The Board of Trustees will meet this weekend for their Fall meeting to discuss such plans such as the Science Center. The Trustees approved priliminary plans of the Science Center at their Spring meeting.
President of the College Nancy Dye said the Trustees would discuss the role of the building and the capital campaign in the financing of the building.
"What I would like to see happen is board approval of the project in principle so we can move ahead in a major way," Dye said. The Science Center will be the main item on the agenda.
Beginning this term, a $150 limit has been placed on library fines. Students with a fine of $150 or more are unable to check out materials and their enrollment for the next semester is withheld.
However, fines need not be repaid entirely in order to re-assume borrowing privileges; fines must only be maintained at a level below $150.
Manager of Circulation Allison Gould said fines are devised to be unpleasant enough that users will return materials on time.
"There are those, however, who rack up hundreds of dollars of fines each semester, make no attempt to correct their behavior or pay down the fine, and then become difficult to deal with when enrollment holds for unpaid fines are imposed. In spite of regular notification of this penalty, there are still a number of students who try to get around paying their fines before enrollment, usually claiming that they can't afford to pay all of the fine at once," Gould said.
Following no change in the behavior of many of these students over a number of years, the Circulation Work Group and representatives from the circulation departments at all College libraries decided that this change in policy was necessary.
Students with overdue books who don't pay their fines are the only ones who will be affected, Gould said.
As of next Wednesday, the beginnings of a formal link between Oberlin College and the Oberlin Public Schools will take shape.
According to Director of the Center for Service and Learning Dan Gardner, "A small group from the College and the schools will sit down and design a process by which we can get more ambitious and jointly commit to an advantageous partnership." Although many programs between the College and the public schools already exist, there were problems with the old system.
"There was a concern on the part of the schools, [that] too many college students were involved and the teachers weren't always aware of what the students were doing," Gardner said.
The new system will supposedly rectify all the problems.
"The College and the schools want a more partnership mentality; instead of just volunteers there will be goals and both College and schools will be responsible for everything," Gardner said.
One of the main concerns is that Oberlin College wants the town to be a good place for professors and workers to raise their children, according to Gardner. Thus, Gardner said there is an "enlightened self-interest," on the part of the College to become involved in endeavors with the schools.
Jim Grey, superintendent of the Oberlin Public Schools, said, "We're hoping to strengthen the connection; we have a good relationship and want to enhance that."
Overall Gardner is excited. "It is in some ways overdue that we get to this level of conversation, but I'm really encouraged."
Representatives from the College and the Oberlin public schools will meet Wednesday to discuss issues concerning a formal link between the two.
Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk and Associate Dean of Students Ken Holmes attended the fourth biennal African / African-American summit in Harare, Zimbabwe this summer.
"We talked about everything from secondary education to H.I.V. to drugs," Holmes said.
The summitt was attended by government officials, educators and politicians including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, former vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp and President of South Africa Nelson Mandela.
Cole-Newkirk said the trip was an valuble opportunity for Oberlin to gain exposure in Africa.
"Lord knows I handed out a lot of cards," Holmes said. According to Holmes, many college-bound students in Africa attend institutions in Europe rather than the United States.
"I talked to the Minister of Education about possible links with Oberlin," Cole-Newkirk said.
Holmes estimated the trip cost about $4,000 per person.
Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 4, September 26, 1997
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