Wright SOQs

8/12/2019 Wright SOQs

1/5

THE

The student publication of Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor, Michigan

washtenawvoice.com

A NATIONAL PACEMAKER AWARD NEWSPAPER

January 27, 2014Volume 20, Issue 12

The customers right?College keeps SOQs confidential; students say its their right to know

By NATALIE WRIGHT

Managing Editor

If youre a student at Eastern

Michigan University, you can log in

to the schools website and find faculty

and course evaluations, written by

other students, for every teacher and

every class since 2003. This tool helps

students registering for classes choose

an instructor who best fits their needs,

said Desmond Miller, EMUs student

body president. At the University of

Michigan, students may soon be able

to do the same.

Here at Washtenaw, students

evaluate their instructors and class-

es in Student Opinion Questionnaires

(SOQs), but they are not able to see and

use these evaluations when registra-

tion time comes.

If students want to share

and read instructor evaluations,

RateMyProfessors is the best method

for that, said Jennifer Baker, presi-

dent of the Washtenaw Community

College Education Association

(WCCEA).

In November, The Voicerequest-

ed the last five years of SOQs via the

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA),

in order to publish them online as a

tool for students.

WCC denied the re quest, and in

a letter to The Voice, cited two rea-

sons: First, the results are considered

Deadly H1N1 virus

hits close to homeBy James Saoud

Staff Writer

The H1N1 u virus is alive and strong

in Washtenaw County this season, and

its aimed directly at college students.

People have the stereotype or stigma

that it will only affect kids and older

adults. That is not the case Sarah Dion,

a medical assistant at the Ann Arbor

Urgent Care on Stadium Boulevard, said.It seems to be affecting college students

this year.

Two u-related deaths have been re-

ported in Washtenaw County. Though the

cases here were associated with adults

over the age of 65, many u related hos-

pitalizations and deaths around the coun-

try this year have been connected to

adults as young as their early 20s.

While it may be true that the seasonal

H1N1

CONTINUEDA6

SOQ

CONTINUED A3

If the SOQ results were available online, would you use them to register for classes?

I wouldnt have

to drop so many

classes.Taylor Sinila, 21, Ypsilanti, liberal arts

Id definitely

use it. I use

RateMyProfessor

a lot, but it has a

huge voluntarysample bias.Grace Fisher, 19, Ann Arbor,neuroscience transfer

I would use it as a factor We

all have to deal with custom-

er service if were providing

a service, and the teachers

customers are students.Cheryl Grestein, 48, Ypsilanti Township, computer science

We should know who

are good teachers. So,

if thats how they mea-

sure them, we should

know too.

Stephanie Gary-Adams, 24,Ann Arbor, arts management

Yeah, it

would

be great

to get a

heads-up.

Rob Bucklew, 41, Britton,computer networking

Yeah, I totally would. That

would be helpful, especially as afreshman. I just had to wing it.

Kayla Mays, 18, Whitmore Lake, zoology

I think thatd be great very informative for students. a lot of students

go on RateMyProfessor. its a vital tool for college students, but this would

be more legitimate. Caesar Sabuda, 21, South Lyon, pathologist assistant

Yeah, I would use it. I would

go on there every time I

register.Jasmine Hudson, 19, Ypsilanti, pharmacy

Id definitely use it. Its nice to

know what kind of teaching style

and lecturing style they have.

RateMyProfessor is the main tool I

use to pick classes, but I think this

would be a lot better, more valid.Same Kruger, 32, Ann Arbor, business

You really dont know what youre get-

ting into until you get to class, and I dont

want to pay for classes if a professor isnt

good.Tatiana Cooper, 19, Ypsilanti, forensic science

That would be useful

because some teachers

dont work for me so Irely on tutors.Levi Jones, 21, Ypsilanti, GED

I believe it would be

useful, especially for

students with learning

disabilities to see who

is the best fit for them.Tarenz Arnold, 22, Ann Arbor, generaleducation

the property of the individual faculty

member. Second, making the infor-

mation public would have a chill-

ing effect on the student body, and

stop them from filling out the SOQs

properly.

Not according to the students.

STUDENTSHAVETHEIRSAY

To address the latter, the newspa-

per surveyed more than 100 students

around campus, and found that, in fact,

making the SOQs public may have the

very opposite of the chilling effect

the school was concerned about.

Out of the students surveyed, 98

percent said they would fill out their

SOQs exactly the same, or better. 42

percent of the total said they would

devote more time and thought to giv-

ing honest, meaningful answers.

I would definitely fill it out more

honestly, said Angie Eliana, a 19-year-

old neuropsychology transfer student

from Ann Arbor. I usually just B.S. it.

Id be sure to be more honest if I knewit would affect other people.

Knowing it was going to be used

that way, it would motivate me to be

more honest, said Sophie Downes,

21, an international relations student

from Ann Arbor. People would be less

apathetic about them.

Two percent of the students said

that they would hesitate to criticize

instructors out of fear that it might

turn others away or give that instruc-

tor a bad reputation.

And 96 percent said that they would

use the evaluations when registering

for classes, if they were available.

I think that would be really helpful

in understanding what a professor is

like, said Haily Hastings, 19, a graphic

design student from Saline. If there

are multiple choices for one class, you

can pick the one whose ratings are

most tailored to how you learn.

It would be way easier to pick

classes, said Tatiana Cooper, a

19-year-old forensic science student

Any additional

information is

helpful.Alec Hocking, 19, Canton, philosophy

I think that would be really helpful

in understanding what a professor

is like. If there are multiple for one

class, you can pick the one whos rat-

ings are most tailored to how you

learn.

Haily Hastings, 19, Saline, graphic design

Yeah, I would look at it. I

think it might be better than

RateMyProfessor; it wouldnt

be just the extreme cases that

have their say; youd get more

of the middle.

