Lindsay Harmon, Academy librarian and ardent supporter of student research projects of all kinds, has found an available grant that would benefit the students at the Academy and potentially add some updated books to our library collection. As a member of the library advisory committee, I'm going to have the opportunity to participate in the grant writing process, and will get to help out with the research involved to make a strong case for the Academy to be awarded with the grant money.
If successful, the grant will provide funds for a series of expert speakers to address the students on various issues, and will allow us to purchase complimentary materials for the library collection.
Wish us luck!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Behind the Canvas -- approved! And coming soon to a computer near you!
One of my classes last semester was small enough that we could all take on a common issue. We chose to address the lack of community at the Academy. Many of the students in the class, and in the research conducted by the class, expressed a feeling of isolation within their major and a lack of social connection at the school and with peers.
We identified several challenges in creating opportunities for community, including the new class schedule, high percentage of commuter students, lack of school support for social events, and difficulty in communicating with the student body at large about things happening at the school.
The class came up with a brilliant idea to address these issues and to provide students with an active forum to discuss issues related to the school. They developed several online outlets to provide information and news about what's what at the Academy, and called the sum total of these sites "Behind the Canvas."
Again, there was a concern about how to keep this going after seniors involved in the project graduated and moved on, so we wrote up a proposal for a new student organization. At the beginning of this semester, the organization was approved, and the members are now collecting information and creating posts on their Facebook, Myspace, You Tube, and blogger sites.
The sites will officially launch as part of the Spring Arts Festival at the end of February. Behind the Canvas will also have an open "video confessional" during the event for students to come by and video tape their own messages to post on You Tube and link to the Behind the Canvas sites.
We hope you'll all take advantage of this opportunity to get connected and have your say.
We identified several challenges in creating opportunities for community, including the new class schedule, high percentage of commuter students, lack of school support for social events, and difficulty in communicating with the student body at large about things happening at the school.
The class came up with a brilliant idea to address these issues and to provide students with an active forum to discuss issues related to the school. They developed several online outlets to provide information and news about what's what at the Academy, and called the sum total of these sites "Behind the Canvas."
Again, there was a concern about how to keep this going after seniors involved in the project graduated and moved on, so we wrote up a proposal for a new student organization. At the beginning of this semester, the organization was approved, and the members are now collecting information and creating posts on their Facebook, Myspace, You Tube, and blogger sites.
The sites will officially launch as part of the Spring Arts Festival at the end of February. Behind the Canvas will also have an open "video confessional" during the event for students to come by and video tape their own messages to post on You Tube and link to the Behind the Canvas sites.
We hope you'll all take advantage of this opportunity to get connected and have your say.
Will we be swept under the rug?
Last semester, Heather Leininger and Jen Brazas did an extensive study on the state of health and health care for students at the Academy. Many of you probably participated in their survey, since they surveyed nearly half of the student body and interviewed a third of the faculty on this important issue.
With each step of the research, they uncovered more and more issues that needed attention. Such as the lack of a health policy in the student handbook, confusion about the location and availability of first aid kits, and absence of faculty or staff certified in first aid or CPR. Through their research, they also gathered valuable suggestions for improvements from faculty and students, and they garnered overwhelming support for their cause.
As we reviewed the extensive nature of the changes they wanted to propose, we decided that this was more than a two-student job. Plus, with their graduation date rapidly approaching, we did not want all of their hard work to be forgotten after they were gone.
Our solution: to form a standing committee of students and staff that would work toward improvements in this area, and act as an accountability group to evaluate and follow up on policies from semester to semester. We brought this proposal to the administration last week.
We have not yet recieved a definite response to our proposal. The immediate response was that the research and attention drawn to the issue was appreciated, but that a committee might not be as effective in administering change as an assigned staff person. The question is, who on a staff already wearing multiple hats, will have the time to give attention to this issue? Who will be willing to take on an added responsibility? And, will students still have input on this issue which most directly impacts them?
We hope that the administration will carefully consider our proposal, and that a decision can be reached that all parties can agree with. And, please, don't let this be swept under the rug.
With each step of the research, they uncovered more and more issues that needed attention. Such as the lack of a health policy in the student handbook, confusion about the location and availability of first aid kits, and absence of faculty or staff certified in first aid or CPR. Through their research, they also gathered valuable suggestions for improvements from faculty and students, and they garnered overwhelming support for their cause.
As we reviewed the extensive nature of the changes they wanted to propose, we decided that this was more than a two-student job. Plus, with their graduation date rapidly approaching, we did not want all of their hard work to be forgotten after they were gone.
Our solution: to form a standing committee of students and staff that would work toward improvements in this area, and act as an accountability group to evaluate and follow up on policies from semester to semester. We brought this proposal to the administration last week.
We have not yet recieved a definite response to our proposal. The immediate response was that the research and attention drawn to the issue was appreciated, but that a committee might not be as effective in administering change as an assigned staff person. The question is, who on a staff already wearing multiple hats, will have the time to give attention to this issue? Who will be willing to take on an added responsibility? And, will students still have input on this issue which most directly impacts them?
We hope that the administration will carefully consider our proposal, and that a decision can be reached that all parties can agree with. And, please, don't let this be swept under the rug.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New Semester
A new semester of Art and Activism just started today, and I am looking forward to what these students will create over the next sixteen weeks. I have a total of 38 students taking the course in two sections.
Today we covered the introductory, boring stuff -- overview of the syllabus, textbook commercials, etc. -- and then we covered generational theory ala Strauss and Howe. Many of the students who have had me for class before have already heard it, but I like to remind them about the many great traits of their generation. As a Gen-Xer, I find the abundant optimism of this Millenial generation to be refreshing and inpiring.
I think part of what made this course so successful last semester was the positive attitude toward change that these students embody. I hope that this class will feed that passion.
Today we covered the introductory, boring stuff -- overview of the syllabus, textbook commercials, etc. -- and then we covered generational theory ala Strauss and Howe. Many of the students who have had me for class before have already heard it, but I like to remind them about the many great traits of their generation. As a Gen-Xer, I find the abundant optimism of this Millenial generation to be refreshing and inpiring.
I think part of what made this course so successful last semester was the positive attitude toward change that these students embody. I hope that this class will feed that passion.
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