The Fall Semester in Review

Photo: Abigail Edwards//The Sundial Press

By Diana Glebova

2017 has been a prominent year in the development of the Reims campus. The infrastructure and the student body alike have been blossoming to bring the campus much needed reforms. The completion of the new building, and the work done by the associations on campus deserves to be applauded. However, despite these reforms many of us are still in the dark concerning the future of our campus and our own academic careers as we move into 2018.

The construction of the new building has been a long and anticipated event. The result did not disappoint. Many students are in awe of the new lunch menu, expansive cafeteria and amphitheater, and stellar views from the top floors. No more will the days of the transmission room be a burden! The new amphitheater was an appreciated resolution for finals taking and the possibilities brought by having a large amphitheater are promising.

This year has also been a year of grassroots improvements from the students themselves. Students have taken initiative to improve campus life, notably with the extensive work of the Mental Health Committee and the student representatives. The Mental Health Committee has organized many tea talks and has been available for many of our stressful times, not to mention having tea and coffee available during finals week! Likewise, the student representatives have been in full force this year in terms of talking to the administration. There have been talks about free contraception and gender-neutral bathrooms which will undoubtedly bring much needed change to our campus community. In addition, student initiatives have taken place beyond campus, most memorably with the refugee protest in the beginning of the school year and the addition of many more associations. The students continue to make their mark in every aspect of the Reims community.

However, despite the reforms initiated by the student body, we are still in the dark about the new academic system, our calculated GPAs and the consequences of failing courses. The administration has done nothing to inform us about the fate of our academic progress, and this has been the biggest drawback to date. As the campus develops with new associations and classes, it is crucial to have transparency between the administration and the student body. The most fundamental principle needed to have success in the classroom is knowing the consequences of our actions. It is imperative that the administration provide us a guidebook outlining the consequences of failing a course, grade conversion, and the new subjects offered under the new system. This will clear up any contradictory statements and will give way to further improvement of our community.

To make matters worse, the silence from the administration concerning the fate of our campus next year has been frustrating, if not maddening. The possibility of the Paris campus merging to Reims has been looming over us in mystery, with no update from the administration at all. Do we not deserve to know where the fate of our campus lies? Unofficial news has circulated that the Paris campus is in fact not coming at all next year, adding to the confusion. As we progress into 2018 I can only hope that there will be major changes in the way that the administration communicates with the student body. This will be the key player in transforming our campus life for the better for generations to come.

Diana Glebova is a first year student at Sciences Po Campus of Reims. Born in Donetsk, Ukraine; growing up in the land of 10,000 lakes and six month winters: Minneapolis, Minnesota. Has a passion for long runs, poetry, and pot luck dinners. The Grapevine runs once every month.