Mount Hood

Western sees continued growth in online course offerings

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

Online courses are an integral component of learning on campus. Most students have now taken a class that involves the use of Moodle or Yammer. Many professors also use their own personal websites and spaces like WordPress to enhance student engagement.

The growing number of students expressing interest in online learning tools has prompted Western’s Center for Teaching and Learning and Extended Programs, located in ITC 204, to look toward expansion. Director Dan Clark and Strategic Partnerships Manager Elayne Kuletz are leading the charge towards technology-enhancedleading the charge towards technology-enhanced learning.

Clark said he is most excited about the possibility of an expanded online catalog because it would “meet the evolving needs of the students in our region.”

Kuletz said most students who have been asked about the benefits of online class options tend to cite the flexibility afforded by the lack of a set-in-stone, face-to-face schedule.

Clark said that often it is the availability of online classes that can be the make-or-break for students with extenuating circumstances to attend Western at all.

The flexibility of online courses is especially important for students who work when they are not in class, commuter students who live in Salem and beyond, and students who have children.

During a Jan. 9 meeting, the Division of Extended Programs discussed proposing a list of practices and processes to support flexible learning opportunities. At this point, policies for programs like Moodle, or course syllabi are limited or non-existent.

It is also unclear to DEP how many classes are offered online and calculations could be in dispute because certain online courses or partial online courses are only offered to certain students.

This number is especially difficult to determine because of the lack of standard definitions concerning what constitutes an online course.

Kuletz stressed a “push for more clarity.” She added there was a belief in the department that “students have the right to know what they are signing up for.”

According to Clark, there are seven categories of Technology Enhanced Classes. Classes are broken into: Technology Enhanced, Online, Online Proctored, Online Plus, Hybrid, Live Virtual and Virtual Hybrid. Each one attempts to address a different need for time or location flexibility.

All classes have the option of creating an online presence through Moodle. It is up to the professor and the department as to whether or not that option is exercised. Many faculty members make frequent use of Moodle as a document delivery system and a way to make class announcements.

Students have already experienced classes using the hybrid methodology. Courses in this style are taught through in-person meeting times and online work.

Online courses are classified as courses delivered only online with no pre-arranged time commitments.

In moving forward with an extended range of offerings, however, Clark said he encourages faculty to utilize the Online Plus format.

Online Plus is similar to the “only online” offerings in that all of the content is delivered online, but this iteration would also provide students with regular (but optional) meetings and activities.

These additional activities could range from professor-run question and answer sessions, to simply having access to an on-campus tutor on particular days.

Clark said he champions Online Plus because “there are hurdles when you never meet the students.” Some students will not be able to attend, but for those who really need a face-to-face (or even virtual) meeting, it is an opportunity to retain some of the feel of a more traditional classroom experience. Online Plus is designed to appeal the widest range of student learning styles while still accommodating students who are not able to attend regular class meetings.

Clark said he hopes this approach will bring more faculty members on board with a more expansive online catalog.

To help further their cause among the faculty, the department is in the process of interviewing candidates for an additional team member who would be responsible for training faculty in the creation of a cohesive online course.

This new position will be important as every online class is designed and maintained by a professor in conjunction with their department. This is an important distinction from other online colleges as it should result in more relevant and useful courses for the students.

In addition to new staff, the Center for Teaching and Learning and Extended Programs is offering a recurring series of seminars for tenure-track faculty to better understand what it takes to create a dynamic and effective online course.

The most recent of these events called the Winter Online Teaching Institute, took place during winter break, but there are several offered throughout the year.

Clark and Kuletz said more participation in the Institutes will translate to a higher quality of online education. Clark recognizes students are turned off by massive online colleges like the University of Phoenix and said Western has a unique opportunity to offer “something that is devised to fit the needs of Western.”

The Center is committed to expanding the possibilities at Western and, in the meantime, will continue streamlining Moodle and Yammer for both the student and faculty benefit.