Jordan Semer, 30, Plymouth, liberal arts

Thatd be

helpful.

Thatd be re-

ally helpful.Justin Brookins, 18,Taylor, graphic design

Yeah, I think we should be able to

see them, oh yes.Vanessa Love, 36, Belleville, criminal justice

Actually, yes.

Right now I just

ask friends who

they liked.Darryl Mundrick, 36, Novi, health science

Yeah, Id prob-

ably use it,

not for every

class, but for

the important

ones, the ones

that I really

care about.Lesley Blackwell, 18, AnnArbor, general education

A8

KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE

WCC students say they deserve access to instructor evaluation results; college, faculty say no

B1

Car show revs up Detroit

Can Michiganbe the nexttrailblazer?

B1

For more comments, visit http://www.washtenawvoice.com


2/5

January 27, 2014The Washtenaw Voice A3News

Treasurerrecommends

financialcommittee

Members to comefrom Board andcommunity

from Ypsilanti. You really dont know

what youre getting into until you get

to class, and I dont want to pay for

classes if a professor isnt good.

Many students noted that they al-

ready use RateMyProfessors.com, but

that SOQs would be a more accurate

measure.

I use RateMyProfessors a lot, but

it has a huge voluntary sample bias. Ithink this would be more personal-

ized and accurate and would possi-

bly lessen how students are swayed

by that voluntary bias, Grace Fisher,

a 19-year-old neuroscience transfer

student from Ann Arbor, said.

I think it would be better than

RateMyProfessors, Jordan Semer, 30,

a liberal arts student from Plymouth,

agreed. It wouldnt just be the ex-

treme cases that have their say, youd

get more of the students in the middle.

PROPERTYOFTHEFACULTY

The reason that the evaluations

are not made public at WCC, as they

are at many other schools, is because

confidentiality was written into

the Letter of Agreement that estab-

lished the SOQ procedures between

the WCCEA and the colleges Board

of Trustees. Confidentiality was one

of the facultys terms to signing on to

the letter, said Baker.

This letter established the SOQs as

the primary means of evaluation for

faculty, meaning enough bad SOQs

can be grounds for firing.

Because of this agreement, the

administration is leaving it up to the

faculty to decide whether or not they

want the SOQs released.

The administration is not releas-

ing this information at this time due

to our obligation with the faculty to

withhold the information, said Jason

Morgan, director of government and

media relations. The administra-

tion would support the faculty if theywould choose to release the informa-

tion, he said.

But the faculty is determined that

the SOQs should be kept confidential.

One of the reasons we wanted tokeep them confidential is because stu-

dents will know that they can fire fac-

ulty by it, David Fitzpatrick, chief

negotiator for the WCCEA, said.

WCC is unique in how they use

them as the primary means of evalu-

ation. The extent that the college uses

them is further than other schools

and the confidentiality agreement is

a big part of that, Baker said. It has

to be confidential because its such a

huge part of the evaluation system,

she said. You cant have it both ways.

A RELIABLEMEASURE?

Baker also noted that she doesnt

believe the SOQs are the best way for

students, or the school, to measure an

instructors value.

There is a question as to what

makes a good instructor. It means a

lot of things to different students. As

many different forms of instruction

as there are, there are also that many

types of students, Baker said.

And many students acknowledgedthat point as well.

Everyone has their own opinion

and I wouldnt want to scare any-

one off from taking a certain instruc-

tor, Brandon Rice, 26, a networking

student from Saline, said.

Several noted that, while they

would use the SOQs during registra-

tion, they would take them with a

grain of salt, and use the comments

more than the ratings.

I would use it as a factor, but not as

a determination. It really depends on

the student, how they liked someone,

Cheryl Grestein, a 48-year-old com-

puter science major from Ypsilanti

Township, said.

Any additional information is help-ful, but it might be a lot of fluff opinion.

Id be careful how much I weigh on it,

said Alec Hocking, a 19-year-old phi-

losophy student from Canton.

THECUSTOMERSRIGHT

But, while students acknowl-

edged that these evaluations are not

black and white, they still want the

information.

We should know who are the good

teachers. So, if thats how (the college)

measures them, we should know, too,

Stephanie Gary-Adams, a 24-year-old

arts management student from Ann

Arbor, said.

We all have to deal with customer

service, if were providing a service

and the teachers customers are stu-

dents, Grestein said.

This oversight will not only help

students to choose the instructors

that best fit their needs, but will also

mean a higher success rate for them

and fewer dropped classes, they said.

It will also make the college better.

It would benefit both the stu-

dents and teachers, Caesar Sabuda,

a 21-year-old pathologist assistant stu-

dent from South Lyon, said. It can

only make the teaching here better.

SOQSFROM A1

How are SOQs used?

Would you fill out your SOQs differently if you

knew the results would be available to students?

Community, lawmakersgather for importantconversationWCC will host forum that could shapeMichigans future

Students ll out Student Opinion

Questionnaires in each class toward

the end of the semester. They rate pro-

fessors in several categories on a scale

of 0-5, with 5 being the highest. When

full-time instructors receive a mean

SOQ score of 3.75 or lower, they are

agged.

First fag:The instructors dean

analyzes the SOQ data and recom-

mends key areas for intervention. It

Yeah, Id actually care.

Amaria Bledsoe, 19, Detroit, pre-med

I usually just B.S. it. Id be sure to be

more honest if I knew it would affect

other people.

Angie Eliana, 19, Ann Arbor, neuropsy-

chology

People would definitely take the

SOQs a lot more seriously.

Sam Kruger, 32, Ann Arbor, business

Probably, I would be more specif-

ic about how they taught the class. I

wouldnt just breeze through it.

Spencer Williams, 20, Ann Arbor, journal-

ism

I would actually fill them out. I feel

like theyre pointless now.

