Campus briefs

WASC broaches sensitive subjects

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges was on campus this week to speak with administrators, faculty and students about issues ranging from diversity to faculty advising. The goal of the process was to increase campus and community involvement.

"You bring in peers who understand your institution and can offer advice and helpful constructive advice on improvement ideas," said Rana Glasgal, a visiting WASC member from Stanford University. "It's definitely a mutual system of checks and balances."

Glasgal, along with fellow team member Ron Barrett, sat down and spoke with students for close to 45 minutes on Wednesday to discuss some of the school's more sensitive subjects including diversity, inclusive excellence and academic advising.

"I think one of the greatest misunderstandings about WASC is that it's an onerous imposition and that they're coming to look at people's skeletons in the closet and that's not it at all," said Barrett, a professor of psychology at Loyola Marymount University. "The whole intent is to help institutions improve and grow."

During the meeting on Wednesday, team members asked students a number of questions to stimulate discussion. When asked where they felt they could turn if they felt concerned with any type of discriminatory issue, most students agreed that going to faculty or friends would be their first step, not necessarily a university source.

"I don't believe many students are aware of the resources they could utilize in such a case," said junior Winston Yu. "I don't believe many students are aware that we have an office of diversity or an office of inclusive excellence."

Barrett agreed. "It seems as if the resources are available, but students just don't know about them," he said.

Another issue discussed by students was the role of faculty advising on campus. A number of students expressed feelings of frustration when it came to getting proper help from their assigned faculty advisor, forcing them to turn to the Drahmann Center for help.

Class project creates jobs

When you hear the words group project, thoughts of powerpoints, headaches and doing other people's work might jump to mind.

Yet, for one group of students in Dolores LaGuardia's writing for business class, their group project is more than just another powerpoint. Their group project helps empower women to re-enter the workplace.

LaGuardia assigned her class a group project: create a business plan for a beneficiary, reflecting the Santa Clara mission, and act upon it.

That's when seniors Andrea Marquis, Kaitlin Novell, Julienne Syme and Spencer Jim On took the lead.

"Because it's a business writing class, we felt the need to find a non-profit organization that deals with something appropriate to business," Jim On said.

They approached Career Closet, a local center that collects donations of money and clothing to help women obtain the tools they need to successfully get a job.

They provide women with business and work attire, and help build resumes, and stage mock interviews.

"Job opportunities are just thrown at us at Santa Clara and we just have to take them and these people have to go out and find them," Novell said.

The group is collecting clothes from campus as well as houses in the community. Because students may not have business attire on hand to donate while at school, they are asking students to ask their families for donations if they are going home at any point in the semester. They are also approaching faculty for support.

Additionally, the group will be holding a fundraiser at Stuft Pizza on Nov. 5 in order to raise money for Career Closet.

While there is no set deadline for donations, the group plans to ask the Career Center to have a central dropping location. They will also come pick up donations upon request at sjmon@scu.edu.

Said Marquis: "All you have to do is figure out what you have and leave it on your doorsteps."

From staff reports. Email news@thesantaclara.com.