2008 Woodie Awards
Rock the Discussion: Students speak up about campus future
Joanne Li and Anna Randell
Issue date: 6/19/06 Section: News
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Students voiced their opinions about how De Anza College could help them juggle classes, work and life and still succeed academically.
At least 60 students arrived for the "Rock the Discussion" event at the Hinson Campus Center June 12.
Participants divided into groups of ten students and two facilitators. The students then discussed De Anza while the facilitators took notes.
"We don't want the conversation to fall into black holes," said speech professor Kim Pearce. "That's why we're going to meet with the administration next week to present our opinions to them."
Pearce's speech 60 class organized the event.
The topics were divided into four main themes based on interviews of students done by facilitators, according to Pearce. Students discussed how to make De Anza a welcoming environment, the most effective ways to give students essential information, what De Anza could do to help students achieve their potential and juggling multiple responsibilities.
One student said that De Anza had become a four-year university. Another student said that De Anza should offer more night and weekend classes for nursing majors.
The students' ideas will be presented to the administration June 19 1-2 p.m. in room L-48. "We'd like to hear good and bad experiences to see what works and what doesn't," facilitator and De Anza student Sunny Malatesta said.
"It's not the school telling us what to do; it's a bottom-up channel of voicing," Shawn Spano, a facilitator from San Jose State University said.
"The ideas are generated by students themselves." Pearce said that he plans to keep on seeking feedback from students about De Anza.
"We hope to offer [discussions] every spring," he said. "Our goal is to use this information to make the college better."
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