Taylor Sinila, 21, Ypsilanti, liberal arts

Id definitely fill them out better. Id

want to tell people if I got my moneys

worth.

Caesar Sabuda, 21, South Lyon, patholo-

gist assistant

I might actually add something to

the comments.

Darryl Mundrick, 36, Novi, health science

Knowing it was going to be used thatway, it would motivate me to be more

honest. People would be less apathetic

about them.

Sophie Downes, 21, Ann Arbor, interna-

tional relations

Would it change how I approach

it? No, it wouldnt change how I ap-

proach it.Ricardo Knott, 44, Canton, digital media

production

I think a lot of people just check them

off as fast as they can, they dont re-

ally think about them. They would fill

them out better definitely if they knew

it affected other people who might

take that teacher.

Tommy Lepley, 19, Ann Arbor, biology

I fill it out pretty well, but I think

other students would make it a point

to judge more critically to help others.

Alexa Lukowski, 20, Dearborn Heights,

early childhood education

It would really add value and give

students a reason to fill it out.

Eric Loveless, 19, Ann Arbor, sports man-

agement

It would make me fill it out more

accurately.

Monique Hudson, 30, Ann Arbor, nursing

I always fill them out, that absolutely

wouldnt stop me.

Chris Young, 25, Ann Arbor, computer se-

curity

I would definitely answer better or

more thorough if that were the case.

Haily Hastings, 19, Saline, graphic design

I wouldnt fill it out different if its

still anonymous. I try to be as honest

as possible.

Kelly Lambeth, 30, Ypsilanti, math and

science

Id still fill them out the same.

Jacob Fountain, 20, Plymouth, general

education

Id write a lot more.

Roderick Comer, 20, Ypsilanti, business

management

No, I put my honest opinion on there

and it would change just because itwould be published.

Tricia Gary, 18, Pinckney, welding

I would fill it out better, more

comprehensive.

Louis Flanders, 20, Ypsilanti, undecided

No, as long as my name wasnt on it.

Kayla Mays, 18, Whitmore Lake,

zoology

CAMPUS EVENTSMonday Jan. 27

WCC Career Services Series: ResumeLearn tips on how to improve your re-

sume. Improve your odds of getting the job.From noon-1:30 p.m. in the SC CommunityRoom.

Coffee NightGet a free cuppa joe from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

in the SC Community Room.

Tuesday Jan. 28Job Search Techniques WorkshopLearn about the job search process and

how to find the job that is right for you. Food

and beverages will be provided for thosewho RSVP. From noon-1:30 p.m. in the SCCommunity Room.

Study Abroad International MeetingStudy abroad meeting for all AHA

International programs and for Costa Rica:Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in SC310 and Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 5:30-6:30p.m. in SC 328.

Wednesday Jan. 29Interview Skills WorkshopLearn how to prepare for an interview,

how to research companies, and how tosuccessfully interview using appropriate skillsand behavior. From noon-1:30 p.m. in the SCCommunity Room.

Thursday Jan. 30Low Carbon Diet #1Learn how to cope with climate change

and how to reduce your carbon footprintfrom noon-2 p.m. in the SC Community Room.

Trivia NightTest your knowledge against fellow

students and compete for prizes. From 5-6p.m. in the SC Community Room.

Wednesday Feb. 5LinkedIn WorkshopLearn the basics of building a LinkedIn

profile. View examples of fellow studentsprofiles and learn from their success. RSVPis required at to www.wccnet.edu/careercon-nection, events, workshops.

Thursday Feb. 6Charter One Bank: Budgeting for

a Better LifeLearn tips on budgeting for a better life

from noon-1 p.m. in the SC Community Room.

COLLEGE VISITATIONSMadonna University

Monday, Jan. 27 from 9-11 a.m. in theSC first floorTuesday, Jan. 28 from 9-11 a.m. in theSC first floor

University of Michigan-FlintTuesday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. inthe SC first floor

Art Institute of MichiganTuesday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. inthe SC first floor

Concordia UniversityWednesday, Jan. 29 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.in the SC first floor

Eastern Michigan UniversityThursday, Jan. 30 from noon-4 p.m. inSC 206Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 1-5 p.m. in SC206

is solely the faculty members choice asto which interventions to take.

Second ag (within 36-months of

the rst):The instructors dean devel-

ops a more comprehensive plan for

key areas of intervention. It is solely

the faculty members choice as to which

interventions to take.

Third ag (within 36-months of the

rst):Grounds for termination. A panel

of three deans including the instructors

own dean considers whether mitigating

circumstances justify not terminating

the instructor. The panel forwards itsrecommendation to the vice president

of Instruction who makes the nal de-

cision on whether or not to terminate

the instructor.

If instructors are not terminated

after three ags, their continued em-

ployment is contingent on up to four

semesters without an additional ag.

If they receive a ag during this time

frame, they are immediately terminated,

subject to nal approval by the vice

president of Instruction.

SECURITY NOTESFrom redacted incident re-

ports provided by Campus Safetyand Security, and interviews withDirector Jacques Desrosiers.

Hit-and-runThe Washtenaw County Sheriffs

Department is handling a case of a hit-and-run that took place on campus on Feb. 21

at 12:50 p.m.While at a stop sign near the BE build-ing, a students blue 2014 Ford Fusion wasstruck from behind by an unknown driver,who then fled the scene before exchangingany information.

By JON PRICE

Staff Writer

Washtenaw Community College

President Rose Bellanca is invit-

ing students, staff and community

members to join her in a commu-

nity conversation this week to dis-

cuss hot-button issues Michigan

will face in 2014.

The college is partnering with

the Center for Michigan, a non-

partisan think tank, to gain insight

from students, faculty and members

of the community, on what issues

are important to them.

The meeting is set for Jan. 29.

They want to create a friendly

atmosphere, said Steve Kwasny,

26, of Whitmore Lake, a leader of

the schools Political Science Club.

