The following questions were not answered at Student Senate’s Speak Up event Nov. 16, but The Scout followed up on them with the appropriate departments this week for responses.
Q: Why is there a $500 study abroad fee attached to students who are studying abroad for a semester? Why pay a student activities fee and a health fee when students who study abroad for a semester are not even on campus?
Director of International Programs Christine Blouch said the study abroad fee has been around since the early ’90s.
“It has remained unchanged, which is strangest of all, and it is far, far lower than comparable fees that are attached to study abroad at each and every U.S. institution, private or public,” Blouch said.
Blouch said she was unaware that the on-campus student activities and health center fees are charged while students are abroad because she hasn’t received a student complaint before, and the study abroad office does not impose these fees. Blouch said she will speak to Financial Services about the issue.
Q: Do we have a way of getting earlier observation/novice placement to ensure we have the time to fulfill mandatory hours?
Dean Cantu, chairperson for the Department of Teacher Education, said the question doesn’t give him the information needed to adequately respond to this student’s concerns.
In order to answer the question, Cantu said he needs to know what assignments the student is referring to, who the supervisor for the section of novice teaching is, how much time was allotted for the students to complete the assignment and if the student has brought the matter to their supervisor or Jane Cushing, the College of Education and Health Sciences’ licensure officer and clinical coordinator.
Q: Doctors are double dosing and overdosing students with prescription medication needs. What controls are in place to prevent this, and how can the system be improved moving forward?
Director of Health Services Jessica Higgs said the Health Center’s electronic medical records flag any prescription that has an inappropriate dosage or that interacts with other medications the patient is taking.
“The physician has to acknowledge the concern in order to continue prescribing,” Higgs said. “In addition, the pharmacist reviews any prescriptions that are questionable in their eyes and will call the office if they have concerns.”
Higgs said the question may refer to the prescription of high dosages of amoxicillin, an antibiotic that treats sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinuses, but newer literature argues that a high dose is necessary to be effective.
Q: What is being done to retain the outstanding faculty the university is known for?
Interim Provost Joan Sattler said there is support for faculty through their departments, colleges and the university as a whole. This comes in forms such as orientation sessions for new faculty or retreats held by each college.
First-year faculty members are also assigned senior mentors for help throughout their time at Bradley.
Sattler another resource available is the Center for Teaching and Learning, directed by Jana Hunzicker, which hosts fall and spring forums for faculty. Hunzicker sends out emails with tips for teaching and times that groups meet up to talk about learning and research.
Q: Is there any way to cut down the basketball team’s budget and reallocate it?
“Bradley is committed to a Division I-AAA Athletics Program and carefully benchmarks its sports spending of resources to comparable programs as well as competitors in the Missouri Valley Conference,” Director of Athletics Chris Reynolds said.
