May 13, 1976 SGA Looks At Evolutions By John Leierzapf Staff Writer “I want to know what the students think, (about courses and faculty). They know better than anybody. The question is how do you get the information, and how do you keep from influ encing them?” This comment was made by Dean Wolf at the April 28th SGA meeting where the main topic discussed was faculty evaluations. Wolf, accompanied by Dr. John Joseph, assistant to the dean for instruction, attended the meeting at the request of SGA. Last term, SGA asked students to boycott the University Park faculty eval uations because it was not satisfied with the input, the type of questions asked and the lack of feedback to students. Questions were put to both Wolf and Joseph to explain present and possible future evaluations. Wolf explained that in the past an evaluation form was developed in conjunction with the faculty and students, and the open ended questions were pub lished in the Campus Student I, D. Cards Beginning spring term, a valid student I.D. will be required for all transactions made through the Records Office (registration, drop/ add, pass/fail, etc.). Students may pick up I.D. cards in WlOl. The fee is $4.00 to replace a lost I.D. -- - chairman of this year’s bathtub race with one of the race’s student marshalls. - ngi Kicinski, Mark Krampitz, Tom Hubert, Pat McHale, Terry Schleiker, Jim Rowe, Lew Ruffing, Mike Kotchick. Middle row, left to right: Steve Henninger, Jim Morris. In tub, Ron Ranick, then Del Dosch and Tom Plank. newspaper. However, Wolf said he felt the published questions were picked at random and were only generalizations i.e., two or three people saying this guy is great or this course is terrible. Wolf said he didn’t think this was fair either to students or faculty. In 1972, the SGA showed no interest in the eval uations, and Wolf said he decided to use the forms provided from University Park. Evaluations were on a Grand Prix Memories Found In Bathtub Race By Ray Martin Staff Writer I can recall many a crazy weekend in October when my father and I would journey to Watkins Glen, N.Y., to witness and indeed participate in a massive act of organized insanity known officially as the U.S. Grand Prix. These old and gold memories merged and melted into new experience to create my view of the PSPE bathtub race held here on Wed., May sth. Team Berks arrived first with some very heavy machinery. One reminded me of the old Gurney (I'm proud to be an American) AAR eagle. The other looked like the 1972 Yardley Mclaren. Theirpitcrew brought fire C.C. Reader voluntary basis and still are, he said. Wolf added, “because of this, Idon’t think it would be fair to our faculty to release the evaluation results.” How are the questions compiled for the University Park form? Joseph answered saying that The Division of In structional Services at Uni versity Park asked all campuses of the University to submit any form they thought was good. They received approximately 2000 questions. in their eyes and hearts, as well as much support equipment and the usual pit groupies. Tliey left nothing to chance and indeed were the only team to make a shakedown run (in which the Eagle obviously suffered from handling problems). The Mclaren people had delusions of being Richard Petty ei al. The hometown PSPE team came in next with something that looked and acted like Jackie Stewart’s Matra. The tub had a unique tiller steering and a large pit crew, which suffered from a shortage of groupies. A garbage truck rolled in then. But it didn’t bring a team, it just collected. Easy Inn brought a Surtees tub and a pit crew that reminded me more of Patton’s 3rd Army than a pit crew. XGI rolled a Ferrari in that the commadatore him self would take pride in. Once again, I thought I was about to witness the rebirth of Ferrari dominance. Their pit crew had the usual slightly disorganized family atmosphere of Ferrari com plete with a pregnant lady. Finally, the third Berks car (a 1972 black Lotus) arrived. Its driver seat looked like it had been stolen from a Rolls Royce sports car. The crowds, the feverish preparation, the machines all screamed into my ear ‘Grand Prix!!’ The only things missing were the smell of burning oil and rubber and the roar of high powered engines. These were more than made up for though by the smell of old soap and new paint and the roar of A.N.G. Connies taking off. The start was LeMans style, but had a Grand Prix flavor, complete with an over-ballsy photographer getting run over. After the PSPE/Matra and XGI/Ferrari led the pack away, I performed a poorly executed paratrooper roll into the back of a truck (if anyone wants a soprano for their choir my address is tj available in the C.C. Reader J office) and took off in o pursuit. 2 I heard XGI/Feirari es- * tablished an early lead, but in time lost it to PSPE/ The submitted questions were categorized, and the best questions from each were taken and broken down again until the result was the form we are presently using. Because University Park has the equipment to process the forms, it is cheaper to use their forms, Joseph said. He added a new form that should satisfy everyone is under consideration. A list of 200 numbered questions will be made available to faculty mem bers. Each instructor will Matra. At the bottom of the new building turn, a shower entered the race. While mechanically the machine was far out classed, it far and away had the best body work in the race. Having run to the finish line, I watched the formi dable PSPE/Matra blast in with a new lap record of 8.41.5, followed at in creasing distances by the XGUFerrari, the Easy bin/ Surtees, the Berks /Eagle, the Berks/Mclaren and the Beiks/Lotus. Bringing up the rear was a very powerful entry that looked more like a Group 7 car to me. R was run by the' Fraternal Order of Police. I enjoyed all this greatly. Maybe enough to try to become Capitol Campus’ own Ken Tyrrel next* year. During the race, the Easy In tub, The tubs lined student center. up for the start of the race near the choose from this list approximately 10 or 12 questions for himself. These questions will be compiled on one form along with approximately 20 other questions from the list chosen by administration and students. The chosen questions will be compu terized, duplicated and re turned to each instructor. The result is an indivi dualized evaluation form, Joseph said. As Joseph sees it, approximately half of the questions will be mandatory for administration and stu dent use. The others will be for the instructor's personal use. Most SGA members present agreed this new means of evaluation would be best for Capitol Campus. The question remaining is the kind of evaluation used during the interim? At last week’s meeting, SGA decided to use University Park’s standard 18-question form. There are 10 additional answer blocks on each form, and SGA will devise .its own questions to be answered in these blocks. Pag* 6 Photo: Lund
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