Wynonia Barrows
Updated: Monday, October 27, 2008
Students had an opportunity on Oct. 23 to speak one-on-one with PJC’s president, Dr. Edward Meadows, and ask him anything.
Over 30 students attended the event that was hosted by Student Leadership and Activities, and the majority of the students were in PJC’s nursing program.
Students asked Meadows about the nursing program problems, recycling programs on campus and student transfer issues.
Before getting started, Meadows asked students their name and their major, stating that he wants to get to know as many people as he can.
The main topic of discussion was nursing program concerns, and the trouble that nursing students had been having. Meadows said he was not at liberty to discuss the matter in such a public place.
“This is neither the place nor time to discuss a matter like this,” he said.
The nursing students became frustrated and some of them walked out.
Another student, Ellanor Bradley, who is not a nursing student, stated that she understood the reason for them to be upset, but she didn’t think that it was an appropriate time to discuss the matter.
After the lengthy uproar, Meadows was able to answer a few non-nursing related questions.
Students were concerned about recycling programs being put on campus, and the transfer situation community college students are facing with enrollment cutbacks.
Meadows had his own “note taker” at the event, and assured everyone that he couldn’t give an answer to that he would direct the question to the appropriate person.
Closing the chat, he said, “You all are in the right place; a community college is the place to be. Just work hard and keep going, and even if you fail, just remember no one ever succeeded without first failing.”
Meadows said he enjoyed the event so much that he plans to have more get-to-know-you sessions with students.
To find out when the next chat with the president will be, contact Angie Jones at 484-1501.
