Morehead State University - Raconteur Yearbook (Morehead, KY)

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Computers werenht even around when William Sloan, Morehead resident and Caudill Fellowship recipient, was college age. He is now able to take college classes under the scholarship for no cost. PHOTO BY: Kevin L. Goldy Features 78 After working alone for years, Bessie Baker, Crayson resident and scholarship recipient had to learn to interact with other students in her art class. PHOTO BY: Donna Seward

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taken to schools in the service region. Students were given t-shirts with the University emblem courtesy of Alumni Relations. The University proved its desire for new students by enhancing its scholarship program. llFederal and state scholarships were not enough, so we used the University's money to provide more schol- arships, some were academic, some athletic, and some were need- based, Rhodes said. Other efforts included direct mail advertising. We sent out brochures and pamphlets promoting the University. Also, we con- ducted better follow-ups. We personally called those who had any questions, and did our best to provide them with answers, said Rhodes. Two popular and effective recruiting programs were the Senior Opportunity Days and the Senior Opportunity Nights. Senior Op- portunity Days brought students from 12 different high schools to campus and familiarized them with programs of study, class build- There have been drawbacks to the increased enrollment, but Rhodes still remains optimistic. We did have to hire extra faculty, because one of the advantages we promote is small class size. Also, housing has been a limited option to some people. It is not as good as we would like, but we have had few complaints Sandy McIntosh, admissions counselor, noted that the Office of Admissions had no difficulties serving the student increase. Every- thing flowed smoothly. I can't remember having any problems, she said. We are looking for another increase for the Fall of 1988, and we are hoping that things will go as well again With such an increase in enrollment, the question of lowered standards is considered. But Rhodes was quick to point out that this was not the case. 'First, we must serve the state's minimum stan- dards, and M.S.U. sets some of its own. But, there was no lowering of standards. In some instances, students were admitted provisionally; which means that their progress was monitored through develop- mental classes. Rhodes said that the majority of students enrolled in these classes were successful in com- pleting admissions standards. Charles Myers, associate director of admissions information and orienta- tion of the Office of Admissions, agreed with Rhodes. There has been no lowering of standards. Actually, due to pre-college curriculum, stu- dents have received in high school, they have brought above normal edu- cational skills and abilities to the Uni- versity, he said. Overall, the average ACT composite rose over one point which made the Fall 1987 class one of the best classes, academically, ever re- cruited ings and dormitories. Another 30 high schools were visited by faculty; alumni and 150 CREDIT HOURS Yearly thy tall semestori - students during the Senior Op- 140 - y. portunity Nights. The ViSltiI'lg 130 - 3 sun l crew would dine with school of- 120 - I 8 63562 ?'q I ficials before the program, then 110 1 ? m d I with displays in tow; begin the 100 - I y d I recruiting process. so - y y m I The University incorporated so - y y m ? themes such as We Care and 70 - y y y y Together We Can in their pro- 60 ' I y I m grams, but Rhodes felt their 50 I I I I strongest and most effective 40 ' 8 I y y theme was Affordable Quality, 30 d I y that is, quality education at an 20 'l d w W V affordable cost. The recruiting 10 ' H y Ill y ll 172m A m team also stressed personal at- o 1953 1934 ms 1986 1957 tention, quality housing and fi- a undmm m Gm, nancial aid. Many students expressed surprise and concern when faced with all the people Fall 1987 brought to campus. I couldn't believe the crowd, said Alan Alexander, a freshman from Wooster, Ohio. q had been to campus before, but there didn't seem to be half as many students as I was met with on the first day of classes. Joe DeLong, a sophomore physics major from Greenup, said he did see a few problems as a result of the increase in the student body. There was the usual lack of parking space, but it seemed worse than ever. There were also increased housing problems. I had trouble getting someone to repair my bed in West Mignon because the dorm was swamped with complaints from other residents.' But, according to Rhodes, he has had very few complaints con- cerning housing and the lack of parking space, which to him are not new problems. He claims there is a new sense of hospitabilty among students now. l'Everyone realizes that they are in this to- gether and rather than fight over these situations, the students work to maintain their relationships, he said. Mark Goode, a sophomore business administration major from Versailles, said he is happy about the increase in enrollment. The school atmosphere is better now, he said. I like more people in my classes. It means you become acquainted with more people. The most notable result among the recruiting staff was pride. We were saying, 'We may not have a gotten a raise, but we got an 8.1 percent increase in enrollment',' said Rhodes. Dr. Rose Orlich, professor of En- glish, supported that the majority of new students were well-prepared for college. llMany of the students I have in my introductory composi- tion classes have had pre-college courses in high school and were highly motivated. I only had a couple of students in the Fall 1987 semester who had problems with reading. But in general, I would say the students were not lacking in their reading or writing skills. Spring 1988's enrollment is following suit by decreasing only six percent from Fall 1987, usually it drops nine percent. There were 6,101 students enrolled for the spring semester, which was the highest spring enrollment in five years. President Grote expects the Fall 1988 enrollment to increase by as much as 6.8 percent. According to Rhodes, the University is using the same recruiting efforts, except they plan to extend their outreach to the Lexington and Louisville areas. mI'he excitement has caught on, noted Rhodes. University students are saying to graduating high school seniors, Go to Morehead. It is the place to be'. But, he realizes that Kentucky's educational budget will in- evitably affect the University. We have to wonder if these budget cuts will hurt the University. Will it take away our recruiting money? People read about these budgets, and they might decide it is worthless to try to attend college. But, we will tell them to apply anyway and let us see what we can do for them, Rhodes noted. Anyone who realizes how important education is will want to attend college. Enrollment will continue to rise. .

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Life doesn't stop after 65 never dreamed I would be able to go to college, but I always hoped I could some day. The Caudill Fel- lowship made attending college a reality for me. These were the words of 71-year-old Wannie Randall, a University student attending classes on the Caudill Fellowship. The Fellowship is available to anyone 65 years of age or older, and provides full tuition and fee waivers to participants. 1 couldnlt go to college when I was younger because 0fthe Depression. At that time there were no funds available to a young person who could not arord college on her ownf, said Randall, who received her associate degree in real estate last year. Randall is a real estate agent and florist in Morehead. Six students currently attend the University on the Caudill Fellowship. About five or six students take advantage of the Fellowship each year. The Fellowship is for Kentucky residents over 65 who are enrolled in any state-supported institution of higher educa- tion. It was established in the mid-1970ls by the Kentucky General Assembly. II found out about the Caudill Fellowship from a friend who was enrolled in an art class here which I wanted to take. She mentioned that to Mr. Franzini tAssociate Professor of Artl and he told her about the Fellow- ship. I called financial aid and discovered I was eligible, said 68-year-old Bessie Baker, who lives in Grayson. William Sloan, a 65-year-old Morehead resident, is retired from the University post office. II read about the Fellowship in the newspaper, and took advan- tage ofit as soon as I came ofage. I had enjoyed being around stu- dent work studies in the post of- fice, and knew I would also en- j 0y taking University classes? Baker is enrolled in an art 1 class, while Sloan takes data processing courses. CC iTm taking Introduction to Computers because I worked with computers back in the days when all data was contained on cardsf said Sloan. I knew they had come a long way since then, so I wanted to see what the modern equipment was like. Baker added, iiComputers weren,t even around when we were 18! Sloan intends to take pre-law classes if he does well this year. II took a few pre-law classes at Mississippi State Univer- sity, but that was a long time ago. I think paralegal work would be interesting. This is the first semester Sloan has attended, but Baker started taking classes at the University in the fall. iiMy life is just great nowfl said Baker, who recently cele- brated her forty-eighth wedding anniversary. iiMy husband and I are enjoying married life more than ever. Also, going to school has made my life so much more enjoyable; it gives me something to look forward to each day. Sloan also appreciates the Fellowship. ill have really en- joyed attending college. My life is more relaxed now than ever. Iim retired now after spending 23 years in the Air Force. I left the service as a Master Sergeant tE-U and then worked at the post office for seven and a halfyears he said. Sloan was born In Rowan County and grew up at the junc- tion ofRowan Carter and Lewis counties. Baker works with senior citizens in Carter County. the never stop learning as long as we have the desire. I keep active. I have found that my energy increases with activity? About fellow students reactions to the age difference be- tween Caudill Fellows and traditional students, Baker said, At first I was timid about being in the classroom with them; I came to three or four Classes before I even picked up a paint brush! But Mr. Sartor tAssociate Professor of Arty was very patient with me. I had always worked alone, but after Mr. Sartorls silent encouragement and constructive criticism, I found myself very much at ease in the Classroom. Sloan added, iiThey just act like Ilm one of the gang, and donlt pay any attention to the age difference. The other stu- dents are all very nice? Upon receiving her diploma last year, Randall received a standing ovation from her fel- low graduates. liThe students were all so warm and gracious. I will carry the memory ofthe day I received my degree for the rest of my life! I cant tell you how good they made me feel that day, she said. ill think anyone who can take advantage of an education should do sof, Randall encour- aged. liLearning enriches any- body,s life, even if they are older. The only drawback is when you look back and say, If only I had gone to college sooner. I could have benefited from this knowledge in my earlier lifef Randall currently takes classes in Microeconomics from Dr. Roland Buck and Real Estate Brokerage from Mr. Larry Breeze. I think the Caudill Fellows feel a sense of responsibility towards their classes that many students do notf, said Randall. II would never miss a class unless it was absolutely necessary. I feel like I should try harder to show my appreciation to the University and the Commonwealth for allowing me to come to college? Baker concluded, II just hope the Fellowship will continue to be available as long as it is needed, for my sake as well as the sake of others? . - By: Karen Craigo and Donna Seward Caudill Fellowship 79