By Regis L. Roberts
At two April 24 forums for the dean of arts and sciences position, candidate Dr. Yoon Sik Kim stressed the need for remediation, not just at this college, but at all colleges.
Kim, who is the former dean of assessment and accreditation at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., is vying with six other candidates for the position here.
Kim said his work at Philander Smith College has focused on maximizing institutional effectiveness by achieving goals of the college and actualizing human potential.
He said strengthening the quality of students and faculty would be his priority for the college.
He said four out of five incoming freshmen nationwide need some form of remediation.
He proposed a Lifelong Learning Center, which he said would be a one-stop shop for students to receive remedial instruction for English, math and science.
He said colleges could blame high schools for not preparing students for college-level work, but high schools would in turn blame middle schools and on down.
Instead of passing blame, Kim said the problem of preparedness needs to be addressed with remediation.
Manuel L. Flores, director of enrollment management, asked Kim how he would give students a genuine first-year experience, considering how diverse the college’s student body is. Problems such as balancing work and school, transportation and family life make it hard to accommodate all students, Flores said.
Besides making sure students are ready for college-level courses, Kim said he would like to slash the cap on the total number of students in a single class. This would create an environment more conducive to a connection with students and faculty. One-on-one interaction is the key to nurturing remedial students, Kim said.
When discussing problems such as living situations and transportation needs, Kim said dorms may be a possible solution.
He said community and family is also a major ingredient to preparing students for college. Many students see a way to make easy, quick money without attending college, but they do not think ahead. He said students don’t think about the importance of a college education to achieve a stable job and a more comfortable life.
Interaction between the college, the community and students’ families is needed.
In his first year as dean, he would ask the people in every department under his supervision to complete a survey of the No. 1 concern in those departments. After the data is compiled and presented in a faculty meeting, it would be his duty to address these concerns to administration, he said.