Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2000)
e TI he CbxckAMAs P rint ______ L XAZS WedNEsdAy, ApRil 5, 2000 Norm Berney is National Advisor of the Year DIANA SCRIVNER Associate News Editor Norm Berney, advisor of the Asso ciated Student Government (ASG), received the National Advisor of the Year Award last month in Washington D.C. at the American Student Asso ciation of Community Colleges (ASACC) conference. Any of the 140 advisors who are involved in the ASACC organization are eligible for the award, according to Berney who is also the president of the Advisors Institute. Each year the award is decided by the Executive Di rector, the ASACC board and by stu dents. It is based on how active and how visible an ASG is in its home col lege, and in the ASACC organization. “I wouldn’t have it (the award) ex cept for the students' actions,” said Berney. Clackamas ASG members Mariah Kreinheder, student access officer, and Bryan Fuentez, administrator assis tant, read a compilation of quotes about Berney, collected from various stu dents. “The quotes really meant a lot,” said Bemey. “That’s what’s been so amazing to me this year, when students have come and thanked me for the things I’ve done.” “I don’t get teaiy-eyed very often, because I’ve won awards before, but I did," he commented. Along with the students' speech, Bemey spoke about some Clackamas programs, including Child-care grants, the Young Parents Opportunity Pro gram and Pell grants. He also men tioned lobbying for education, which was the main reason Clackamas' ASG was at the conference. Bemey an nounced he will retire as ofNovember 2000, although he expressed interest in remaining a part of ASG in some aspect. Bemey has been at Clackamas for 29 years. In that time, he has worked as a coach for cross country, wresting and track from 1971-89; a counselor from 1974-92; and as the ASG advisor TONY MCMICHAEL/ Clackamas Print Bryan Fuentez, administrator assistant, and Mariah Kreinheder, student access officer, speak about ASG Advisor Norm Berney as he recieved the National Advisor of the Year Award. since 1992. “I have had national awards before, nationalcoachoftheyear,butthisone was even more meaningful to me, be- cause it wasn’t just a specific audi- ence,” said Bemey. Darris: students speak loudly against administration Continued from page 1 that degree in our catalog—we re not taking any actions on our part to do anything about that. We feel like The college encouraged Darris to there’s a process that’s been set out. attend the St. Kitts school. Dean is in communication [with the According to both Darris and De ODA]. My understanding is that there partment Chair Don Hartsock, Darris hasn’t been a final decision. was approached by Eric Lewis, “I’ve reassured Dean that the col Clackamas psychology instructor lege isn’t taking any action with the and colleague of Darris, with the case. We’re not going to stop rec- idea of attending Berne. After look ognizing that de ing carefully at gree,” added the school, Darris Connett. “Alan is decided not to at I’ve reassured Dean saying that if we tend because it choose to recog wasn’t an offi that the college isn ’t nize [the degree] cially accredited taking any action that’s our pre institution. Ac rogative. There cording to with the case. We’re hasn’t been any Hartsock, the de not going to stop thing that we’ve partment chair recognizing that looked at or then convinced found out that the instructor to degree. we’d want to re reconsider. Darris Dian Connett verse in any way. then submitted an Dean of Instruction [The ODA] appropriations doesn’t have any request for funds authority to tell to Liz Goulard and the college ‘you can’t give him Kay Davis, former deans at the col credit on the pay scale’ or ‘you have lege, and eventually it was ap to get money back that maybe you proved. helped pay for that degree.’ Alan In separate interviews with Keyser and Dian Connett, dean of doesn’t have the authority to do any of that. I think it’s very prema instruction, both administrators ex pressed a feeling of disapproval that ture to say that Dean’s degree is not an outside agency has brought into going to be recognized. “Dean is an excellent instructor. question a degree that the college has already taken a stance on, as Everyone has recognized his teach ing ability. Whatever he thinks he well as feelings of support for Darris needs to do, we really want to sup through this ordeal. port him in that—if he wants to keep “The college has taken a position of saying that it recognizes the de gree that he received,” noted Keyser. “Frankly, I think [the ODA] should stay out of it. Dean is a very good teacher and I think it’s unfor tunate if he feels that he needs to leave, somewhat precipitously, to defend himself.” “The college learned that Dean’s doctorate had come into question the same time that Dean was noti fied by Mr. Contreras,” noted Connett. “We weren’t aware that office had the authority to look at degrees—we were as surprised as he was. What we’ve said and what we’ve clarified is that we will still list teaching, if he wants to take a break, if he wants to start his sabbatical.” Students express frustration with the administration With the announcement of his de parture last week, many of Darris’ students filled their instructor’s tiny office to express feelings of support throughout the day, and many spoke with members of the ASG to see what support they could generate through the student government offices with the idea of a public rally. A contro versial newsletter written