Changes over at Admissions

Some big changes going on at Admissions!  Here is an email that was sent out recently (actually IDK if it got sent out yet, found it on LinkedIn):

Dear Campus Community: 

Admissions at St. Mary’s College is in the process of launching an ambitious, national recruitment campaign designed to improve the quantity, quality, and diversity of our applicant pool, which has been shrinking in recent years. 

A bold campaign requires positions that are both thoroughly grounded in traditional best practices in admissions and financial aid and that are creative, innovative, and forward-looking. We’ve combined two traditional assistant director positions to create an Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid position. We anticipate the creation of one or two additional new positions that will create vital linkages among admissions, financial aid, and other key constituents. 

In the reorganization, two positions - the Director of Admissions and the office administrator - have been eliminated. Rich Edgar served St. Mary’s College of Maryland for 25 years, and Lisa Crowe gave St. Mary’s an astonishing 37 years. We thank them for their many contributions, and wish them well in future endeavors. 

Sincerely, 

Pat Goldsmith 
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

Didn't really know who Rich Edgar was so I used some Investigative Journalism™ to find out some stuff about him.  His name is 'Rich', which I imagine means that he is an affluent dude.  And his last name is Edgar...is he related to the Baltimore poet?  Maybe he was let go because of this morbid connection?  I found this small photo of the dude:

He is pretty attractive, so I don't think he was let go due to being ugly or anything.  I think I met him once, maybe.  Also he is an ass. coach for soccer.  Other bro that got 'let go' (read: fired?) was Lisa Crowe.  IDK who she is, but she worked here awhile.

So what caused this?  According to the email Admissions is tryna go in a 'new direction'.  Personally I think they should go in One Direction:

Unfunny jokes aside, it seems like they are tryna have a position that combines multiple roles and creates greater 'synergy' between offices.  Which makes sense I guess.

But also this could be another example of 'letting people go due to clashing personalities/visions' via the sacking of Bayless, repositioning of Officer Mary,  and others, which has been going on since Urgo took over.  My guess is a greater emphasis on positioning the school as a 'nice school' and moving away from the image of SMCM being a 'chill hippie school'.  As the institution becomes more expensive it will be vital to make it seem to be 'worth the money', and the easiest way to do that is to make St. Mary's seem like a serious institution.

It's the same thing that has been going on since the 90s.  President Lewis (or at least he was around when it happened) got the school to be an Honor's College, in part to help move away from the notion that St. Mary's was a hippie liberal arts school.  And Maggie did the same thing when she took over, working to rebrand St. Mary's as a fine institution of learning.  And it just continues to the most recent graduation, which banned the distribution of beer to graduates.

So, my guess is that St. Mary's will continue to brand itself more and more as a 'good school'.  And this is just another part of it.

It's no secret that the number of applicants to SMCM has steadily been on the decline.  It's almost as if raising tuition consistently for several years in a row has had a negative effect on how many students apply to and can afford SMCM.

SGA Meeting 3/6

The first time I live blogged an SGA meeting was September 23rd, 2008.  The last time I truly liveblogged an SGA Meeting was April 27th, 2010.

Actually, I would really recommend reading that first liveblog from 2008, there are a lot of things that would end up being major parts of the blog and campus itself like

• Trays were eventually removed from the Great Room
• Clubs passing w/o any debate ever
• My hatred for the Terrorist Newspaper The Point News
• Stipends for recycling and composting coordinators, which became a big part of my life
• Club websites, which was another big part of my life
• And SGA being boring

This will more than likely be the actual final SGA live blogging.  I think this was something that made the blog semi-popular.  People found it interesting because it was kinda funny, provided some useful information about SGA, and wasn't boring.  I hope I enlightened people over the past few years about what SGA is, and how boring it can be sometimes.

8:00 - I arrive and stand awkwardly outside pretending to text.

8:03 - I enter and President Snyder immediately begins talking to me.

8:04 - It's already full and it's only been four minutes, this SGA is good at not being late.  Also only the Vice President and Parliamentarian a sit up front now which is an interesting change.

8:06 - It hath begun.

8:07 - They no longer have nametags for everyone #buschleague

8:08 - Kate does not hit her gavel very hard.

8:10 - Urgo is the guest speaker, he is talking about the Dean of Students position (look forward to a saucy post on that tomorrow) which was recently vacated.  Urgo says it was a 'mutual decision' #IYSS

 8:11 - Urgo is looking pretty.  Also there will be a national search.  NATIONAL SEARCH RETURNS YALL #basedgod

8:12 - Someone says the new Dean should be approachable.  No shit.

8:14 - Mark was just told to speak up, I think he may have a cold/sore throat.  Feel better bb.