The Center for Michigan is actu-

ally a survey group who will ask a

wide range of questions, on any-

thing from prison reform to taxes

and use a hot or cold scale to decidewhat the states priorities are.

Jason Morgan, the colleges di-

rector of Government and Media

Relations, explained that a forum

like this could very well shape

Michigans future.

The goal is to listen to what peo-

ple have to say all across the state,

Morgan said, and create a report

to give to legislators and say: Here

are the priorities of the citizens.The forum was open to the first

50 people to reply to the invite sent

via email to community members

earlier this month on behalf of

Bellancas office.

The smaller forum is intention-

ally used by focus groups and politi-cians to better understand the needs

of a community, according to Jenifer

Jackson-Nkansah, a communications

instructor at WCC. Its easier engag-

ing and getting a response from small-

er group.

And students seem ready to engage.

I would like to get to the bot-

tom of the marijuana law, said Paul

Erlandson, 24, of Ypsilanti, a behav-

ioral science major.

Erlandson believes in marijuana

reform, but said he wouldnt neces-

sarily smoke himself.

I want to know when I can legally

grow hemp, he said, calling it a very

useful comm odity.

Other students, like Kwasny, have

more traditional concerns.

I want to know whats happening

with student loans that are a com-

mon issue for a lot of people who walkthrough these halls, he said. I know

its a federal issue, but there ar e states

rights involved as well.

Kwasny sees meetings like the

Community Conversation as critical

in citizens having their voices heard

by legislators. Morgan says its equally

significant for lawmakers.

Its important that theyre getting

a thorough view of what their con-

stituents are feeling across the state,

said Morgan, who helped organize

Wednesdays event.The meeting is scheduled to take

place in the Morris Lawrence build-

ing, Room 150, from 4-5:30 p.m., for

those who responded to the invita-

tion in time.

By MARIA RIGOU

Editor

Washtenaw Community Colleges

Board of Trustees is looking into the

creation of a three-member nancial

committee that will deal with nan-

cial and audit responsibilities.

The recommendation comes from

Board Treasurer Pamela Horiszny and

will include two trustees the treasur-

er and an individual appointed by the

treasurer and an additional member

selected by the two members of the

committee in consultation with the

CEO and the CFO. This third mem-

ber would come from the community.

This does make a lot of sense,

Horiszny said. We are all elected

ofcials, and we cannot be sure that

we have nancial expertise among us.

This is a great opportunity to have in-

terested people from the community.

The committee members would

serve for two years and would have

the chance to renew their appoint-

ments twice after the rst term.

According to Horisznys presenta-

tion at the Jan. 14 board meeting, the

idea is that the committee meets on

a monthly basis to review the nan-

cial reports submitted to the board

and look at the overall nancial po-

sition of the college. The committee

would also meet at least once a year

to deal with relevant matters of the

operational budget.

Im glad that we are doing this;it is long overdue, Trustee Diana

McKnight-Morton said. We had a

nancial committee before but it was

not into this depth.

For more comments, visit http://www.washtenawvoice.com


3/5

THE


washtenawvoice.com


Febuary 10, 2014Volume 20, Issue 13

B4B5 B1Detroit, the mecca of ruin porn

TellingOscars

fortune

Colleges tobe rankedon success?

Find a parking spot? Thank the snow-movers

By MARIA RIGOU

Editor

Community colleges across the

country may soon see a change in

their ranking system starting next fall,

which could help students make better

choices about where they spend their

tuition dollars.

Last August, President Obama pre-

sented a proposal that, among other

things, included the creation of a rat-

ing system that will rank community

colleges. As a result, Congress can tie

federal aid to college performance,so that students can maximize their

education at schools providing the

best value.

Under this proposal, the

Department of Education will devel-

op a rating system to help students

and their families compare the value

offered by colleges and institutions

and, in turn, encourage colleges to

improve their services.

The ratings will be based on several

measures, including access (such as

percentage of students receiving Pell

grants or other forms of aid), afford-

ability (such as average tuition, schol-

arships and loan debts), and outcomes

(such as graduation and transfers rates,

graduate earnings and advanced de-grees of college graduates), according

to the White House.

In addition, by 2018, federal stu-

dent aid will be defined by Congress

By JON PRICE

Staff writer

While schools across the county

closed or canceled classes due to

snow and bitter cold, students were

able to stay indoors and catch up on

homework or sleep while snow-

removal crews were hard at work.

At Washt enaw Com mun ity

College, the grounds maintenance

staff has spent long hours clearing

snow off the parking lot and side-

walks and spreading salt to make

it safe for when classes resumed.When the college is closed,

we still have to be here , said

Rick Westcott, the grounds main-

tenance manager. The staff was

working 14-16 hours a day.

Westcott said that his staff ha d al-

ready used more than 250 tons of salt

before the end of January.

Rich Harden, the mechanic for

the maintenance department, is no

stranger to the cold Michigan winter;

however, this particularly bitter win-

ter has presented a unique challenge

for the workers.

Whats been difficult in this cold

weather is the salt, Harden said. It

has to be about 15 degrees for it to

work, and its gotte n much colder

than that.

Harden services roughly 39 vehi-

cles owned by the school and more

than 770 pieces of equipment. With14 buildings on a campus that covers

nearly 300-acres, snow removal can

be a long and daunting process.

We have staff here from 3 a.m. until

11:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday,

Westcott said.

It isnt just a day of clearing snow

in the parking lots said Randy Ferry,

a lead on the grounds crew. Its an

endless cycle.

Ferry, 44, said the crew has well over

100 years of experience between them.

I think thats part of the reason

we do such a good job, because we all

know what were doing, he added.

And he wasnt bragging either.

