ETROPOLITAN Metropolitan ~ State Collegeo( Denver student newspaaer serving the AUraria Campus since 1979 "f
VOL U M E
15,
I SS UE
30
APRIL
23, 1993
D ENV ER, CO L OR A DO
MSCD act_ ually two schools
Week of the young child
Susan K. Goddard The Metropolitan
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It could be argued that MSCD is actually two schools. The first is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and caters to traditional students. The second opens at 5 p.m. and offers classes to nontraditional students. Most people would consider a traditional student to be 18 or 19 years old and have just completed high school. However, the average age of a student at MSCD is 27.9 years, according to the school's census report for 1992. In fact, 19.l percent of students are between the ages of 25 and 29, 11.7 percent between 30 and 34, and 19.3 percent are 35 or older. Many of these older students experience conflicting . responsibilities when they try to add school to a 40-hour work week and a family that needs attention. These nontraditional students know that something has to give when conflicts arise, and it's usually attendance. "Most of the teachers are demanding but are willing to work with most students, especially those who have conflicting responsibilities," said Jett Conner, interim associate vice president for academic affairs at MSCD. "There is a lot of flexibility at this school." However, not all teachers appreciate the difficulties of keeping the juggling balls of those responsibilities in the air. "Some teachers tend to treat it more like secondary school," Conner said. It is the consequences of those conflicting responsibilities that cause stressful situations for students whose grades have been affected by attendance. In one extreme case, Raymond E. Baldwin received an 'F' for a class he had completed, but his attendance had dropped to about 60 percent because of health and family problems. He had also lost credit in another class, making bis total of completed hours less than required for bis financial aid, which was suspended. Baldwin, 43, appealed both his grade and his financial aid. The grade appeal is still in process whereas the financial aid appeal was denied. "The grade appeal process is very disconcerting for the student," Baldwin said. "Problems snowball when you have so many responsibilities." Megan McClard, the professor involved in the grade dispute, said the most important thing about her creative writing workshop is the workshop. " If you sign up for a workshop that requires your participation, that's your responsibility," she said. "I think we at Metro bend over backwards, but it's not our responsibility when students take on too much. Three-year-old Eileen Carrozo trucks along the Ninth Street Park Tuesday with her "Most of the people I know at Metro prefer working Toddlers classmates from the Auraria Child Care Center. Activities during Week of the with nontraditional students because they are so motivated," McClard said. ''The ones right out of high Young Child include a read-a-thon with Denver district attorney Norm Early Thursday school are most likely to complain about school." at 4 p.m. and a parent/staff and child talent show Friday at the Center. The college's student handbook states that all ..._....,_ _~---------------------------~-~-------- students are expected to attend all classes but there is no universal policy. "A universal policy would be a dangerous thing," said Michael Brown, assistant to the dean in the school of business. "It's hard to get a universal policy when you're catering to both traditional and nontraditional students. You want more flexibility rather than less flexibility." Evening students, mostly nontraditional and
Presidential finalists announce_ d
page 3
Free AIDS testing on campus--- page 11
see NONTRADITIONAL page 5
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