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T h e G aT e p o s T Framingham Sta te Unive r sity’s inde pe nde nt stude nt ne w s p a p e r s in c e 1 9 3 2
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A project that began this summer to improve access to Hemenway and May halls is still ongoing, according to administrators. The reconstruction of the front entranceways to Hemenway Hall, the rebuilding of the stairs and brick pathways in front of May Hall and the relocation of the handicap parking spaces to the front of Horace Mann are all projects intended to increase accessibility and prepare for the construction of a $65 million science building addition. The Hemenway construction, which took place over the summer, cost $3.3 million. This money is coming out of the $65 million allocated for the new addition, which will be funded predominantly through state funds. The blueprints of the project, which are available for viewing in the McCarthy Center, show the plans for a new addition to be added to Hemenway Hall. Construction will “Obviously, we would have preferred
NEWS EDITOR offering enrollment-related services to both the McCarthy Center and Dwight Hall are among the changes recently undertaken to make academic and transactional business more convenient for students, according to administrators. Dean of Enrollment Management Jeremy Spencer said that the Financial Aid, Graduate Admissions, Registrar’s and
located in the McCarthy Center with the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE), as well as in Dwight Hall with the traditional day division operation. In that system, Spencer explained, students were being “ping-ponged” from Dwight Hall to the McCarthy Center based on their student status. Administrators decided that the best location for the new Student Services Center, which houses the student transacSpencer.
from Dwight Hall to the McCarthy Center because of a new campus realignment plan that would allow student transactional services to be completed in one location. Spencer said that prior to the realignment, student transactional services were
NEWS EDITOR This year, Framingham State Universidents or nine percent fewer than last year’s students. These numbers were released by Vice President of Enrollment and Student Development Susanne Conley at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting. Conley reminded the board that the them before the end of the add/drop pe-
porary tables were also set up on the third time to offer convenient service to stu-
released in the census on October 31. “The bottom line is that enrollment at Framingham State remains strong,” said Conley. Last year, the university accepted an unusually large freshman class in order to ecutive Vice President Dale Hamel said, “Last year, we had an insanely large freshman class and lots of problems absorbing a certain number of freshmen. So our target for freshmen this year was far lower than it was last year.” Student Trustee Molly Goguen told the board that she thinks students will be
but it was just too much scope to have to get done,” said Dale Hamel, executive vice president. “The goal was to have one entry reopened by the beginning of the semester, and we did that with the [Hemenway] annex - even though that was very tight as well - I think we only opened it a day or two beforehand.” The reconstruction of the entranceways also triggered accessibility and code compliance issues that the administration had to address. Buildings that once met code standards at the time of initial construction “no longer meet code for accessibility,” Hamel said. Where students once had to come up the
dents throughout the relocation process. Within the new system - coined the “one university” concept - according to ment has been created along with the establishment of the new Student Services Center. Spencer’s title has been changed from dean of admissions to dean of enrollment management. “My new role as the dean of enrollment management is to continue with undergraduate recruitment and pick up graduclassrooms, with the addition of new entries, ate recruitment in addition to oversight of students can now enter Hemenway at the the Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and ground level. Hamel also referenced plans for a large one voice, if you will, over all the student lobby area which will provide access to the transactional services.” rest of the building, either by the elevator or - Continued on page 4 the new “grand staircase” that will be built. Hamel said that a lot of the money for
“thrilled” to hear about a smaller incoming freshman class because “even going into the dining hall alone was a struggle last year.” President Timothy Flanagan said this year, the university did a much better job in maintaining the size and quality of the demonstrated it could admit a “gigantic” freshmen class and this year, “We can shape the class in a way that we’re going to see an increase in SAT scores. … We’re able to decide what size freshman class we - Continued on page 3
safety issues in the building, as well as restroom and lab accessibility. Currently, there are showers in 22 of the Hemenway labs, and per code, all of those showers have to provide tepid water - hot and cold - and have to be designed under the assumption that there is an emergency in all 22 labs at the same time, Hamel said. “Well, that’s like designing a residence hall. … We’ve never even used the showers in the labs. So, that one we’re trying to waive - but, per code, we’re trying to upgrade all of that, to have all 22 run at the same time,” said Hamel. Another change on campus over the summer was the removal of the handicap spaces from the front of May Hall and the expan- Continued on page 3
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Police Logs
September 14, 2012
Gatepost Interview Melinda Stoops Dean of Students
with knee injury. side door will not unlock from outside.
locate student. Student located.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dean Stoops was elected “Administrator of the Year” by students in the SGA elections last year.
malfunction due to vandalism. Checks OK / repaired. into residence hall room windows. Unfounded.
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I have my bachelor’s in psychology from I pursued my master’s in counseling psychology and my Ph.D. in counseling psychology as well. My master’s is from Bradford University and my Ph.D. is from Indiana State. So I am a licensed psychologist and started off here as the director of the counseling center, and over time was promoted, and I have been the dean of students for the past four - and - a half years - I love it.
I think sometimes it is easy to lose sight of why you are here. Obviously, that will be different for each student, but I think that it can really help in staying focused and establishing priorities throughout the year. The second piece of advice is to not lose sight of this as an opportunity. I think some people take their student status for granted, and this is an opportunity that a lot of people never get and so really maximize your opportunity - maximize your four years here in terms, of course, of your educational experience, but also the less structured education that you can get outside of the classroom by getting involved and connecting with people and just making the most of your time here. -
I wouldn’t say there is one because we have so many great resources, and again, I think that every student is unique and … for example, I might say to a student to The biggest project I am go to CASA because it is working on this year is a great resource and it’s a the Live Safe campaign. great resource for all stuWe started with the plandents, but there also might ning of it last spring and be another student who we are rolling it out this has a particular need that year. It is myself, a numthe best resource for them ber of administrators, could be somewhere else Courtesy of Framingham State University students and faculty who on campus. So the short are working on this effort answer is no, but the big to really promote increased awareness among answer is there is a lot of great resources and our students about issues related to their safe- I hope that the students get the time to know ty in all areas and how choices that students what those are and that they feel like they can make can really have a positive impact on use those as needed throughout their time. their safety. So, you will see things about it as the year progresses. We will be rolling out different items every month.
I think my best experience was the connections I established with other people and the relationships that I developed while I was there. Just getting to know different faculty on campus, different students. I have friends with and have regular contact with. I think there are so many connections you can establish in college that last a lifetime and have a bigger impact than you imagine at the time. So I think for me, it was really about the connections.
I think it is easy to give advice, so I think for me, if I were to limit my advice and not give remember why you are here. I think it is easy - especially freshman year - it is so new and exciting and there is so much going on and so many things to try out and opportunities, that
Go to class. That sounds obvious, but people miss class. Go to class, get to know professors, take advantage of life outside of the classroom because college is about the whole person and developmentally, there is a lot going on your interests are. I hope they remember the strong sense of community here because I think once someone graduates and leaves an institution, there are plenty of opportunities to stay connected and to come back, and I think it is going to be the community that draws them even as faculty and staff will retire and leave and there will be new students, but the institution and the sense of community is a constant. So, I think that will always be here, and so I hope that when students leave, they will take that with them and that they will always feel welcome coming back to our community.
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September 14, 2012
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Hemenway, May projects to improve accessibility - Continued from page 1
sion of the lawn there. The May Hall project, which also consisted of replacing the stairs and brick pathways in front of the out of College Operations, said Hamel. In order keep to code standards, the readjustment of the stairs in front of May was a project that FSU assumed after the town of Framingham spent $1.2 million on rebuilding State Street. “One of the things we committed to as part of that project was when they put the new curbing and sidewalks in, that step went into the sidewalk area - again, percent on our property, we committed to replacing the stairs and moving it off of the sidewalk,” Hamel said. This also meant tearing up the old brick pathways on the lawn and rebuilding them, as everything was pushed back to make the stairs level with the sidewalk. According to Hamel, the stairs and pathways couldn’t be reconstructed last summer because the handicap parking also needed to be replaced. The master plan for campus shows
handicap spaces on the “periphery” of the campus, both in front of Horace Mann and in front of the new entrance to Hemenway. The plan also envisions a “great lawn” in front of May Hall, where students can lounge or study. Removing cars and parking in front of May allows for an unencumbered view of the lawn, Hamel said. “The handicap spaces used to be right up by a wall of brick blocks - all of which that parking, but what we did was relocate it. That way, we were able to keep the current parking in use and by moving it off to the side, were able to add a [handicap] parking spot, getting rid of the parking in front of May Hall,” said Hamel. Hamel said an important aspect of the project is adding three additional parking spaces. Although only one space is designated “handicap,” the other spaces can be used by drivers with handicap parking permits. “The nice thing about the [visitor] spots is that the handicap sticker allows you to park in those as well,” said Hamel. Stephanie Williams, a senior, has had Sarcoidosis for 17 years, a lung disease that affects her breathing and requires her
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to carry an oxygen tank at all times. Williams has used the handicap spaces in front of May for four years, and was surprised moved. “When the spaces were in front of May, I was able to access May as well as Hemthat the spaces have been moved, there are less spaces and I’m forced to walk farther and up a slight incline - which is like a steep hill for me,” Williams said.