Service Learning and Career Development to host Internship and Volunteer Fair on campus

By AMANDA CLARKE
 Staff Writer

The Service Learning and Career Development Center (SLCD) will be holding their second annual Internship and Volunteer Fair Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Pacific Room of Werner University Center.

Last year, approximately 200 students attended the event. The SLCD is hoping to
see more students attend this year.

There will be at least 40 local businesses at the event, ranging from public, private and non-profit. The attending businesses will be looking mostly for interns and volunteers.

There are opportunities such as Marion County Volunteer Services, Springfield Police Department, Peace Corps, the Bureau of Land Management and more.

“Only in college will people come to you. It’s not going to happen once you graduate,” said Adry Clark, director of the SLCD, who organized and founded the event.

Clark got the idea for the fair after she noticed that there was not a general careers fair on campus like other colleges frequently have, but specific career fairs for certain majors. She said she “felt like the career fair was missing.”

“I think it’s important for students to get internship and volunteer opportunities to develop [their] skills,” Clark said. Both internship and volunteer work allow students to have some opportunities while in school.”

All Western students can come into the SLCD between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays
for drop-in resume advice, ranging from helping students to begin a resume, to
giving helpful editing advice. The SLCD is located in room 119 of the WUC.

“Every Western student has the opportunity to have a great resume,” Clark said.
“It’s really helpful to come prepared to the fair. Do your research. Bring your resume.

Think about what you want to tell businesses about you.” Wolf Link also provides
more information regarding the Internship and Volunteer Fair. Students can find
a complete list of businesses scheduled to attend and some additional information on the companies by going online to Wolf Link (https://wou.edu/student/career/wolflink.php).

There is also a list of upcoming SLCD events on the Wolf Link calendar (http://
wou.edu/student/career/calendar.php). By following the link, students can view locations and times of other career fairs, both on Western’s campus and nearby locations, which any Western student can attend.

There are events through the SLCD that students may have to pay to attend but that
information is available on the listing, and in the regular emails sent to all students from SLCD.

Wolf Link also has information about the Western internship program, which will be discussed in length at the upcoming fair. Currently there are 13 paid internships
in varying locations across campus listed on Wolf Link as well.

Annual food drive returns to Western

By CONNER WILLIAMS
 Freelancer

This month marks the arrival of Western’s annual food drive. The Governor’s State Employees Food Drive is dedicated to former Oregon Governor Vic Atiyeh who passed away in July 2014.

Atiyeh founded the Oregon Food Bank in 1982 and devoted much of his time to helping provide food to Oregon’s hungry.

The drive will take place Feb. 2 through Feb. 27. During that time, there will be boxes scattered throughout the campus for non-perishable food contributions.

Examples of accepted donations include canned goods, soups, beans, vegetables, and tuna. Boxed foods, such as pasta and rice, are acceptable as well. Personal hygiene items like toothbrushes and toothpaste also are welcome donations.

According to Debbie Diehm, assistant to the vice president of student affairs, Western has donated the most food out of all Oregon public universities in each of the last ten years.

Last year, the Western community raised 104,575.68 pounds of food, which amounts to 153.11 pounds per student. There will be several other ways to donate outside of giving physical food items.

According to the food drive’s website, employees can make monetary donations by cash, check, credit card or payroll deduction. Employees can also meet the Governor’s Challenge by donating at least $144 annually.

Diehm along with Nora Solvedt and Lisa Catto, who are coordinating the food drive effort for Western, estimate that a $1 donation amounts to about four pounds of food.

The two main beneficiaries of the donated food are the WOU Food Pantry, in the Werner University Center, and the Ella Curran Food Bank in Independence.

Diehm holds a particular passion for the food drive. “This event is great at making sure that the food stays here and benefits the Western community,” she said. “We try to take care of each other as best we can, and I hope we can beat our impressive numbers from last year.”

For more information on the different ways to contribute and for other information, visit www.oregon.gov/fooddrive.