Extreme attention to detail by

the grounds and buildings mainte-

nance workers earned them praise

from the schools president, Dr. Rose

Bellanca, at a board of trustees meet-

ing in January.Id really like to acknowledge the

work the grounds and maintenance

staff is doing, Bellanca said, noting

that the grounds crew had even taken

Amazing grace

By MARIA RIGOU

Editor

Judith Hommel once attended a

coed softball game to show her sup-

port for the Washtenaw CommunityCollege team. But it needed one more

player or it would have to forfeit the

game.

So she kicked off her sandals and

put on a pair of cleats, and played

the game.

In a skirt.

Only Judith Hommel.

Thats what kind of teammate she

was in t he more than 25 years she

served this college before retiring

about three years ago as the execu-

tive associate to then-president Larry

Whitworth.

Her spirit of collaboration was

renowned, as was her ever-present

smile. She touched many lives, and

took on myriad projects. Years after

her departure, her fingerprints are

everywhere on campus.

She decorated the miles of hall-

ways that were sterile a nd unattract-

ive, Whitworth recalls. She loves art

and loves to learn. She has an incred-

ibly active mind.

Besides managing the WCC Art

Collection and the educational dis-

plays, Hommel has remained a vital

part of the WCC Foundation even

during her valiant battle with can-

cer, diagnosed well before she left the

college. She started the international

travel programs for students and staff.

She also helped kick off the College Is

My Future program that gave at-riskyouth in the area a sense of what col-

lege was, in hopes of preparing them

for the future.

All these things are just a s mall

sample of how Hommel served the

college and her community.

She was always willing to try new

stuff, said Linda Blakey, WCCs vice-

president of Student and Academic

Services. She is such an advocate.

Only Judith.

Whitworth remembers Hommels

benevolent spirit.

Hommel was very involved with

The Learning Institute, a non-profit

the time to clear off all the signs that

directed vehicles and marked the

buildings around campus.

Building custodians earned her

praise, too.

Everyone is bringing in all this

dirty, muddy water, Bellanca said,

and I would really like to acknowl-

edge their efforts as well.

Marcus Brown, 51, of Ypsilanti,

knows how hard it can be t o keep the

hallways safe and clean in the win-

ter time. He works in the Morris-

Lawrence building as a custodian

after finishing his shift at Ypsilanti

Community Schools during day.

Here at Morris Lawrence, its

very impor tant beca use we have somany activities at night, Brown said.

Floors get slippery and you got to be

on it.

SOQs arepublic info,

Lawyer saysBy NATALIE WRIGHT

Managing Editor

While Washtenaw Commu nity

College denied The Washtenaw Voices

request to release the Student Opinion

Questionnaires, the door has not shut

for these records to be made available

to students.

We are ap-

pealing WCCs

denial, said

Voice Ed i to r

M a ri a Ri g o u.

After consulting

with our attorney

at the StudentPress Law Center,

we are confident

there is a strong

case for why stu-

dents should

have access to this public information.

Frank LoMonte, Executive

Director of the SPLC, has advised The

Voicethat the SOQs are not exempt

from the Freedom of Information Act.

They are not personal, private

property, as the school contends, nor

are they exempt as records within

or between public agencies, as the

students are creating the documents,

not state employees, he said.

BUILDERS

CONTINUED A6

SOQS

CONTINUED A6

REFORM

CONTINUED A6

Frank LoMonte

See an instructors reaction to

SOQ issue in letter to editor on A4.

whats thewage worth?

builder

Judith Hommel KATHY STADTFELD | COURTESY PHOTO

Randy Ferry, 44, is hard at work clearing snow from fire hydrants located on campus. JON PRICE| WASHTENAW VOICE

Meet the remarkablewoman who broughtclass to Washtenaw


4/5

Febuary 10, 2014 The Washtenaw VoiceA6 News

that helps young students learn to im-

prove their academic skills that relies

on tutors to give their time helping

these students.

After her workday, she would work

with underprivileged children in the

Ann Arbor Public School system, he

said. She is the kindest, nicest, friend-

liest, most compassionate person Ihave ever met.

And th at is why th e WCCFoundation has a fund in her name.

The Judith Hommel Emergency

Fund was created by WCC staff mem-

bers Cristy Lindemann and ColeyMcLean, and it is designed to help

students who are in extenuating cir-

cumstances and their studies are suf-

fering as a consequence.

She was always helping students,

Blakey recalled.

Before coming to Washtenaw

Community College, Hommel worked

in education as a first-grade teacher.

She served as the Ann Arbor Art Fair

director and worked at the Matthaei

Botanical Gardens as the Flower Show

director. Hommel is also an accom-

plished artist, having earned a mas-

ter of Fine Arts in printmaking from

Eastern Michigan University.

Peter Leshkevich, director of

Student Development and Activities,

worked u nder Ho mmels wing for a

little more than two years until her

retirement in June 2011. He remem-

bers Hommels guidance with a spirit

of collaboration.

Judith was able to go around, liter-

ally to anyone at the college, and get

a positive response, Leshkevich said.

She was able to refocus everyone at

the college on student success and

learning, and all the amazing talent

we have here at the college.

Hommel was a woman of many

hats around WCC. She is someone

who has a pure heart. She is gracious.

And more than one person will say that

you dont come across those peoplevery often.

She really knows how to live, and

she really knows how to have fun,

Leshkevich said. (Her attitude is)contagious.

And she brings people together.

Hommels most remarkable char-

acteristic is her one-of-a-kind person-

ality. She has a naturally warm and

welcoming manner that allows her to

truly connect to every individual she

encounters on a level of friendship.

There is a group of women that

are good friends because of her, said

Wendy Lawson, vice-pr esiden t of

Advancement at the WCC Foundation.

Shes touched many lives.

Only Judith.

Lawson remembers when Hommel

won the Womens Council Unsun g

Hero Award and half of the audito-

rium was taken up with her friends,

she said.Her flaws were few, but notorious.

