Columbia College Chicago Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago Columbia Chronicle College Publications 3-24-1997 Columbia Chronicle (03/24/1997) 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 (03/24/1997)" (March 24, 1997). Columbia Chronicle, College Publications, College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago. http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/cadc_chronicle/378 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 CHRONICLE 0 f C OLU M 5 COLLEGE c li C A C 0 VOL. XXX, No. 21 March 24, 1997 Test time at Columbia Admin. prepares for checkup by accrediting association By Jason Kravarik Foley said the college has received some together a self-study. In a memo announc­ eral financial aid because the government A.ui.Ua/11 New.r Editor calls from people who have heard bits and ing the formation of the steering commit­ only issues aid to studems attending pieces about the evaluation and were con­ tee that will draft the report, President accredited colleges. It also ensures incom­ Usually, it's the Columbia staff mem­ cerned that the school was being investi­ John Duff said the "self-s tudy wi ll deter· ing students that Columbia has been bers that are testing the students. But this gated. mine how well Columbia meets NCA"s reviewed and found to meet certain stan­ time, Columbia Collge is being given a "Every ten years the NCA will check requirements" as well as to plan ways to dards. she said. test of sorts by a regional accrediting asso­ back with us," Foley said. 'This wasn't improve programs and operations here. Each individual department is expected ciation. triggered by anything that happened. [The The fi nal document will be compiled to begin drafting up a report within the Contrary to what some people have checkup] is based on criteria they (NCA) from individual reports by each depart­ next two semesters. Some departments heard, though, Columbia is not under consider a good and accredited college ment, asking what's working and what's have issued tests to their students, while review and not in any apparent danger of should have." not others. like the Art department. are evalu­ losing its status as an accredited college, Foley said the consensus among admin­ "l! 's like when you have a party, you ating students· work samples. The final said Anne Foley, director of institutional istrators is that the school will pass. clean the house and fix the things that are report will be assembled by the Steering research for the college. "Everyone in a responsible position broken," Foley said. "'[The NCA report] Commillee under the direction of Foley, Instead, the school is up for a routine here at Columbia is confident we will be forces us to find time to do something we who serves as the Coordinator. II is review by the North Central Association re-accredited .. " she said. probably should do anyway.'" expected to be "wmpleted a few months of Colleges and Schools (NCA). That's the Members of the NCA will visit Being accredited by the NCA carries before the site survey is conducted by the Chicago-based group that evaluates the Columbia in April of 1999. In preparation more than just bragging rights. Foley said NCA in 1999. performance of colleges in a 19-state area. for their visit, the college is requi red to put its important for students who receive fed- English dept. opens Columbia rav computer lab By Danielle Hirsch Pentium computers arc arranged catches Senior Writer in clusters of three, with a Spring sports teacher's station in the middle of A new computer-as•isted the lab. The teacher's station has fever writing lab in the English depart­ a separate monitor for everyone ment has taken off this semester to view. All of the computers in with positive results. A software the lab are linked to a shared program called Norton Textra printer. Connect (compatible with Word The computers in the lab arc 7 .0) provides a network writing connected to a network. This Columnist Sara environment for students taking means all students wi II have Willingham analyzes English Composition I and II, access to the same information. the upcoming baseball ESL composition and For example, a student may write season and takes a Developmental Composition. a paper and post it to the net- look at the NCAA's With the new program. Dell road to the Final Four. See Lab page 2 See page 18. E-mail among issues raised at meeting By Rui Kaneya meeting as advisors. StaffWritu "I am interested in hearing from students in a continuing way," said Thompson. " I! would be With ·the advent of growing computer technolo­ helpful, if students want it, to have an on-going gy, many educators around the country are explor­ forum." ing the idea of a "virtual university" as a way to A possible enactment of a Columbia e-mailing improve the quality of teaching. system was among many issues raised at this Professors, who use computers primarily for two-hour meeting. The consensus among eight stu­ word processing, are now turn- dents at the meeting was that ing to electronic mail to commu- e-mail and other basic technolo­ nicate with students and to fos­ gies should be available to stu- ter out-of-class discussions. Lrss afflurnt students dents, and that complex tech­ Some courses are already taught suffer fnun TLTR niques won't be required to set entirely on the Internet, through up these services. videoconferencing or with incom pctcau·c In some universities and col­ e-mail, leges, almost every student and Other schools, including faculty member has direct, con­ Columbia College, seem less Sec cditodal. page II venient access to a wide range of certain that instructional tech­ up-to-date information resources nology will ever enjoy wide- and technology applications like spread popularity. e-mail. Columbia has yet to offer e-mail accounts to stu­ But the question facing Columbia is whether . dents. And it is still not certain whether the college e-mail makes sense financially for students. The will ever offer that service. college has to find the way to somehow finance its To discuss the issue and to reflect students' service. "There's an argument that I" ve heard many ·. views on technology, the student technology round­ Urnes: Why should we pay students [for e-mail ser­ table meeting was held March 13. vice]? We. don't pay them for their phone bill. We It was the college's first attempt to incorporate don't pay for their stamps," Katz said. "It seems to students.' ideas in its effort to fully integrate com­ me that the only way to fund something like this is puter technologies into its system. Peter Thompson. the way we fund school newspapers. See Page 2 assoCiate academic dean, and Brian Katz, facilitator for faculty technology support, presided over the See E-Mail, page 2 2 NEWS March 24, 1997 TilE CHRONICLE Journalism Department Students venture abroad 623 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 802 Culture shock is inevitable for students leaving their roots to study overseas Chicago, Illinois 60605 International Education. The top Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, as part of its International ByCiaudia Rivera five countries for U.S. students Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Session. News desk: Staff Writer s,tudying abroad in 1994-95 were Malaga. The tour leader will be 312-663-1600 Ext. 5343 Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Humanities professor RoseAnna 'This is the first time both of Participating in a study abroad Mexico. Mueller, who teaches Spanish at these trips are being offered Photo desk: program can help students Columbia and has written exten- through Columbia," said Marijo become more competitive in the Europe is still the most popu- s ively on Hispanic issues. The Millette of the College Relations 312-663-1600 Ext. 5732 global marketplace while provid­ lar destination for approximately trip is sponsored by Columbia2, and Development Department. ing valid experience. two-thirds of U.S. college stu- the Division of Continuing Advertising desk: dents, but the report shows a Education in the Arts and The five-day trip is for young 312- 663-1600 Ext. 5432 Columbia's study abroad pro· growing number are venturing Communication at Columbia. people age 9-15 and begins gram is in the summer and runs further afield. The number of stu- The cost is $2,800 per person August II with a week of pre-trip from mid-June through July at dents going to Africa increased double occupancy which orientation activities at the col­ FAX: Darlington, home of a well­ by 25 percent to 1,840, while includes round-trip airfare, first­ lege. Campers, their counselors 312-427-3920 known progressive arts college in those going to Australia, New class travel within Spain, four­ and teachers then travel to Vienna rural southwest England. The z c a I a n d star hotel for a fully supervised five-day art E-mail: focus is to give Columbia stu­ and the ..-=:-=-=-----------. a c com mod a- and music tour, returning Aug. Chron96@ dents a broad but critical expo­ P a c i f i c ti ons, daily 22.