In order to maintain their registration, clubs are required to maintain a liaison with the Department of Student Affairs by completing an organization information sheet annually. As a sound educational approach, the department recommends that each club have a faculty advisor, but faculty advisors are not required. Many student activities at NCSU are housed at the University Student Center. Others, like Thompson Theatre and the Crafts Center, are in nearby locations.
The Division of Student Affairs administers students activities through the Union Activities Board, which is in turn overseen by the Union Board of Directors. The Union Board of Directors includes representation from students, faculty, and administrative personnel. The Union Activities Board has thirteen committees: the Arts Committee, the Black Students Board, the College Bowl Committee, the Crafts Center Committee, the Entertainment Committee, the Films Committee, the Indoor Recreation Committee, the International Students Committee, the Leadership Development Committee, the Lectures Committee, the Outdoor Recreation Committee, the Stewart Theatre Committee, and the Thompson Theatre Committee. These committees present educational, social, cultural, and recreational programs. Each is advised by a staff member from the University Student Center.
The role of the advisors includes communicating the policies of the University to the committees and serving as a liaison between the committee and University administration. Each of the UAB committees has a well-defined mission, goals, and objectives.
Through its Student Center programs, the University provides an exciting and lively extracurricular life to its students, encompassing a wide range of student interests. The center also provides adequate supervisory support for these activities. The Division of Student Affairs delegates overall responsibility for the operation of the University Student Center to a professional staff and to the Union Activities Board of Directors, which includes representation from students, faculty, and administrative personnel.
Although surveys of graduate and undergraduate students indicate a high degree of general satisfaction with student-activity programs and with the University Student Center, a primary concern is that the majority of students do not participate in the programs offered there. This is an important issue because 85 percent of the operating budget of the Student Center is paid by student fees, which are approximately $62 per full-time student per semester.
Recommendation 10.19: NCSU should undertake a significant and innovative effort to secure more student participation in programs offered by the University Student Center.
Students at NCSU have the opportunity to participate in the arts through performance in one of many campus musical, dance, or theatrical groups or to enhance skills in the visual arts in the many classes taught at the Craft Center or in the School of Design. The professional staff of the Thompson Theatre the Department of Physical Education, and the Music Department enhance the quality of performance and the development of student skills.
NCSU's sponsorship of arts activities contributes to its mission of service by enhancing the quality of life for its region of the state of North Carolina. Exhibitions at the Visual Arts Center and the Craft Center, combined with a broad array of professional cultural activities and performances presented in Stewart Theater and other campus venues, have made the NCSU campus a center of cultural life for its students and also for the city of Raleigh, the Research Triangle, and eastern North Carolina.
NCSU's contribution to the cultural life of the greater Raleigh area has been recognized in a number of ways. The City of Raleigh Arts Commission has awarded the Raleigh Medal of Arts, given to groups or individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the arts in the Raleigh area, to Dr. Charlotte V. Brown, director of the Visual Arts Program; to NCSU's Stewart Theatre; to Friends of the College; and to the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild, which sponsors chamber-music performances each year in NCSU's Stewart Theatre.
NCSU's arts program has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, which awarded NCSU an Advancement Program grant, the first such NEA grant to a university-based arts program.
The president of the student body is a member of the North Carolina State University Board of Trustees. The student government makes regular self-assessments through its Government Operations Committee, the constant scrutiny of statutes by standing committees, and update and review sessions [5.5.1.7].
NCSU currently suffers from a lack of student participation in student elections. In the run-off election for the president of the student body in March 1993, only 900 of the 24,000 eligible student voters cast ballots. In the fall 1993 election to elect freshman senators, all candidates ran unopposed. In spite of the current climate of student apathy, elected student officials do a creditable job.
Recommendation 10.20: NCSU's student government should solicit more student involvement through better access to voting facilities. These facilities could be polling sites, computerized polls, and polls set up on the TRACS systems.
