Mary Layton Atkinson
Staff WriterThe benefits for Cadre, the Guilford program established in 1996 to provide assistance to summer school students, have been reduced for the second consecutive year.
Last year the 10-week program provided participants with two free courses, free housing, and 30 hours of work per week on campus at minimum wage. In previous years, free board was also included.
This summer, however, participants wishing to live on campus will have to pay the $660 housing fee.
Bill Stevens, dean for CCE and summer school director, says there are a variety of reasons for the elimination of free housing from the Cadre package.
“First of all, it’s a matter of supply and demand,” Stevens said. “There is increasing demand for summer school, and summer housing, and a growing number of people willing to pay for that housing.
‘We don’t feel we should give housing in such high demand away, especially when the standards for the program aren’t that high. Free housing and tuition is a better package than even our top honors scholars receive.”
Junior Jessie Melamed was a Cadre participant last summer and believes these cuts to the program will make it more difficult for some students to graduate on time.
“I think the program is still a good option, but the cuts really limit the pool of applicants,” Melamed said. “It was an ideal situation for students who needed summer classes to graduate on time but couldn’t otherwise afford them. Summer school and housing is an entire summer’s pay.”
Melamed also noted the more general benefits of the program.
“If I hadn’t been accepted to Cadre I would have gone home and taken community college classes,” said Melamed. “But Guilford is picky about what will transfer, so I would have had to take electives. Cadre allowed me to take classes in my major, which made more sense.”
Some students, however, do not feel that the summer courses offered this year will provide adequate opportunities to take core courses other than electives.
“I feel like there aren’t enough core classes offered during the summer sessions,” said Cadre applicant Elizabeth Minehart. “For example, I was planning to take Spanish, but there aren’t any classes offered for traditional students. Many of the classes offered are for CCE students.”
The online course schedule for summer classes includes a wide range of accounting, business, and psychology courses, five IDS courses, and a number of lower level art courses in a variety of mediums. Other departments, such as math, chemistry, and economics have limited offerings.
The scarcity of such classes has led some Cadre applicants to express concern to Stevens that they may not be able to get the courses they need because the official position of the school is that Cadre students will enroll on a “space available basis.”
“It is a misconception that Cadre students have to wait to register for summer classes,” Stevens said. “Cadre students can register right now – anyone can. It can be done online without an alternate pin number. Students don’t need approval from anyone. If it doesn’t work out [and the student isn’t accepted to Cadre], they can withdraw.”
Despite program cuts and misconceptions alike, Bradley Podair, a 2001 participant of the Cadre program, plans to apply again this year.
“Having to pay for your room this year does make it more expensive, but you still save $1,600,” Podair said. “This is a program unique to Guilford that allows students to fill a need for the college and the college to fill a need for the students. It’s a matter of reciprocity.”