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Res. Life brings in evaluators

by Sara Foss

This week Oberlin's housing and dining program was evaluated by two trained evaluators, Mike Coakley and Greg Kneser, both members of the Association of College and University Housing Officers (ACUHO).

Coakley and Kneser will compare the College's housing and dining program to ACUHO national standards for housing and dining.

The evaluation's purpose, Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk said, is to ensure that Oberlin's programs remain cutting edge, remain as inclusive as possible and keep the goals of the institution in mind. The evaluators will make suggestions for improving Oberlin's facilities planning and dining program, "especially the board plan," Cole-Newkirk said.

A lot of students, Deb McNish, director of residential life, said, have expressed concern about the board plan to the evaluators and said they would like to see more flexibility in how many meals-per-week they are required to pay for.

While at Oberlin, the evaluators "look at just about everything," McNish said. This "everything" includes the services, goals, mission, staffing, budget, dining options and facilities of Oberlin's housing and dining program.

The evaluation process includes gathering student and faculty opinion. Throughout the week, Coakley and Kneser could be seen questioning students about housing and dining in dining halls, co-ops, residence halls, Wilder Snack Bar and the Conservatory lounge.

"We have our own ideas of what we think student interests are," McNish said. "But it's nice to have an outside person come in and invalidate those ideas, or validate those ideas."

Cole-Newkirk said she expects the consultants' report to arrive within 3 to 4 weeks. It will be sent to the Student Life Committee and distributed to students, McNish said.

After the report arrives, Residential Life will probably conduct an additional evaluation to determine whether the College can implement any of the changes suggested in the report, and to determine whether the changes suggested are in accord with Oberlin's values as an institution.

Cole-Newkirk said she would like to have at least two different offices evaluated every year on a rotating basis. This year, Security, Student Health and Residential Life have undergone outside evaluations.

Next fall, Cole-Newkirk said, Oberlin will evaluate the quality of student life on-campus. "We haven't engaged in paying attention to the needs of students," she said.

Cole-Newkirk said outside evaluations are part of Oberlin's planning process and a way of making sure that College services are continuously improved. "I look at planning as ongoing," Cole-Newkirk said.


Oberlin

Copyright © 1996, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 124, Number 22; April 26, 1996

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