Technician
thursday august
21 2009
Raleigh, North Carolina
Foreign language tutors cut, students react Those taking classes must depend on professors, outside tutors for Help Ty Johnson Editor-in-Chief
The reduction of tutorial staff at the Undergraduate Tutorial Center will leave foreign language students without a University-based option for tutorial help this semester as all foreign language tutoring positions have been eliminated. In many cases, professors will provide extra office hours to assist students, which, according to Erin Sexton, a sophomore in political science and psychology, could be just as beneficial depending on who is teaching the classes. “A lot of teachers are willing to provide more office hours and stuff so that should help them,” she said. Sexton, who is taking a Russian class this semester and plans to take French in the spring, said she usually goes to her professors for help anyway, but she understands the tutors were good options for others. Larissa Shorter, a senior in business administration, is pursuing a minor in Spanish and said the UTC helped her a lot during her first two foreign language classes. “I’m pretty good at Spanish but the tutorial center for foreign language was amazing,” she said. “[The tutorial center] really got me through.” Shorter said she visited the center about twice a week during her classes, and said while she has helped friends with foreign language, she always
“I actually had not used [the tutors] points them towards the tutorial cenbut I was seriously considering taking ter for help as well. “I always referred people to the tu- tutoring class and joining the tutoring torial center,” Shorter said. “It helps center,” Shorter said. “I thought that would be a good opportunity for onto study and forces you to practice.” Shorter said the requirements for campus employment.” Plonski, who is signed up for two foreign language classes were an issue now that the tutors for classes are French classes and one German class t his semester, no more. said she knows “In business people used the you have to go up center, and felt to 201 I think,” that cutting the Shorter said. “If t utor s w a s n’t you don’t like right. the language it’s “I did know a already a strugLarissa Shorter, senior in business lot of people that gle to do well administration on how tutors for went there relanguage classes are sometimes more and without the important than other tutors ally frequently,” tutorial center – Plonski said. “It that’s crazy.” was always reWhile tutors for some departments are still at the ally helpful – It’s BS, especially since center, Shorter said foreign languages CHASS majors have to take up to 201 are usually classes where tutors are or 202 for foreign languages.” Plonski also said she wasn’t confieven more important than in others. “You can’t study something you dent freshmen would catch on quickly have no idea about and the tutorial enough to the material in foreign lancenter helps you get a grasp on that,” guage classes without tutoring, and Shorter said. “I really can’t believe they was skeptical as to whether increased cut it. If you’re going to have it as a office hours by professors would be requirement for a major and not of- able to fill the void. “For freshmen who haven’t had any fer any help for it – that doesn’t make college classes and students who didn’t any sense.” Emily Plonski, a junior in arts appli- have foreign language in high school – cations, is signed up for three foreign they’re going to be lost,” Plonski said. language classes this semester, and, “Teachers aren’t going to be able to while she hadn’t used the tutorial cen- deal with that extra load.” ter before, she was considering applying to work with the center this year.
by Renee Baker
How do you feel about foreign language tutors being eliminated due to budget cuts?
“You can’t study something you have no idea about.”
“I’m feeling kind of iffy because last semester I had a tutor for FLS 202 and now I need one for 331. I’m going to have to pay for a tutor.”
“It would be pretty difficult if students were having hardships in their classes.”
Matthew Walker junior, communication
Sean Echevarria sophomore, mechanical engineering
“I think that it’s wrong . French students might have difficulty learning without them. Tutors are a very good idea for all languages.”
“It’s inconvenient because a lot of office hours available for students are inconvenient. It is pertinent for me to have a tutor available.”
Stephanie Clark junior, French
Zadée Cromartie junior, biological sciences
Appeal continues
RUNNING WITH RESISTENCE
Mary Easley has filed a grievance protesting her firing. James Cox Senior Staff Writer
Amanda Wilkins/Technician
Patrick Ward, a senior in psychology, runs to catch up with Michael Ransone, a senior in biochemistry, at Get Your Rec On! Aug. 20. They were there promoting a workout program called Boot Camp, that “changes up” the way to get a work out and condition.