The philosophy at NCSU is that student government should be student driven, but Student Development advised [5.5.3.2.2]. Therefore, the staff of the Student Development Office works with the students to develop and implement effective strategies and goals. The staff can accomplish this by influencing students, guiding them, and helping them to develop the vision and philosophical perspective they need through the Student Leadership Retreat, and workshops such as the C.T. Vivian Race-Awareness Workshop, etc.
Three Student Affairs staff members work with the student government to analyze the successes and failures of major projects that are identified and driven by students. The advisors try to guide the students to be inclusive and thoughtful, especially with regard to issues that emerge as the projects are being completed. The advisors also try to guide the students to be team players and stress a teaching-and-learning framework. This builds trust and strong bonds between the staff and the students.
Committee Total Members Student Members------------------------- ------------- --------------- Admissions, Undergraduate 16 2
African-American Affairs 18 4
Art Acquisitions 12 1
Athletics 19 4
Bookstores 11 5
Commencement 13 2
Committee on Committees 6 --
Courses and Curricula 17 1
Dining 11 5
Extension 12 2
Faculty, Hospitality, and Orientation 14 --
Fee Appeals 8 2
Government 6 --
Group Insurance and Benefits 25 --
Harrelson Fund 10 2
Institutional History and Commemoration 14 7
International Programs 20 2
Library 15 5
O. Max Garner Award 9 --
Physical Environment 21 7
Radiation Protection 15 5
Registration, Records and Calendar 12 5
Residence Life 11 5
Retired Faculty 10 --
Scholarships and Student Aid 14 4
Student Health 13 7
Teaching Effectiveness and Evaluation 19 6
Undergraduate Education Council 29 2
Use of human subjects in research 14 2
In addition to student government, students participate in the governance of NCSU through such means as the chancellor's student liaison committee, which consists of student representatives, the chair of the Faculty Senate, and vice-chancellors. This committee meets regularly to deal with student issues [5.5.3.2.1].
Students also participate in the governance of NCSU by appointment to NCSU's twenty-nine standing committees, which are instrumental in advising University-level administrators [5.5.3.2.1]. Twenty-two of these committees have student representation with voting privileges. Students are appointed to these committees by the student body president and are requested to complete a follow-up report, which is kept on file in the Student Government Office. Those committees without student representation do not directly affect student-campus activities (e.g., group insurance and benefits for faculty and staff, retired faculty, faculty hospitality, and orientation).
Table 10.4 lists NCSU's standing committees, the number of voting members, and the number of student representatives.
Many other University committees have student representatives, such as the Honors Council and the Safety Council. Students have also often been included in the search committees for key administrative positions. It might also be desirable to have student representation on those committees that do not currently have them, such as the University Open House Committee.
The effectiveness of the student role and student input in University decision making is compromised by excessive absenteeism at committee meetings. Every effort should be made to publicize the student role and its importancepossibly during orientation sessions for new studentsto ensure that student representatives take their assignments seriously and play more active roles. Although there are many examples of student participation in institutional decision making, there seems to be no over-arching policy statement of the students' role in institutional affairs. Such a statement should be readily available to students.
Recommendation 10.21: NCSU should establish a policy on student participation in institutional decision making and publish it in the Student Handbook and Catalog.
Four student-run media, all housed in the University Student Center Annex, are funded through student fees.
All NCSU media are chartered and operate under the auspices of the Student Media Authority, which consists of media representatives, student body representatives, and advisors (including two full-time advisors from the Department of Student Development, housed with the student media) [5.5.3.2.3]. Editors and managers for the student media are hired each year by the Student Media Authority, which sets employment requirements.
While students are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the student media, each organization is advised by a number of faculty and staff members [5.5.3.2.3]. The addition last year of an operations manager, a full-time employee from Student Development hired to work with the student media, has meant that concerns about the quality, objectivity, and representativeness of the student media are being addressed more effectively. The operations manager can more directly work with the student media and can help student managers and editors become more aware of and responsive to the concerns of the wider University community.
