UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 27, Page 6
April 15, 1993
Faculty, staff involved in scholarship selection process 

     A recent weekend in Clayton Hall saw members of the University
community more fully involved in awarding academic scholarships. The
project, involving some 50 volunteers, was organized by Bruce Walker,
associate provost for admissions and student financial aid, and Louis
Hirsh, senior associate director of admissions and chairperson of the
University Scholarship Committee.
     According to Hirsh, the project was initiated to get input from
faculty and staff and, in turn, to give them an opportunity to learn about
the talented and diverse students who apply to Delaware.
     Invitations were sent out from the Office of the Provost, and the
volunteers agreed to serve on the committee to evaluate the 1,250
scholarship applications. The volunteers met at Clayton Hall Friday, March
19, and Saturday morning, March 20, for a training session and evaluation
of the applications.
     Each application received two readings and was graded on a 10-point
scale, ranging from A+ to F. If the grades were more than a letter apart,
the application was then reviewed for a third time.
     The feedback from committee members was "overwhelmingly positive and
enthusiastic," according to Hirsh.
     William Latham, chairperson of economics said, "It was highly
enlightening for the faculty and staff to see what a pool of talented
students, from a personal and academic viewpoint, apply to the University.
The process also gave a better appreciation of how the admissions office
performs."
     Susan McLaughlin, assistant dean of student services in the College of
Human Resources, called the project "very worthwhile and a positive step to
involve the University community in the admissions process."
     There were so many outstanding candidates that it was a difficult task
to judge the applicants, she said, and she found it was interesting to
learn about students from other disciplines.
     Richard Sylves, professor of political science and international
relations, wrote a letter about the experience to President Roselle, saying
how much he was impressed by political science applicants who had
"extraordinary credentials," not only academically but as "leaders in
student government, athletes..., musicians, academic award recipients,
members of several worthwhile school extracurricular clubs and active
community service volunteers."
     He also commented that the reason most students were attracted to the
University was the attractive campus. Secondary reasons included the
proximity to large cities and to their homes, and "positive words" from
friends attending the University.
     Admissions to the Honors Program was another influential factor,
according to Hirsh.
     Sylves concluded his letter by saying, "I thought this scholarship
review work was a worthwhile endeavor and I was deeply impressed by the
caliber of our best applicants. I hope faculty are invited to participate
in future scholarship evaluations."
     Those serving on the committee were:

       Carl E. Anderson Jr., deputy director, admissions;
       Michael Arenson, associate professor, music;
       David A. Barlow, director, physical education;
       John G. Bergman, associate chairperson, mathematical sciences;
       Anne E. Bowler, assistant professor, sociology;
       Charlene E.W. Bradley, administrative academic adviser, arts and
          science;
       D. Heyward Brock, senior associate dean, arts and science;
       Nancy Cotugna, associate professor, nutrition and dietetics;
       Theodore J. Davis Jr., assistant professor, political science and
          international relations;
       LuAnn DeCunzo, assistant professor, anthropology;
       Faye M. Duffy, associate director, admissions;
       Kathleen M. Duke, acting associate director, honors program;
       John G. Elias, associate professor, electrical engineering;
       Ardeshir Faghri, assistant professor, civil engineering;
       Claudia G. Fischer, assistant dean, arts and science;
       Selcuk Guceri, professor, mechanical engineering;
       George Hadjipanayis, professor, physics and astronomy;
       David Hamilton, associate director, admissions;
       Carol E. Hoffecker, associate provost, graduate studies;
       Paul T. Insolo Jr., financial aid officer, financial aid;
       Barbara Kelly, professor, physical education program;
       Palianiappa Krishnan, associate professor, agricultural engineering;
       William Latham III, chairperson, economics;
       Ken M. Lomax, associate professor, agricultural engineering;
       Lynn Loper, assistant director, admissions;
       Lalita A. Manrai, assistant professor, business administration;
       Susan McLaughlin, assistant dean, human resources;
       John D. Meakin, chairperson, mechanical engineering;
       Paul F. Mettler, associate professor, life and health sciences;
       David O. Olagunju, assistant professor, mathematical sciences;
       Azar Parvisi-Majidi, associate professor, mechanical engineering;
       Elizabeth M. Perse, associate professor, communication;
       Chandra L. Reedy, assistant professor, art conservation;
       James G. Richards, associate professor, physical education;
       R. Valerie Roy, assistant professor, mechanical engineering;
       Harriet B. Saxton, associate director, admissions;
       Frank R. Scarpitti, chairperson, sociology;
       Steven D. Skopik, professor, life and health sciences;
       David G. Sperry, associate professor, life and health sciences;
       Robert M. Stark, professor, mathematical sciences;
       Richard T. Sylves, professor, political science and international
          relations;
       Barbara G. VanDornick, director, student service, education;
       Michael L. Vaughan, assistant dean and director, RISE, engineering;
       Mitchell Warren, admissions counselor, admissions;
       Barbara A. Williams, associate professor, physics and astronomy; and
       Kimberly A. Yackoski, admissions officer, admissions.

                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure