Student Government Listening Session

January 20, 2009

• Student Government Responses

Introduction
At their regular 5 p.m. meeting of January 20, 2009, representatives of the HLC Steering Committee attended to gather input from the Student Government Association.  Mike Cairns, Mike Cooper, and Robbie Teahen attended the session.  Mike Cooper facilitated the session.  Students were provided with copies of the Criteria for Accreditation and were asked to work in small groups – 2-4 – to identify what they considered to be primary strengths and weaknesses of the University with regard to each criterion.  Following are the items presented in the oral report-out.  Each student was also provided with a form where they were asked to write their individual opinions of the top three strengths as well as the top three areas needing improvement.  Those individual forms are being compiled separately.

Criterion 1

• College of Arts and Sciences – This College does not appear to promote programs for promoting work experience prior to earning a degree.
• Have Diversity Committee active on campus, planning events on campus – ideas come from this committee.  Students would  like to join and be involved.
• The University does a good job with the mission statement being in full view.  Pretty clear.  Understandable to most people
• Mission is right on the Ferris webpage
• Would be good if mission statement were on syllabi in College of Business (assume this would apply to other colleges as well)

Criterion 2

• University needs to work on expanding its reputation/getting more students to come here – before some students came here they did not even know about Ferris and people they talk with did not know of it.  Out of state student says no one in Ohio knew about it
• Ferris has really good programs but seems to draw more from West MI We need to attract more from the other side of state (east). 
• Ferris keeps up with technology in its classrooms – very helpful since the world is becoming so technology oriented
• Positive that internships are required – gives students real-life experience
• Knowledge of technology still current
• Still rooms that have chalkboards only (e.g. BUS); feels like we are walking into an elementary classroom
• Technology sometimes gets in the way in the classroom.  Podium in middle.  Entire right side of the room could not see the board.
• FerrisConnect not working sometimes or MyFSU being down – be mindful of the limitations of space and bandwidth and things of that nature
• Tours, Dawg Days, student surveys and g-mail, actively involved with recruiting – does a good job of that
• University does a really good job of really focused majors and classes to keep student moving toward career
• Full instructors (vs. grad students)
• Good job of study-abroad programs to give students perspective on broader issues
• Master planning sessions of last semester were helpful – got faculty, students, and staff involved – gathered what everybody thinks, not just what some think
• College of Engineering Technology is really short on technology (architecture major) – no room to do the studio activities and have to use lecture.  Computers don’t have the required capabilities.
• Technology gets in the way of learning sometimes
• Good plan for majors and programs – lists of classes you need to take – most schools don’t have that.  We know what classes we have to have; they are online
• Great tutoring and counseling program. . .students who had the professor you had help other students
• Automotive program needs more updated equipment – got a chassis dyno that was purchased last year and has not been installed yet
• Need to do surveys of current students – asking what they think can improve on

Criterion 3

• All have to fill out the teacher evaluation forms – that way students can offer opinion of how their teacher was.  Students are not actually doing them seriously – just to get it over with
• Have heard that professor can choose whether to have assessments and then whether to use them; have heard that department head cannot see – If time after time an instructor gets bad feedback, what is the University doing?
• If these things are not taken seriously – know of a teacher who semester after semester gets some pretty bad marks – does not seem to be accountability – seems to be a pointless thing at the end of every semester.  Teaching methods don’t change.
• Teacher motivation – the one who teaches the same class semester after semester, may have been good at beginning but gets bored
• FLITE is a very positive resource for education – study rooms and resources for students
• Wish FLITE would be open later – especially first floor – more study rooms should be available on campus because they are vital, especially if you are trying to build good study habits early on
• During exam week last semester, could not get a study room – asked for name to be put on waiting list and way it worked was that people were just hanging around nearby waiting.  Expected more than running up to the desk to get a key.
• Enforcing policies – e.g. how long you have study rooms for, how far from building smoking is permitted, paper in the residence halls – “no one is keeping track”
• Can get so caught up with keeping up – be mindful of importance of what brought us to college – our independence – self-awareness helps you grow
• Compared to other universities, class sizes are much smaller – running at 20-30 per class vs. the large Universities like MSU and U-M – makes it possible for instructors to provide individual help
• SLA and tutoring center are vital – should be expanded so more students can take advantage of resources – SLA should be offered to a lot more classes; now pretty standard. 
• SLA would also be another way for students to get jobs.
• Strength of teaching at Ferris is that classes are taught by professors instead of graduate assistants – can meet with them in office hours
• Re tutoring and SLA – kind of like that there are not as many of those, but there are one-on-one tutors available thru Center
• Educational RSOs, out-of-class learning, activities
• Problem with online enrollment.  One student reported on months of entanglement – online enrollment – had to meet with people in the Scholarships and Financial Aid office – several e-mails and phone calls – finally able to make it happen.  Mountain of frustration.  Quite inexcusable.  Couple individuals did not seem to know how I got down this path.  Tried to enroll in Honors program but already had undergrad degree, but was able to enroll in online.  Lot of confusion based on the website to view things.  No kind of check there.  Could sign up for anything and not be able to do any of those things.  Should have been able to work it out via e-mail and phone, but had to take a day off work to come up. 
• In Bachelors in Integrative Studies – amazing that Ferris lets you design your own degree that does fit you.  No one knows what he is allowed or not allowed to do.  Have 4 different advisors.  Run around campus – get 4 signatures just to sign up for classes each semester.  No one person knows what he is supposed to do.  Every semester – really frustrated.
• The Ferris Runaround or the Ferris Shuffle – no consistent knowledge about knowing who to go to.  Put on paper who to ask about what.  Student who works in Admissions says :  Our stuff is not always current.   
• Ad major – people from business, advisory committee – a good idea – actually work on campaigns
• Ferris Shuffle – really does turn you off to the University.  Know some people who have decided not to come here as a result.
• Ed note:  There seemed to be pretty broad based understanding of the FerrisShuffle term.

Criterion 4

• Pretty much all majors have internship by senior year.
• Lot of times conducting research is not an option – when you ask about it in Pharmacy, they are told to go to another university.  Recognize that it does take more money but think the College should do more

Criterion 5

• Couple professors that take part in the Festival of the Arts that has been a big hit
• Student volunteer center and SPOT Office
• Professor involvement – think students do a great job on this campus and serving the community.  Lack of professors getting involved in the community and on the campus.  See the same small group at every event.  It’s hard when you want students to be more service oriented, and they follow this model – why should they?
• Perception that service is not considered in tenure – not asked how they serve the campus