Hockey loses tough game
Rams get rings
Science meets self-expression
Falls 6-5 to Plymouth State
Headed to N.Y. for DIII Tourney
Mazgal hosts Kelly Popoff - pg. 12
- p.17
- p.16
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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MTELs By NEWS EDITOR
It’s not every day that students get to voice their complaints directly to the president of the university, but this week, President Timothy J. Flanagan and administrators heard students’ concerns about parking, class registration and the MTELs. At two open meeting for students Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the North Hall common room and Wednesday, Nov. 14 in the McCarthy Center’s 1839 Room, Flanagan called on students to “ask about anything you are interested in, concerned about, thankful for or anything you’re cu-
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By
Nov. 2 article “Obama, Brown lead in
EDITORIAL STAFF
particularly tricky in an age of TV and He said that some political analysts
of 400 FSU students, in which President Barack Obama received the most supchallenger Mitt Romney in the 2012 election. The survey, which was conducted between October 5-22, found 191 FSU students supported Obama, while 76 said they supported former Massachumore about the survey results, see the
“Campaign 2012 U.S. President Naor 51 percent of U.S. citizens voted for Obama, while 59,141,668 or 48 percent voted for Romney. Political Science Department Chair Douglas Telling said in an e-mail, “Romney was hurt by the need to run so far to the right in order to get the nomination and then try and swing back to the middle. … This is hard to do, and
Students at both meetings voiced their concerns about class registration, which happens 5 p.m. on Sundays. One student who was locked out of registering online for 10 minutes said, “There has to be some better way for reg-
received a larger percentage of the
Vice President for Enrollment and Student Development Susanne Conley said she is interested in student opinion on whether changing the day and time for registration would help. “Every other state university has a 6 a.m. start time that
“Maybe this would have been said Telling. “But the margin was over 3 million. That is a lot of no shows all
- Continued on page 3
Flanagan said the reason for scheduling registration at 5 p.m. Sunday was “to open to suggestions for change. Conley said four enrollment employ- Continued on page 5
Says English professor’s criticism forced him to respond context at the time. I regret any offense EDITOR CHIEF
FSU President Timothy Flanagan apologized to the campus community Friday, Nov. 9 for an e-mail sent university-wide after Hurricane Sandy in which he used the subject line “Storm TroopEnglish Professor Bernard Horn had e-mailed the president earlier that day, saying he found Flanagan’s use of the
In his apology to Horn which was also sent to faculty, staff, students, FSU’s Board of Trustees and the university’s Alumni and Foundation boards, Flanagan said, “I was thinking of a different
Horn had only intended to send his e-mail directly to the president, but said making it seem as if he’d sent the e-mail to everyone on the Framingham State email network. Faculty, however, cannot send group e-mails to groups other than the one for
Sniklefritz. So, although it may have looked, to Flanagan, as if Horn had sent the e-mail to the entire community, the English professor had only e-mailed the president and other faculty members. Flanagan said he only intended to reference the Star Wars franchise - in the
but when he received Horn’s e-mail and assumed that it had been sent to everyone, he said he had no choice but to respond immediately. “I only did it because Bernie did ‘reply-all’ on his e-mail, and I wanted to make sure that my apology and correction was distributed precisely as his meeting in North Hall Tuesday night. Flanagan said he would not have sent a public apology e-mail to the entire Framingham State community otherwise, adding that he’d already responded also raised concerns about his choice of words.
“Professor Horn chose to communicate to the entire campus community about an issue, so I thought that my response - and my apology, if I offended him - ought to also be shared with the In the early- to mid-20th century, to some soldiers in Adolf Hitler’s army. The soldiers, also known as “brown out the Krystallnacht, or “Night of Broevent widely considered as marking the beginning of the Holocaust. Nov. 9, the day of the e-mail exchange, happened to be the 74th anniversary of the incident. - Continued on page 9
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Police Logs 09:49 Alcohol investigation - Whittemore Library. Backpack found containing alcohol. 14:30 Medical - Maple Street Athletic Fields. Player injured. 16:35 Larceny - Athletic Center. Items taken from locker room.
00:38 Suspicious activity - Maynard Road Parking
13:46 Attempted Break - D. Justin McCarthy Center.
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November 16, 2012
Gatepost Interview Jesse Marcum
Assistant professor - chemistry & food science STAFF WRITER
I was born in New Hampshire and I went to high school in New Hampshire there. I spent my freshman year at The College of Northeastern University and then I transferred to the University of ended up graduating from there with a degree in Chemistry. After that I took a year off from school and I taught high school at Phillips Academy in Andover. And then after that, I went to graduate school at the University of Colorado where I studied chemistry. And then last year, I taught at Simmons College in Boston, and now I’m here.
[So I’m not technically a food scientist, actually. There are a lot of food scientists in this department, and I know something about food science, but not as much as the actual food scientists.] The short answer as to why I majored in chemistry was because my high school chemistry teacher told me to, and I did it. After my freshmen year, I kept doing it because it was a major. And then my sophomore year, I took organic chemistry and absolutely fell in love, and haven’t looked back since.
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teaching, so that was the path I ended up taking. There was never any one moment.
eral Chemistry. Those are kind of the two courses, and I’ll probably teach some other things eral Chemistry is, of course, istry, which is, I think, one of the general education requirements and is istry course that most majors take. And then Physical Chemistry is typically taken during junior or senior year for a chemistry major.
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best part your job
of at
That’s a tough one. I could give the canned answer of working with students, but I think it’s more than that. I guess my favorite part is when a stucomplicated idea or topic clicks for them. And I get to see that happen and I think that’s fun, because I always feel good when that happens to me, and I love seeing that in other people as well.
I had a lot of good college experiences. I’d have to say, probably the most important aspect of college for me was what my interests were, what my beliefs were, what my passions were, and stuff like that. So no one experience really sticks out, but it was kind of the whole collective experience that helped me realize who I was and who I wanted to be.
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end of my college career, I found out I really liked teaching because I did a lot of tutoring and TA-ing and things like that. So that’s what kind of spurred me into teaching high school for a year, and then I knew I wanted to go back to graduate school and study chemistry, so at some point, I kind of just ended
100 State Street, McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Yeah, you know, I didn’t think when I Fax: (508) 626-4097 was an undergrad I ever had this mogatepost@framingham.edu ment where I wanted to become a pro-
fessor. It slowly happened. Toward the
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makes you tick. Find something you’re passionate about, that you’re interested in, that you can be dedicated to, and try So even if it’s something you’re not make it interesting by tying it into what makes you tick, what interests you. I would have said get to know your faculty members and students, but I think I’ve read a bunch of people have said that. And I think it’s a really good answer, it’s part of what I would have said originally, but it’s common enough advice that I’m not going to keep giving it.
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November 16, 2012
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- Continued from page 1
longer term concern that the electorate is Political Science Professor Athena mated the degree of support they would receive in the coveted ‘swing’ states and show that the only swing state won by the
states, including Ohio and Florida. “In addition, Obama won Massaan astounding 23 percentage points and seven percentage points. “Romney left the Massachusetts governorship with less-than favorable ratShe added that Republicans also did not receive votes from those who turned out in large numbers for Democrats such as Latinos, African-Americans, Asianmunity, women and young voters. “The Republican Party has done little to woo these minority groups during that However, she said, “Arguably, Republican rhetoric regarding immigration, women’s issues and gay marriage, along with the perceived racial vitriol directed toward Obama, facilitated considerable turnout support for the Democratic tickEconomics Professor Louis Farina, in an e-mail, offered a different interpretation as to why the American voters, some of who he described as ignorant and apathetic, re-elected President Obama. “He got elected because of the increasing number of voters - the ‘non-working’ class, government employees, retirees and crony capitalists - who suck on the “The popular vote was close. There was only a 2 percent difference between Obama and Romney. If you factor in likely voter fraud, it was probably - at Mathematics Professor Richard Doherty said he predicted the outcomes for both the presidential and Massachusetts senate elections. said. “First of all, they [the polls] are a sampling of a very small amount, even though they claim they are large. But the real problem is asking people the wrong questions. People vote based on things that are not being asked of them. said Doherty. “People pick different horses to win, but only one horse wins. Why do they pick the losers? Because they think the loser is going to win. And it’s the same thing with the predictions that they make Doherty said he thinks Obama needs to address “the problem of the nation SILD Outreach Coordination Intern and former Student Trustee Kendra Sampson said, “The electoral vote and
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the popular vote have proved the importance of human rights and equal opportunity in this country. The current class divide has decreased opportunity for many and increased it for the select few. “This inequality needs to be addressed and by providing the President with more time, a more balanced and inclusive
over Republican incumbent Scott Brown in the Massachusetts senate election did
sor King said, “Elizabeth Warren’s win over Scott Brown for the second senate
Of the 400 students surveyed, 130 said they support Brown, while 109 said they
Jordany Vargas, a freshman criminology major, said that he was relieved Romney lost. “What Romney said about the 47 pergas. “He acted like they don’t matter. I think everybody matters. Obama thinks
“Campaign 2012 U.S. Senate Massachu-
the face of a rather rancorous campaign. Though Brown garnered considerable support, Warren’s perceived approach to the role of senator will be comparable to her role as the head of the Consumer Protection Agency. “In the end, voters perceived her as the candidate who will do the best job of
Junior psychology major Jess Ahern said, “It’s reassuring that we have some-
Ahern said that in order for the coun-
were unsure of for whom they were go-
Massachusetts citizens voted for Warren and 1,449,180 or 46 percent voted for Brown. Political Science Chair Telling said he was surprised by Warren’s margin of victory over Brown. “I think between that race and Obama’s, Democrats were focused. ... Brown’s campaign disappointed me when he put aside the side of him that people liked and turned negative and
Sociology Professor Virginia Rutter said, “The Warren victory in MassachuShe said she thinks it is “quite excitwoman senator. “We are a progressive state, and this is another threshold we have passed toFreshman sociology major Ted Dob-
Obama needed to be elected to a second term. Ally Bullock, a senior business administration major, said she hopes President Obama focuses more on job creation in his second term. “There are so many unemployed peo-
Senior environmental studies major that President Obama can “turn the country around. “Obama hasn’t shown that he can get
picking up on the need to paint Brown as He said that because Warren won, “the next few months will be interesting as the same Congress confronts the same issues
agreed that Brown’s campaign was, at times, too negative. He said he believed that hurt Brown’s otherwise respected image. “If Senator Brown ran strictly on his record and did not try to diminish or humiliate Elizabeth Warren, I think he could
thinks Warren’s win was a hindrance to bipartisanship efforts in American government. “You’ve got a moderate Republican like Scott Brown, someone who reaches across the aisle to get things done, and you replace him with Elizabeth Warren, a liberal Democrat that I believe will be Both ballot question 1 “right to repair
survey results. Question 2 “physician-
He said Brown focused too much on doesn’t think Romney proved he could, either. Liz Doucete, a sophomore sociology major, was not pleased with the outcome of the presidential election.