The operations manager and budget manager for student media provide daily, ongoing advising to all of the student media. In addition, the Technician staff are advised twice a week by a writing coach, who works with individual writers, and efforts are being made to strengthen the relationship between faculty from the Department of English and the Technician staff. WKNC staff work with a lecturer from the Communications Department, who acts as a voice coach. Radio-station employees undergo ten to twelve hours of training, must pass a written test, and have their initial programming efforts peer-evaluated. The Agromeck staff receive promotional materials and suggestions from yearbook companies and consultants and swap yearbooks with several other universities.
Although NCSU's responsibilities regarding student publications are implicit in the Student Media Board's constitution and statutes, no direct statement of the institution's responsibilities regarding student media appears in widely distributed publications like the Undergraduate Catalog or the Student Handbook [5.5.3.2.3]. A draft of such a statement has been written by a staff member of the Department of Student Development.
Recommendation 10.22: NCSU's Department of Student Development should complete its written statement of NCSU's responsibilities regarding student publications and publish it in the Student Handbook and Catalog.
One way that Student Development tries to maintain the quality of its productions is by having all of the campus media reviewed and/or evaluated by associations outside of the institution. Agromeck and the Technician are critiqued by the Associated Collegiate Press. In 1991-92, the Technician received an All American rating, given only to fifteen to twenty college newspapers nationwide each year. The Windhover won the 1992 PICA (Printing Industries of the Carolinas, Incorporated) Design Award for Design Excellence. The Windhover also received one of only three National Pacemaker awards from the Associated Collegiate Press/National Scholastic Press Association. A disc jockey from WKNC won second place in The College Air Talent contest of the National Association of Collegiate Broadcasters, and another WKNC jockey won the 1991-92 Most Humorous Award from the same organization. Outside evaluations also indicate areas where student media need to improve.
Media at NCSU value both the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and professional ethical standards of responsible journalistic practice. According to the code of ethics of the Student Media Statutes: "The student media are valuable in establishing and preserving an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion and intellectual exploration within the University community. To that end, the Student Media Authority exists to ensure that the code of ethics is followed. If such a goal is to be reached, freedom of inquiry and expression are guaranteed and, of equal importance, corollary responsibilities must be exercised by student editors and managers to provide reliable and responsible journalism. Such responsibilities include the avoidance of libel, obscenity, undocumented allegations, undue harassment, and unwarranted attacks on personal integrity" (p. 28).
The balance between the exercise of free expression and the production of high-quality, representative media has sometimes been difficult for students to maintain. A fairly widespread perception, especially with regard to the campus newspaper and radio, is that quality and fairness are sometimes sacrificed to the personal opinions and preferences of student editors and managers.
Recently, African-American students in particular have voiced concern about their views and tastes being appropriately represented by the campus media. One indication of the student media's effort to be more representative of the entire University community is that the staffs of both the Technician and WKNC for the coming year include a higher percentage of minorities than previously. In addition, in April 1993 the Student Media Authority accepted The Nubian Message into its membership on a one-year trial period. The Nubian Message, a campus newspaper representing the views and concerns of African-American students, emerged in response to student complaints about the Technician. Affiliation with the Student Media Authority will give The Nubian Message significant financial and Student Development staff support.
Recommendation 10.23: NCSU's Department of Student Development should institute routine feedback instruments to ensure that the student media are responsive to the needs and concerns of their immediate community.
The criticism of the Technician is occasionally pointed. Approximately 21 percent of the undergraduate students and 40 percent of the graduate students responding to the Self-Study Survey of Undergraduate and Graduate Students indicated that they were very dissatisfied or dissatisfied with the Technician. Specific comments were either negative or suggested ways to improve the Technician.
