Page 1.indd - Wingspan

16
Wingspan
campus news
October 10, 2011
wingspan.lccc.wy.edu
Faculty suggest changes in calendar
By Will Hebert
Co-Editor
The proposal
for Laramie County
Community College’s
academic calendar for
2012–2013 has incorporated
suggested changes
from Faculty Senate
because of concerns
raised by faculty about
the current calendar.
The calendar was
drafted by a calendar
committee Sept. 15 and
sent to the Learning
Leadership Team (LLT).
LLT is comprised of
deans and led by the vice
president of instruction,
Dr. Marlene Tignor, for
review and approval,
said LCCC instructor of
English Liz Jackson. She
was also a member of the
calendar committee.
An email sent to faculty
by Faculty Senate’s
president and LCCC
instructor of economics
and finance, Jeff Shmidl,
said two senators,
Jackson and instructor
and coordinator of
physical education Cindy
Henning, served on the
committee to represent
faculty concerns.
“The goal of the committee
was to come up
with something that,
hopefully, works better
for students because
we lose lots of instruction
days this semester
because of the way things
are going, and there’s an
inequitable distribution
of certain days of the
week, and that’s not good
for students,” Jackson
said.
Shmidl’s email said
faculty members were
asked for input early this
semester, and concerns
were brought to the committee
on faculty’s behalf.
One of the concerns
brought to the committee
by faculty was the
inclusion of five days of
in-service in which no
classes were held to begin
the fall 2011 semester
and only one to begin the
spring 2012 semester.
The calendar for
2011–2012 had a total
of nine in-service days
scheduled.
During the beginning
of the fall 2011 semester,
in-service days were
held on Aug. 15–19, and
classes began Aug. 22.
The 2011–2012 calendar
scheduled grades to be
due by noon on Dec. 13,
and an in-service day is
scheduled for Dec. 14.
For the spring 2012 semester,
the calendar has
scheduled an in-service
day on Jan. 9, and classes
begin Jan. 10. At the
end of the semester, the
2011–2012 calendar has
final exams scheduled
on May 2–4, commencement
scheduled on May
5 and in-service days
scheduled for May 9–10.
The calendar committee
included a total of
seven in-service days in
the 2012–2013 calendar,
with four in-service days
scheduled for the fall
2012 semester and three
in-service days for the
spring 2013 semester,
said Shmidl’s email.
Another issue addressed
on the new
calendar was the date
grades will be due. For
the first time, grades
this year will be due
before the end of faculty’s
contract days, meaning
faculty will have to work
at the college after final
grades had been given
and after commencement.
These days have
been eliminated in new
draft calendar.
The schedule for final
exams has also been
changed in the current
draft of the 2012–2013
academic calendar. This
year, three days were
allocated for final exams,
but next year’s calendar
would return to four
days for exams for both
semesters, Shmidl’s email
said.
Jackson said the
Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday of the 16th
week of the semester
would be allocated to
exams; Thursday would
be a flex-day, and final
grades would be due
Friday at noon.
The email also said
faculty were concerned
about lost days of instruction
in the previous
year’s calendar. Because
of this, the new draft
calendar more closely
resembles the academic
calendar for 2010–2011,
with 76 teaching days
in the fall and 74 in the
spring.
The loss of a day being
set aside for advising was
another concern brought
forth by some faculty,
Shmidl said. He said the
new draft calendar has
no day set aside with
no classes for advising
because not all faculty
support an advising day.
Jackson agreed faculty
have different opinions
regarding a day being set
aside for advising.
“We were not able
to get advising day
back, and the committee
acknowledged that
not everybody is going
to be happy about that,
but there are cases both
for and against advising
day,” Jackson said. “And
for programs that are
very heavy on advising
day, I think that there
might be some opportunities
to make it a little
bit easier by working
with student services, but
those need to be discussed
further.”
Shmidl said Faculty
Senate will gather input
on the number of faculty
who support advising day
before the next calendar
is drafted.