results. her advocacy for victims of Asbestos. Professor Farina said Brown may have lost due to the fact that he is not a
“Campaign 2012 ballot questions Masor 86 percent of Massachusetts citizens
a RINO [Republican in Name Only]. I was also not very happy that Brown Democrat Elizabeth Warren’s win
said. Assistant Political Science Profes-
Of the 400 students surveyed, 227 - Continued on page 4
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November 16, 2012
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it was an emotional and exciting night. Junior English major Zoe Moore said she and her roommate began watching election coverage at 7 p.m. and watched all night long, not wanting to miss any results.
supported the proposed legislation for question 2, which would allow a licensed physician to prescribe medication, at the request of a terminally ill patient meeting certain conditions, to end that person’s life. One hundred sixty-eight did not sup-
she said, “so naturally we made fools out of ourselves when the announcement was “Campaign 2012 ballot questions Mastion arts major, said he was so anxious about the election results being counted, that he decided not to listen to any news coverage. “Basically, I voted, then ignored the
or 51 percent of Massachusetts citizens
Sophomore history major Tony Nardone said, “‘Right to die’ should have passed. I’m very disappointed. I don’t understand why other people’s moral beliefs should decide such an intimate part of someone else’s life. I don’t enforce my will upon anyone else’s. No one else’s will Many students said ballot question 2 was their biggest reason for heading to the polls. Sophomore history major Ben Hitzfeld said, “I thought the ballot initiatives were pretty important, particularly number 2. It Sophomore English major Emily Tizard, who voted against question 2, said she thinks that most voters did not support
Courtesy of www.facebook.com/mittromney
Courtesy of www.facebook.com/barackobama
any personal experiences with family
ning of the end of prohibition. I will be curious to see how many states put it in the
Of the 400 students polled, 260 supported the proposed legislation for question 3, which eliminates state criminal and civil penalties related to the medical use of marijuana, allowing patients meeting certain conditions to obtain marijuana produced and distributed by new state-reguto grow marijuana for their own use. One
Criminology Professor Daisy Ball said in an e-mail that she is “curious to see how the passage of Question 3 plays out in practice. “As I teach my Social Problems stutual implementation thereof, and the cor-
“While I do think that people should choose a lot of aspects about their own “Campaign 2012 ballot questions MasRyan Wheeler, a sophomore history or 63 percent of Massachusetts citizens question 2. “After voting, I talked to my mom and she told me how she had family members Wheeler said he thinks the reason why
By EDITORIAL STAFF
dent Hannah Bruce and Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development Rachel Lucking went before Senate for funding to “spread some ball team. Bruce proposed multiple options to support the team, including care packmembers during the long ride to and from SUNY Cortland in New York, where they will play the opening game of the NCAA tournament. The budget request was $500 for the care packages $1,700 each. The request was intended to be a surprise for the football team. According to Lucking, the idea to have the Athletics Department request money for buses was not considered. The request provoked debate among senators about how much support, recognition and funding is given to each club and sport team. Many senators argued that providing funding for this event was unfair for other sports teams which have accomplished a great deal this academic year. said Social Events Coordinator Scott
Sociology Professor Rutter said, “The votes in many states legalizing medical marijuana, personal marijuana, were great to see, and some people call it the begin-
The senate motioned to fund only one bus to New York which was passed with only two opposed. The senate made a note that at next week’s meeting, they will construct a set of conditions about sports receiving funding for achievements so that distribution is more diverse. Senator and President of the Acapella Club Rebecca Smith changed the initial request amount to pay for a pianist for rehearsals from $480 to $400. The initial request was based on how much it
Minnie Salhotra, a senior art major, said that while she is against the legalization of medical marijuana, she is not upset about the initiative being passed. said. “But there will be people who misuse it, because yes, it’s medical marijuana,
he said. Senior communication arts major Larnel Jones said the months of endless coverage over the presidential race left him feeling indifferent on election night. At home, when he learned that President Obama had been re-elected to a second term, he said, “I was just, ‘Meh, he
this election was important to many FSU for many to vote. “This created an added level of interest for many FSU students and it was exciting Naomi Zingher, a sophomore elementary education major, who voted for the “I was sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my nails watching the results come “It was the anticipation of what the decision would be. This moment, this decision will change my life and my country
No matter where FSU students stood ideologically on Nov. 6, many agreed that
on behalf of reactivating to revise it’s constitution and change it’s name. President Ogive Amado said that the changes to the constitution would “crename change would be a “new fresh fully attract new members. The senate passed unanimously the motion to change the constitution as amended and revised and recognized the club’s new name. The senate also unanimously passed
a motion to accept the constitution of the FSU’s Humane Society. Dan Costello was sworn in as Senator for the Class of 2016. The vote was unanimous. In other news:
19 in DPAC at 8 p.m.
