Columbia College Chicago Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago Columbia Chronicle College Publications 2-17-1997 Columbia Chronicle (02/17/1997) Columbia College Chicago Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/cadc_chronicle Part of the Journalism Studies Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Columbia College Chicago, "Columbia Chronicle (02/17/1997)" (February 17, 1997). Columbia Chronicle, College Publications, College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago. http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/cadc_chronicle/373 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. It has been accepted for inclusion in Columbia Chronicle by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. THE CHQONICLE 0 f COLUMB CO LLE GE c t1 C ACO VOL. XXX, No. 16 February 17, 1997 A 'Sylvan' setting for an urban school By Michelle S. DuFour programs," Starkovich said. "It's a win-win situation," Starkovich said. Assistant Features Editor "Columbia has always had a long hi story of trying to Sylvan had a representative at registration where stu­ provide for its students," said Caroline Lana, Academic dents showed interest in the program. "Initially, though, A new Sylvan Learning Center, one of several pilot Dean, "And one of the things that came about from the programs throughout the nation, will be opening this week examinations in the fa ll is that, as of next, year Columbia See Center, next page in room 3 11 of the Wabash Building. will require new students to take three years of math ." The learning center is unique because, unlike the in­ So with that in mind, the school hypothesized that stu­ house programs, Columbia has contracted with Sylvan, dents will need help to meet this requirement. which is a for profit operation. Although there are also two pilot programs in the math Sylvan Learning Centers began in the mid-70s, with its and science depanment , the school thought they would roots in remedial instruction. Then in the 80s, Sylvan take advantage of outside programs offered, Lana said. started providing services for businesses, and it has only Based on the testing, " ... there are student s who would been in the last couple of years that Sylvan has provided benefit from help in both math and reading," Lana said. services for colleges. Now, Sylvan is known for providing And since Sylvan has workshops in math, reading, writing quality, individualized programs for learners of all ages and spelling, "we decided to examine how thi s approach and skills, said Mark Starkovich, Director of the Sylvan reaches students versus in-house programs." College Studies Center. Along with the in-house programs, the Sylvan The only other colleges involved in the Sylvan Learning Center costs nothing for students. No college Learning program are Towson State in Maryland and credit is given for being in the program. However, if a stu­ Howard University, Starkovich said. "And certain schools dent completes the program they will receive $300 credit in Texas are planning in the next couple of months to do for the fall semester. as Columbia is doing here: to provide services to students "We know that schedules are tight, but you have to find to do better in their course work." free-time to take advantage of the programs available," As part of several pilot programs, the Sylvan learning Latta said. "So we decided that if students complete the Photo by Blair Fredrick center will be evaluated after this semester " .. .to see if the 13- or 14-week Sylvan program, we will give them $300 The acclaimed Buto-Sha Tenkei performed last week benefits of this service equal or surpass the ones of other towards fall tuition." at Colu mbia's Dance Center. See story, page 6. It's zn the mail... Out with old, in with Late mail permit payment gives Columbia's own 'Pony Express' the same bad rep as the USPS new: A guide to class By Sheryl Tirol But with that the Academi c For three days the reception desk Correspm1dent Computing Deptartment added new the mail that was coming in, . classes to their program, they are: marked from January 14 through With the Spring '97 semester Computer Programming for Interactive have been wondering why your Financial aid advisors were swamped already underway, new changes are Multimedia, Digital Video for aid information is not complete, promissory notes, award letters and arrising, especiall y in the curriculum. Multimedia Productions and Digital · s a reason why. applications for financial aid. Due to low enrollment, many class­ Video for Seminar. Another depanment January 14, the Business reply permit, "Three weeks of mail showed up es or cenain sections were cancelled. that also had a low enrollment was the allows postage-paid