8:17 - I think the new Dean should be like the Dean from the Simpsons Bobby Peterson.  IDK if that is possible via (ATTN: anonymous who recently complained about my use of 'via,' lol not gonna stop #sorryimnotsorry) he is a cartoon.

8:19 - Mumby brought up Maggi O'Brien hiding in her office.  I think he confused office with abroad/her winery.

8:20 - Urgo looks thinner I wonder if he has been ~workin out~ #swag

8:21 - More suggestions about the new Dean that are all pretty legitimate but also not things that I am super interested in.

8:22 - What I am interested in is Urgo's hair, I feel like the hairline is more defined and the back part goes lower now.  Anyone care to comment on changes to Urgo's hair?

8:23 - "New Dean should drive a hybrid and be a happy person" #hippie

8:25 - Apparently Student Trustee Maurielle Stewart stole a 'Bugle' from Prez Dingle.  Not sure if she is talking about the instrument or the 'stoner food'.  She alerted me via the twitter (follow me @SMCMLOL for relevant news updates).

8:27 - MHECbro is saying something confusing that I do not understand about Jboard and precedents and blah blah blah

8:29 - "Do you do a criminal background check on candidates?"  I hope not, personally I want our new Dean to be a convicted felon/drug dealer (actually that could rule).

8:31 - Bloggin makes me sleepy.

8:32 - Someone just apologized for being late to SGA #YOLO

8:37 - I think Prez Dingle is tryna establish the point that we should get a Dean who is okay with 'May Day'.

8:41 - Sometimes people ask kinda dumb questions

8:42 - "So in Absalom, Absalom!"  lololol

8:43 - Urgo is done, moving onto Resolution supporting a Living Wage for all Staff Members.

8:46 - Are you fucking kidding me!?!  Terrorist Newspaper Pointless News just posted and article about 'People who hate The Point News' and left me out.  This is bullshit, I've hated The Point News since September of 2008.

8:51 - "We're not trying to attack Urgo with this"

8:52 - What the fuck are you even trying to say, are you trying to imply the staff will beat the Senate up if we don't pass this?  MHECbro I don't understand you.

8:54 - Kelly Schroeder (luv u Kelly) brought up the point that Staff refers not only to Maintenance, Housekeeping, etc. but also to people in Student Affairs etc.

9:00 - "If we are going to pay them more, are they going to work harder?"  oh my god are you serious, #getout.  I don't think you understand what the purpose of a ~Living Wage~ is.  The entire idea is to pay people enough so that they can actually live a good life free of debt.  Get your Ayn Rand bullshit philosophy out of here.

9:02 - Same Rugby bro "Can we get them to start cleaning the bathrooms in the Townhouses" what the hell, hire a maid if you are that lazy

9:06 - Via facebook stalking, profile picture on a boat, Econ major, went to a $13,000 a year private high school, which is literally half of what some of these people are getting paid.  Stop hating poor people, Jesus Christ.  Some fucking Catholic.

9:16 - Resolution passed.

9:17 - Rugbybro "candy machines are always cash only" #firstworldproblems

9:20 - Meeting is wrapping up

9:21 - Meeting over!

Missu SGA

Here is the Agenda for the meeting:

I. Call to Order

II. Roll Call

III. Approval of the Agenda

IV. Approval of the Minutes

V. Student Speak-Out

VI. New Business

-President Urgo as guest speaker

-Resolution 04-12S Wage Justice at St. Mary's College of Maryland

VIII. Announcements

IX. Adjournment

BLOG LATER

An Ode to Maggie O'Brien

Miss u sometimes Maggie O.  Miss ur chill ~nonexistant~ vibes.  Kinda miss those days when seeing the President was a rare event that few got to experience.  Now any bro can chill with the Prez at his open hours, or do something dumb like invite Leslie and he over for dinner in their townhouse.

Missu wine producing prez.  Miss ur wine that apparently was not very good and given out to underage students on the reg.  Most of all, miss u RPG (EDIT: Apparently "it's a large flashlight with a scope made from spare plumbing equipment you dolt" [SUPER-EDIT: It's definitely something military related]) holding prez (see below).

Where is the wine and guns Urgo???  Can we really trust a President that doesn't have wine and guns???  Isn't the liberal arts education/Faulkner all about wine and guns???

Wonder what she is up to now?  I think she is chillin over in Oxford via heading the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.  I remember this annoyed some facultybros, not sure what the current situation is though.

Apparently everyone was into her for the first half of her being here (via honeymoon syndrome).  Also she really changed the ~vibes~ of the school into being more srs and academic (apparently) which is cool I guess.  Also she was a really good fundraiser, which is probs why she was never around.

I think ultimately, (13) thirteen years is too long for any prez to be around.  Maybe there should be a limit of like a decade or so.  People get burnt out, stop caring as much, etc.  But I dunno.

missu bb.