17 at 7 p.m. in the Ecumenical Center.
session was cut from the allocation because the request was not brought before the senate soon enough to cover it due to Hurricane Sandy. The senate passed the motion unanimously. requested funding for a future event. However, BSU’s representative for the club, Samantha Michel, was absent from the meeting. Vice President Larry Liuzzo motioned to postpone the request until next week. The motion was passed unanimously. The Latinos in Action Club, formerly the club Amigos, went before the senate
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November 16, 2012
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ees and four IT staff are on duty during registration hours and can help any stuister.com. In response to student concerns about
is the students who were not able to get into a class they need to graduate in four years because it was full when they attempted to register. “We don’t have a good way to get the information back to enrollment management that there are 15 students out there that need 108, add anFlanagan suggested setting up a waitlist system for classes that would add a section of the class when the waiting list reaches capacity of the class. Students complained about the unavailability of parking, which Executive Vice President Dale Hamel said is more an issue of proximity and convenience because the Maple Commuter Lot and while students drive around in Maynard
park in Maynard because if you go down Hamel said that although the administration is looking into building a parking structure closer to campus, “it’s always would be charged back to student fees. In response to complaints about lack of maintenance and the number of potholes in Maynard Parking Lot, Facilities Director Warren Fairbanks said “it
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for many students at the two meetings. student drivers to staff the shuttle, “but Flanagan said he plans to look at a side-by-side analysis of transportation options such as RamTram and taxi vouchers because he intends to have a conversation with students in the spring about student transportation and the costs of each option. can afford and that meets the needs of all the best combination of cost and convenience is. What are people willing to support because student fees are going to pay some portion of the ride whether it is At the Wednesday open meeting, a handful of education students expressed frustrations they had about not having preparation classes available for the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licento graduate. One student explained that the general curriculum MTEL covers such a wide arcult to pass and many education students have been forced to spend their own money on expensive private tutoring because the school does not provide it. said one frustrated education student. Flanagan said, “Yes, we ought to be providing these resources - particularly since we administer the MTEL late in the
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student’s career. We have an interest in making sure you are successful, so we should be sharing the responsibility for Conley said, “It breaks my heart to rector of CASA, educator licensure programs from all over Massachusetts and sometimes all over New England came to FSU to learn how to prep students for the MTEL “because we were seen by far as the best place to come for that prep. “We did it better than anyone for so long. Now, I’m thinking, ‘What’s hapConley added that she will work with Vice President for Academic Affairs partment to “bring ourselves back to that
By EDITORIAL STAFF
/The Gatepost
Student groups on campus are undertaking initiatives to raise funds to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey. One student group, the Sandy Support Team, is working with Student Involvement and Leadership Development
the cause. According to Kendra Sampson, outreach coordination intern for SILD, the event. on Dec. 7 at 1:30 in the MC Forum. Sampson said prior to the event, members of the FSU community will volunteer to be nominated to kiss an actual pig
during the event. Students and faculty will have the opder the name of the individual they want to see kiss the pig. The person whose name raises the most money gets to kiss the pig. Leading up to the event, donation boxes will be in the McCarthy Center for students and faculty to donate money. The donation boxes will be set up in the next few weeks. Sampson said that funds raised will be donated to the Cornelia Connelly Center doing recovery work effort in Highland, New Jersey. The group will also be hosting a silent auction, for which Sampson is encouraging donations. Those seeking to help with fundraising efforts, make donate
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Hamel said, in response to a question about academic room expansion and overcrowding, that the old labs in Hemenway Hall will be repurposed to general use classrooms when the new labs are built. Flanagan said since 2008, the university has added 115 additional sections to the fall semester calendar and that the university has tried to add more sections of classes rather than increasing section sizes to keep up with the growing student population. “There has been virtually no increase in the average class size even Hamel told students who were concerned about crowding in the dining commons that work will begin next spring on an expansion of the back of the dining commons off of the McCarthy Center. He said this expansion - which will be ready by fall 2013 - will add 220 seats, a separate entrance and can be separated off to double as another forum. In response to a question about progress on the Hemenway Hall construction project, Hamel said that right now, crews
that will have to wait until next summer because asphalt plants are closed now. Fairbanks also urged students to plan and put their walk from the Maple parking lots into perspective because FSU’s farthest lot is closer than those at Bridgewater State and other colleges in Boston that don’t have parking on campus at all. “This isn’t a high school anymore. We’re The unreliability of the campus shuttle and RamTram were cause for concern
chran said that starting in the spring, the university will be switching to an online room selection process that will “be very
contributions can e-mail Sampson at volunteer@framingham.edu for more information. Sampson said the relief group is open to anyone, and she encourages those interested in the cause to join.
