For students with GPAs below 2.0:

New study hall requirement aims to maintain 'academic excellence', boost grades

By Mark Winker
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

New to the academic environment of Norwich University this year is a mandatory academic study hall for all university students with grade point averages below 2.0.

According to Michael McKean, Norwich University vice president for student affairs, the program is designed to help students who may be struggling academically to boost their GPAs and help them maintain "academic excellence."

"The intent is to create the right academic environment so that each student can achieve academic excellence. " McKean said. "We cannot force anybody to study. We can only create the environment for people to succeed."

Scott McKay, 21, a senior biology major from LaPlata, Md, is this year's regimental commander for the Norwich Corps of Cadets. He explained that the aim of the study hall program is to assist upperclassmen whose academic habits slip after freshmen year.

"Most people come here freshmen year and get decent grades," McKay said. "What we're finding is that in their sophomore year their grades go downhill. The point of this study hall is to restrict leave between Sunday night and Thursday night so you'll be on campus, hopefully studying, during that time."

According to McKay, the cadet study hall will be supervised by the chain of command in each company and overseen by the regimental commander.

"Company commanders will be responsible for making sure the students involved are not leaving campus between Sunday and Thursday night," McKay said. "Students that are in real danger will be in a proctored study hall where they have to go, just like freshmen."

According to McKean, the civilian study hall will be proctored by the resident directors and overseen by the provost and the vice president for student affairs.

The first step of the program was the enforcement of mandatory quiet hours in the residence halls from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.

According to McKean, notification of this new study hall has already been sent to students who are in academic danger, but as of now there has been no enforcement of this policy.

McKean said that the new study hall has been going on from day one and will get kicked into "high gear" after midterms have been sent out. At that time, the provost and the vice president for student affairs will know what has to be done in order to make this program successful.

"This is absolutely not a punishment," McKean said. "This is all about helping students succeed, and I think everybody here wants to succeed, or they wouldn't be here. I don't believe anybody's here to fail."

McKay said that this program will work to help students by bettering their study habits as well as helping them succeed in their academic major.

"We're not designing this to be a punishment," McKay said. "We're designing this to try to help people focus on academics."

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