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- Continued from page 1
freshman class in ways that you don’t have
want and what we want the composition of that class to look like.” Flanagan added that this was due in large part to the work that Jeremy Spencer, dean of enrollment management, did in driving up the number of applications. “I have long said that if we have the problem
Retention rates, keeping students at the school, are similar to what they historically have been - around 74 percent, said Conley in an e-mail. However, at the Board of Trustees meeting, Conley said the 74 percent retention rate “is not where we want to
a year, that’s a happy problem because it gives you the opportunity to shape your
Last year, the university accepted 67 freshmen who did not meet the standard
aware of the changes,” she added, “and had to drive around and ask for assistance from campus police - who suggested that I park behind Dwight or in the Welcome Center lot because all of the handicap spaces were taken in front of Horace Mann.” Williams said that by the time she got to the stairs in front of Hemenway, she thought that her “lungs would explode. “I had to wait a few minutes to catch my breath before being able to climb the stairs
requirements for admissions. The “Pathways Program” stirred up controversy among professors and students alike (see “Half of Pathways students failed ‘challenge’ semester” in the Feb. 17 edition of The Gatepost online). However, Conley said in an e-mail, “The challenge semester we referred to as ‘Pathways’ was a pilot project. We have no plans to adopt it as a permanent feature of our undergraduate
and was a bit late to class. What others may consider a short distance is sometimes torturous for me. I’m not looking forward to the winter months,” she said. Deb Rosenberg, a senior, said she was not surprised by the continuing construction on campus. “The past four years here, there has been construction,” Rosenberg said, “so I am used to it. If anything needs to be more accessible, it would be the hill and the Maynard parking lot.” Scott Shea, also a senior, commented on how the long road of construction ahead affects students around campus. “It’s a little disappointing to see the construction still happening during the beginning of this semester,” Shea said. “I personally think construction should be completed in the summers since the construction can disrupt classes. ... I like it when our campus looks its best, and I feel the construction hinders that.”
admissions program at this time.” Flanagan said, “The incoming freshman students are a really, really impressive group of people. They are nice and genuine. They are smart kids. They are good citizens. And they are a delight to be around. So we look forward to having them with us for the next few years and observing the contributions they will make to the university.”
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NEWS EDITOR and Leadership Development held the annual “Cards for Troops” service event on brance, Tuesday, September 11. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to write to members of the armed forces stationed overseas. According to former Student Trustee Kendra Sampson, the cards are going to be port, in Danvers, Mass., which will distribute the cards overseas. day cards were signed during the day.
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“The event was an absolute success for multiple reasons. … The members of the FSU community who took a moment out vice, are once again reminded of all of the small yet ever so important ways one person can make a difference,” said Sampson in an e-mail. She said the program was designed to bring “comfort and support” to both the troops overseas as well as to the student veterans of the Framingham State community. “The student turnout was great. It was encouraging to see so many students on campus partake in acts of service,” said Sampson.
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In an e-mail sent to faculty and staff in August, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Development Susanne Conley said that the advising for graduate, evening undergraduate, and other continuing students has been moved to CASA and will con-
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Advising Chris Gregory in collaboration with Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Continuing Education Scott Greenberg. Spencer said undergraduate admissions will still take place in the Welcome Center and the processing of all applications will continue in Dwight Hall. In addition to these changes, the division of graduate and continuing education has not only moved from the McCarthy Center to Dwight Hall, but has been reor-
grams, she said. graduate programs by hiring a graduate dean,” said Vaden-Goad. Greenberg’s title has therefore been changed from associate vice president of academic affairs and dean of continuing education and graduate studies to associate vice president of academic affairs and dean of continuing education. Vaden-Goad explained that Greenberg’s title has been changed simply because his previous role carried “too many responsibilities for one person.” The new dean will report to her, and she said in an e-mail that Greenberg will continue to oversee the DGCE budget and assist with the Academic Affairs budget and space allocations.