on what they can, but students “won’t see
The Dance Club has also made an effort to help individuals affected by the hurricane. While the club was hosting its Date a Dancer Fundraiser last week, members also provided boxes for food donations. Dance Team President Taryn Theriault said the food drive accumulated about two boxes full of food. Theriault initially was working with Dartmouth High School collecting food to bring to New Jersey. She decided that it would be a good idea to get FSU involved with the relief efforts. With food donations from Dartmouth High School and FSU, Theriault said that she and the Dartmouth High students brought about two U-Haul vans full of goods to the New Jersey Food Bank. According to Theriault, the Dance Club is currently discussing ideas for other events to help those affected by Sandy. “It was amazing to see all of the supso grateful and it was amazing to see everyone come together to support the
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STAFF WRITER
This fall, the FSU Honors Program offered nine Honors-only courses a semester early to accommodate the record number of students in the program. Administrators had initially planned to begin the Honors-only courses in the spring. The nine courses were supposed to be dual-enrolled, or enrolled with both Honors and non-Honors students, but due to the large number of Honors students enrolling in the classes, it was necessary to open up Honors sections this fall. There are a record 185 Honors students at FSU this year, about 94 of whom are freshmen, said Director of the Honors Program Dr. Carolyn Maibor. “Every year over the past several she said. to include Honors-only classes, Maibor added. The Honors classes are sections of Expository Writing, Irish Literature, Reconstruction, Modern Art History, American Musics, Nutrition Science and Applications, Biological Concepts and First Year Honors Seminar. More Honors-only classes will be offered in the spring. This is the second year FSU has held the First Year Honors Seminar course. The course has multiple sections, which are taught by professors from different departments. It includes a special Honors Foundations section. The Honors-only courses are smaller than most classes and require different reading and research assignments. Previously, all classes were dualenrolled, meaning professors often assigned additional reading and research to students seeking Honors credit. Junior history major Laura Stagliola is currently in a dual-enrolled class, which three non-Honors students are taking. “The difference in work is quite ments and tests are averaged differently, and I have about three or four extra asDr. Erika Schneider is teaching the Honors section of Modern Art History, as well as a non-Honors section of the class. She said students in the Honors section are responsible for reading additional chapters and critical articles. They also have to take an extra exam.
News
The exams, she said, do not include a word bank and the essays are longer and require more research. Schneider said that having an allcause it is easier to manage. She said that in dual-enrolled classes, she would have to give out multiple sets of directions. The Honors section of Irish Literature is being taught by Dr. Kelly Matthews. While there are several students in the class who are not in the Honors Program, she said they are expected to do the same amount of work and are held to the same grading standards as the Honors students. dents is to be in a class of highly motivated peers and to learn from one another’s perspectives on the literature we moving at a faster pace … because all of the students have signed on to a rigorous “I’d always feel like I was giving she added. She said since all of her Honors students are in one class, she does not have to meet with students for individual conferences outside of class. Senior fashion design and retail major Hillary Estes said that having Honorshaving dual-enrolled classes. “In all-Honors classes, all of the stu-
Estes added that there are now more options available in selecting Honors courses than when she was a freshman. In an e-mail, sophomore computer “I like the Honors-only classes a bit better because the class has the same workload for all the students and there is less FSU’s Honors Program recently became a member of the Commonwealth The CHP is a statewide association for college and university Honors Programs. All UMass and Massachusetts state universities, as well as many comthe CHP. Once per semester, FSU can send student representatives to CHP meetings, as well as some of the conferences that are held, where they can meet with peers from other institutions and discuss their work.
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Assistant Director of the Honors Program Dr. Paul Bruno said that these faculty because the representatives from the schools can interact. “The CHP is a way for us at FSU to learn how other institutions in the Commonwealth run to share ideas about what works best for The program also makes the process easier for students transferring between ments are similar. Junior psychology and criminology major Richard Carbonaro, the president of the Honors Student Association, transferred to FSU from Bristol Community College last year. Because both schools are CHP members, Carbonaro said the transfer was simple and he did not lose credits in Honors courses. Carbonaro added the distinction of being involved with a statewide Honors Program looks better on resumes and transcripts than just a school Honors Program. “There’s a certain ‘oomph’ to the said. Sophomore computer science major Brian Henriksen said that joining the CHP adds to FSU’s reputation. “The UMass Amherst Honors Program is quite prestigious, and the Framingham Honors Program is associated Maibor said as soon as she became faculty director, she began working toCHP. “I didn’t want to apply only to be rejected or only to be told that it was a conditional acceptance until we were com-
One of the changes was to establish a minimum grade for each class to count for Honors credit. Students must comcourses. If a grade under a B is attained, the student must take the class over for it to count toward the program.