On the other hand, the Technician also gets its share of praise. The newspaper is critiqued by the Associated Collegiate Presses, and in 1991-92, the Technician received an All American rating. Furthermore, the Technician is making steps toward self-improvement. An effort is being made to assess local opinion through a marketing survey conducted by the newspaper staff, and the staff plan to conduct surveys next year to get input from the campus community about their editorials.
As the most widely read campus publication at NCSU, the Technician has the potential for increasing the quality of intellectual and ethical life. This potential is currently unrealized.
Recommendation 10.24: NCSU should explore new approaches to managing the Technician to develop this powerful resource for the good of the University and its students.
Intramural sports activities are scheduled year-round and include both indoor and outdoor opportunities. Activities are divided into six units: men's residence, fraternities, women's residence, sororities, men's open, and co-recreational. There are also special sections in these units to accommodate graduate students and faculty members. Awards are given to recognize outstanding participation. These awards range from T-shirts to certificates and plaques and photo displays.
In the club sports division, there are thirty-seven active sports and over 2,000 participants. Each club is organized and conducted by students, allowing for opportunities to learn leadership and decision-making skills.
In addition to scheduled competition, there are leader-directed and self-directed fitness opportunities in areas ranging from walking to aerobics. These programs help participants to set goals to improve health and feel positive about improved fitness from participation. Individual records are maintained and when personal goals are met, T-shirts are awarded.
One unique event that has taken place for the past forty-six years is Big Four Sports Day. This special yearly occurrence provides the opportunity for intramural competition between Duke University, Wake Forest University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and NCSU. The purpose of Big Four Sports Day is to promote cooperation and friendliness in a competitive setting and to provide the outstanding players in selected sports with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability in quality competition.
Opportunities to participate in these various activities are publicized several ways. Handbills and activity posters are placed in various campus locations. The student newspaper, the Technician, publishes a weekly intramural-recreational sports page. The intramural-recreation sports office provides bulletins updating all recreation activities taking place in the department. Finally, upcoming recreational events are advertised in University and student bulletins.
Intramural sports activities at NCSU are directed by the director of intramural-recreational sports, with assistance from an advisory board and four assistant directors who directly oversee informal recreation and fitness, intramural, club sports, and facilities. The intramural-recreational sports advisory board represents a broad spectrum of the University community, including residence halls, fraternities, sororities, open organizations, club sports, and officials. The responsibility of the members of this board is to provide additional insights and make recommendations concerning policies, rules, protests, and other significant issues.
The success of the intramural-recreational sports program is indebted to the efficiency and enthusiasm of its staff and helpers. Student supervisors provide the organization and guidance for the management of activities, participants, officials, equipment, and facilities, while providing program continuity in record keeping. Student athletic directors are selected from residence halls, fraternities, and sororities. These athletic directors provide organization and direction for their intramural teams. Finally, officials are recruited, primarily from the student body with some staff involvement. No experience is necessary, since the intramural department provides training clinics.
The NCSU intramural-recreational sports program makes use of many different facilities. The main indoor facility is Carmichael Gymnasium. Completed in May 1961, the original 200,000-square-foot facility was planned to house approximately 8,000 students, but when enrollment rose to nearly 24,000, a 130,000-square-foot building was added. This facility was completed in February 1987. Carmichael includes offices, classrooms, locker rooms, various courts and multipurpose sport facilities, a natatorium, weight rooms, sauna, steam room, dance studio, and even a simulated-rock-climbing wall. Outdoor activity areas in close proximity include an archery range, golf-practice areas, large grass areas for outdoor sports, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a weight-training area. North Carolina State University is currently considered to have one of the finest physical educational/recreational facilities in the country.
Intramural programs and personnel are evaluated on a regular basis to determine if goals are being met and to plan for the future. According to the director of the program, the Intramural-Recreational Sports Program will be assessed in the future using an instrument developed in 1991 by the Center of Assessment, Research, and Development in Knoxville, Tennessee, in conjunction with the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association. This instrument is considered valid and reliable to assess the quality and importance of recreational services. It will also provide a more accurate assessment of the specific contributions the Intramural-Recreational Sports Program makes to the University community.
