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Tuesday, April 17, 2018
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Volume 70, Issue 10
SACS ACCREDITATION UPDATE Young steps down, Ammons Steps in BY DEBRANDIN BROWN DIGEST STAFF WRITER
AMMONS
Career Services honored in Black Enterprise Magazine BY GABRIELLE HUTCHINSON/ DEJOHN RICHARDSON DIGEST STAFF WRITERS
Since 1970, Black Enterprise Magazine has curated content for those in business and entrepreneurship, or simply anyone with a drive for success. Dedicated to serving as large an audience as possible, it publishes business and, ultimately, “wealth-building” resources via Black Enterprise Magazine, digital content, and nationally syndicated broadcasts. “Every issue of Black Enterprise Magazine connects on a personal level with African Americans who are serious about success,” the website pledges. With that, it’s a no brainer that the magazine approached Director of Career Services, Tamara Montgomery, after catching wind of the admirable work she has been doing for her HBCU. The Director of Career Services names her department as her safe See CAREER SERVICES page 3
Southern University was hit with a warning that threatened to strip the historically black university of its accreditation during June of last year. The university needs its accreditation in order to issue degrees or accept any federal funds. The cause of these sanctions originate from faculty standards and student complaints, amongst other things. During the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Board of Trustees meeting that takes place every June, Southern University was issued a warning; and was told to prepare a report that would address the issues the university was being cited for. “With the warning, we were required to submit a monitoring report that would address the four issues that SACS cited us for. And those issues were based
around faculty, how we access and evaluate our academic programs, student issues, student satisfactory progress, and student complaints. That report was due
although there was reason to believe that she would stay with the university, Young retired before any real progress could begin, and was succeeded by Dr. Ammons.
“The one thing about Southern University is that it is a resilient institution, and we have been able to hire a new director of accreditation, who has a number of years of experience . . .” Dr. James Ammons - Executive Vice President/Executive Vice Chancellor
on April 3rd, and we submitted it to SACS,” said Executive ViceChancellor of Southern University of Baton Rouge campus, Dr. James Ammons, when asked about our current status of the warning. The Board of Trustees of SACS is set to meet in June, and whether or not the university has adhered to its standards will determine if any further sanctions will be issued. The Interim Executive Vice Chancellor before Dr. Ammons, Dr. Luria Young, played a pivotal role in the initial push to improve our standings with SACS, and
“Let me tell you, Dr. Young was a key member of the university community and had been a member of the faculty administration for over twenty years. When someone reaches that milestone in one setting, they are missed — sorely missed,” said Dr. Ammons when asked how his predecessor’s retirement impacted the university’s current mission of being taken off of the SACS accreditation warning list. As far as Dr. Young’s retirement is concerned, *Ammons continued on to say that despite Young’s retirement, the university has
remained strong in her absence. “The one thing about Southern University is that it is a resilient institution, and we have been able to hire a new director of accreditation, who has a number of years of experience in higher education and executive positions, and who has served as a consultant on the accreditation process at the university for nearly two years. And the new director worked very closely with Dr. Young, so we were able to pick right up from the work that she did by bringing him in.” As to whether or not there is any serious possibility of Southern losing its accreditation at the conclusion of the Board of Trustees meeting, Dr. Ammons seemed very confident that there was no genuine danger. “We have demonstrated, I think, compliance with the core requirements of SACS, as well as the comprehensive standards. The See SACS page 3
The Touch Up: Housing upgrades Child care on the Bluff: in spite of upset students One big bluff
BY BRIA GREMILLION DIGEST EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Upgrades and renovations to eight residence halls on campus along with the university apartments have been in progress for several semesters now, according to the Department of Residence Life and Housing. Boley, Reed, Grandison, Jones, Totty, Shade, Bethune and White Residence Halls have all been upgraded within the past year. Boley Hall and the university apartments can expect new
mattresses this summer. In addition, the apartments will be adorned with new suite furniture. “Southern living made easy” is the theme of the department, shares Director of Residence Life and Housing, Tracie Abraham. “We try to stick to that,” she goes on to say. This semester, female occupied Reed Hall underwent bathroom upgrades. The community bathrooms were re-tiled, including shower doors and stalls. Freshman Mass Communications major from Galveston, TX, Dazya Mitchell shares that although
Bathroom and shower upgrades completed in all male dormitory, White Hall in 2016. Courtesy: Tracie Abraham
the renovations have not been completed, they are a welcomed change. “I feel as though the gentlemen did a great job with the renovation of bathrooms, however I think the addition of lowering the shower heads and redoing the showers would have been even more beneficial,” stated Mitchell. With limited resources and funding, renovations tend to take a longer time than average. Co-ed dormitory, Boley Hall has
See UPGRADES page 3
Wood laminate hallways that were renovated in Boley Hall in fall 2017. Courtesy: Tracie Abraham
BY GABRIELLE HUTCHINSON DIGEST NEWS EDITOR
One of Southern University’s most important goals is retention. It has established for students a variety of departments and services that work to provide students the best conditions and accommodations as possible -- including students with children. In keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the university is specifically prohibited from discriminating against expecting mothers. When the student is no longer able to travel to classes, there are recording and note taking services available. There is also a Full-Time Father Program under the Department of Social Work, which offers a Responsible Fathers curriculum and teaches student dads to be nurturing parents. Even further, Southern U offers a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Development. Often referred to as simply Child Development, FCS is a college that teaches not only childhood curriculum and instruction, but also every element of family life. See CHILD CARE page 3
THE OFFICIALTHE STUDENT OF SOUTHERN AND A&M COLLEGE, BATONLOUISIANA ROUGE, LOUISIANA OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF SOUTHERNUNIVERSITY UNIVERSIT Y AND A&M COLLEGE, BATON ROUGE,