a concert in Warder Park. The theme for the 70th Anniversary celebration was Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future. Miller said all of the events were chosen because they showed the past, present and future of the university. Timeline One important event Miller included in the application was a project that had been worked on during
Courtesy photo
Physical Plant workers and Wanda Borrego, director of the Children’s Center, help children from the Children’s Center roll a tree into its designated place during the Thing-A-Ma-Dig event on April 4. In recognition of its 70th Anniversary events, IU Southeast earned the Gold Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
summer 2011. Miller said the timeline between University Centers North and South had been installed a couple weeks before classes started for the fall term. “We wanted to have an event to celebrate the official reveal of the timeline and to encourage people to go see it, read it and learn more about the history of the university,” Miller said. “We also just wanted to let the student body know the importance of the year right from the start during the first week of classes.” Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner
The Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner was on Oct. 27 and is an annual fundraising event the university holds to support students’ scholarships. Thing-A-Ma-Dig Miller said it is a large community event with several business leaders The 70th Anniversary and community members in atThing-A-Ma-Dig was an event tendance. where 70 different groups of Miller said normally guests people — from the university are in attendance to recognize A 4-foot tall, 6-layer cake was created by and the community — came to one or two community members Adrienne and Co. Bakery Café in Jefferson- plant 70 trees in seven hours. with the Chancellor’s Medallion, ville to celebrate the end of IU Southeast’s See GOLD AWARD, page 2 which is the highest award pre- 70th Anniversary.
Grade inflation questioned at IUS By SAMANTHA FRAZIER Staff sefrazie@ius.edu Grade inflation — the trend of colleges rewarding students with higher grades than in the past — is a phenomenon affecting many of the nation’s institutes of higher education. However, as for IU Southeast, it is hard to tell whether or not this event is occurring on campus. “I don’t know if there is any evidence that [grade inflation] exists here at IUS,” said Joe Wert, dean of the School of Social Sciences. “It may, but I haven’t seen anything that makes me think that yes, there defi-
nitely is.” Wert said he has not seen anything because there are no records of grade inflation on file for IU Southeast. Patrick Fawcett, Registrar, said a representative from the University Institutional Research told him no data concerning the average GPAs and percentage of letter grades given at IU Southeast over time had been compiled because it has never before been asked for. “It doesn’t appear to be on anyone’s radar,” Fawcett said. Likewise, grade inflation is not the most talked about subject between faculty members. “I have heard some discussion of the sub-
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It doesn’t appear to be on anyone’s radar. Patrick Fawcett Registrar
ject among faculty but not much — more on a national level than a local one,” Michael Abernethy, senior lecturer in communication, said. While this may not be a problem for IU Southeast, the issue is a topic of discussion for IU Bloomington. A 2011 grade inflation study conducted
by Stuart Rojstaczer, retired professor at Duke University, found that, on average, 43 percent of all letter grades given in U.S. colleges are As, a 28 percent increase from 1960. His data showed IU Bloomington had an average GPA of 3.16 in 2008, as opposed to an average of 2.83 in 1976. Though IU Southeast does not have similar data or that amount of discussion, it does not mean the school is immune to all aspects of the nation-wide issue. Abernethy said he did not know of any specific instances of grade inflation at IU Southeast, but it is possible it occurs. Sam Parsons, criminal
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Local elections result in education changes By TAYLOR FERGUSON Staff tayfergu@ius.edu The recent changes in state elections could have a large impact on the IUS campus, as well as the state of Indiana for future years. New Superintendent of Public Instruction While Nov. 6 marked re-election for President Barack Obama, local Indiana elections also resulted in Democrat Glenda Ritz beating out Tony Bennett, Republican incumbent, in the race for superintendent of public instruction by capturing 52 percent of the vote. Gloria Murray, dean of the School of Education, said she believes this change is something that could revitalize the interest in pursuing a teaching career among students at IU Southeast. “So many potential teacher candidates were concerned about the changes that were occurring in the teaching field, such as the high stakes
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sented by the university. The chancellor also recognizes a handful of students who have received the Chancellor’s Medallion Leadership Scholarship. Miller said instead of having new honorees, 37 people who had been honored with the Chancellor’s Medallion since 1997 will be part of this year of retrospection. In addition, Miller said the university almost reached its goal of a comprehensive fundraising campaign for the school. Miller said the goal was to raise $11 million for the university. Currently, the university has raised $10.9 million and the campaign is supposed to continue into 2014.
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INDEX News............................................................ 1, 2 Sports................................................................3 Events...............................................................4 Opinions..........................................................5 Profiles..............................................................6 Diversions........................................................7 Features...........................................................8