Committee's report previews possible social life changes
Alex Steffler
Issue date: 2/6/04 Section: News
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Whether or not you are satisfied with student life at Hendrix, the Senate ad hoc Committee on Improving Student Life (COISL) showed progress when it released its first report in a Jan. 12 memorandum sent to the Hendrix community.
Jeremy Dickerson, COISL Chair, Senate presidential assistant and senior, said in an email: "The committee chose to publish an interim report to allow those community members interested in improving student life on campus to involve themselves in the issues."
"The interim report begins to paint a picture not only for the Senior Staff but also the Board of Trustees, who will be meeting in February."
The report featured the results and comments of four focus groups the committee gathered on Nov. 12 and 13, in which members of each class were invited at random to give their comments based on questions about student life in general. Questions covered topics such as what the most positive and negative aspects of Hendrix are, whether campus life lives up to students' expectations and ideas for improvements or additions related to student life. While the responses differed among the various classes, the report seems to indicate that many students feel Hendrix is not only in a "bubble" closed to its surrounding community but also that on-campus cliques and superficiality are rampant.
Other ideas expressed in the report relate to complaints about the city of Conway and included suggestions that the College take advantage of its surroundings, including Little Rock.
"We were very pleased with students' participation in the focus groups," Dickerson said.
Freshman Thomas Henry, who participated in the freshman focus group, said,""I wish there would have been more students there, but I think [COISL] were receptive and listening."
One of COISL's responsibilities, according to its committee document, is "to develop a forward-looking vision of student life." The committee's final report must be published by March, which, according to Dickerson, is when COISL is tentatively scheduled to dissolve.
Jeremy Dickerson, COISL Chair, Senate presidential assistant and senior, said in an email: "The committee chose to publish an interim report to allow those community members interested in improving student life on campus to involve themselves in the issues."
"The interim report begins to paint a picture not only for the Senior Staff but also the Board of Trustees, who will be meeting in February."
The report featured the results and comments of four focus groups the committee gathered on Nov. 12 and 13, in which members of each class were invited at random to give their comments based on questions about student life in general. Questions covered topics such as what the most positive and negative aspects of Hendrix are, whether campus life lives up to students' expectations and ideas for improvements or additions related to student life. While the responses differed among the various classes, the report seems to indicate that many students feel Hendrix is not only in a "bubble" closed to its surrounding community but also that on-campus cliques and superficiality are rampant.
Other ideas expressed in the report relate to complaints about the city of Conway and included suggestions that the College take advantage of its surroundings, including Little Rock.
"We were very pleased with students' participation in the focus groups," Dickerson said.
Freshman Thomas Henry, who participated in the freshman focus group, said,""I wish there would have been more students there, but I think [COISL] were receptive and listening."
One of COISL's responsibilities, according to its committee document, is "to develop a forward-looking vision of student life." The committee's final report must be published by March, which, according to Dickerson, is when COISL is tentatively scheduled to dissolve.
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