In a true effort to go green, President Tipson relied soley on daylight while conducting his last interview of the year with The Elm.
When asked about the student satisfaction survey administered earlier this semester Tipson said, "It's helpful to know how Washington College compares nationally." He noted two areas of student dissatisfaction were with the food on campus and housing, and added that the administration would do its best to address these concerns.
"Surveys are a good way to get the opinions of a large number of people," he added.
So what can students and faculty expect to see construction wise when they return in the fall?
"I think one of the things students and faculty will find most inconvenient is the parking situation behind Gibson [Performing Arts Center]."
He said that particular parking lot will be completely out of commission while they are redoing the parking lot. While Tipson wasn't sure if cars would be able to get through campus that way, he guessed they would not.
He added that 143 spaces will be added in the parking lots near Chester and Sassafrass, so while there shouldn't be a shortage of spots, parking may not be as convenient as it has been this year.
Another annoyance, Tipson felt, was that the construction mess from Hodson Hall would probably be "worse than Gibson" in that there would be a lot of dust and dirt in the center of campus. He added that he felt it was better than the original plan of renovating Hodson bit by bit.
On a lighter note, the dorms will be done and the parking lots near those buildings will be complete as well. At the recent board meeting, it was announced that 40 days were lost on the construction of the new dorms due to "bad weather." Finishing the dorms by the Aug. 3 deadline may be tight, Tipson said, but both Dean Dutka and Tipson are staying on top of the progress.
Tipson also said they hoped to "continue the success we've had in Admissions this year. It's important that Washington College is as attractive to prospective students next year as it was this year."
He added that the college is tracking retention in all the ways it can.
"We've also hired people in all the vacant positions," Tipson added.
Tipson also wanted to set the record straight in regard to the senior class' participation with the graduation speaker. He said that the senior class officers got input from the senior class and gave the administration a list of names. "We went through the whole list [and got turned down]," Tipson said. He added that the officers were informed about the themes the college was trying to incorporate into the 225th Celebration.
"Though graduation is very much about the senior class, it's an event that is not just for the seniors," Tipson said. "It's also a public event for the school, and for the faculty and the parents." He added that he feels the graduation speaker should have some connection to Washington College. He noted recent Sophie Kerr speaker Jane Smiley as having read Sophie Kerr's works before coming to WC.
Tipson concluded his interview with The Elm by adding a message to students before they go home for the summer, "These four years are a very special time." He said that college is the one time to live with your friends and in this sort of environment. "I hope students take advantage of the opportunites Washington College has to offer while they're here. The one thing I ususally hear from Alumni is that they wish they'd done more. This is the chance to learn about art, about music, not just from an acadmic standpoint and skills that will help with jobs, but from the standpoint of just enjoying life."
v"I hope students don't just see the summer as the time to put academics aside," Tipson concluded. "I hope you'll read books, go to plays and see films."
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