By Danny Horne staff reporter Activity-based and some Disciples of Christ student scholarships may now be stacked with academic scholarships after university officials changed policy. The policy change has been an ongoing process which officials have been working on for the past two weeks. Stacking scholarships will allow students to use their awards in addition to any academic scholarship. The previous policy did not allow for scholarships to be stacked. The revision applies to Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) students who are going into the ministry and Christian Youth Fellowship officers. It also applies to activity-based awards for things that can be publicly viewed such as music, dance, theater and voice, said Mike Scott, director of scholarships and financial aid. He said science departments, for example, would not be involved because they are not necessarily seen by the public. Nick Brown, a freshman orchestra scholarship recipient and business major, said he likes the idea of unlimited scholarship stacking. "I think it's always a great idea if it means some students will get more money from TCU," Brown said. Holly Ricketts, a sophomore voice major, said the ability to stack scholarships will allow her to stay at TCU because more money is available. "This scholarship opportunity should be great because previously I was not able to have anything else on top of my choral scholarship." Scott said students who were eligible for more than one TCU-funded award were only able to use the larger of the awards. Director of the School of Music Kenneth Raessler said the policy should go into effect beginning with the 2000-2001 academic year. "The previous policy was supposed to spread the money out to more students which is what it did," Scott said. "But we found the old policy to be counter-productive to recruitment by not combining the academic and activity scholarships. "In music for example, Ken Raessler can give a student any amount of scholarship as long as the total does not exceed the value of 32 hours of tuition." Jim Atwood, assistant to the dean of admissions and an associate professor of religion, said this is a good change for students who are multi-talented. "This policy allows students who have been church leaders, a part of the band and/or may have excellent academic status a chance to utilize all scholarship opportunities," Atwood said. "For example, the CYF award can be coupled with any academic scholarship or band award." Raessler said he has been wanting stacking ability for some time. "Previously we had stacked a very limited amount of scholarships, but it wasn't completely helpful," Raessler said. "To be as competitive with other schools who do allow more unlimited stacking, we needed to implement it ourselves. Southern Methodist, Baylor and Rice are the schools we compete with the most." Raessler said TCU has been losing talented musicians to schools that have been able to offer more money. "If a student can get more money from (another university) that is comparable in terms of music, dance or theater, they will go where the money is," Raessler said. "We have definitely lost students, but the exact number per year fluctuates." Brown said he knows some musicians who tried to come to TCU but could not afford it. He said the new policy certainly would have helped them a year ago. Leo Munson, associate vice chancellor for academic support, said he has heard for years about problems with recruiting the best students. "This new policy should certainly change the competitiveness," Munson said. "Our Fine Arts department will be able to use this stacking as a lure to get more students interested in, not only auditioning, but choosing to attend." Germán Gutierrez, director of orchestra and Latin American music studies, said he was happy with the administration's investment. "We have said all along that if they want to have a good music school or dance school, they must invest to make it better," Gutierrez said. "It appears they have made that investment." Raessler said he is pleased with the policy change. "It's really what we have been wanting all along," Raessler said. "It's great for us to know that the administration is interested in backing the department and trying to make it better."
Danny Horne
By Jeff Anderson staff reporter The possibility of an off-campus student ID card debit system is closer to reality now than it ever has been, TCU officials said. Emily Burgwyn, director of student affairs information services, said she has spoken with representatives from Student Advantage, the Boston-based company that offers the program. In the past, there has not been a company that was able to offer the system, Burgwyn said. "(We are) most excited to partner with a group who has had success with the system," Burgwyn said. Steven Pace, senior manager of University Relations for Student Advantage, said the SA Cash program has existed in some states for about five years. The company is currently working with New York University, University of California Los Angeles, American University and several other universities, he said. "As of right now, TCU has listened to our proposal and has shown some interest," Pace said. "We still have to present it to the board and see if our strategy blends well with the TCU philosophy." Student Advantage has analyzed Fort Worth and the TCU student population and found a cohesive mix, Pace said. The company would like to have a program in use for Fall 2000, but the TCU administration and the student body will have to decide that, he said. James Lentz, a junior business major, said using IDs at off-campus restaurants would allow more variety. "(It would) offer a different selection of food than what you get at The Main," Lentz said.
Burgwyn said the law was changed in Spring 1999 and allows private universities to offer a student debit card program. "(TCU) would have to have money up front," Burgwyn said. The debit card account would be completely separate from the meal plan used by students on campus, she said. There would be separate accounts for on-campus dollars vs. off-campus dollars, she said. Money would have to be put in the account before it could be used, she said. Sid Weigand, owner of the Smoothie King franchise near TCU said the program would really increase his sales. Several students prefer Smoothie King but usually end up getting smoothies on campus because they can pay from their debit accounts, he said. "I think (the program) would be a just move," Weigand said. Burgwyn said the next step in getting the program established is for TCU to give Student Advantage the opportunity to show the administration it has the resources to begin the program. "Student Advantage has to prove to TCU it can be successful," Burgwyn said. Decisions could be made by the end of the semester, Burgwyn said. However, it is more important to do the program right than to do it fast, she said. Pace said it usually takes between 14 and 20 weeks to install the program. Student Advantage would like to poll TCU students to determine their favorite establishments and make sure TCU agrees with the choices. Then they would recruit merchants, market the program and be up and running for Fall 2000, he said. Burgwyn said TCU would have to decide if alcohol, tobacco and lottery purchases would be allowed on the ID card. Officials would also have to decide if unused money in the debit card account could be taken out at the end of the semester, she said. Lentz said he would like to see the restaurants near campus and on Berry Street to be part of the program. "Most of my meals are fast food, so when I don't have cash I could put it on my card," Lentz said.
