OCR Text |
Show i T Volume 32, No. 1 -- Sept 21, 1934 Westminsters President Announces His Resignation that he and his wife purchased a lot there 10 years ago and have been planning on going there since. by Stacy Butters Westminster College President James E. Petersen, announced on September'12 that as of July 1, 1985, he is retiring. One of the enterprises that Petersen intends to busy himself with after retiring is writing. Im no good at writing fiction, but Ive got some good true stories to tell that I think people will enjoy, he said. Petersen first came to Westminster in 1979, when he served as acting president In 1982, at the request of the Board of Trustees, he returned to become the official president of the college. grew up in a small mining town in the 20s and 30s. My widowed mother ran a boarding house. A lot of interesting people came and went. Its those people I want to write about I During Petersens three year tenure a lot of changes have taken place. Most significant of which was the colleges reorganization in January of 1983. The college got a new name as well as a lot of new faces. Petersen also wants to write a book of advice for young people telling them how to succeed in the working world. One of the items of advice Petersen plans to put in this book of advice is about personal conduct. Petersen commented on the quality of the people now established with Westminster saying that, They are all well qualified, high caliber professionals. Dont lie, dont cheat and dont take credit that isnt due you. It sounds simple, but its crucial to your professional reputation. Without a reliable reputation youre dead in the water, he said. Before the 1983 reorganization, the college was on shaky ground, but now its future -looks secure.-I- t has a good five year plan to keep its future secure, said Petersen, who believes that there is a time to pitch in and help and a time to let someone else take over. New Regulations Imposed on Financial Aid by Sheri Dearing In accordance with the Student Assistance General Provision Regulations published on Oct. 6, 1983, as amended, Westminster College has adopted (a) . . . Satisfactory Progress Policy which will govern students eligibility for Title IV Student Financial Aid Funds, states the Satisfactory Progress Requirements Document sent to every Westminster student prior to the Fall semester of 1984. Title IV student financial aid funds include Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), College Work Study (CWS), National Direct Student Loans (NDSL), Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL), Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) and State Student Incentive Grants (SSIG). Students are now required to complete 80 of the classes for which they register to be eligible for government financial aid. Westminster has built into its policy a phase-i- n period. Records will be reviewed at the end of each academic year allowing students to con- tinue with government aid if their complerate is 75 for the 1984-8- 5 and 1985-8- 6 academic years, according to Sonja Gibbons, student loan coordinator. The policy applies only to classes that appear on a students transcript. (Classes that are dropped within three weeks are not included on a students transcript.) The purpose of the program is to eliminate students who abuse the system those who consistently drop from 16 to 12 hours (to maintain GPAs) sign up for classes and dont attend, and take classes that are not meant to progress toward a degree, said Henneman, director of financial aid. They take tion away from the funding of students who are legitimately leading to a degree. The federal government outlined what the policy had to include. Each school has to develop its own specific policy. The way to determine progress wasnt outlined well, said Henneman. Im confident that Westminster developed one of the best policies Ive seen, she continued. Ours is straight forward enough that anyone can figure out hisher own progress. The policy was developed taking into consideration the suggestions of the faculty deans and financial aid directors from other schools. Its time to let someone younger and more energetic take over, he said. After retiring, Petersen and his wife, Irene, plan to travel for awhile before settling in Forest Hills, Arizona. Petersen said Petersen has a personal doctrine about No dishonorable ends justify the means. Ends and means should be work: . Petersen commented on , his retirement from the work force saying that it will be nice to get out of bed when he want3 to, not when he has to. After 50 years of working, I want to sleep in. Publications Must Now Divvy Funds Among Themselves by Brad Smith The responsibility for the submitting of and the monitoring of the publications budget now lies with the (Publications) Board of Governance, wrote Mike Pieper, president of ASWC, in an Aug. 28 memo. the photo lab. Previously, the legislative assembly had the responsibility to divide funds for each group. Now the board of governance divides up these funds and monitors their use, said Ray Ownbey, adviser for the Etosian, the student yearbook, and the Forum. We found less than five percent of our students had problems meeting the satisfactory progres requirements," said Henneman. Our concern is not with those students who fail classes, but with those who consistently withdraw. We acknowledge that everyone is going to have a bad semester or a bad class. This system is reasonable," said Henneman. A procedure is built into the policy that allows for students who make legitimate withdrawals to appeal. The concept behind it (the policy) is good, but the government shouldve given the schools a little more leeway. Their guidelines went a little too far. The fact that its retroactive seems unfair. I feel its an undue hardship for students to be held accountable for a policy they didnt know about," said Henneman. Satisfactory Progress is a separate policy from the Colleges Academic ProbationSus-pensio- n Policy. A student may be progressing satisfactorily enough to receive financial aid. yet not be passing academically. i Members of the Publications Board of Governance include (I to r): Mike Moser, Forum editor; Jennifer Thomas, Etosian editor; Ray Ownbey, publications adviser; Anne Reeder, Ellipsis editor; Debbie Jenkins, dean of students; Bill Tatomer, ASWC vice president; and Joel Hastings, photo lab director. i |