Incidental Fee Committee reaches preliminary decision

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

The Incidental Fees Committee (IFC) met on Jan. 29 to compile a preliminary
budget decision for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year.

IFC meets every year to decide on a budget for the money received from students as a part of their tuition. This year’s fees amounted to $322 per term for each student.

While most of the clubs operating budgets remained un-cut, athletics experienced a 5 percent reduction in their overall budget. Most clubs were also granted a few items requested from IFC funds (including athletics).

The current proposed budget, if ratified, will result in fees increasing to $334 per term, a 3.7 percent increase.

As a part of the IFC process, an initial decision is made on the budget so students and faculty alike can get a sense of the committee’s intentions before
attending the open meetings to present a case for continued or additional funding.

The next open meeting will take place Monday, Feb. 9 in the Pacific Room in the Werner University Center at 5:30 p.m.

Individuals who wish to present on behalf of an organization are offered three minutes, and groups are offered five.

IFC Debates Budget Allocation and Student Fees for 2015-2016

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

The Incidental Fee Committee (IFC) is one of the most important student organizations on campus that many probably don’t know much about. Most students who are not heavily involved in extracurricular
activities or athletics don’t have much of a reason to come into contact with the IFC, but the committee’s decisions affect each and every student on campus.

The group meets during the winter quarter of each academic year to decide on a budget for the incidental fees that are a part of tuition for everyone who attends Western.

As IFC Chair Quinn Forner explained, the fees cover “enhancements for student life that are outside of academics.” In other words, these fees fund the parts of student life that aren’t covered under general tuition such as athletics, campus recreation including Health and Wellness, and student services such as Wolf Ride.

This year’s fee of $322 per term was decided upon last year during a series of annual meetings and debates.

The council meetings are observed by a small group of faculty advisers including Dr. Gary Dukes, vice president of student affairs and Darin Silbernagel, director of business services.

While faculty and staff are present on the council, the only members who can cast a vote and make a decision are current Western students.

This means that student leaders such as members of the Associated Students of Western Oregon and the student senate have the final say in what gets funded, and in turn, how much the incidental
fee for the upcoming year will be.

It may seem that a student-run council would have vastly different opinions about the budget, but to ensure that these meetings stay on track, everyone follows the rules of order used in all official
U.S. congressional proceedings.

Among other things, these rules govern who can talk, when they can talk, and provide a clear structure of command for healthy debate.

In addition, the meetings are required to abide by Oregon state law since they are open to the public
and concern state funds that utilize general public tax dollars.

Even during heated debates, the proceedings are easy to follow and understand.

Each meeting follows the same general procedure: the meeting is called to order by the Chair and
general business of the committee is dealt with. This usually encompasses decisions about future meeting times and agendas for the current meeting. Once these items have been discussed, it’s time to
move onto the budget presentations.

During the initial round of meetings each group on campus that is funded by IFC is allowed to give a
short presentation to the committee concerning their budgetary requirements for the upcoming year.

This usually includes the possible consequences of suffering a budget cut, and any additional money
that they are requesting for their organization.

Most groups are represented by their faculty/staff advisers at these meetings, but students who
are a part of the club are also allowed to speak with the committee to make their case.

After each presentation, the floor is opened to questions from the IFC members and others in attendance. They can ask anything they like concerning the budget, the requests, and the possible effect of any cuts. Usually the questions concern the importance of particular items requested
through additional money since not every item can be granted.

The Journal attended the meeting on Jan. 26, 2015, that saw presentations from Athletics, Student
Access and Disability Services, and Student Media (full discloser, student media funds The Journal).

Student Access presented first asking for enough money to hire an extra full time translator for
students with difficulty communicating.

Athletics asked for more financial support from IFC for traveling teams and keeping Western compliant with NCAA regulations.

Student media focused on funding for replacing old technology within KWOU and The Journal. After the speeches and question sessions were completed the meeting was adjourned.