Following her firing in June, Mary Easley has filed a grievance with the University disputing her termination, according to Chancellor Woodward. “For any employee here at the University, there is the option to file a grievance,” Woodward said. According to Woodward, the first step in the grievance process is to have a one-on-one meeting with the provost, her immediate supervisor. The meeting took place a couple of weeks ago, but the Chancellor could not remember the exact date. Despite the fact that the meeting was supposed to be one-on-one, Woodward said Easley brought a lawyer with her. The meeting then had to be delayed until a University lawyer could be present. Woodward said the purpose of the meeting was to negotiate a settlement. However, he said Easley was demanding a full reinstatement and that was not an option.
Text message system changes will impact Those enrolled for WolfAlert messages will receive message asking for confirmation Ty Johnson Editor-in-Chief
About 22,000 students and employees will receive a text message next Wednesday asking them to confirm they would like to enroll in the WolfAlert text messaging system. Changes in the system aggregator, the hardware that sends the text messages, have led the Federal Communications Commission and phone companies to request an additional step of confirmation for those wishing to receive WolfAlert messages, which are used only during emergency situ-
ations. “The FCC is trying to prevent spam going to text messages,” Associate Vice Chancellor for Environmental Health and Public Safety David Rainer said. “The phone companies have asked N.C. State and those who want to send messages through the system aggregator to document that people want to receive the messages, so that’s what this is all about.” Rainer said the process was much simpler when the system first debuted some two years ago. “You used to just register for text messaging and we gave your number to the system aggregator and that was the end of it,” Rainer said. “Now if you’re going to register for the text messaging we upload the file and the
aggregator is going to send you a message back asking you to confirm.” Rainer said personal information would not be given out to the aggregator, just the number, which wouldn’t be given to any other party. “We don’t give away your cell phone number, we don’t sell your cell phone number,” Rainer said. “We’re not going to use your cell phone number for anything but an emergency.” Rainer said concerns from phone companies led to the changes in the process. “The phone companies want the system aggregators to add this additional step to confirm that the people in fact want to receive the text messages,” Rainer said. The phone companies, Rainer said,
Save 25% on cost of your textbooks by buying used books at:
NC State Bookstores "The Official Store for NC State Textbooks."
were citing an FCC policy as the reason for the changes. “It’s the phone company that has to comply with the rule the way I understand it. It’s the way the rules are being interpreted by the phone companies.” Rainer and Environmental Health & Safety Emergency Manager Todd Becker said they don’t think the FCC regulations were intended to apply to systems like WolfAlert. “We don’t believe that the FCC intended this [policy to apply to] emergency notification,” Rainer said. “We’ve asked the FCC to render an official opinion, but they
ALERT continued page 3
Now her grievance will go in front of a panel of faculty. “The panel acts in concert to wellestablished procedures,” Woodward explained. After the hearing, the Chancellor said, the panel will release its recommendation to one member of the Board of Trustees not present at the June meeting where Easley’s termination was discussed. According to PJ Teal, the secretary of the University, there are currently four members on the Board that were not at the June meeting, hence able to hear the panel’s recommendation. The four are Jack Cozort, Ben Jenkins, Jim Owens, and Randy Ramsey. As Woodward described it, one of those four will be responsible for making the ultimate decision on the Easley grievance as he sees fit. Woodward said he was disappointed with Easley’s actions. “In my opinion she is continuing to damage this institution and I am disappointed she has decided to file this grievance,” Woodward said. “This will keep this matter in front of the public until its conclusion, and I cannot guess why she is doing this.” Marvin Schiller, Easley’s lawyer,
EASLEY continued page 3
insidetechnician
Party raiding reactions mixed See page 5.
viewpoint features classifieds sports
SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL HOURS: Friday - August 21 - 8am to 6pm Saturday - August 22 - 10am to 5pm Sunday - August 23 - 1pm to 5pm
4 5 7 8