Jeff Anderson
By Jill McNeal staff reporter Senior English major Matt Lantz said he doesn't usually go to chapel services at noon on Wednesday because he uses that time to snag lunch and unwind from classes. "I have so many other Christian activities on my calendar in a week, it's hard to fit another one in," he said. The Rev. John Butler, university minister, said TCU has been having weekly ecumenical chapel services since the 1960s. "We average about 55 to 60 students a week in attendance, with 25 to 30 of those being members of the choir," Butler said. "Those are the kind of numbers we've always had, regardless of what changes we've made or who we've had speak." Butler cites two reasons for this: "When students see that the service is not in their specific tradition, combined with the fact that there are always 15 other things going on at the same time, the result is that they don't end up going to chapel very often," he said. Ric Moseley, Uniting Campus Ministries' worship chair, said he sees chapel service as basically dead. "There are always more people in the choir than in the congregation," he said. "Obviously, something is missing if people aren't coming." Moseley said he and Butler have discussed making small changes to the service. "I'm not coming in and trying to change everything," Moseley said. "I'm just trying to find some medium ground, add in some contemporary music and maybe some short student testimonies about what God is doing in their life." Lantz said Moseley's ideas sound good. "Probably the one thing that would get me there would be if more people I knew were involved in the service," Lantz said. "I would love to see time set aside for personal testimonies, and I really enjoy music I can sing along to and not just listen to." Erin Fitzgerald, a freshman elementary education major and member of the choir class that sings weekly at chapel, said if she didn't have to be there for class, she probably wouldn't go. "I personally don't take much from the sermons," she said. "Since contemporary services are so popular right now, I think it's good that they're trying to include both contemporary and traditional styles in the chapel service." Fitzgerald said the current chapel format is not reaching a lot of people. "Students need to hear what the Word says and also how to apply the Word to their lives," she said. "There is a lot of materialism on campus. There are Christians that have fallen away. The messages need to hit closer to home where students are in their lives." Lantz said while he thinks the service does a good job of being open to all the Christian faiths on campus and presenting a good message, he still chooses to spend his time other places. "The 30-minute service seems kind of rushed," he said. "It seems more like a ritual than an actual time for worship. It's hard to get on any kind of a spiritual level in half an hour, but then again, any longer of a service wouldn't fit into a busy college student's schedule." For a religious group to work well, Lantz said people need to be serving each other. "I think if people with leadership positions on campus would start going to chapel, others would follow," he said. "And the people that actually go need to invite others in order to start establishing a group dynamic. I think it could be a really special time."
Jill McNeal
By Kasey Feldman staff reporter Japan and the United States have traded many things over years. For the past five years, TCU and its sister university, Kansai Gaidai, have been trading knowledge and experiences. The two universities have a student exchange program. Four TCU students have gone to Kansai Gaidai, and four Kansai Gaidai students have come to TCU. Delia Pitts, director of international education, said the exchange is a good deal because TCU students at Kansai Gaidai pay TCU tuition and room and board rates, which are less expensive than Kansai Gaidai. Tuition is $8,000 for a semester at Kansai Gaidai and $5,850 for a semester at TCU. Kansai Gaidai students attending TCU pay tuition and room and board to Kansai Gaidai. Pitts said the relationship is also good for TCU academically. "The United States as a whole has been remiss in getting to know about Asia," she said. "TCU students would benefit immensely from aquainting themselves with Japanese culture. Economic, political, demographic and technological trends indicate that Japan and China will be important to the United States in the future." Pitts said Japanese students and universities recognize the need for cultural exchange between the United States and Japan more than American students and universities do. Every year the United States sends about 1,000 students to Japan, while Japan sends about 40,000 students to the United States, Pitts said. Kansai Gaidai requires its students to study abroad for a year to graduate. Carrie Finegan, a senior English major who studied in Japan, said higher education there is not as difficult as higher education in the United States, so a degree from an American university is considered valuable in Japan. Finegan said grade school in Japan is harder than in the United States and the tests to get into college are more difficult, so college does not have to be as hard. Ayuko Arai, a junior exchange student from Kansai Gaidai, said college students in Japan do not have to study as much as in the United States. She said some have jobs and most go out during the week as well as on the weekends. Kyoko Kawabe, a junior exchange student from Kansai Gaidai, said the university system in Japan is different because universities are specialized and students cannot change their majors or double-major. At Kansai Gaidai, students can take one of two tracks - a Spanish-language track, or an English-language track. Kawabe said Kansai Gaidai is short for Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku. Kansai is the name of the district. Gaikokugo means "foreign language," and Daigaku means "university."
Kasey Feldman |
Josh Hawkins, House dining service chair,
said the idea of off-campus ID use started in 1998. At that time, a state
law prohibited private universities from offering a program for off-campus
use, he said.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |