TECHNICIAN
technicianonline.com
Raleigh, North Carolina
Faculty says degree losses not budgetary College of Education associate dean says reducing class offerings would be the only factor that could influence quality Sarah Widney Correspondent
Faculty reactions to degree cuts the Board of Governors made at their meeting on Friday are mostly positive as most professors and administrators see the cuts as ways to streamline degrees in various departments. “It’s more of a housekeeping issue than a budget issue,” Gerald Ponder, the College of Education’s associate dean for academic affairs, said. One of the degrees cut, a Bachelor of Science in Health Occupations Education, has not been an active degree for five to 10 years, according to Ponder. The BOG’s vote to remove this degree was merely a matter of housekeeping, Ponder said, since the BOG has to vote to allow the elimination of degrees. Ponder also explained that “only a request from the BOG to reduce classes offered would negatively affect students.” The students in the Master of Educa-
tion in Special Education will still be taught different strategies for teaching students with different special needs, just not each in a separate class. Students will have the skills to handle more general situations, but they may not be as highly specialized for dealing with specific special needs students, according to Ellen Vasu, the department head for instruction and counselor education. “The three specialized Master of Education in Special Education degrees that were recently cut were actually artifacts of the way teachers used to be licensed,” Vasu said. “North Carolina is moving to licensing teachers not just for one type of special needs student, but for all special needs students.” She said “no one will be cut from programs, they will just be combined into one more general program, a Master of Education in Special Education.” There are currently two students enrolled in the Master of Science and Master of Education in Special Ed, Behavioral Disorders program, two students enrolled in the Master of Science and Master of Education in Special Ed, Mental Retardation program, and six students enrolled in the Master of Science
“It’s more of a housekeeping issue than a budget issue.” Gerald Ponder, associate dean for academic affairs of College of Education and Master of Education in Special Ed, Learning Disabilities program. All of the students enrolled in these programs will be added to the 23 students in the Master of Education in Special Education, a more general degree program. “Most students pick two areas of special needs to concentrate in,” Vasu said. “It doesn’t make sense to separate all three areas into separate degrees,” she said. According to Ponder, “students in the more general Master of Education in Special Education program will learn how to deal more effectively with the whole range of students with special needs, instead of just some of the special needs students.” Rebecca Pitts, a graduate student in special education, mental retardation, did not even know that her degree had recently been cut, and didn’t approve of the changes to the
“There is already a gap in EOG scores between children with special needs and regular students, and that will only get worse if teachers do not know how to teach special needs students,” she said. Pitts felt that the specialization of degrees was needed, as different strategies are needed for teaching students with different disabilities. Class size will increase as sections are cut, but, according to Vasu, it won’t impact students much. “It’s not a huge increase,” she said. “Classes will go from around 15 students to around 25 students.” Ponder explained that having more students in classes should also increase the number of courses available since sometimes sections are too small to be taught. Both Vasu and Ponder felt that the degree cuts will be positive changes for both the students and for the University.
BATTLE TIME
The University will save money, and since the number of hours required to obtain a degree has been reduced from 36 to 30, it will be easier for students to get degrees. Vasu also said the department was working to put more classes online, making them accessible to more students since graduate students often have full-time jobs. The BOG also voted to cut the Master of Science in Agriculture and Resource Economics. It will be replaced by the more general Masters of Science in Economics degree, which will still be a coursework-only degree that can lead a student to getting a Ph.D. in the future. Students who want a focus on agriculture and resource economics can take electives to focus on ARE if they want, though it will no longer be a separate degree. Tamah Morant, assistant director of graduate programs for the economics department, said the Master of Science in Agriculture and Resource Economics degree was initially identified as a lowproducing program. DEGREE continued page 2