by one of Darris’ students was also circulated around campus early this week. “We’re losing an incredibly awe some teacher,” said Julie M. Smith, one of Darris’ Honors students. “My daughter is at this college— this is her first year. This is the sec ond teacher that she is going to lose in her first year of college.” Some students feel that, while this degree has been brought into ques tion by an outside agency, Darris has been subject to much harass ment by members of the adminis tration over the years and also see a connection with the recent retire ment of Dr. Donald Epstein. “We’re representing the stu dents, not Dean,” noted Luke Precourt, student. “We’re talking about [the administration] trying to harass teachers that we like— whether they’re through the ap proved channels or not. We are not fighting for Dean Darris, we are try ing to bring our own grievances against the administration. I want that to be clear.” “First it’s Epstein, then this,” said Matthew Coleman, student. “It’s a continuation of teacher after teacher. It seems like all the great teachers are leaving. I know Dean was one of the best experiences of my college education. Before I took his classes, I was kind of an aver age student—really didn’t care about my education and took easy classes—I never really pressed my self because I never knew what my limits were. Now I know and I press myself to those limits as much as possible because of that experi ence.” “The saddest part is that it con tinues—first Epstein,” noted Matt Steketee, student. “It’s not even that we’re taking good teachers out, it’s that when people speak their mind they get put down for it—for thinking. Why are [the administra tors] taking away people that we like? The students should have a choice about who teaches at this college—who we like. We’re not voting that David Koresh be a teacher here, we’re saying that cer tain teachers have the credentials and should be able to teach here. When they take them away with Instructors fill the void in Darris’ out [the students] having a say in classes it, that pretty much sucks. “You can’t replace Dean with an “Dr. Epstein was not forced out other Dean,” noted Connett. “So we of here but he was harassed,” con have to start from there and there’s tinued Steketee. “Dr. Darris was not going to be some disappointment forced out of here. It’s secondary [by students], I spoke briefly with issues that are put on him so heavily, the department chair [Hartsock] yes very conveniently, that he doesn’t terday [last Wednesday], and I think have the money or time to represent he’s found replacements for all of himself and still teach at this college the classes. The social sciences de and then he can’t do this job. It’s partment is a large department and very convenient that he can’t do the they have a lot of part-timers so job while he’s dealing with the whole that’s kind of the good news—that other issues. That’s kind of what’s if they need to do some shifting happened. [Some administrators] around they can, fairly quickly. I’m have understood that there are cer very sorry that it’s happening just tain routes that they can take and as the term is starting. If we had seen they’ve understood that they can’t it coming or if we had seen some do it through the college. So by put anticipation then we could have ting separate pressures on them, planned ahead. I just want every they’ve not forced teachers out but body to try and make the most of it it’s made them unable to perform and pitch in and let’s support Dean and the students in his classes.” their jobs here.” Berne: U.S. recognizes it approved Darris’ completion of the Ph.D.inl998. According to Darris and Fishell, requirements. Those requirements for a foreign Beme University is a school of high university are listed in Part 600 of the merit and academic quality. Students amended Higher Education Act of and professors alike leave the univer 1965. Section 600.54states the require sity with a great sense of accomplish ments to determine whether a foreign ment and honor. It is clearly accred institution is eligible to receive federal ited, they say, and accepted in the monies and is comparable to an insti United States as a comparable institu tution of higher learning in the US. tion. Alan Contreras of the Degree Au The website lists those require thorization Board said that a "degree ments as: 1) Admits regular students who have from Beme would not be illegal in the majority of States. However, Oregon secondary degrees completion. 2) Is legally authorized to award de has strict laws concerning accredita grees (associate, baccalaureate, gradu tion status." Robert McKieran of the US De ate or professional). Beme University's website says it partment of Education states that, has been recognized by the United "Beme... is an eligible institution States as an accredited university and [to have Title IV Standing.]" In eligible for Title IV funds (federal mon order to obtain Title IV eligibility ies to the school). It is accredited by it has to "produce evidence that it the World Association of Universities is legally authorized... to provide and Colleges, the Accrediting Commis post-secondary education." Since recognition of accreditation sion International and by the Ministry of Education from the government of and allotment ofTitle IV funds are de cisions of the US Dept, of Education, St. Kitts. Darris noted that College President Contreras was unclear how the state John Keyser recognized this after he has any jurisprudence in this matter. Continued from page 1