/The Gatepost
November 16, 2012
needed improvement right away, Maibor said. In order to comply with CHP’s requirements, the Honors Program had to implement some changes. cess was to complete an application, which included a self-study. The 50-page self study was submitted in late spring of
2010. In February of 2011, a committee consisting of three directors from CHP campuses met with Maibor, Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda Vadenulty and students for a site visit. The representatives wrote to the CHP executive committee recommending FSU be accepted into the program, and included suggestions on possible areas of improvement for the university. In May 2011, The CHP unanimously voted to accept FSU’s Honors Program. One month later, Maibor and VadenHonors Program to the Board of Higher Education. The board voted unanimously to accept FSU into the CHP. Maibor made a one-year follow-up statement in May 2012 to report on the program’s progress. There was no cost for the membership process. CHP membership because it provides a statewide community among Honors students. Students, she said, “now graduate as Commonwealth Honors Scholars, so it is no longer just Framingham State University saying this is an Honors student. “It’s the state saying this is an Honors This year, the Honors Program has trips and activities. ber, freshman Honors students and some of the peer mentors went on a retreat to Thompson Island in Boston Harbor. sponsored a retreat for freshman Honors students. The trip cost about $8,000, which came from the allocated Honors Program budget. The retreat “was a great opportunity for the students to get to know each othwell as see Boston from a new perspecOn Oct. 16, the Honors Program sponsored guest speaker Congressman Barney Frank. Frank appeared at FSU free of charge, and the Honors Program only needed to pay for a security detail and food. With the exception of the establishment of a minimum grade for Honors course credit, the requirements for students within the Honors Program have stayed the same. Freshmen and sopho- Continued on page 9
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November 16, 2012
7
the International Assembly for ColleSTAFF WRITER
Framingham State University is in the process of seeking accreditation for programs within the business, education and nutrition departments, which campus administrators expect to be completed in 2014. There are three types of accreditation - international, national and regional. Internationally accredited programs are recognized worldwide and meet globally set standards. A program that is internationally accredited prepares students to work anywhere. Nationally accredited programs are recognized in the United States, while regionally accredited programs are Depending on the organization, the process can take anywhere from two 10 years. The process consists of a self study, a site visit, a report and a review The self study is an evaluation of student assessment, alumni work, faculty credentials, resources and additional content according to the accred-
their accrediting organization. The IACBE will allow FSU to accredit both undergraduate and graduate programs for the business department. The programs will be recognized internationally. Dr. Michael Harrison of the business department said the staff chose IACBE over other organizations because it focuses more on student outcomes rather than faculty publications. He said other organizations require faculty to publish work, which they base off of a point system. If the department does not earn enough points, it could lose accreditation. In order to perform the research necessary to publish work, faculty members would need to take time off from teaching and the school would need to hire additional faculty, Harrison said. said, “but more about student outCurrently, the business department faculty are working on the self study. The self study is based on the nine principles outlined by IACBE, Harri-
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relationships with other institutions, use of guest speakers and availability of internships. The department must also have study abroad programs to meet the international business education standard. In order to meet the ninth principle, educational innovation, the program must be able to adapt to global changes in the economy, culture, technology and society. Members of the faculty must submit documentation demonstrating their efThe business department will schedule a date for the site visit three months prior to completing the self study. Harrison is looking forward to the completion of the process as it will “enhance the image of the university
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iting organization. Each organization has a set of principles that the department must meet in the self study in order to be accredited. Following the completion of the self study, a group of representatives from the organization and other accredited schools will perform a site visit, during which they will interview students about their courses and ensure that the information in the self study is accurate. The organization will then write a report which will complete the initial accreditation process. In order to maintain accreditation, the department will
son said. The organization’s website outlines the requirements for each of the nine principles. sessment which evaluates student and alumni work. The second, strategic planning, focuses on decision-making in course goals. The curriculum principle is meant to keep track of the number of hours spent on each subject, as well as evaluate the design of the program. The fourth principle focuses on fac-
for which representatives from the organization will return for further site visit. Accreditation is a way for institu-
business course and participate in professional development. Faculty members must also participate in scholarly and professional activities such as publications and memberships in scholarly
for programs, said Vice President for “We are always in a state of maintaining quality, and that means process. Professors decided to choose
principle, all faculty members need to
principle. The sixth principle, resources, encial resources as well as informational and technological. The seventh principle is internal and external relationships, which evaluates the program’s
Harrison estimated that the cost of the entire accreditation will be about $12,000. The annual membership fee is $2,500, and the school has allocated approximately $10,000 for developmental costs. He added that members of the department must also pay for air fare, food and a hotel for the site visit committee, but that cost is minimal. If the site visit committee decides that the additional costs may be needed for changes. Harrison said that the process is worthwhile and rewarding, but challenging. “Things that aren’t easy and are a challenge - I think you can get a great The education department is currently working with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher creditation. FSU is going through one of NCATE’s new organizations called the Council for the Accreditation of Eduzation will recognize all undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs at FSU, including early childhood, elementary and secondary education. FSU formed a Teacher Education Advisory Council in 2010, according to Education Department Chair Dr. Kelly Kolodny. The council met with students and distributed surveys to faculty, staff and public school partners.