The majority of respondents to the self-study surveys reported satisfaction with the recreational facilities. The interest of students and faculty in the program and the enthusiasm by the intramural department staff members combine to provide an exceptional partnership. The only limitations of the program are facilities and funding opportunities. It is apparent that the facilities are well used and the budget is well invested in a variety of program opportunities.
The mission of the African-American Cultural Center is to provide NCSU with a resource to develop "cultural pluralism," a concept that includes education, social action, public policy, and diversity. In its attempt to address the needs of cultural pluralism, the African-American Cultural Center has adopted a fourfold structure. The first component is the library, which provides avenues for scholarly research from an Afro-centric perspective. The second component is the gallery, which allows visitors to study a people through their creative expression. The third component supervises academic and cultural programming and cultivates leadership skills among the student organizations housed within the center. The final component is the center's Council of Directors, which makes policy.
Operationally, the African-American Cultural Center is governed through a Council of Directors, who represent the campus community. The council consists of three faculty, three staff, and six African-American students who hold leadership positions in various student organizations. The council appoints four committees, each given the responsibility of one of the four components outlined above.
At this time, the activities of the African-American Cultural Center are limited by a scarcity of resources. The center does not have staff adequate to provide operational and programming functions in its administrative offices. This means that student organizations do not always receive adequate programming input, coordination, and monitoring. Staff are also inadequate to ensure access to the center beyond the eight-to-five workday, which means that the gallery and the library are not very accessible. In addition, an increase in the number and value of the acquisitions in the library and gallery would enhance the quality of the center.
Recommendation 10.25: NCSU should evaluate the quality of the African-American Cultural Center and determine whether funding is adequate to accomplish its mission.
In fall 1992 the African-American Cultural Center was the focal point for a number of events that conspired to create significant racial unrest among NCSU students. When African-American students on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill demanded a "free-standing" African-American Cultural Center, the resulting unrest spilled over onto the NCSU campus. There were a number of rallies of African-American students on the NCSU campus making similar demands.
After an editorial in the Technician, the student newspaper, criticizing the movement at Chapel Hill, African-American students burned Technicians on the brickyard. There was a march on the chancellor's residence, a sit-in at the student radio station, and other protests. The administration met with the African-American students to discuss their needs and pledged more support to the African-American Cultural Center on this campus.
This created a backlash. The fall 1992 survey was administered during the time when the issues raised by the student protests were much on students' minds. Figures 10.2 and 10.3 show that over half of the students who rated the African-American Cultural Center were dissatisfied with it. A study of the comments offered by students shows that most of the dissatisfaction is in opposition to the idea of having a cultural center designed primarily for one particular ethnic group. Typical of the concerns voiced by students were these taken directly from the survey:
The racial controversy on the NCSU campus in fall 1992 reflects the racial unrest in the greater society. Perhaps we should view overt racial conflicts like these as the "working out" of racial tensions, a resolution necessitated by the inherent problems in our culture. In this case, the conflicts may be necessary events on the path toward reconciliation. Although there were a lot of emotions on both sides of this issue, no one was injured, and most of those involved acted responsibly and with respect toward their fellow students.
Careful reading of the student concerns from the survey and discussions with students and faculty on campus indicate that most of the conflict in 1992 was motivated by political concerns rather than by racial hatred or disrespect. There is considerable concern about resegregation and the elevation of the needs of a particular racial group over the needs of all students. Question 10B of the Self-Study Survey of Undergraduate Students explored student satisfaction with the degree of racial harmony on campus. Only 36.5 percent answered that they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
The University must continue to be circumspect and vigilant to racial unrest and conflict. Effective communications must be maintained between African-American and other under-represented minority students, student body representatives, the administration, and faculty.
Recommendation 10.26: NCSU should encourage innovative ways for promoting and maintaining respect and harmony among racial groups.
