On Sunday, the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) passed a resolution regarding the University’s Academic Review process, promoting changes to the current system of forced resignation.
The resolution identifies three issues in the current process: difficult communication between students and their dean, ambiguous responsibilities class deans have when advising students subject to punishment, and finally, flexibility when accounting for extenuating factors that affect a student’s academic performance. The document calls for meetings between at-risk students and their deans, the creation of a “student process advisor” position by the Dean of the College to keep students informed of the Academic Review process, and the option for students to apply for early reinstatement to the University after the first semester of a one-year suspension.
In part, the resolution responds to the controversy surrounding Silver ’07, who was forced to resign from the University after failing two classes last year. Silver’s experience, particularly his complicated personal and financial situation, has sparked a campus-wide discussion of the current review process.
“This resolution brings up issues that many people have been thinking about for a long time,” said Zach Kolodin ’07, president of the WSA and resolution co-author. “Silver’s case placed them fresh in the minds of both the administration and the student body, so we felt it was an optimal time to voice these concerns.”
Kolodin stressed that the resolution serves to outline rather than enact change; it represents a formal announcement that the student body supports a revision of the process. Kolodin and the rest of the WSA now hope to initiate a roundtable discussion with Dean of the College Maria Cruz-Saco and the members of the faculty involved with the Academic Review process. “We’re hoping they’ll agree to sit with us and speak with representatives of the student body, so we can pound out a system everyone is happy with,” he said.
WSA members say forced resignations occur often enough to warrant inspection.
“I can’t speak for the incidents that happened before I worked on the [WSA], but from what I’ve seen and what I’ve been told around four to five students a year are forced to go through the appeal process,” said WSA Representative Sam Ruth ’08, another co-author of the resolution. “While many students do make it through and get to stay, it’s more common for the student to be kicked out.”
WSA Representative Rayson Punzalan ’07, another co-author, suggested that the issues are both political and socio-economic.
“It is much more common for the University to single out minority or lower-income students for resignation,” he said. “For this reason we want to tone down the process and increase its fairness. The University does a very good job of recruiting these students, but when they come here they often find themselves without the aid they need.”
According to Punzalan Silver’s situation is not unique. The story’s attention resulted, instead, from Silver’s position in the community.
“[Silver] is known and respected by a very large number of people on campus, many of whom were willing to rally in his support,” he said.
As a follow-up to Sunday’s resolution, the WSA plans to draft a second document this week, one tailored more specifically to minority student considerations and needs.
“We want them to feel supported,” Punzalan said.
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