The equality of days
of the week for classes
that meet only once a
week was another issue
faculty wished to have
addressed, Shmidl’s
email said. Shmidl said
the 2011–2012 academic
calendar had only a difference
of only one day
between classes held
once a week.
Jackson said unequal
distribution of days
could give classes that
meet once a week fewer
class periods.
“For example, if you
have a Monday night
class, you could have
only 14 Monday night
classes based on a
certain calendar, but,
really, it should be 15,”
Jackson said. “So we
were trying to make
that distribution more
equal.”
According to
Shmidl’s email, other
issues faculty wanted
addressed were as follows:
• Too few class preparation/planning
days
the week before the
semester starts;
• The semester ending
on a Tuesday, then
starting final exams
the next day on a
Wednesday of the 16th
week of the semester;
• Midweek start days;
• The date of commencement
in relation
to scheduling and the
availability of venues.
For example, the
Cheyenne Civic Center
cannot be booked
until after Jan. 1;
• Midsemester break;
• LCCC’s spring break
not matching Laramie
County School District
No. 1’s break;
• Students with schedules
for the Albany
County Campus and
the University of
Wyoming that do not
match;
• And input into inservice
schedule and
speakers.
Jackson said the
proposed calendar has
scheduled classes for
the fall 2012 semester to
begin Aug. 20, classes for
the spring 2013 semester
to begin Jan. 14 and
graduation to take place
May 11, 2013.
Jackson said LLT
examined the document
Sept. 19, and Vice
President Tignor said
the drafted calendar has
yet to be approved.
Alleged murderer of two
students pleads not guilty
A plea of not guilty has been entered for a local man
accused of murdering two Laramie County Community
College students and critically injuring a third.
Local public defenders Bob Rose and Mitch Guthrie
are representing Nathaniel Castellanos, 32, who has been
charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one
count of attempted murder in Laramie County District
Court.
Special prosecutor Natrona County Michael Blonigen has
yet to announce if the death penalty will be sought.
For more information about the shooting on Aug. 23,
visit:
wingspan.lccc.wy.edu/issues/Sept11/News/shooting.html.
Nursing scholarship created
Nursing students at Laramie County Community College
hope to raise money to start a nursing scholarship fund
in the honor of Megan McIntosh and Brent Twitchell, who
died during the first month of classes this semester. At least
$2,500 is needed to be eligible for one-to-one state matching
funds. McIntosh was the class secretary for the nursing
program, and Twitchell served as a class leader.
In addition to the LCCC memorial garden for students
and staff who have died, the nursing students would like to
further the remembrance of their classmates with a scholarship.
The scholarship is managed through the LCCC
Foundation, and for further information on the scholarship
or how to donate, contact Brenda Laird, LCCC Foundation
director of scholarships and annual giving, at 778-1372.
Wellness events planned
Laramie County Community College Counseling and
Campus Wellness has several fall events that are designed to
help increase self-awareness, an understanding of mental
health issues, and improve self-care. These events are open
to faculty, staff and students with a few events open to the
community.
Oct. 12, 1 p.m.–2 p.m.
Creative Wellness: Using Photography to Help
Understand Yourself and Your Emotional Health (Part
1). This event will be held in CCC 178, and an RSVP is required
as well as a digital camera. To RSVP, call 778-4397.
Oct. 19, 1 p.m.–2 p.m.
Creative Wellness: Using Photography to Help Understand
Yourself and Your Emotional Health (Part 2). This event
will be held in CCC 178, and an RSVP is required as well
as a digital camera. To RSVP, call 778-4397.
Oct. 20, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Domestic Violence Awareness Information Table. This
event will be held on the CCC landing and is open to the
community as well.
Oct. 31, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Gatekeeper Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training.
This event will be held in CCC 178, and snacks will be
provided. This event is open to the community as well,
and space is limited, so RSVP at 778-4397.