envelopes to be three to four days. All we did was open But, at the same time, some depart­ Science and Math Department. Classes to Columbia, expired. The problem said John Olino, Director of Financial ments added new classes to their cur­ cancelled in this department were caught until mailroom staff noticed 'This is very unfortunate from a riculum, thus reviseing their program. :Carbon Connection (Chemistry), one postage-paid mail was coming in. The financial aid and student services point Spring semester at Columbia tends section of Chemistry and Daily Life, a three week delay on much of the view," Olino said. to be a time where not as many stu­ Genetics, one section of Planetary of mail-including many Columbia He added that this couldn't have dents decide to take classes, therefore Geology, two sections of Elementary financial aid information. at a worse time. Financial aid enrollment is dramatically lower. Algebra, one section of Intermediate not taking this lightly," said Bob dealing with registration, 1996-1 In some cases, the faculty must use Algebra, one section of Electronics for room coordinator. tions and 1997-1998 renewal ap~11i cati cm s l the spaces that's available, and if Audio Lab and Science of Accoustics noticing the mail problem, Keck coming in. Much of the business reply aroom is only offered during a cenain !!.Chairman of the Math and Science the Loop Station Post Office at 2 II S. requires a response from the Advisors. day or time, scheduling can become Dept. Charles Cannon also said that it St. He said the post office told him the As of this past week, the office has problematic. was due to a low number and because · had expired in mid-January and that up with the mail, but advisors still And if instructors need equipment, they could only run one section of cer­ left a message informing the mail backlog of work to deal with because of as most departments teachers do, acco­ tain classes, but it was not conducive to delayed mail. modations must be made. run both of the same classes. "I never received a call and the other staff "We have had a lot of complaints from Chairman of the Academic Lisa Martain, faculty member of the people didn't either," Keck said. dents at the front desk because it Computing Department Rebecca Dance Dept., al so said that they had to '1'his has never happened since I' ve been information) was held up at the Courington said the main reason was cancel some classes but only a few here," added Keck, who has been in the mail­ office."added Marlieta Davis, Financial the lack of enrollment, as did many of were: Begining Technique, African room for six years. receptionist. other facul ty members. Dance Forms , Jazz Ill and Begining Kcck had a check cut to pay for the permit Olino said he doesn't believe in The Academic Computer Tap (although new sections were added the accounting fees. He arrived at the time on placing blame, but instead Depanment cancelled the following: to accomodate for cenain classes). post office after 4:30 PM on Jan. 31 , but the rather work to solve the problem. He also Experimental Imaging, Computer The Marketing Dept. had 13 cancel­ window had closed and he could not pay at that now that Keck knows about this, it wil Il lustration, CD ROM Multimedia lations in classes but also opened up that time. On Monday, Feb. 3, he paid the bill never happen again. Workshop, Computer Controlled three new classes: Database Marketing, and on Thesday, Feb. 4, the business reply Install ation Environment and mail started to arrive. Creati ve Presentation Graphics. 2 NEWS February 17, . 1997 TIJE CHRONICLE Student Life hands out Valentine's Journalism Department 623 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 802 condoms to Columbia students Chicago, lllinois 60605 News desk: e office's Annual Valentine's Day (312) 663-1600 Ext. 5343 vent goes well-for another year Photo desk: (312) 663-1600 Ext. 5732 By Edwina Orange Lion ," said Madeline Roman­ Staff Writer Vargas, assistant to the dean of Advertising desk: student life. "It's the perfect gift (312) 663-1600 Ext. 5432 This year's annual Sexual and the safest gift for the week­ Transmitted Disease Awareness end.", said Michael Carter, a FAX: Day held on Feb. 13, offered sophomore fi lm student (312) 427-3920 more than 4,000 STD protec­ Planned Parenthood, tion packets for students. Columbia's library and the e-mail: For the past five years. the Academic Advising Office Chron96@ interaccess.com Studen t Life Organization has were among other organizati ons been servi ng the school's com­ that assist student life in making munity with these helpful pack­ it possible for them to learn Web page: ets to protect the one you're more about STDs and absti­ http://wwwS.interaccess.