Students demand to deans: Do your Job

Concerned and eager students filled L05 in the Student Success Center to discuss issues at the "Let’s Talk: Three Deans," event, hosted by the Non-traditional Adult Student Organization Jan. 29.

Joshua Recore, senior mathematics major, and panel
host at the "Let's Talk: Three Deans" event.

Lawrence Bridget, , voiced his concerns about maintenance, shuttle services and the recent realignment of the College of Arts and Sciences. Bridget is a 53-year-old junior information and technology major from Newark, New Jersey and a member of NASO.

"I wanted the deans to know that the info recorded in the media and on campus needs to be clear. They need to understand that the infrastructure they plan on doing, we [the students] are watching."

Stephanie Street, NASO secretary, said the lines of communication need to be open with the three deans because problems cannot be solved if the issue is unknown.

Corey Walker, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Peggy Valentine, dean of the School of Health Sciences, and Kathy Stitts,dean of the University of College and Lifelong Learning, were on the panel.

"After having a number of discussions with our non-traditional students at our NASO meetings, we came to the conclusion that there are a series of issues that face the non-traditional and traditional students as well today," Street said.

"We want to give you [the students] everything. That’s my goal," Walker said.

However, Bridget loudly expressed his disappointment about the realignment of the School of Business and Economics, the School of Education and Human Performance and the College of Arts and Sciences.

The realignment, called "The College," has been in effect since July 1, 2014.

"I had to go through a whole lot just to get the understanding of what this new program [The College] is all about," Bridget said.

"I am very disappointed, not in you [Dean Walker] but in the system here at Winston-Salem State."

Bridget said that the lines of communication are blurred between students and administrators.

"Why is this University still walking in slavery chains? We have the power; we are stakeholders. It is time to stop."

He said WSSU was criticized in an article in Black Business Inc. about the realignment of "The College" that included interviews Walker, and provost Brenda Allen .

Bridget said Allen’s comments "degraded WSSU." She [Allen] says WSSU will increase in value and respect across the higher education landscape when we demonstrate capability in business, government and other organizations.’ We are demonstrating that now," Bridget said.

"It takes me two hours to get here [WSSU], and I take public transportation.[every day].

Bridget said WSSU Shuttle Services should not take an hour in between each stop being that it is a small Universty.

Bridget started a petition last year for WSSU to purchase two additional shuttles. The petition also asks that they resume transportation to Winston- Salem bus station.

Bridget said he gave the petition to the Ram Shuttle Services and put the petition online at MoveOn.org.

"Our professors are marking us late because the shuttle busses make us wait an hour. The shuttle should run twenty minutes on the hour," Bridget said.

Bridget also talked about the infrastructure of the buildings.

"There is a bathroom problem in Coltrane Hall that should have been fixed, " Bridget said. "The infrastructure is failing. People are complaining, but nobody is listening. Maintenance is not doing their job."

Bridget said he reported the maintenance issue last semester and nothing has been done.

Walker said that if there was a "single bullet" to solve every issue, they would do it.

"Do we make mistakes? Yes. Should we admit to them? Yes. Are we wrong sometimes? Yes. Can we get it right? Yes. We have to be humble enough to admit when we are wrong," Walker said.

Bridget said that he loves the deans but he just wants them to do their job.

"We are not a college. We are a university. We’re just like Duke,we’re just like A&T. It’s time for y’all to stop," Bridget said.

"It is time to stop the madness," Bridget said following the event.