The session of IFC held on Jan. 26 was the last session where clubs were able to make their arguments,
and now the committee looks to preliminary decisions and then the final vote. However, students
can still make an impact on the final call.

After the meeting, Forner encouraged all students with an interest in the budget to attend the
two open committee hearings.

These sessions will be held on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Summit Room, and Monday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Pacific Room, which are located in the WUC.

Both are open to the public, including students and community members, giving both groups a chance to ask questions and show support for their favorite clubs and activities. Individuals who wish to present are offered 3 minutes, and groups are offered 5.

For more information, visit wou.edu/wp/ifc or contact Adela Aguilar, IFC secretary, at guilara@wou.edu or 503-838-8303. Committee hearings are at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Pacific Room.

Thefts Increase Sharply on Western’s Campus

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

 

The campus community at Western has been experiencing a recent rise in reported thefts.

The Public Safety Office issued a campus-wide email earlier in the week detailing some basic measures that students can take to ensure that they are not the victims of theft. Students should always try to keep belongings on their person at all times; items like backpacks, purses, phones, and gym bags are easy targets when left unattended.

Both students and faculty with assigned offices are encouraged to close and lock the door while not in the office; even stepping out for a minute can be enough time for a potential thief to snatch belongings.

Drivers are asked to make sure that car doors are locked when parking for the day, and always leave any valuables in the trunk or out of site so they are not catching the eyes of a passerby.

One of the biggest issues on campus in recent terms has been the increased theft of bicycles. Public Safety recommends that riders should purchase a U-Lock like a Kryptonite if possible, as these types of locks are much more difficult for thieves to remove. Remember to always lock both the front wheel and the frame to the structure to avoid a thief simply removing the front wheel and taking the frame.

If students must leave belongings somewhere, Public Safety suggests looking into renting a locker. There are many buildings across campus that have lockers available for rent to students. The Health and Wellness Center has both term and day use lockers available for gym goers looking to keep their items safe during workouts. Day use lockers in HWC are secured with personal locks supplied by the student.

The most important tool in theft prevention, however, is common sense.

If students must stand up from a table or leave belongings in a class room momentarily, it is suggested that they ask peers to keep watch. When leaving bags and backpacks at the bookstore entrance, keep as much reasonable eye contact with them as possible, and as always, students are asked to report any
suspicious activity to Campus Safety or the Police

Sexual misconduct survey aims to gauge campus social environment

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

This coming Monday, Feb. 2, a randomly selected group of Western Oregon’s students will be surveyed via email concerning sexual misconduct on campus.

The survey is being conducted by the student affairs office at Western as a part of a school and nationwide effort to increase overall awareness and reporting of sexual assault and harassment on college campuses.

Student affairs representative Tina Fuchs hopes that the survey will give the university a better picture of the campus climate in regards to sexual safety of students. The information gathered by the survey is also intended to help local law enforcement and campus public safety protect students from being victim of sexual crimes.

According to the student handbook, sexual misconduct is defined as “non-consensual sexual contact of any kind, the attempt to have non-consensual sexual contact or the threat of such contact. Sexual contact shall be considered non-consensual if no clear consent is freely given.”

Western’s campus is experiencing a rise in reports of sexual misconduct, but Fuchs says that much of this escalation is not directly tied to more crimes occurring on campus. Much of the increase is due to the new systems on campus for reporting the crimes.

Anonymous Report Forms provided by programs such as Abby’s House and Green Dot in combination with extended awareness of mental health services available at the Student Health and Counseling Center
have all lead to more incidents being reported.

The survey is limited to a random selection of students, but Fuchs said students are already
inundated with email surveys from other groups on campus.

Students who do not receive the survey but have experienced sexual violence or intimidation of any kind are strongly encouraged to seek university support in reporting the crimes.

Fuchs stressed that Western Oregon is committed to providing a safe learning environment and eradicating sexual misconduct on campus. Every student is a part of the solution.

Western Oregon University

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