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At-a-Glance
President plans more courses
By Angela Malloy
The University President's Report was the focus of this year's first Faculty Senate meeting on Feb. 8, in room 364 of the UC.
Cleveland State University President Michael Schwartz Schwartz said that only 27 percent of first-time, full- time freshman, non-transfer students graduate from CSU.
"It is imperative that we serve all four different categories of students with convinction, quality, and cost control at the same time. Full-time undergraduates, part-time undergraduates, graduate students, and students who come back to college to complete their degree make up these four categories," Schwartz said.
Schwartz would like to focus on creating more flexible schedules, more online courses, and more evening and weekend classes. Schwartz is also interested in making more five to six week sessions that are more intense for the regular semester.
Schwartz also added that he is, "very alarmed at the state of the technology in the classrooms. We need to get an assessment of the price tag and get it paid for. CSU is a technologically primitive institution. Cleveland State needs to grow our way out of the poverty level that we are at."
Another issue that CSU is facing is that fact that students do not feel a strong connection to the University.
More students drive in and out than stay on campus. Students do not have the interaction with the faculty and staff that many other colleges offer.
Schwartz said that there will be many discussions on how to make the students feel more engaged with the campus.
Schwartz would like to keep more students on campus with "decent coffee on campus, better technology, and a beer helps a lot." Schwartz wants students to feel as though someone really does care about them.
President Schwartz also discussed several pending bill in the legislature in Columbus and plans that are in the works by the Ohio Board of Regents that hopes to reorganize higher education in Ohio and current funding.
Governor Bob Taft said in his State of the State Address, "Our Abundant natural resources and low-cost, family-friendly quality of life make Ohio a great place to live." With this fact and others, Taft has reevaluated the education agenda.
Taft has asked legislators to enact the following plan this year, beginning with the graduating class of 2011: all students will be required to complete the "Ohio Core" which consists of four years of math, including Algebra II; four years of English language arts; three years of science, including biology, chemistry and physics; three years of social studies; two years of a foreign language; and make completing the Ohio Core a requirement for admission into any of Ohio's state-funded four-year colleges and universities by the fall of 2011.
Taft would also like to move all remedial and developmental education to Ohio's community and technical colleges, where costs are lower and more focused support systems can be put in place for students by the fall of 2011; require all students in their junior year of high school to take a college course and work-ready assessment to indicate if they are on track for future success, beginning in the graduating class of 2011.
Taft would also like to add a measure to the School Report Card to indicate how well graduates are prepared for college and work; provide students in good standing with the opportunity to earn at least one semester of college credit while still in high school through duel enrollment, advancement placement, Tech Prep, Early College High School or other means beginning with the graduating class of 2011; limit state funding for high school career and technical education to programs that will better meet current workforce needs and lead to industry recognized credentials.
The meeting also included a eulogy for the late Daniel D. Drake (CASAL) given by colleague Frederick Hampton.
Drake was referred to as "dirty work Dan" who would do any project large or small. "He would approach each project as though he was going on the most wonderful adventure," Hampton said. "He was looked up to as a colleague, friend, brother, dad, and he was a great teacher," Hampton said.