Students continue to speak up in online surveys and open forums as the discussions concerning possible changes to Winter Term progress.
Around 30 students convened in the Union Building Ballroom Sunday night to voice their opinions and concerns about changing Winter Term requirements, while a survey created by Olivia Carmel '13 has been completed by many DePauw alumnae and current students.
At the event Sunday, the second student forum devoted to discussing possible changes to Winter Term, Dean of Academic Life Dave Berque, Dean of Experiential Learning Raj Bellani and Dean of Faculty Terri Bonebright were available to answer questions.
"We want to make sure that we're getting input from all sides on this," Berque said. "Where there is change there will always be discomfort, but we want to limit that as much as possible."
One of the main concerns previously voiced by students and faculty alike concerned the possibility of shortening Winter Term.
"There has been very little support for that idea. I think that's completely off the table at this point," Berque said.
Main points made during Sunday night's discussion included the possibility of a $3,000-5,000 grant made to each student in his or her sophomore year. This grant would allow students to pursue off-campus faculty led trips and unpaid internships with more financial freedom.
According to Berque, this money would come from a rearrangement of the financial aid budget that would decrease the amount of merit-based aid given out each year, while increasing the need-based aid.
Students in the forum had differing reactions to the proposed grant and the changes it would mean for the financial aid distribution during the regular admissions process.
"If it wasn't for merit-based aid I wouldn't be [at DePauw]," said junior Ryan Pranger.
Senior Rob Weider had a different perspective though.
"What we need to keep in mind is that students will be getting up to 5,000 dollars in their sophomore year, which kind of makes up for a lessening of aid," he countered.
Carmel's survey touched on different points than Sunday's discussion, but, as it has been completed by over 500 students and alumnae, and there are another 200 incomplete surveys, it has been no less important than these open forums in allowing the student voice to be heard.
According to Carmel, these surveys demonstrate that Berque was right to say that there has been little support for shortening Winter Term, or even for changing the structure of it much at all.
"Not that change is bad, but I was disappointed in some of the proposals that had been thrown around," Carmel said in a phone interview.
"The percentages are very much leaning towards not changing Winter Term," she continued. "Most people seemed to find Winter Term important because it gave them an opportunity to study something outside of their major, or to leave the country."
So while discussions concerning changes to Winter Term continue to evolve, surveys and forums attempt to give voice to the students it would most effect.