Western Oregon Journal

Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Post

By Tiffani McCoy
Student

Unfortunately, again, problems have arisen within the administration. Recently, a student appointment of mine, to the Western Oregon University Incidental Fees Committee, was removed from the IFC due to failure to meet the grade requirement. However, as per a standing policy-signed by both myself (the ASWOU President) and Dr. Gary Dukes (the ASWOU advisor)-there is a Term Warning Policy stating that a student has one term in which their grades can fall below the requisite GPA of 2.00, this would have been the first offense and it should have activated the warning policy. The Term Warning Period Policy, implemented August 28th 2007 is binding upon the policies of all facets of the ASWOU. This specific appointee of the IFC should have been awarded this Warning Period, as IFC falls under the umbrella of ASWOU, within the IFC guidelines in Section 1 Subsection B it states, " … The Institution President empowers the Incidental Fee Committee (IFC) of Western Oregon University, a recognized committee of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University (ASWOU) …". Despite this crystal clear language, detailing where the IFC falls, this particular IFC member was removed in spite of the obvious policy in position to provide continued student representation.

This removal of student representation was executed unilaterally by Dr. Gary Dukes, who incidentally signed-as the Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA)-the Term Warning Period Policy. When I tried to schedule a meeting with him to point out the mistake, he left a note with a student worker that said, "If Tiffani McCoy tries to make an appointment with Dr. Dukes he does not want to meet with her unless she has made all the IFC appointments". As an advisor, to deny a meeting with the person who is allegedly being advised until they meet arbitrary criteria is abhorrent and disgusting. Advisors are supposed to be guiding in the spirit of education, required to follow stated policy, and lets not forget, an advisors roll is to advise not execute authority. Yet Dr. Dukes acted against the spirit of education, and against the stated policy, which he is in the unique position of having signed onto!

IFC is an umbrella committee of the ASWOU, it is officially recognized by the President of the University. Yet, the VPSA felt as if unilateral action was acceptable, and that discussion as adults, and equals, was unacceptable. Violations of policy, which were signed into effect by Dr. Dukes, can be overlooked. He can task his student employee as a 'gatekeeper' to break lines of communication and close discussion. This policy must not be overlooked! Nor can this blatant disregard for policy and procedure be dismissed! There is a chronic pattern developing, where students' interests are continually disregarded by one school official, who, in my opinion, should be the champion of students rights!

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