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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 explained the context for the sessions, noting the process for
strategic planning and the areas of comment she has seen among alumnae and staff.
She opened the floor to questions and comments.
Students expressed interest in interdisciplinary study, self-designed majors and
voiced support for the open curriculum, which they thought allowed them to focus
on their main area of interest right away.
However, some students felt that pre-major advising was not strong enough. One student
complained that she was unable to complete a classics major because she had not begun
Latin as a first-year student. Others expressed a belief that pre-major advisers
were not giving good advice, and students missed opportunities to begin language
study, for example.
Students mentioned that other students are often as
good, if not better, advisers than pre-major advisers. One student suggested strengthening
the Student Academic Advisers program.
Another student suggested that, had her adviser pushed her more strongly as a first-year
to begin fulfilling Latin honors requirements, she might have done more toward fulfilling
them. This year, as a senior, she wanted to fulfill the science requirement (the
only one outstanding), but she could have done it as a first-year. Another suggestion
was that some sort of credit or certificate might be given merely for fulfilling
the Latin honors courses, whether or not one had the GPA to support the honors themselves.
On the question of supporting language study, one student felt that opportunities
to begin a language abroad should be supported. There was a general murmur that language
study should be supported.
A number of students addressed what was perceived to be poor support for women’s
issues on campus. Suggestions included a support center for survivors of sexual assault
and a gynecologist on the staff of Health Services. President Christ responded that
Health Services had trained nurse practitioners on staff for standard care and referred
students out for more specialized treatment.
One student remarked on the fact that there seem to be fewer faculty of color than
there had been on campus. She felt that she and others needed to see professors from
all minority groups represented on campus. The president agreed and explained the
college’s plans to increase the number of professors from minority groups on
campus.
An international student suggested that there be more support for international
students, including more speakers who are not U.S. citizens.
Another student spoke to the need to break down barriers
between groups on campus. Conferences tend to appeal only to small groups, who appear
at the same sort of event over and over, she said. How could we to broaden the appeal
of such meetings to others?
There was a great deal of discussion of student organizations and the ways in which
the student activities fee is allocated. The fee is perceived as high and the allocation
is seen as skewed. Students felt that it was wrong to allocate money for social hours
but not as much for work on social issues. They perceived that money was available
for winter weekends and parties but not for “better things.”
Another student felt that the club sports, including ice hockey, rugby, and Ultimate
Frisbee, need a consistent financial allocation that is dependable from year to year.
The president pointed out that Smith has a very strong tradition of student governance
on such issues. However, the students said that there should be administrative guidance
to make funding for club sports consistent. They run their own teams and hire their
own coaches, and need to know from year to year what sort of funding they will have.
The president wondered if club sports came under the wing of the athletic department,
might they become less popular?
The president remarked that the problem of having fun
was one that had come up often in strategic planning conversations. One student remarked
that it is good to have parties at Smith; people need to “come up for air” and
get out of their rooms. Fun at Smith often means going to a meeting, but people need
to have parties.
The conversation then shifted to Smith’s need to take a clearer and more consistent
stand on social issues. Often there is “a little bit of excitement,” and
then nothing happens. Smith needs a viewpoint on important social issues, especially
issues surrounding sustainability. A student remarked that students don’t feel “Smith
has our back” around sustainability, the environment, or issues of sexual assault.
Another said that Smith has lots of systems, but it’s hard to navigate them.
She suggested that such knowledge—what to do and how to get it done—should
be disseminated by HONS (heads of new students). For example, there is funding for
various projects, but no single place in which to discover this funding.
Related to that idea were comments that more effort
should be made to tie together extra- and co-curricular interests with the curriculum.
There should be departmental meetings (another student pointed out that there are
already such meetings). One suggested that there should be regular meetings between
students and the administration. The president pointed out that most of these meetings
are funneled through the SGA. Several students suggested that the SGA only appeals
to a narrow band of students at Smith.
Students felt that there should be more ways in which professors could support student
initiatives. For example, landscape studies could connect engineering and the built
environment; work in organizations could be incorporated into the major. “Smith
wants us to take our tools out into the community, and landscape studies is a way
to do that.” However, there is an issue of receiving credit for such work.
Students voiced their confusion about who and how to contact to discuss college
initiatives. There is concern, for example, about the sustainability implications
of the grab-and-go lunch offering. Another issue is stock divestment. The president
pointed out that a committee of the trustees were considering that issue and should
be reporting soon, perhaps in May.
One senior remarked that while she felt that she had
received a great education, she did not feel that there are enough independent research
projects or programs like the Picker Engineering Program. Employers are looking not
only for academic experience but work outside the classroom. More quantitative skills
methodology should be taught, as well as work on analyzing data and how to process
ideas. Another senior remarked that while the art department was wonderful, she lacked
an understanding of how to market herself as a professional artist. Students wanted
the college to expand its ability to help students in all different majors get jobs.
One student suggested that Smith investigate moving advising out of the faculty
to a professional staff of advisers. Faculty are so busy with their own careers,
with students in their departments, and with theses that they don’t have time
for those who are uncertain of what they want to do. The president remarked that
professional advisers are characteristic of large state schools, and liberal arts
colleges have prided themselves on advising by the faculty closest to the disciplines.
Students have said that the best thing is a continuing relationship with a faculty
member who helps them to make other contacts.
Another student thought Smith should explore classes
in communications and journalism, interdisciplinary fields that she would like to
explore. The president wondered if one could consider the possibility of minors to
accomplish that goal; for example, an art major might be able to minor in museum
studies.
The meeting came to a close with thanks all around.
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