|
President Carol T. Christ is holding small-group
conversations with students, faculty and staff about positioning Smith most successfully
for the future. Here's a summary of one of the discussions.
President Christ opened the discussion by enumerating
some of the outcomes of the previous strategic planning process, which took place
almost a decade ago. These include the Brown Fine Arts Center, the Campus Center,
the Olin Fitness Center, the Praxis internship program, Women & Financial Independence
and more. It is time, she said, to consider what the next 10 years should hold for
Smith. She asked the group to think about what all students should acquire in their
time at the college and, in a broader sense, what distinguishes Smith.
A prominent theme in the discussion
was diversity. A student noted that the number of faculty of color has dropped. “They serve as mentors to students of color,” she
said. “Their absence is felt, especially in the sciences.”
Another observed that students often feel pressure to
love their houses and to remain in them, even if they feel isolated or seek greater
diversity. “I lived in
a diverse community and moved into a house without a lot of diversity to be a house
community adviser but I am discouraged because I have no one to relate to,” she
observed. Another said there are a handful of women of color in her house “and
we are spread far apart and we feel alone.” She advocated for houses to have
floors for women of color. Another suggested a “cultural house” for women
of color. A third student disagreed, saying “we need to live with people different
from ourselves, because being in uncomfortable situations makes a person learn. How
are we supposed to live together outside of Smith if we can’t do it at Smith?”
A
student who identified herself as handicapped expressed dissatisfaction with access
to buildings. As a member of the residence life staff, she can only be assigned to
certain houses with accessible rooms for her, she said, despite having broad qualifications.
Another
major topic was dining and house community. Some students, particularly those in
larger houses, described a “lack of connectedness” among house
residents who no longer eat all meals together. Another student was concerned by
a lack of respect for her house and for residents’ privacy, as expressed by
non-residents who come to her house to eat. Discussion ensued about fostering house
community without linking the process to “policy enforcement.”
Regarding specific food offerings, it was suggested
that students be offered a 50 percent discount on items in the Campus Center Café.
Another suggestion was to offer a soul food menu or food from the African diaspora,
in addition to the other ethnic offerings currently available.
Concern was expressed
about a perceived increase in average class size. A student suggested that large,
popular classes should be offered more frequently. President Christ noted that that
might not be a workable solution, since a faculty member might not want to teach
the same course over and over. A student suggested that enforcement of prerequisites
would be a useful way to keep classes small.
Discussion turned to topics specific
to residence life staff and their role in supporting students. A student advocated
expanding the counseling services staff; another suggestion was enhanced training
for residence life student staff on issues of rape crisis and suicide. Several students
expressed support for a “quiet house.” A general
suggestion was made for “more support networks at Smith, a more holistic approach.”
|