She did not know who the Rolling

Stones were, Lawson said. (But) she

makes really amazing guacamole.

Ac co rd in g to Ju li a Gl ei ch ,

Production Center assistant, Hommel

was a movie star who walked WCCs

hallways. Gleich worked with Hommel

before her retirement, and eventu-

ally took over an art college that dis-

tinguishes Washtenaw from other

colleges and universities because

of Hommel.

Even with her retirement, Hommel

continued to consult the Foundation

on special projects and helped Gleich

with special displays.

She is always thinking about the

college, Lawson said. She inspires

people.

Hommel has manifested a spirit

of collaboration that is embodied in

every single wall around Washtenaw

Community College. Her warm na-

ture and caring spirit is something

that defines her, and according to

Whitworth no one will have a harsh

thing to say about her. She is an ex-

ample of altruism.

She became an amazing baseball

fan, so I took her to her first baseball

game, Blakey said, adding that Detroit

Tigers catcher Alex Avila was her fa-

vorite, and she couldnt bear t o see

him injured so frequently.She would always be worried about

him, saying things like, oh, the man-

ager is playing him too many games, he

needs a rest, Blakey recalled.

Only Judith would think like that.

Judith Hommel,

graciousness personifiedJudith Hommel made a dif-

ference for others at WCC Shehas a sparkle in her eyes, a beau-

tiful smile, and Judith has always

endeavored to do good things for

others. Judith is the most gracious

person I have ever met.

Pat Taylor,

dean,Support Services and

Student Advocacy

Judiths grace and sincerity, as

well as her aesthetic and artistic

sensitivity, enhanced all that she

did for us. We were so lucky that

we had her at WCC to build student

knowledge and experience and to

grace the lives of all who workedwith her.

Nancy Ferrario,

professional faculty,

foreign languages

Judiths artistic fla ir helped in-

fuse the library with artwork. Her

partnership with the library staff

was instrumenta l in transform-

ing the Bailey Library into a place

where, we sometimes jokingly said,

you have no choice but to trip over

culture.

Victor Liu,

dean, Learning Resources

Judith Hommel is a creative

visionary whose creative talentshave been responsible for interior

designs that beautify the walls of

classrooms and hallways. Her ef-

forts inspire students and staff at


on a daily basis. She is a joy to

work with and full of ideas and

motivation.

Don King,

building maintenance painter

Judith is creative, thought-

ful and thought-provoking... She

has the made the campus more

colorful.

Todd Robinson,

building maintenance manager

She was the best, always looked

at the positive in every situation,

always had a smile on her face, and

was always willing to help anyone

out. She had boundless energy and

was involved in everything at the

school.

Rob Hagood,


physical sciences

Judith is an angel...humble, gra-

cious, and she put so much work

and effort into making WCC a beau-

tiful place. Judith also has an amaz-

ing sense of humor and a very sharp

wit about her. Judith rules.Matt Zacharias,


digital media arts

based on these ratings. Students

attending high-performing collegescould receive larger Pell Grants and

more affordable student loans.

I believe the rating system

will be accomplished as it is being

done at the moment within the

Department of Education, said

Jason Morgan, Washtenaws di-

rector of Government and Media

Relations. WCCs first priority is to

ensure the rating system measures

real student success rather than

simple completion rates, whichfail to adequately measure student

outcomes.

WCC believes that success is

defined by each student, based on

their needs. True student success

includes completion, transfer oremployment.

In response to this propos-

al, the American Association of

Community Colleges said in a press

release that the federal government

has an essential role in providing

information about the nations col-

leges, but that community colleges

do not support the ratings scheme.

Central concerns include the diffi-

culty of rating diverse institutions

and the fact that most community

college students are place-bound.

In a letter to the Department

of Education, AACCs President

and CEO Walter Bumphus said

that the organizations member

CEOs believe that the proposed

rating system is not the appro-

priate mechanism either for pro-

viding information to students or

for incentivizing higher educa-

tion institutions to improve their

performance.

Bumphus continues to explain

that community college students

do not have as much choices as the

proposal suggests.

The rating system is predi-cated on the assumption that stu-

dents have more choice between

institutions than many students,

at least community college stu-

dents, actually do, Bumphus wrote.

Overwhelmingly, our studentschoose to attend their local com-

munity college precisely because

thats what it is a conveniently

located, affordable, accessible, flex-

ible institution that has a wide array

of program offerings.

Rating two superficially similarcommunity colleges in different re-

gions, even in different parts of thesame state, is unlikely to influence

individual decision-making.

However, not all students agree

with this.

I chose WCC for the reasonable

price for what I was trying to do, said

Shane Law, a 27-year-old video pro-

duction from Hartland. If such a (rat-

ing system) existed, I would definitely

use it.

Psychology major Marko Delic, 19,

chose WCC because of its offerings

and possibilities of transfers.

If the ratings from the Department

of Education reflect the educational

level of the college, then I would defi-

nitely use those rankings, the Ann

Arbor resident said.For some students, proximity

might be an influential factor when

choosing a college, so a rating system

might not be relevant.

I never really thought about (com-

pletion rates), said Jessica Peifer, a

21-year-old undecided major from

Belleville. This was closest. And also

my cousin went here and she helped

me figure everything out.

WCC is represented at the federal

level by the Association of Community

College Trustees and the AACC.

In addition to these organiza-

tions advocacy, WCC President Rose

Bellanca expressed in a letter to

Department of Education Secretary

Arne Duncan her interest in partici-

pating in the discussion that will lead

the Department of Education to de-

velop the rating system, and expressed

the colleges concern regarding the

definition of student success that the

proposed plan presents.

Community colleges bear increas-

ing relevance in education in the

United States, as they serve approxi-

mately 12 million students across the

country, according to Morgan.