Students voice concerns over apathetic candidates instead of handing us Tootsie Rolls.” Maynard said he also would have liked to have seen more of the candidates themselves camJohn Cline paigning. Staff Writer “I only saw the actual candiAs votes for Student Govern- dates out campaigning one or ment elections came in during maybe two days,” Maynard said. the last official day of campaign- “If their whole act of campaigning, students said the lack of vis- ing was putting up signs, that ibility on campus likely hurt can- didn’t really tell me a whole lot didates’ chances to win votes and about their platform or anything the number of voters to complete else.” a ballot. Erika Burger, a senior in statisBrian Smith, a sophomore in tics, said the candidates’ focus is biology, said SG’s failure to no- misplaced. tify students about elections is “I feel like they care about the evidence of the organization’s position but not the student body overall lack of influence on cam- as a whole,” Burger said. “A lot of pus. people I’ve talked to don’t care “[The Student Government] about the election and aren’t obviously doesn’t have enough going to vote anyway, and that power to seriously affect our could have something to do lives, otherwise we’d know more with the enthusiasm of the canabout the elections,” Smith said. didates.” “They’re almost like figureheads, One facet of the election that just looking for something to put concerned students was that the on their resumes.” office of student body treasurer Brandon May nard, a se- was unopposed. nior in biol“I feel like og y, echoed to have a Smith’s senticompetitive ments. candidate TECHNICIANONLINE.COM “I’ve never there should Make sure to check the Web site for election even noticed results. be some sort a difference in of competiwho was prestion,” Mayident the last four years other nard said. than the introduction of debit Daniel Marcus, a sophomore cards to N.C. State facilities,” in computer engineering, said he Maynard said. “I don’t really thought the hole at the treasurer see these elections as a chance spot said a lot about student govto make a huge difference.” ernment as a whole. Other students like Mark “Honestly I’m disappointed. Baeuerle, a sophomore in micro- [The unopposed treasurer seat] biology, believe candidates need is a display of the perception stuto put more effort into getting dents have built of our student their message out and showing government and the lack of inthey care. fluence they have over what hap“The fliers I got had nothing pens,” Marcus said. “Students about their platform but only don’t see student government as said ‘Vote for [blank]’,” Baeuerle a way to really get involved and said. “Maybe they could actually ELECTIONS continued page 2 tell us something about them
Students say SG hopefuls are concerned about positions, not students
DAVID MABE/TECHNICIAN
Jackson Menius, a sophomore in chemical engineering, and D.J. Foster, a sophomore in electrical engineering, battle each other behind Engineering Building II on Centennial Campus. “It’s a lot harder than it looks,” Menius said. The game was part of a festival Tuesday that was part of the Centennial Campus Challenge this week.
Election numbers expected to be down from last year Lack of controversies, change “[When the Pirate Captain ran, Doucette said candidates have “Most candidates didn’t put he] was very contentious,” Dou- changed their campaign tactics up many new fliers,” Dawkins of campaign tactics could cette said. “That was when we in recent years. said. “But, that’s probably a have led to lower numbers Ty Johnson News Editor
As of 11:03 p.m. on election night, 6,366 ballots had been received for the Student Government elections, according to vote.ncsu.edu. Last year, a total of 7,027 ballots were received during the 24-hour voting period, and with around an hour left for this year’s voting, Student Senate President Greg Doucette said totals would be lower this year. “It’ll be less than last year,” Doucette said. “But about in line with two years ago.” Doucette said the lower turnout was probably due to a lack of controversies during the campaign season.
had the all-time [best] turnout.” “Over the past year or two, Doucette said the lack of con- you’ve seen more of a transiflict in SG could have led to voter tion to interpersonal commuapathy. nication,” Doucette said. “It’s “This year evmore informing eryone in Stustudent groups dent Governthan a call to acment has gotten tion. There’s less along,” he said. focus on a mass “There [have rally or try[ing] been] no real to build a movecontrovers[ies] Jay Dawkins on positives of ment.” to get people to Student Body having fewer fliers the poll[s].” President Jay Doucette also said the lower Dawkins said election day wasn’t turnout could have been due the same as past years. to a change in the candidates’ “Walking on campus today it mindsets. didn’t feel like an election day,” “There have been past student Dawkins said. “There wasn’t a elections when there was a focus whole lot going on.” on big grassroots campaigns,” he While Dawkins said he didn’t said. “Those usually work best notice a final push for votes on when there’s a real serious crisis election day, he lamented that it going on.” wasn’t necessarily all negative.
“Somebody has to clean those things up.”
good thing because somebody has to clean those things up.” Elections Commissions Chair Andrew Tucker said academics also may have gotten in the way of this year’s final days of campaigning. “There’s a lot more exams this week than last year,” Tucker said. “A lot of people had school obligations this week and that wasn’t the case last year.” Still, Tucker said the number of candidates could have also influenced voter turnout. “There were less contestants and more people that were passionate about specific camps,” Tucker said. “It was a little more visible than it was last year.”
VIEW MORE
insidetechnician
When ‘Playboy’ came to town See page 6.
viewpoint campus & capital classifieds sports
Take me outNC State toBookstores the ball game!
4 5 7 8