The Griffon News

Apparently there is no longer a First Year Programs department. If you asked anyone in the administration, you probably wouldn’t be able to find that out. I sure haven’t. As of press time the administration had not replied to questions on this issue.

I heard it from students.  

While trying to find out the details of how and why this happened, I was given the administrative run-around, as usual. Every time I have a question that Dr. Paul Shang would have pleasantly answered last semester, I get reintroduced to an administrator that either doesn’t know what they are doing, or is just simply trying to pass the buck.

Let’s move on to the issue of the First Year Programs (Griffon Edge, Destination Western and College 101) office being dismembered. When I first heard about it, I saw it as a news story, pretty cut and dry. It sounded simple, the duties of the office have been distributed to a, b and c and this is why.

That was before I attempted to dig into the story.

I say attempted, because I didn’t get very far. I couldn’t get anyone from the administration to speak on the subject; in fact the only person I could get to talk about the issue was a former intern that didn’t want their name published in the paper.
According to the intern, the department was closed over two weeks ago, with no official announcement and none intended anytime soon.

Although the motives for this move are unclear, it is evident that students’ opinions were not considered. According to the former intern, not one student was consulted when the administration got together to decide the fate of the office. The New  Student Program Director, Bobbie Delaney, hadn’t even turned in the student evaluations. She was informed two days before the evaluations were due, that her office no longer existed.

Seriously, if student evaluations aren’t even considered, why pass them out? I’m realistic, I know that the administration is not going to live and die by the evaluations that students turn in, but if I am expected to fill one out, humor me. At least wait until you have received the evaluations before you make drastic changes. Could you at least pretend to go over them?
I am not opposed to the administration making decisions, that’s their job.

Maybe I’m not being fair towards the administration on this issue. Maybe I should give them more time to respond, maybe they shouldn’t try being so secretive on the issue.

All I know is that the office doesn’t exist anymore, and no one with a title in front of their name has been willing to answer any questions.

After I heard that the duties of orientation would be given to the office of admissions, I thought I would give the director a call. Of course, he couldn’t answer any questions of mine because ‘nothing is finalized yet.’ Really? Nothing has been finalized? Tell that to Bobbie Delaney. She’s now over in residential life, you’ll have to find her new phone number, but nothing has been finalized.

All I wanted was a couple answers to some simple questions, but apparently, that’s not possible. I guess I am thankful though, the administration has turned a rather simple story into something more intriguing.