Wendy Bashant at New College

We, the undersigned, request the removal of the old move-in petition. It has inaccurate information and is dated.

In the past, New College had an alarming history of antagonism between the college and the USF. Dean Blauweiss (2004) was fired. Dean Fisher (2000) lasted less than one year: she left after the students produced t-shirts depicting her as an assassin's target.  Dean Wendy is a completely different model.  She has been here for six years and we really like her.  We support the current New College administration because they truly support the New College students.  Thus would like the facebook petition removed.

Inaccuracy #1:  The petition suggests that the Dean sets the academic calendar. She doesn't.  A faculty committee with student representation set the date.  She made this point in several meetings that she had with students.  Her statements proved true: the start of classes (and hence the move-in date) was changed back to the original date, last year.  Both the original change and the return to the old ways was set by the EPC (Educational Policy Committee), which  students and faculty sit on it, but not the Dean.  This alumni information is thus based on faulty information.

Inaccuracy #2:  The petition suggests that there was a dramatic change in the move-in policy.  This is not true. While Dean Wendy determines when Orientation begins, there was no change.  Orientation always began 4-5 days before mini-classes.  The return date always was the day before mini-classes.  Buie's petition suggests that students are "losing their agency." This is not true.  The fact is they just weren't paying attention.

Inaccuracy #3:  The administration didn't adequately explain the rationale.  At the end of this petition, you can see the last of several email that was sent out to students which explains why move-in is set the way it always has been set.  The Dean went to two town meetings, had several 411s and also met individually with students and student government about the matter.

Inaccuracy #4:  The current student body doesn't feel as though the current administration listens to them.  This is not true.  AsPresident Mike said to the group of students in College Hall:  Listening to isn't the same as agreeing with. 

We, the undersigned, believe that there have been changes made to New College, and we support them.  This school has an international reputation.  The old petitioners need to put aside their personal vendetta and cease to allow these inaccuracies to fester and sully our school's image.

Email sent by the administration to students regarding move-in:

Philosophy on the return date:

1.  Saturday returns are tough on our cleaning and physical plant workers.  We have major overtime issues with orientation in general, and a Saturday return exacerbates it.  All of our cleaning/physical plant staff has to be on hand when the students come back to make sure air-conditioning works, the furniture is in place, and the cleaning has been done.  If students are coming back both Saturday and Sunday, we'll need to have key personnel, cleaning staff, physical plant right through the weekend.

2.  Conferences are ending this week on the 18th.  Orientation starts on the 20th and then the return-ers come back on the 24th.   That gives us fewer than five days to get everything together.  It also makes for a killer two weeks for the USPS workers: they get the rooms in order in less than a week, work through the weekend and then get hit with all of the work orders the following week because students want beds removed, etc.

3.  Four days are necessary for Orientation.  Once the upper-class folk start coming back, the attendance at the group events drops off precipitously.  It is helpful to have Thursday and Friday for academic orientation and then Saturday to do community and co-curricular orientation.  To lose that last day because the upper-class students are seductively telling the underclass that they don't have to participate undermines the cohesiveness of the class.

4.  We grant waivers to anyone who has compelling reasons:  these can be work-related issues for parents, plane fare prices for students who are out of the state or out of the country, medical or personal reasons for needing to leave home sooner.  These were all waivers that we granted last year.  Everyone who asked, last year, was granted a waiver.

5.  We'd love to have students come back and be orientation leaders.  Thus, if students don't have compelling reasons to come back, but want to, they should consider applying to be an orientation leader.  In the past we've hired everyone who wants a position. 

New College folks, academic calendars are always in evolution; we suspect this one is as well.  If EPC decides to change or revise the current plan, we'll implement it.  The fact is, every school that is our comp doesn't bring upper-class students back to campus until there is something for them to do -- that can be service projects or registration. That is also what we've done forever -- students don't come back until minis start --and to change it, when there are so many compelling reasons not to, goes against ration!

What other schools do:

NCF-old schedule                               

Aug 20 --FY                                                  

Aug 24 --UC                                                                                                 

3 days

Student's proposed change due to faculty change in calendar

Aug 20 -- 1st and returners arrive on campus

Aug 27 -- classes start

7 days!!

Oberlin

Aug 28 -- 1st year move in

Sept 2 -- returners move in

Sept 4 -- classes

2 days

Carleton

Sept 7 -- move in

Sept 10 - classes

3 days

Hampshire (06-07)

Sept 4 -- returners move in

Sept 6 -- classes

2 days

St. Marys of Maryland

Aug 25 --returners move in

Aug 27 --  classes

2 days

Reed College

Aug 24 -- returners move in

Aug 27 -- classes

3 days