Washburn University
INSIDE:
Volume 141, Issue 18
February 18, 2015
washburnreview.org
Washburn sees decline in academic probation Ryan Ogle
News
Page 3: NO H8 organization to do photo shoot in Topeka to support LGBTQ.
Sports
Page 10: Washburn running back Vershon Moore heads to the NFL Regional Combine.
Arts & Entertainment
Page 12: Washburn student’s senior exhibition ‘Gingerly Genuine’ entertains with various graphic designs and illustrations.
Campus Life
WASHBURN REVIEW
After crunching the numbers from the Fall 2014 semester, Washburn University oficials announced a drop in the number of students who found themselves on academic probation. In previous years, the number of students on probation averaged over 400 per semester, but the most recent count saw those igures drop to under 300. Alan Bearman, Dean of University Libraries, feels the decline is a result of several factors, including the WU 101 course, posting mid-term grades for freshman and the various tutoring programs available on campus. He also points to the more upfront approach that faculty has been taking to academic advising. “We’re starting to get much better at advising and being more direct with students about inding a schedule for success,” Bearman said. “It doesn’t make much sense to stick someone in class just because there’s an open seat.” Of the students placed on academic probation, the majority tends to come from irst-year students who ind the path to higher education a little rockier than expected. Whether coming straight from high school or taking the non-traditional route, the adjustment to college life can be dificult. This is a situation the university is well aware of and taking steps to improve upon. “We still have the second and third year students that wind up on probation and we’re building toward them. But historically, it’s that transition from high school to college is dificult.” Bearman said. “That’s why we’ve started heavily em-
phasizing that outreach to irst year students. They’re the ones who often get overwhelmed and struggle.” While the administration’s increased emphasis on scheduling, studying and paving a smoother road for freshman has made a noticeable difference, Bearman credits the university as a whole for the academic improvements. “Culturally, there’s a commitment at Washburn to help students succeed,” Bearman said. “I think that culture has always been here, but it’s really starting to lourish.” The push for maximizing student potential starts at the top of the mountain with university president Jerry Farley and trickles down to the rest of campus. “Farley leads from the front,” Bearman said when describing Farley’s hands-on involvement. “He wants us to talk about student success constantly. You cannot give Farley enough cred-
it. He sets the tone for this culture and because he’s so committed to it, so are we.” Of course, the silver lining of declining probation numbers is not without clouds, as a number of students who were in academic dire straits last fall opted to not return this semester. This is somewhat alarming for a university already suffering from a substantial drop in enrollment. “That’s always a concern and we’re doing research right now to ind out why that is the case. Some of those reasons are obviously beyond the university’s control. Some parents will tell the student to come home and others will go to a community college,” Bearman said. “There is such a thing as positive attrition and that’s that we have to distinguish. Somebody may decide that they had a bad semester and take some time off. Anytime a student drops out, it’s a concern, but here’s a case
where we can identify who they are and we can igure out why.” As the saying goes, the best offense is a good defense. Relating this to the world of academia, Bearman urges struggling students to take the initiative and utilize the resources available to them. “We all need help at times and the number one thing a student can do is ask for help. Put your hand up and we’ll come running, like the Seventh Calvary,” Bearman said. “There are more students than there are faculty, so if you don’t put your hand up, you might get missed. If you hit a bump in the road, no matter how large or small, don’t hesitate to ask for help.”
Ryan Ogle, ryan.ogle@ washburn.edu, is a senior mass media major
Campus prepared if measles spreads to Kansas Derek Richardson WASHBURN REVIEW
Page 6 & 7: Women’s basketball plays to support and raise money for breast cancer.
Photo by Stephanie Cannon
Hitting the Books: Mali Farwell spends her afternoon in the Mabee Library’s tutoring center. The tutoring center is among the many initatives put into place by administration to help promote academic success.
Although a measles outbreak on campus is unlikely, Washburn’s Student Health Services has a plan to prevent the spread of any infectious disease. Kansas has yet to have a case of measles related to the southern California outbreak, which started late in 2014 and infected 125 people in seven states. All of 2014 saw the most number
of measles cases recorded in the United States since the 1990s totaling 644 cases in 17 states. “I think anytime we have an infectious disease epidemic, we should all take notice,” said Shirley Dinkel, director of Student Health Services at Washburn. However, she said she doesn’t think this is a situation that should induce panic in the area yet because of the age of the population that is on campus.
According the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles can be serious in all age groups, but children younger than 5 years of age and adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from complications. These complications can range from ear infections and diarrhea to lung infections, brain swelling and sometimes death. Symptoms of measles begin to appear about seven to 14 days after infection. Symptoms usu-
ally begin with a fever potentially higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Between two and three days later, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. Three to ive days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out, beginning as lat red spots that appear around the face and spread downward to the rest of the body.
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