Dubbed the “Student Village Meeting,” Chancellor Jennie Vaughan and her administration spoke directly with students during Welcome Week. Attendees were allowed to enter and leave room C126 as they pleased to voice their concerns in a casual, free-form manner, as well as to stay and listen to others.
Students directed the conversation through a variety of topics, ranging from financial aid to Blackboard functionality to etiquette in the student commons. One student, in questioning what factors determine whether a class will be dropped, revealed that a class in which he was enrolled had been dropped at the last minute, causing him to lose eligibility for financial aid. The student was immediately escorted to student services by the chancellor’s administration to resolve the matter. The chancellor apologized and said such a scenario shouldn’t occur. Vice chancellor Brad Thurmond explained that several factors weigh into whether a class will be dropped, such as whether a class has enough enrollees to be financially fundable and whether the class is essential for a degree program, but that a class shouldn’t be cancelled “at the last minute.”
A general construction update was provided, as well as an assessment of the possibility of providing a 24-hour computer lab on the Bloomington campus. The administration stated they’ve discussed and recognize the value of a computer lab accessible to students at all hours, but that there are challenges both in terms of staffing and floor plan design. Thurmond indicated the school was designed to let people come and go as quickly as possible, but a computer lab open at all hours would require the ability to lock people in gating or staging areas for the sake of security.
The meeting was held on Wednesday, January 14, from 12 PM to 1 PM, with free pizza provided. At the start of the meeting, there were approximately 30 students and 6 faculty, including Vaughan, Thurmond and assistant vice chancellor Sam Deweese, though students rotated in and out regularly. The next meeting will be held Monday, February 16, from 10 to 11 AM in Lamkin Hall.