Stetson Reporter

Stetson University February 9,1993 Volume 105, Number 15 INSIDE • Director of Residential Life supports student's stand on alternative lifestyles. Page 2 • Black History mbnth is celebrated with' a_ cajander of events. Page 6 • Photo montage of Homecoming events. Page 8 x Baseball team sweeps Mercer In first three games of season. Page 13 Modifications may be made to save Winter Term Serge Wk Desir Staff Writer In the final weeks before the Faculty's decision on Winter Term, Eric Carr has been a busy man. Carr, Chair of the Student Government Student Association's Academic. Affairs committee, has been the liaison between the Faculty and the Student Body concerning this hot subject. Recently in an interview, Carr discussed the history and possible future of the Winter Term conflict. "Comes and goes," Carr replied to the history of keeping or ending Winter Term. Carr explained that five years ago, Winter Term was challengedby some members ofthe Faculty. Carr speculated that to many ofthe Faculty, particularly the newer professors, Winter Term was a large gap of time in which very little teaching or learning could be done. However, Carr believed that, like five years ago, there is a chance that Winter Term will continue to be an integral part of Stetson because the Faculty "...seems to feel adding a week to or modifying [Winter Term] would be fine." Carr said, that in the long ran, that the Faculty wants to compromise with students, especially after the Winter Term Surveys, which had been distributed last Novem- Rumors unfounded: numbers same as .'92 By Becky Bridges Assistant Editor-in-Chief With the return of students to the campus for Winter Term, a rumor started to circulate that there were significantly fewer students returning to Stetson than had left after the fall semester. According to the rumor, anywhere from 200 to 400 students were not returning to Stetson for the remainder of the academic year, for reasons ranging from low GPAs to financial difficulties. Another part ofthe rumor was that many ofthe students who supposedly did not return were freshmen. Thepercentage of students who stay on at an institution until graduation is called the retention rate. According to Dr. John Schorr, Director of Institutional Research for Stetson, these rumors of a drastic decrease in students returning to Stetson after the fall semester are unfounded. Dr. James Beasley, Vice President and Dean of Cam pus Life, also commented that the rumors were unfounded. Beasley noted that the number of students in the residence halls during the first week of this spring semester is the exact same number, coincidentally, as during the first week ofthe 1992 spring semester. This static reten- tionrate inthe residence halls could be used as an indicator ofthe university retention rate, according to Beasley. The retention rate of students who enter Stetson and stay on until they graduate is about 60%, according to Beasley. Schorr commented that our retention rate is about average for an institution of our level of selectivity. However Beasley commented that this is slightly below a 70% retention rate that universities of our size and type average, and : increasing our retention rate to 70% . orMgher is a goal ofthe university. Schorr said that there has been no significant change in the University's retention rate in the past five years. ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ber, revealed how students felt. Due to the response ofthe students, Carr explained, many ofthe opinions of the Faculty have taken a change for the better. '"... seems to feel adding a week to, or modifying [Winter Term] "would be fine." —faculty response to keeping Winter Temi Carr strongly encouraged students to continue to show the same interest in Winter Term again as the final decision will be made. A Winter Term Forum was held on Monday, February 8 in the ElizabethHall Auditorium. Carr believes that a positive response by the studentbody would greatly influence thermal decision that will be made by the Faculty Monday, February 22. Carr expects Winter Term to be around for some time. '' If nothing else," Carr said, "students interact with the Faculty and community [during Winter Term] moire that any other time of the year." To him Winter Term is a time that encourages growth that without is "something you cannot teach.'' t.''". x1<?. * i> '■%" ^A1" *fci' -r>.i .\,*-,: < *:,v A-151" <, 4?'X i" * vf.' - "7^' *t*l™, ''? . ' ■ . ' ■ K*. ■IV i •* 'A-.'•*<> ' i'. -v This normally nocturnal raccoon has become a friend to the residents of Stetson Hall. He scurries across the lawn and up the trees surrounding the building and can be seen roaming around during the lunch hour, (photo by Garrett Granroth)