The data from the meetings and surveys were used to develop a conceptual framework, which was recently submitted to NCATE for review. Kolodny said the reports “enhanced what were already strong teacher edument made changes to further strengthen these programs. Senior elementary education major Jill Michniewicz said the education department already consists of “some creditation will provide further support for students. “I don’t know how I would teach said. Senior early childhood major Courtthat FSU is being recognized by NCATE. “When I introduce myself and say that I’m studying education at Framingham State, teachers, principals and members in the community are ecstatic that I’m coming from a school that has she said. NCATE recognizes six standards knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. This evaluates the students’ knowledge of the content they want to teach, as well as pedagogy, or instructional methods. The second standard, assessment system and unit evaluation, measures how students are perience and clinical practice, which pertains to the observations and work teaching practica. The fourth standard is diversity. This standard is used to ensure that candidates for teaching licenses are able to teach students from different dard, faculty must document their instructional methods. The sixth standard measures the instructional, inforresources of the program. The education department has “enhanced or developed assignments and assessments that connected to national said. “I noticed they hired someone to - Continued on page 8
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come and observe me in my Field II and Field III experiences instead of just ry education major Shaina Brown said. Previously, an observer from FSU would only evaluate students during the student teaching practicum. The observations that will take place in the Field II and III courses are not as long as the student teaching observations. According to an e-mail from Dr. May Hara, a visiting professor performing some of the observations, the lesson can be as small as a “read-
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November 16, 2012
etetics with the Accreditation Council for Education of Nutrition and Dietetthe American Dietetic Association The self-study report for the two programs will begin in fall 2013 and will take about six months, said Consumer Science Department Chair Dr. Janet Schwartz. The self study is due to ADA in spring 2014. main standards for the accreditation of the didactic and coordinate programs.
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review changes and maintain accreditation will also be undertaken. Schwartz believes that the accredited when they seek jobs. “The strength of our program is that we have people in
and faculty advocate ethical standards. FSU is currently moving forward with the self-study process to document these standards. The NEASC reaccreditation is expected to be completed in spring 2014. The process “allows us to always be -
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aloud, a mini-lesson, one-on-one work with a student or even guiding students Student teaching observations consist of more than one meeting and regoals related to their programs and disciplines. Another change that was implemented last year is the teacher work sample, which is completed by candidates at the end of student teaching. “Pre- and post-assessments are undertaken to gain an understanding of students’ learning as a result of the unit In addition to NCATE, each individual program must follow standards set by specialized professional associations, Kolodny stated. The early childhood program must meet the standards for the National Association for the Edand the elementary program must meet the standards for the Association for Childhood Education International specialized organizations according to the discipline. Reports have been submitted to each of the specialized organizations in September, Kolodny said. The next step is the site visit, which has been scheduled for spring 2014. “We have additional steps to undertake as we move forward with creditation is a rigorous process and we will continue to work on it during The consumer sciences department is beginning the process of accrediting the Coordinated Program in Dietetics
There are 23 more detailed sub-standards. gram eligibility for ACEND accreditation. The standards are to ensure that the institution has enough resources, organization’s goals. The second set is on program planning and outcomes assessment. The institution must evaluate the program’s goals, mission, objectives, and assessment plan. The third set of standards focuses on curriculum and student learning objectives. To meet this standard, the program’s curriculum must cover the biomedical, nutritional, behavioral, managerial, and clinical science subjects. The fourth set of standards, program staff and resources, ensures that the institution has appropriate resources as well as an adequate number of qualistandards measures student progression. Faculty members from the food and nutrition department will need to send documentation to ACEND to show exhibits of each standard. After the completion of the self study, ACEND will send a committee to FSU to perform a two-day site visit, during which the committee will meet with faculty, supervisors and students. The site visit will most likely occur in fall 2014. A follow-up report will be sent about six weeks later. To prepare for the self-study and site visit, the professors implemented are aimed to help students “move on to
The accreditation visit for the two programs costs $11,880, according to Dr. Suzanne Neubauer, head of the CPD. The annual membership fee is $1,450 per program, or $2,900 for the two programs. Framingham State University is seeking reaccreditation with the New England Association of Schools and tion accredits both colleges and high schools. NEASC is a regional organization linked with the United States Department of Education. NEASC has eleven standards for colleges and universities that must be met in order to be reaccredited. A committee consisting of FSU faculty is assigned to each standard to ensure that it is met. purposes, ensures that the institution’s purposes and mission statement are appropriate and realistic. The second standard pertains to the planning and evaluation of curricula. The third standard, organization and governance, evaluates the administration’s support for student learning. The fourth standard ensures that each academic program is consistent with the mission and purposes of the institution. the institution must have an adequate Standard six evaluates the institution’s interactions with students by analyzing retention rates, as well as ensuring that support is provided for students. The seventh and eighth standards pertain to resources such as library and informational resources, laboratory equipment and classroom materials. The ninth standard ensures that the sources to meet its mission. To meet the tenth standard, the institution must publish clear and accurate information tegrity, ensures that all administrators
