Summer School Searcy Pace Slows in Summertime - Smaller Classes Encourage Relationships I'Summer sessions at Harding ," according to director Larry Long, "are like the other sessions in most respects - and in some ways they are better." He added, "Most students like the idea of concentrating on fewer courses , having smaller classes and working more closely with the teachers , and finding fewer distractions on campus . And , because the sessions are shorter than the fall and winter terms, a student can save money by coming to summer sessions and carrying several hours." Summer session included Intersession , which began on the Monday after spring graduation and ran for two and a half weeks, two five-week terms, and a Summer's End session that ran concurrently with the last two and a half weeks 'of the second term. Typically most departments offered several of their general education courses as well as some upper level courses. By attending three of the sessions, a student could have earned up to 17 hours of credit , and most students found plenty of courses to choose from. Summer Session was especially attractive to students who had changed majors or were trying to earn some hours so that they could lighten their academic loads in subsequent semesters. And , if a student attended Summer Session regularly, he could graduate in three years . By enteri ng the job market earlier, he could find himself earning money while most of his classmates are finishing up their education. Harding's summer program has grown over the past few years , approaching the long sought goal of 1,000 students. In 1984 a total of 991 different students attended at least one of the summer sessions, although just over 500 students were here for any single session. Intersessian recorded an all-time high of 521 registrants. The number in attendance acted as a major factor in establishing the tone and atmosphere of Summer Session. Because there were fewer people , the pace of campus life seems slower. Generally people knew each other better because they saw each other more often . The students also knew teachers better. For example , in chapel during the summer terms , many of the faculty were asked to speak. They usually chose a topic of special interest to them, thus letting the students learn of another side of their personality. Dr. Mike Plummer of the Biology Department showed slides of Arkansas birds during one program, and Dr . Dennis Organ , chairman of the English Department , talked about examples of the funny things that students have written in their essays. Dr. Ray Muncy, chairman of the History Department , read a short story that he had written. All in all , a sense of comraderie developed. In the classroom, there was a difference too. Smaller classes lead to a bit more informality. Dr. Joe Pryor still wore his bowtie, but he often left his suitcoat at home. Other teachers left off even the tie , and students seemed to feel a little less intimidated by their professors. And the students responded , often by doing better in the classes. Not every student did better in every course , but most teachers noticed that the average scores on their tests tended to go up a few pOints in the summer . For most students the chance to raise their GPA was reason enough to consider spending some summer days in Searcy . Summer Session was not just a time for w'ork, though. The -summer recreation program was a mixture of planned activities, Mystery and Drama in the Evening. During the summer semes ters , the Harding DinnerPlayhouse performs several times for students and fa cul ty . Ke nt Davidson , a junior, and Chris Trui tt, a staff member, act in Agatha Christy's "Mousetrap. " - photo by Public Relations OJfice . 200 Summer Session on and off campus , and opportunities to take advantage of what central Arkansas had to offer in the summer. There were in - tramural sports and watermelon cuttings, Friday night movies ranging from Walt Disney to classics, and , for the more cultured , summer dinner theatre productions sponsored by the Department of Communication. Harding sponsored two float trips on the beautiful Buffalo River , made more enjoyable by the presence of Dr. Jimmy Carr, the unofficial admiral of the Buffalo and a veteran of 25 trips down the river , guiding over 1,400 students through its white waters. In addition , students dropped in on Buck Night at the Rialto, took in a ball games at the city diamonds (where a good many faculty members spent their nights watching their boys and girls), drove to Little Rock for shopping or major dining out, or even traveled to Memphis to visit Mud Island and Graceland. For the creative in spirit , summer activities were not hard to come by. But for most, the important activities centered on campus, and involved books, papers, and exams. "We try to continue the tradition of exce llence during the summer, " said Long. "In addition to students who stay in Searcy for the summer , 'We add a few local residents who attend other universities in the fall and spring terms. We also get a few people who travel long distances to study at Harding in the summer since it is the only time they can come. Last summer I had a student who brought his wife from California. He just wanted to take some classes at Harding. OUT goal is to serve our students , helping them to complete their education efficiently. I think we're doing a good job." t!~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==