Echo V 109 I 01 September 27, 2002

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INDEX
OPINIONS pages 2-3
FEATURES page 4
. J- ^<s
COMMUNITY/VALUES page 6
Augsburg College
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September  27, 2002
Volume 109                     Issue 1
New General Education proposal
draws mixed reviews from faculty
K. Lucin
Opinions Editor
The General Education Design
Team, led by Director Joan Griffin, unveiled its general education
schematic to the Augsburg faculty
on Friday, September 6, initiating
a public discussion that has been
by turns angry, enthusiastic, and
tepid.
The plan's major changes
include a reduction in required
religion courses (from three
"Christian Faith" requirements to
two "Search for Meaning"
requirements); a reduction in total
classes, from 16 to 14; the addition
of a capstone course for seniors,
designed to connect general education with the major; and the
potential embedding of all graduation skills into each major, rather
than having to take a class for each
skill.
Instead of the current hodgepodge of courses within each liberal arts perspective, the liberal
arts will be divided into four
groups; natural sciences and math,
social and behavioral sciences,
fine arts, and humanities and let
ters. Students will be required to
take two courses from each of
these sectors. One major alteration of the old system consists of
the division of the liberal arts by
department instead of by individual class; each department must
now choose only one of the four
divisions to belong to.
This change has drawn sharp
criticism by faculty members
because professors in professional
studies departments will no longer
be able to teach required liberal
arts courses.
"A whole body of faculty will
be excluded from the central mission of the college," stated Professor Nancy Rodenborg of the
Social Work department. "Why
build in such concrete walls
between the disciplines?" she
asked of the Design Team.
More than one professor has
expressed concern over this issue,
calling the new plan "divisive"
and "exclusive" of professional
studies departments like Education, Social Work, and Business.
Other concerns have been raised
see GEN ED on page 7
photo courtesy of K. Lucin/ECHO
Dean Kimball and President Frame discuss college business in September 11th faculty meeting.
INS cracks down on
international students
Parking fees
raise faculty ire
Mohamed Hussein
Staff Writer
According to "The Chronicle of Higher Education," America's colleges and universities attract
more foreign students than those in any other country,
which enriches the United States with talent, cultures
and intellect. Now this status is threatened by the
changes the government is making to protect America from further terrorist attacks.
Post- September 11, "The government seems to be
taking a stand toward a conservative interpretation of
the statute," said Jim Trelstad-porter, International
student coordinator at Augsburg. This is seen to corrode the ability of the United States and especially its
higher education institutions to reach out and
embrace a changing global community.
The Department of Justice has revised regulations
for foreign students and noncitizen aliens, making
numerous changes in the hope of tightening homeland security. An immediate change is the implementation of an international student tracking system-
SEVIS (Student & exchange visitor information system) to be ready starting Jan 30, 2003. The new sys-
see FOREIGN STUDENTS on page 7
Mohamed Hussein
Staff Writer
The recent increase to the parking fees for Augsburg College
commuters has brought about a
string of concerns in the school
community. The increase translates to a 25% rise for the students, from $120 to $150 per year
and a 67
The Christensen
Center renovations (begun this
summer) have a
projected end
date of October
15,2002.  Its fea
tures include a
new art gallery
(pictured here) as
well as a Star
bucks kiosk and
revamped com
puter stations.
photo courtesy of Naomi Sveom/ECHO
"My professor friends
at the U of M, who make
comparable salary to mine,
pay $70 per month or over
$800 per year."
percent
increase
for      the
faculty/
staff,
from
$162    to
$270.
While this increase is a sharp one,
it  is  still  low  compared  to  the
parking rates around the college
neighbors.
Reference Librarian Boyd
Koehler thinks it is high time the
increase was received at the college. He adds, "My professor
friends at the U of M, who make-
comparable salary to mine, pay
$70 per month or over $800 per
year...I think we at Augsburg are
living in a dream world."
While the rates are truly low
compared to average rates around
the metro area, some critics hope
that the "profits" received from
these higher prices are going
toward building a parking facility
and not another student dorm.
"We have a new commuter spot
and it will be expanded soon to 46
spaces," said Terri from Grounds
and Maintenance.
"Though getting a parking permit lessens the worry of constantly moving your car after the
two- to four-hour limits, it doesn't
assure one of a parking spot...we
should be
compensated for
with a definite
spot," said
one frustrated
commuter.
Boyd Koehler said, "Critics
have no argument, unless they
found no parking around school
However, we would expect to sec
better parking services like controlled entrance and exits- providing employment to students on
campus and security."
The recent parking fee hikes
translate to less than SI pet WOK
day. It's normal to pay minimum
$10 a day to park on the ramps at
the U or even more in the downtown area. And according to the
Office of finance and AdminiMra
Hon. there will be increases in the
parking tees to retlect the BOO
Domic, realities ot the school's
parking arrangements