The chemistry department has also gram with American Chemical Society 2011 and was implemented at the start of the 2011-12 school year. The chemistry department has been accredited with ACS since 1985, according to Chemistry Department Chair Dr. Louise Bodack. ACS changed its guidelines for the biochemistry program. The chemistry department removed the Anatomy and Physiology course requirement, and added Instrumental Analysis, Biochemistry II and two research courses. The chemistry department then sent a report to the ACS indicating the courses offered and the amount of hours spent in each course and in labs. Also included in the report are the resources available on campus, such as scholarly journals and instrumentation. tion, but the department must submit tion. dack said. Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Ellen Zimmerman said that accrediting may appear to be a is actually an “opportunity to be cre“We’re always looking for exciting The fashion merchandising and computer science programs are also in the early stages of discussing accreditation. “We love to create opportunities for
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November 16, 2012
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Tischler said, someone might intend to
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“Its World War II connotation is of Nazi soldiers, especially members of the SS, who were the most feared branch of ment Chair Jon Huibregtse in an e-mail. “One of its tasks during the war was to administer the death camps. In other
When they received the apology email from Flanagan, most students asOn the FSU Meme Page on Facebook, a meme posted Saturday poking fun at the President for doing so has already garMany said they found Flanagan’s word choice to be offensive, while others said they thought too much had been made of the e-mail. “I just expected that it would have
Horn said, “The phrase ‘Storm Troopassociation with it. … So, the idea of using ‘Storm Troopers’ in a casual way seemed to be insensitive. “I didn’t think that [President Flanagan] had that in mind at all, but I thought it was important to be alert to how people
psychology major Arielle Montville. “Why would you expect it to be offen-
He said he was “pleased by his reaction - that he acknowledged it right
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a learning moment for the community at large. “If you think about what we teach, the whole challenge is to try to imagine your way into how other people feel, how language might sound to someone
too, has family members who escaped ther was one of the thousands rounded up during Krystallnacht and sent to the
Zachary Vellivuea, a junior history major, said of the controversy, “That’s stupid. That’s ridiculous to even consider Junior sociology major Kristen Lynch cause he didn’t mean it in that context. “A lot of words have different mean-
said. “And if that’s what’s happening, if Communication Arts Professor Leslie Starobin teaches, among other classes, an Advanced Visual Communications course that analyzes historical references in pop culture. Some of her family memcution, and she currently has a photography exhibition at the Holocaust Museum Houston. Starobin said, before the public e-mail exchange between Horn and the president last week, she hadn’t really thought about the Star Wars Stormtroopers in the context of the Holocaust. She said the incident can serve as a chance to look at the roots of terms people use in everyday conversation, and those recycled in Hollywood. “I think that all of us, depending on our age and our background and where we grew up, whatever terminology is history, many things get carried over and different sense of the meaning of a word or different images conjured up in our minds, really depending on a combination of our upbringing and our education. “I think that all of us at some times don’t choose our words as carefully as
- Bernard Horn, English Professor Courtesy of Framingham.edu
Starobin has taught lessons in which her students look at images such as the iconic Aunt Jemima woman, and are asked to consider their historical implications. In another class, her students D-Day from the movie “Saving Private photographs of the battle. When it comes to the Star Wars franchise, she said, “It seems to me that it was sort of an insensitive, or inappropriate term, perhaps too close in memory to the Second World War to adapt it, but certainly, if students have grown up with Star Wars on the screen, that’s going to be their reference point, as opposed to Sociology Professor Henry Tischler hasn’t taught the Holocaust in any of his classes, but he has studied this period in world history throughout his career. He,
Dachau concentration camp. “As far as President Flanagan goes, I’m sure it was just an innocent miscommending the people who did a good job around the campus, and he used that word loosely. So, I wouldn’t get too upset about it. If he had any inkling that it was an inappropriate use, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done it, so I wouldn’t However, he said, it’s important to be aware that the use of terms that could be deemed offensive is still very much a part of our linguistic culture. For example, he said, he takes particular offense when the nancial thriftiness. “I think language has a history. There are lots of words that people sometimes use without thinking about it. I would be kind of even more offended if some-
Sarah Coughlin, a senior nutrition major, said, “I think that when I saw that, I didn’t think it was anything offensive, but it was nice that he sent it out to the campus in case anyone else had seen it Senior psychology major Terri Deluise said, “I would say it’s quite shocking for a university president to use such a term. It could be offensive to a good porfrom diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds. When she saw the e-mail, she said, “I derstand why it happened. I didn’t think -
In February 2012, the Honors Pro-
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to stay in the program. Honors students must keep a 3.25 in order to graduate with Honors credit. petition for probation but must leave the program if the average has not risen by the end of the probation period. Students can also lose scholarships if they do not A major requirement in the completion of the Honors Program is the Honors Program Thesis course. Students present their research to the Undergraduate Research Conference at UMass Amherst in the spring.
to a converted house on Adams Road behind North Hall. Maibor said that the new building can accommodate the growing number of Honors students. According to Maibor, the new buildtiple rooms, including a living room area and a room with a large conference table. unattached rooms and could hold a maximum of 20 people.
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ARTS & FEATURES
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NOVEMBER 16,2012
This week in photos Alexis Huston/ The Gatepost
Students test their luck at Bingo with SUAB in the Forum. Allie Card/ The Gatepost
Psychology Club and Wellness Education hold an Impaired Driving Prevention Table in the McCarthy Center lobby. Alexis Huston/ The Gatepost
Dining Services hosts annual turkey dinner in the Dining Commons. Danielle Vecchione/ The Gatepost
Hilltop Players perform at Hilltop Games cabaret in the Ecumenical Center.