Community colleges currently

have an ally in White House admin-

istration with Dr. Jill Bidens work as

a community college professor and

President Obamas stated commit-

ment to increasing graduation at com-munity colleges, Morgan said. Biden

is the wife of Vice President Joe Biden.

The new college ratings system will

be developed before the 2015-16 aca-

demic year.

Cancellations leave students scrambling (and teachers, too)

By DAVID FITCH

Staff Writer

Hope Wade admits that shefreaked out a little bit when she

learned that her political science class

was canceled just a few days before the

start of winter semester.

And she was hardly alone.

This semester, WashtenawCommunity College canceled more

than 160 classes. But its been worse.

Cancellations in previous years have

been more severe.

Accor ding to figure s obtain ed

from Vice President of Student and

Academic Services Linda Blakey, 9.17

percent of classes offered this semes-

ter were canceled.

Cancellations have at times made

up about 12 percent of total class tally.

She noted, however, that this semes-

ters numbers remain tentative, due to

pending factors such as late-starting

courses.

Meantime, many students like

Wade found themselves scrambling

to fill the void left by courses canceled

in early January, just days before the

semester began.

Wade, a 17-year-old welding major

from Ann Arbor, was able to get an

override into another course.

David Mazza, 16, of Ann Arbor,

was less fortunate when his Spanish

course was canceled two days before

the beginning of the semester. After

he rearranged his schedule, he was

left with another problem.

At the end of it, I really wasnt left

with m uch time for w ork, said themath and science m ajor. So now hes

now looking for another job.

For some, though, the switch to an-

other course was an easy one. Rachel

Snyder, a 19-year-old nursing major

from Willis, said that she was able to

switch right over when her chemistry

class was discontinued.

And while many students were able

to adjust their schedules to accom-

modate the change, the shift caused

some bigger challenges for others on

campus. Part-time instructors often

suffer acutely from such cancellations.

Also a part- time instruc tor at

Eastern Michigan University, WCC

sociology instructor Kendra Smith

said that such sudden changes arechallenging.

From semester to semester, theres

a lot of uncertainty, she said.

At times, part-timers are relieved

of classes due to shortages and the

need for full-time instructors to fill

class quotas, said Donna Wasserman,

a full-time social science instructor.

I feel bad for the part-time in-

structors who have been here teach-

ing semester after semester. There just

arent any classes left for them after

the cancellations, she said.

In the past five semesters more

than 200 courses were canceled. The

only exception: Winter of 2012, when

162 scheduled courses didnt go.

Why is enrollment decreasing ?

Statistics suggest that the demograph-ics are changing.

Were competing among all the

different colleges for a smaller pool

of students, Wasserman said. Shealso cited the increasing number of

online courses as another reason for

the smaller number of on-campus sec-

tions being filled.

In any event, the numbers are down

from what they once were, according

to Vice President of Instruction Bill

Abernethy, who said that cancellations

have followed enrollment trends.

I think that nobody really predicted

that enrollment would start falling a few

years ago, he said, adding that this may

have led to higher cancellation rates.

Now, those who schedule classes

are doing what they can to adapt to the

change, he said.

Our enrollments are going to be fat

at best right now. So I dont think that

people are over-scheduling, he said. I

really think that they are doing the best

they can. They dont like to cancel class-

es either. Nobody likes it. The teachers

dont like it. The students dont like it.

I dont like it. Nobody likes it.

One option if your class is

cancelled: independent study

Cancellations of so-called cap-

stone courseslast courses that stu-

dents need to graduatecan stop the

progression of students through WCC.

Instructors and department heads

often need to turn to independent study

courses in order to help students con-

tinue past such a barrier.

Typically, independent study cours-

es consist of a student (or several) and

an instructor who oversees a course.

Such classes are listed as Study

Problems courses.

Often, though such courses prove

to be a difcult endeavor for all par-

ties involved, according to Dean of

Business and Computer Technology

Rosemary Wilson.

The student has to take ownership

of his or her education. Instructors who

agree to teach such courses, often with

only one student, are paid less for their

efforts than they would be paid for

teaching a full class. Departments also

must use precious resources to facili-

tate, such as classrooms, utilities and

technology.

Such courses, though, are at times

necessary to fulll WCCs stated goal

of moving students onward in their

education, said Wilson.

Independent studies can be very

valuable for students, but we are a

community college, she said. And

I dont want to use a lot of resources

toward independent study courses that

a student really should be going on to

a bachelors degree for.

According to Abernethy, the inde-

pendent study option is seldom used.

His job, he said, is to help students get

through their program at Washtenaw.

To create such a course, instructors

or students must take the initiative. A

proposal, ultimately, is brought before

the dean of the department, who de-

cides whether to approve it.

BUILDERSFROM A1

REFORMFROM A1

SOQSFROM A1

LoMonte added that he was es-pecially troubled by WCC faculty

representatives suggestion that

SOQs should not be made pub-

lic because theyre not the best,

most accurate way for students

to choose classes.

That may very well be true, he

said, but we dont withhold infor-

mation from the public just because

were afraid they might rely o n it

too heavily.

Also troubling, he said, was the

fact that WCC Education Association

President Jennifer Baker would re-

fer students to use Ra teMyProfessor,which, he said, is a completely unreli-

able source.

A person can start an account on

RateMyProfessor never having set foot

on your campus, LoMonte said.

The best-quality information is

the opinion of the entire group of stu-

dents who have most recently taken

the class, he said, and there is no

good reason to deny students access

to that information.

