freshman year class finally clears hurdles

8/8/2019 Freshman year class finally clears hurdles

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Freshman year course finally clears hurdles

_

ly Christopher TrayEDITOR

For those freshmen who may

struggle with the adjustment to

college life, the Department ofAcademic Support Services is

currently offering a course toaid in the transition to college.

The course, Freshman Yearlnquiry (FYI), was passed bythe Edinbonr llniversitycurriculunr comrnittee just llslspring. Many othcr universitiesalready offer this sorr offreshman orientation class.

"As far as discussins the

process we had to go through inorder to get this course

approved, ten yerus ofperseverance pretty much sums

it up," said Gloria Furcron, an

Act l0l counselor with the

Department of Academic

Support Services and ao

instructor for the class.

FYI is a course that offers

incoming freshmen and transfer

students with less than 24

c:redits an opportunity to learn

about whirt it takes to be a

successful college studcnt.

"Basically, we try t<l provide

skills that will make these

college is all about," said

Furcron. "We teach about the

ideas of success, timemanagement, listening skills inand out of the classroom,

money management, healthy

decisions, stress, sexuality,

drugs, diversity, and basically

the setting of standards foryourself to achieve personal

integrity."

"Ten years of

perseverance

pretty much

Bruce Skolnick, coordinator

of the general studies program,

agrees that FYI is an absolute

necessity for those incoming

freshmen who have yet to

declare a major.

"Apart from the difficulty ofchoosing a field of study," said

Skolnick, "FYI helps prepare

these students to do so, simplyby providing them with some ofthe essentials that will help

prepare them for a career.

Those students who regularly

attend the course, participate,

and show a high level of interest

may, down the road, be more

skilled at managing their time

and resources than, perhaps

students who have not beenplaced in the course."

Kelly Hughes, a freshman inSkolnick's class, thinks the

course should be offered to allincoming freshmen.

"This course deals with the

management of time and alsoaids in giving you ways toimprove your studying,"Hughes said. "I think it should

be offered to all incomins

approved by the curriculum forthe next two years saidSkolnick.

Because the course isprefaced with an 010 class

category, the three creditsgained from passing the course

do not count towards graduationrequirements; however, if the

course is taken with nine other

credits, students will still be

considered under full-timestatus.

APSCUF contends that rhcState System docsn't bclicvc lhcfaculty has the whcrcwitlrll tostrike. It was also notctl irr tltce-mail that in thc evcnt ol' a

strike, SSHE plans to kccp irll of'its campuscs up anrl runrring,with staffing prirrrirrily cotnirrgfrom temporary cmployccs.

According to an AssociatcdPress article, howcvcr, SSI lEspokesman Kenn Marslrall saidthere are no plans to hirc

replacement faculty or rrssignmanagers to teach in thc cvcntof a strike.

SUnS it Up." freshman and not just those who

_Gloria Furcron have yet to declare a major."Srnce the course is beins

-

offered on a pilot basis, it ii

APSCUF . . . continued from page I

that point," said Thomas S.Giotto, SSHE's chief negotiator.

Compensation being frozenfor both summer school andclass overloads at the 1995 ratewere two additional concerns ofAPSCUF.

For a strike to occur on thepart of the faculty union, thereare four steps that must be

taken.

First, The LegislativeAssembly must authorize a

strike authorization vote to betaken among the faculty. Thisstep was completed in April.

Secondly, by virtue of a

secret ballot, the faculty mustcast enough votes to authorizethe Executive Council to call a

strike. This vote will take place

on Monday, Sept. 27, and

Tuesday, Sept.28.Third, the negotiations teanr

must inform the State ExecutiveCouncil that negotiations are at

an lmpasse.

And finally, the last step

involves the State ExecutiveCouncil actually calling a strike.

According to a campus-widee-mail sent out to EdinboroLlniversity faculfy last week,

incoming freshmen more

effective as college students,"

said Carol Gleischner, another

Act l0l counselor who also

teaches the course.

Students are instructed on

how to delve into campus

resources, in addition to

learning study habits and

contemporary health issues.

Computing and library skills are

also taught, and the sharpening

of study skills and time

management are featured as

well."Basically, this coursc

provides an overview ol' what