Feb. 25,1987 Blumberg "I've heard a couple complaints _ from people who have had like a M personality clash with a certain (continued from pg. 1) professor, withdrawn from the and gets aggregated within the have to investigate the specific class after several weeks, and university and finally ends up as case to arrive at a solution. then find out that they have to a budget request to the state Still another student take this guy." Blumberg legislature," said Blumberg. questioned why some required answered, "Let me look at that Even if the division courses are offered only at night, again. I think that's a fair gets the money to recruit new He pointed out that often full- thing ..." faculty, it faces another problem, time students wish to work part- If a student questions a "There's a tremendous shortage itime at night. Dr. Blumberg grade, "You're entitled to know of qualified faculty in a lot of stated two reasons why a course what your grade was based on, different areas. For example, in is scheduled at night: First, if you're entitled to see all your Information Systems . . . there sufficient enrollment is not papers, you’re entitled to know are approximately ten open anticipated in a day class, the what the grading formula is," positions for every available course may be offered at night in said Blumberg,-". . . but you faculty person, and that's roughly order to pick up additional en- reach a point . . . where it true in Marketing, Finance, just rollment. Second, the division becomes a matter of professional about every field except Man- may not have a full-time faculty judgment." For example, if the agement, where there are only member available for that course, 'student claims that he deserves two open positions for each Consequently, a part-time profes- fifteen more points than the available faculty ...” sor is hired, and the course can professor gave him, that be "lt’s not that we’re only be offered at night comes a matter of professional insensitive or uncaring," he said. "• • • Another criticism judgment, unless it is a case of Another student said that he knew a Marketing major who had needed to take some required courses and had found those courses all offered during two time slots. "It's one thing that when we schedule we look for, and we try to avoid, but we may not," said Blumberg. He warned that a case such as that of the Marketing, major sometimes is contingent upon the individual's situation. When he handles a complaint, he first verifies the facts. "Sometimes people-hon est and honorable people-will look at the same thing and see somehting different," he said. The fact may be that the person cannot take a course offered in a different time slot because he or she chooses to work afternoons. Dr. Blumberg said that he would The student countered, talking about as a faculty-the KKKMMKMMMMMKKKKKKKKJ expectations that we have for our j students, and in general we're jy talking about the fact that they're T CfßCitivK too low • • • and 11131 not onl y ■>? should they be increased but we ■fc Hair Design A Family Hair Saloir with •yZ Economy Prices Everyday! SHAMPOO, & CUT & STYLE $7.00 * * & * * * No Appt. Necessary Reg. 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Sometimes we just don't have anybody else qualified on the staff..." The student also noted that some professors seem to be teaching on a much higher level V than the students' level. "Part of what you’re & * * & D PLAZAS * & Jamesway Plaza, Middletown 944-9364 Hours: 8-8 M-F 8-4 Sat : PERM STYLE $16.50 & Up We Carry NEXUS Products THE OLMS BARBER SHOP Capital Times One student questioned, ". . . there's not necessarily a consistency between how much is expected in various courses. ... Math and sciences, and I even find them interesting, always seem to be disproportionate in the amount that is expected.... Is that taken into account, you know, how when a course is structured how much effort needs to be put forth in one as opposed to how much effort needs to be put forth in others?" Dr. Blumberg replied, "That’s one thing in fact we're should convey and communicate them much better ... but you're right, there's a lack of uni formity.” General Repair Service on Domestic and Popular Foreign Cars Vastine’s Auto Service 231 Oak Hill Drive (Off Vine St.) Middletown, PA Hours: 8:30 - 6 Mon.-Fri. Don Vastine 944-7154 talking about, that's what pro fessors do; they try to motivate their students ... try to chal lenge you and push you beyond because a large part of what you learn in college is learning how to learn," responded Blumberg. He noted that the student will have to be able to dig for information on the job; the information will not be handed to the student. ". . . the othei part, I think you're right, we need to get some uniformity in our expectations. Some profes sors don't demand enough and some are too demanding, and we're working on that; we’re talking about it, trying to get uniformity in our syllabi and our expectations." To develop better com munications and break down barriers between students and faculty, a student suggested holding informal, open forums with faculty members. Dr. Blumberg said that, in his experience, such forums have not worked. He said, "I think that when you schedule something like that formally, it becomes something formal." But, he added, "It wouldn't hurt to try it." Dr. Khosrowpour said that although he would personally be in favor of the forums, faculty attendance should be voluntary. One student said the he did not feel students would attend be cause he feels that many students are apathetic. Another problem, said one student, is that students are complaining that they cannot get in to see Dr. Blumberg. Blum berg questioned if the com plaining students could not get in at the exact time they happened to be there or if it was totally impossible to get in to see him. "See, in my own defense, I have to admit that you can't always get in to see me when you want to, but remember that the division of Business has 275 graduate students. It has 565 undergraduate students. We have 30 full-time faculty and about 8 part-time faculty, and so on and so on, and then I'm involved in scheduling all these other things . . . scheduling courses and classes, working on the strategic plan. We’re trying to revise our curriculum. ... I have outside meetings and a number of things, administrative duties, within the division. But what I'm trying to say is that I'm a very busy person. That's no excuse, but it just means that like with any other executive that you sometimes just can't walk in to see him," countered Blumberg. He admitted, "Some times the secretaries get very protective of me because they know that I'm working against a very tight deadline [on the schedule]. But I think . . . it's unfair to always say that at any given time that anybody should be able to walk in my office to see me." Blumberg added, "In addition to that, anyone should be able to see me—by ap pointment. And in some cases they haven't been able to make appointments, and that I think is pretty well resolved now." Jeanette Brinker, SGA president, said that, taking a bet, she attempted to get an ap pointment with Dr. Blumberg. She succeeded. She said that she feels that students who really want to get an appointment can. "You just have to be persistent," she said. Stating that the Busi ness division is larger than many small colleges and that he has limits, Blumberg said, "We're not mean. Believe it or not we care very much about our student, most of us. We really do. But you get stretched awfully thin sometimes. . . . So, again, it's a matter of allocation of scarce resources, which is what Economics and Business is all about." "... A lot of people just want to talk to the guy in charge . . . and other people most of the time are better able to resolve the problems anyway than I am. . . . The person in charge doesn't always know the (continued on pg. 8) Page 1
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