September 14, 2012
ASST. NEWS EDITOR At the Sept. 11 SGA meeting, senators voted on a proposed amendment that would see the addition of a senate chair and sitions. Vice President Larry Liuzzo explained that if the new amendment passed, SGA would see the creation of a Senate Chair who would call and preside over all SGA meetings. Liuzzo said the idea for the amendment came from taking a look at other school’s student governments. “There was an overwhelming majority of SGAs that said, “We debated back and forth for a few months and came to the decision to adopt the same policy.” SGA President Hannah Bruce, who currently presides over all SGA meetings, sees the creation of a new senate chair as a positive and doesn’t mind losing presiding power. “The president tends to be the most knowledgeable about policies and procedures on campus,” she said, “but they have to be non-biased. They’re not really able to present their opinions.” The addition of the proposed position, Bruce said, would help alleviate the pressure of having to watch what she said when answering questions in an unbiased way at SGA meetings. The motion for the proposed amendment passed unanimously. If the amendment were to be added to the SGA constitution, it would lead to the tions. These positions are a senator-at-large
grams and opportunities to our community.” has also recently expanded and relocated its community education and English language programs to the historic Jonathan Maynard Building, a project costing town of Framingham for three years, according to Executive Vice President Dale Hamel. He said those costs are being paid up front to cover the expense of renovations performed by the town. Greenberg said those programs have been moved to the Maynard Building campus across the footbridge over Route 9 - because there isn’t space on campus due to the growth of the day division un-
The new senate chair would replace those ecutive board. In other news, SGA advisor Richard Davino announced his departure, effective immediately, as he will be leaving FSU for another job opportunity at Dean College.
Gatepost Archives
ment was essentially a change in reporting structure and work location for certain individuals. We didn’t need to do any major reconstruction of spaces.” The work done was mostly completed by university employees, he said, so, there were no separate associated costs, but the nor expenses resulted in a price “likely less Hamel also said it is unlikely that the realignment will result in any cost savings for the school. Spencer said that because the student transactional environment has been improved, that aspect of the reorganization should not only help facilitate the enrollment process, but also support retention and degree attainment. freshman English major Katy Brooks said, “That’s awesome. I didn’t know about that.” Sophomore psychology major Shannon Howe said, “I think it’s great! I just have never had the chance to stop by and see it yet.” Sophomore undeclared commuter Angelique Bouthot said, “I’m kind of indif-
Continuing Education. Vice President of Academic Affairs separated in order to “assist the students in getting the kind of help they need, when they need it, easily.” In an e-mail sent to faculty and staff in August, Vaden-Goad said, “All graduate
for residents, it’s easier to have the more
baccalaureate programs will be under the /The Gatepost
community education, and workforce development programs will be under the OfUnder this change, explained VadenGoad, Academic Affairs is in the process of hiring a new dean of graduate studies from FSU’s current faculty. The department is hoping to hire a senior faculty member who has experience as a department chair and in creating pro-
representative and four senator of the class representative positions. According to the amendment proposal, -
Greenberg said, “My job will be to expand the noncredit division of this unicomponent. I also want to expand our role in the community - to extend our role so that we’re providing more education pro-
dergraduate population. “We basically have run out of classrooms for those. We’ll have four classrooms over there. They really did an excellent job on the renovation.” Hamel said in an e-mail, “The realign-
they’re always in there to eat. Being a commuter and DGCE student, the switch to Dwight has not affected me - at least not yet!” Freshman English major Shelby Wood said it’s “convenient - now we won’t have to walk to different places.” A.J. Singh, a Framingham State gradumoved to the McCarthy Center, “It’s the dents, and this way, they won’t have to walk all the way over to Dwight. Especially in the winter - it’s torture.”
ARTS & FEATURES
September 14, 2012
12
B L A C K
Danielle VecchioneThe Gatepost
Freshmen and Black and Gold leaders dance at the Black and White affair in the Forum.
& G O L D B E G G I N N I N G S
Alexis Huston/The Gatepost
Students win money at Trivia Night at the Rams Den Grille.
Danielle VecchioneThe Gatepost
Students take center stage in DPAC at the Talent Show.
Alexis HustonThe Gatepost
Comedian Richie Holliday entertains students in DPAC.