THE -Nris Prik Jan. 28, 1982
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Vol. 80, No. 33
Accreditation loss Could spell tragedy By Kim McConnell Last in a series When the North Central Association (NCA) team returns in November, one result of their visit may be a recommendation for probation or a loss of accreditation for CSU, something not many higher learning institutions have experienced. It is possible CSU may experience either one. "They didn't put us on probation when they were here in 1979, but they did give us a warning," said Norman Russell, a member of the CSU probation committee.
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CSU could be put on probation or lose its accreditation all together. According to Russell, institutions are put on probation for specific periods of time to correct problems that NCA committee has found fault with. In instances where these problems have not been corrected, or significant progress has not be made, that institution could lose its accreditation. "That rarely happens," Russell said. "I don't know of any school that has lost it." Once a learning institution loses its accreditation, it will face many problems, according to Russell.
Loss of accreditation could mean the death of an institution. "If the university loses its accreditation, a student's degree will not be worth very much. Every college must be accredited by an association; ours is North Central. If the school is not accredited, other institutions won't accept their degrees," Russell said, adding that this would be particularly bad for students planning on attending graduate school or applying for jobs where a degree is a vital prerequisite. Loss of accreditation could also spell the death of a university . Enrollment would drop,
Russell said, because students would have no need for a useless degree. He added, however, that while students in the midst of a program would suffer greatly at the loss, faculty members would probably not experience any great hardships. The problem would not reflect poorly on their teaching abilities, only the university as a whole. Russell said he felt the NCA team was very fair to the university, particularly since no probation was issued in 1979. According to Anne Lynch, president of the Faculty Senate, the NCA team will have three options when they return in November. They may give the all clear signal for university accreditation, they may recommend a period of probation, or they may recommend loss of accreditation.
Vista photo by Karen Moore
High winds gusts are a common occurance in Oklahoma, and this week was no exception. For two days, the campus was battered by high wind gusts that made walking to class difficult and any type of outdoor activity next to impossible. The tennis courts next to the ROTC building, which had been busy with the unseasonably warm weather central Oklahoma has been experiencing, show the abuse of the wind as they stand empty.
Appeals system to be updated By Irene Black A proposal is being developed whereby the recourse of a student who has a complaint concerning academic policies or grading systems may be handled more effectively, according to Anne Lynch, president of the Faculty Senate. A longer period of time will be given after the incident to file a complaint and some of the steps a student must go through before the matter is resolved will be eliminated. The new procedure should be ready for implementation by the beginning of the fall semester, Lynch said. At the present time, if a student has an academic complaint, there are several procedures he may follow, according to Dr. Odus Rice, assistant vice president in charge of academic affairs. If the student is still not satisfied, the next step is to go to the department chairman. If the problem is not resolved at this level, the student should go to the dean of that school and
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if he needs to go further, the next person to contact is Dr. Patrick Cassens, vice president of academic affairs. The final step would be to go to Larry Williams, vice president of administration and director of personnel. Dr. Dudley Ryan and Mrs. Deanna Land, assistant deans of students, will help students in any grievances or complaints other than academic, Rice added. According to Dr. James Perry, dean of the School of Business, his school has had a petition committee since July, 1977, with the exception of a short time in the fall of 1981. The petition committee is composed of the heads of the five business departments and two student representatives. If the student feels he has a legitimate complaint, he should go to Dr. Perry's office and obtain a onepage set of instructions. The student is encouraged to, first, talk to his professor. The second step is to schedule a conference with the department chairman and the third step is to speak to Dr. Perry . The student is expected to identify his grievance in writing, explain how he feels he was wronged and the solution in writing, that he ultimately seeks. This form is presented to the petition committee. The committee will interview the student and faculty involved and they may also interview witnesses. The student may have his attorney present and the University will
have its own legal council. The committee will make a written recommendation to Dr. Perry, who will rule in the case. Since July, 1977, eight to ten cases have been heard by the committee, said Dr. Perry. The committee has rendered in favor
of the student as well as the faculty, he added. The school of nursing has its own grievance committee, according to Sue Driskell, secretary to Dr. Barbara Henthorn, chairperson of the Department of Nursing.
Cronin to present series of lectures Dr. Thomas E. Cronin, considered by some political scholars to be the leading academic authority on the presidency , will be presenting a series of lectures dealing with U.S. presidency and leadership Feb. 1-3 in the Liberal Arts Auditorium. Cronin, who is also known for his work "The State and the Presidency," one of the best known general textbooks on the subject, is being presented as part of the Colloquium of Distinguished Scholars and Statesman, cosponsored by the Department of Political Science, the Bureau of Governmental Affairs and President Bill Lillard. "His real area of expertise is the presidency," said Leroy Crozier, chairman of the political science department. "He will be able to deal intelligently with the Reagan recommendations on the federal system. With the era of new federalism, we need some-
one who can talk with expertise on the national government." Cronin is a native of Massachusetts and earned his PhD in political science from Standford University. A former White House Fellow and White House aid in the mid-1960, he has also served on the staffs of the Brooking Institution, the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions and the Aspen Institute. He also serves as presidentelect of the Presidency Research Group, an affiliate of the American Political Science Association, and has served as a delegate and platform committee member at the 1980 Democratic national convention. Cronin is being presented as part of a series of lectures designed to give students an opportunity to meet and talk with some of the leading people in politics, Crozier said.