Stetson Commons 1992-3-3

Commons A Newsletter for Parents of Stetson Students 1992 Voh III No. 3 Ric Whitted of DeLand (right) talks about Youth Motivators with (left to right) physics professor Bruce Dubendorff and Hollis Leadership Program Director Robert Leahy before the trustees' dinner honoring student organizations. IStetson honors student volunteers \ ^tetson campus organizations and the individual student leaders who serve the campus and the larger university community were formally recognized twice in May during the first annual Campus Life Awards Ceremony May 1 and by the Board of Trustees May 14- "Campus life and the wider community benefit from all the energy students put into activities outside the classroom," explained Nancy Jones, assistant dean of campus life, as she presented certificates of recognition for outstanding service to representatives of five organizations: - BACCHUS (Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning Health of University Students), Teri Anderson, president, for Safe Holidays and Safe Spring Break programs; - Into the Streets, Hilary Latcheran, president, for coordination of a wide range of student volunteer projects; - Multicultural Student Council, John Murphy, chairman, for special Hispanic, Native American and Asian American programming; - Students Together Against Sexual Assault (STASA), Andrew Daire, president, for programs on issues of relationships, sexual assault and date rape, and sexuality awareness; and * Youth Advocating Planetary Improvement (YAPI), Courtney Brown, president, for organizing Stetson's recycling program and beach and street cleanup programs. Stetson trustees paid tribute to 13 student service groups, ranging from Amnesty International to Stetson Athletes in Action. Receiving special recognition were Youth Motivators, winners of several national awards; YAPI; and Habitat for Humanity. Jones noted that Stetson has 80 recognized student organizations, and most of them have community service projects. "It's important to have variety so each student can find a slot that fits, whether his or her interest is academic, religious, or community service," she said. Graduate assistant Joe Hess of Rockledge, coordinator for a student- administration project which resulted in the development of The Pit outdoor recreation and performance area on campus, received a Stetson hat from Dean of Campus Life James Beasley during the Campus Life Awards Ceremony. Also recognized were J. Ollie Edmunds Student Service Award winners: Jane Fleming, a freshman education major from Plantation; seniors Elizabeth Kinane, Maitland, psychology, and Melissa Mead, Mendham, NJ, sociology; and Angela Paumier, a junior management major from Clearwater. The awards, funded with money raised by students during the annual Hatter Holiday activities, are presented for service to the Stetson community. Survey shows you like Stetson, trust your student Results of Stetson's first survey of current parents are still preliminary, but three things are clear: 1) parents are interested in the university (60 percent responded to the questionnaire); 2) they are generally pleased; and 3) they are ready for Stetson to offer students more opportunities to take responsibility. Many of the questions were open-ended to invite frank comments, and Institutional Research Director John Schorr is still tabulating these responses, but among the general findings: -95% of parents responding said Stetson has met expectations for their student's academic development. - 91% would encourage their student to attend Stetson if he or she were graduating from high school today. - 84% said their student will return to Stetson this fall (another 14% said their student is graduating). - Responding freshmen parents see Stetson as friendly (84%), challenging (79%), personal (67%), intellectual (65%), and prestigious (64%). - Nearly two thirds of all parents responding say Stetson is "worth the expense" even though they think the university is "expensive." - 90% say their student is responsible enough to make on-campus residence decisions, and 70% said their son or daughter's preference in housing options is the most important factor in making a choice, although 51% believe Stetson should act in loco parentis. Fall 1992 Semester Classes Begin Sept 2, end Dec. 4 Residence Halls Open: For new students Aug. 28 For returning students Aug. 30 New Student Orientatior Aug. 28-Sept. 1 Registration Aug. 3 I-Sept. 1 Convocation Sept. 2 Greenfeather Week Oct. 19-23 Parents Weekend '92 Oct. 23-25 Stewart Lecture (Jimmy Carter) Oct. 26 Thanksgiving Holiday Nov. 26-27 Final Exams Dec.7-11 Fall Commencement Dec. 13 Christmas Break Dec. 12-Jan.3