Judith Hommel designed many of the hallway art displays like this one in the TI

building BOB CONRADI | WASHTENAW VOICE

By David Fitch


5/5

THE


washtenawvoice.com


Febuary 24, 2014Volume 20, Issue 14

A jazzy

combinationof visual arts

and music

A8

Colleges best practicestied to state funding

Trustees zero in on student success

College mulls modesttuition rate increase

College requests extension on SOQ request

But hourly cost foronline classes may rise

By MARIA RIGOU

Editor

And NATALIE WRIGHT

Managing Editor

Tuition might rise modestly next

fall, but Washtenaw Community

Colleges rates will likely remainamong the lowest in the state, offi-

cials said.

A discussion of rate increases was

a prime topic among several when the

colleges board of trustees gathered for

their annual winter retreat on Feb. 8.

Chief Financial Officer Bill

Johnson led the tuition rate increase

discussion that was based on com-

parisons of WCC to other community

colleges in the state and also on inter-

nal factors, such as the resources that

students need to support their collegeexperience.

We have, historically, and continue

to, trend at a tuition rate below the

averages, Johnson said. And the in-

stitution is very, very proud of that.

Michigans 28 community colleges

provide more than 440,000 students

access to affordable post-secondary

education.

Gov. Rick Snyders Executive

Budget recommendation for fiscal

years 2015-16 makes an increase in the

Education fundsdistributed amongcolleges based onperformance

By MARIA RIGOU

Editor


scored the highest of all community

colleges in the state in best practic-

es, and as a result, state appropria-

tion revenue increased.

Since Gov. Rick Snyder took of-

fice in 2011, combined operations

and retirement funding for com-

munity colleges have increased by

more than $72 million, according

to the Executive Budget recom-

mendation released by the state

of Michigan.

Snyders proposed budget rec-

ommends an increase in funding of

$371.5 million, of which $173.9 mil-

lion is general fund for 2015, as wellas $390.2 million, of which $192.6

million is general fund for 2016.

Increase in state funding is dis-

tributed to colleges in two parts:

the first half of the new funding is an

across-the-board increase; the sec-

ond half is distributed based on per-

formance metrics, such as weighted

degree and certificate completions,

enrollment, administrative costs as a

percentage of core expenditures and

best practices that enhance local stra-

tegic value.

The best practices, outlined by

Snyder, are a key component in the

governors goal of ensuring that at

least 60 percent of Michigans resi-

dents have high-quality skills train-

ing, a degree or any other credential

by 2025.

Its really what the governor has

identified as the matrix for success

in the perfecting of community col-

leges, Wendy Lawson, vice president

of Advancement, said. We scored the

highest of all community colleges.

In accordance with the EducationOmnibus Appropriation Act for fiscal

year 2014, the college is required to

certify that it meets certain minimum

requirements in order to qualify forstate appropriations.

By NATALIE WRIGHT

Managing Editor

And MARIA RIGOU

Editor

The rate of success among stu-

dents is among the most important

issues facing colleges and universities.

Defining it, however, remains one of

their most difficult challenges.

This is why the Washtenaw

Community College Board of Trustees

put so much focus on it at their annual

winter retreat on Feb. 8.

The discussion, led by Trustee

Stephen Gill, served as a reminder

of the indicators that the college has

identified to define student success

and how it is, as he described it, a

backdrop for what we do.

We identified 16 possible indica-

tors of success, Gill explained. There

is no one indicator. In community col-

leges, it is not fair to say th at comple-

tion in three years is the only indicator

of success (because we serve a variety

of students) ... and in our policymak-

ing we are keeping our sight on all

of these.Even though state and federal ad-

ministrations pay close attention to

completion rates and time frames forcompletion, Gill said that the college

and the board will continue to look atthose indicators and the host of indica-

tors the college has identified, such as

student goals, transfer rates, student

satisfaction, employment rate and

employment retention rate, among

others, to define success.

Student success is what drives

everything at the college, Julie

Morrison, executive director of

Institutional Effectiveness, Planningand Accreditation said. Improving stu-

dent success through both Instruction

and Student Services led the force be-

hind WCCs strategic plan, a document

that was introduced in 2011, she said.

The strategic plan is made up of

eight priorities that involve profes-

sional development, institutional

agility, visibility and branding, work-

force development, partnerships with

K-12 institutions, funding and com-

munity development and, of course,

student success.As we evolved with the priorities

(student success) is the one that not

only involved the most people, but also

kind of imbued every other priority,

Morrison said.

At th e re -

treat, each of

Wa s h t e n a w s

vice pres ident s

presented a re-

port on where

they stand with

their strategic

plan goals and

what they re pri-

oritizing, Wendy

Lawson. vice

president of Advancement said.

And the discussion inevitably fo-

cused on the student success goals,

and there are many.

A list of 13 faculty department ini-

tiatives was presented to the trustees

at the retreat. The school is funding

TUITION

CONTINUED A5

STUDENT SUCCESS

CONTINUEDA6

FUNDING

CONTINUED A6

Wa s h t e n aw C om m u n i t yColleges General Counsel Larry

Barkoff filed a request for a 10-day

extension regarding a Freedom of

Information Act request by The

Washtenaw Voice seeking Student

Opinion Questionnaires.The request for an extension, in

accordance with the FOIA, was made

on Feb. 19.

On Feb 10 The Voice filed its

appeal of the colleges denial of the

FOIA request for the last five yearsof SOQs.

The college said it would make

a decision on whether or not to re-

lease the SOQs by March 5

The little campus squirrel stood stoically near the GM building unaware of his

increasing popularity with the students walking by. See page A5

KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE

Sulaiman Shaikh, 32, moved from California to Michigan and is his first semester at WCC. Already looking for a college to trans-

fer to, Shaikh spoke to Daniel Medrow, a senior adviser for Eastern Michigan University during the WCC Transfer Fair, an event

that hosts representatives from more than 50 colleges and universities in the Student Center. Its an opportunity for students to

collect information on prospective colleges and ask questions about their t ranscripts. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE

Wendy Lawson

Going Places

Documents

Wright SOQs