Barometer The Daily
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012 • OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
DAILYBAROMETER.COM
VOLUME CXV, NUMBER 58
PAGE 8
SPORTS
8 – Women’s hoops at home 8 – Men’s hoops on the road
NEWS
2 – House holds first meeting
FORUM Tonight in Corvallis: Women’s basketball vs. ASU at 7 p.m..
4 – End of timber payments damages rural Oregon counties
Oregon State implements online course evaluations n
One term underway, OSU edits a successful evaluation system By Kelly Ward The Daily Barometer
The recent implementation of online course evaluations left students expecting in class evaluations taken aback at the end of last fall term. While the previous mode of surveying consisted of paper evaluations taken towards the end of the term, this new form allows students to complete evaluations online during their own free time and allows students to complete all evaluations in one sitting. While there were many reasons for Oregon State University to switch to online evaluations, some of the most important included, “eliminating the waste of between 500,000 and 750,000 sheets [of paper] annually,” according to Susie BrubakerCole, associate provost in academic success. Brubaker-Cole also men-
tions the new form of evaluations will allow “all students [to] have the opportunity to participate,” as opposed to the previous system when only the students present on the day of evaluations would be able to voice their opinions. OSU is not the only university adamant on using this new system. The University of Oregon also “implemented the same system recently,” Brubaker-Cole said. Elite colleges made the online switch as well, including Stanford University and Princeton University and upon research, “found that the electronic format significantly increased student response rates,” according to Gita N. Ramaswamy, director of OSU Assessment. The success rate after one term at OSU only benefits the previous research done about this system. Kent Kuo, from the OSU Office of the Registrar , estimates that under the old paper-based model, roughly 50 percent of students submitted an evaluation. This deflated per-
centage has spiked dramatically since the implementation of the new model. “Out of the 151,546 total evaluations uploaded, 133,914 were either completed or declined to be answered by our students,” Kuo said. The shift from 50 percent of students completing evaluations to 88 percent has no doubt left professors with more complete feedback on the courses they teach. Kuo proudly asserts, “of the 1,592 instructors, 1,590 were evaluated.” Within this new system, students have the choice to evaluate their courses. One option is to answer questions rated on a scale and answering more open ended, opinion-based questions. The other option students have is to simply decline the opportunity to evaluate their courses, which may be taken by the student who felt lack of interest in a course he or she took. All of this must be done by logging into See EVALUATIONS | page 3
Hopoi shares on her potholed road to presidency
By Katja Kozber
M. “Tonga” Hopoi made the decision to run for office after her time as president for the Polynesian Cultural Club. Her decision to attend OSU was based on a late father-figure’s passion for the university. By Tony Santilli
Milikaleakona Hopoi, better known as “Tonga,” was elected President of the Associated Students of Oregon State University last year. During her time in office, she has experienced drama and twists most ASOSU presidents don’t, including her impeachment in November. The Daily Barometer’s Tony Santilli sat down with Hopoi for a more personal glimpse at the life of the student president. Q: What was your childhood like? A: Growing up, I was the only child from my biological parents raised in a single mother household until my mom remarried when I was seven years old. My father passed away four months before I was born, so I grew up to stories about him. As I look back now, one can assume
After efforts were postponed, spring anticipates reconstruction The Daily Barometer
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that I had a shaky childhood, as I was the only child and raised in a single parent household but I never saw it that way. If anything, growing up with my mom strong and guiding our family was the greatest role model I could ever have. Q: Why did you choose to come to OSU? A: For a man that I grew to love and call my dad. He had a secret love for this school. When my step dad passed away in 2008, I came home from Seattle Pacific University to be with my mom and attended Mt. Hood Community College. While attending Mt. Hood, I knew that I needed to come to OSU. Something in me was calling that I have to give one last thing for my dad, and that was to come to his little favorite school in Oregon. I came to OSU in spring of 2009. For his mem-
ory and honor, I wanted to come to the school that he adored. Q: What events, people and classes lead you to become president? A: The fall of 2009 was a defining year for my involvement because I was involved with the Asian and Pacific Cultural Center and had to attend various trainings for my position. I was also the president of the Polynesian Cultural Club and involved with the annual Lu’au and soon after became president for the 2009-2010 school year. As president for PCC, I was interested for PCC to get involved with International Students of Oregon State University and hopefully become an affiliate group. To get PCC involved with ISOSU, I See HOPOI | page 3
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Cultural Centers look forward to newer homes n
Neil Abrew
The Daily Barometer
Neil Abrew
Gita Ramaswamy, OSU’s director of assessment, says the new electronic format by which students evaluate instructors increased responses rates.
With decades under each building’s belt, the cultural centers at Oregon State University are finally getting new homes. The new buildings will be considerably larger than the originals, providing more space for events and programs. “The [cultural centers] should reflect the growing community,” said Emanuel Magana, graduate teaching assistant at Centro Cultural César Chávez. There will also be new spaces dedicated to lounging, socializing and studying. Staff members are excited about the new buildings and are hopeful that they might inspire more traffic.
“There’s a misconception that you have to be Asian or a Pacific Islander to come into the center but we want to break that down,” said external coordinator Connie Tran about the Asian and Pacific Cultural Center. This is true of the other centers as well, which all encourage anyone of any ethnicity to visit. Construction has been pushed back several times, but members hope it will start up again this spring. The first center to be rebuilt is the Native American Longhouse, which will be constructed in the area behind the center that is currently a parking lot. Once it has been built and moved into, the old longhouse will be taken down and replaced with a garden composed of native Oregon plants that Jyl Wheaton, graduate teaching assistant at the Longhouse, believes will be “a positive thing for all See CENTERS | page 3
Vinay Bikkina
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Connie Tran, the external coordinator for the Asian and Pacific Cultural Center says all the centers are welcoming to all ethnicities.