50 CELEBRATING
S THE STUDENT VOICE OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY SINCE 1963 1Y9E6 3A- 2R 013 VoLUME LV
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THURSDAy, fEBRUARy 7, 2013
Additional changes made to GB 320 curriculum
Peer evaluations will be a significant component of the GB 320 grade.
By Lacey Nemergut NEwS EDiToR
The General Business Core class that has all juniors on edge has undergone significant changes for the start of the new semester. GB 320,
Courtesy of bentley.edu
The Integrated Business Project, now emphasizes even further the need for full student participation. Peer evaluations, previously worth 20 percent of the student’s overall grade, have now been integrated into each
assignment. The example provided on student syllabi shows how a 90 on the project can quickly fall to anywhere within the range of 18 percent with 20 percent on peer evaluations to a 79.2 percent with an 88 percent participation. “Students coming into GB 320 are expected to use their teamwork skills from GB215,” said GB 320 coordinator Pohlin Yeoh. “As such, the GB 320 instructors agreed that rather than explicitly including the peer evaluation grade, we would instead use the peer evaluation as a benchmark exercise and to penalize individuals if they fail to make the expected contribution to their team’s efforts.”The peer evaluation policy creates a unique dynamic among group members, challenging them to adequately and appropriately allocate a grade to fellow group members. See GB 320, Page 6
Winter Activities Fair attracts eager Falcons
Sisters of Gamma Phi Beta recruit at the Activities Fair last Friday.
By Francisco Salas & Lindsay Beauregard CAMpUS LifE EDiToR & MANAGiNG EDiToR
Free swag, pudding cups and candy oh my! Last Friday, The Winter Activities Fair was in full swing at the Student Center with students
8 MUMFORD AND SONS Distinctive sound draws fans from around the world
looking for a fresh start to the semester and clubs searching for as many new members as possible. The twitter feed was blowing up with #BentleyAF tweets as more than 100 student organizations tried to recruit and entice new members to join. There was a con-
Melisa Kocarslan/THE VANGUARD
stant flow of students eager to mix and mingle with Greek Life, community service-oriented clubs, media and arts organizations and of course business orgs, just to name a few. “We are excited for a new See ACTIVITIES, Page 6
www.BENTLEyVANGUARD.CoM
Service-learning fourth credit program implements new procedures
New procedures strengthen the correlation between academics and service.
By Kristin Tomasi VANGUARD STAff
Recent changes to Bentley’s service-learning fourth credit program have helped to strengthen the academic connection with students’ service work. Changes include new requirements for both professors and students. The new procedures began in the last academic year, in which faculty sponsoring fourth credit students were asked to identify the connection between the student’s service work and the learning objectives of the course. “We wanted to know how professors thought about the learning dimension of the service work and how they communicated this to their students,” said Edward Zlotkowski, Director of Service-Learning. “Then, project managers can connect with community partners and explain to them why our students are volunteering at their organization.” Zlotkowski explained that the program is meant to be a learning experience, not simply community service. Gregg Diamant, a servicelearning project manager, also sees the value in this requirement. “Students are realizing that they are not receiving credit for performing service. The fourth credit is graded upon how a student connects their service to what they are doing in the classroom,” said Diamant. Another change has been implemented this semester. Students are now required to watch a video or read about
5 FERRERA FELLOWS wolsfelt and Guiao named inaugural recipients
11 INTERNET CELEBS Binder-Brantley resumes humor column
Lindsay Beauregard/THE VANGUARD
the group of people with whom they will be interacting for the semester. They must then write a response, which they send to their project manager and faculty advisor. “We want to find out what students know about the people they will be working with,” said Zlotkowski. Fourth credit students work with a variety of individuals, including people in public housing, children, the homeless, people for whom English is a second language, and the elderly. “Students now get an orientation to the population they will be working with so they can better understand how to relate to these people,” said Zlotkowski. “In addition, the project managers and faculty can see what students think about the relevant issues,” said Zlotkowski. This helps everyone better understand where students stand before they begin their service. Diamant has seen the impact of these new procedures firsthand. “As a project manager I have drastically improved myself professionally by managing other students and hosting reflections to ensure that the fourth credit students are connecting their service back to their course,” said Diamant. Zlotkowski expects the service-learning program to continue working to better prepare students for their service work by building up the resources available to them. “We like the attitude we see See 4TH CREDIT, Page 6
15 TRACK &
FIELD
Teams prepare for NE-10 Conference Championships
Police Log 2 Tip of the Week 2 Cartoon 4 Voices 8 & 9 Horoscopes 12 Falcons of the Week 16