BENTONVILLE -- The first day of NorthWest Arkansas Community College's fall semester brought with it the typical confusion and uncertainty among new students when it came to finding some classes.
Fortunately, they had help.
At A Glance
Fall Fling
NorthWest Arkansas Community College’s annual Fall Fling Vendors Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday in Bogle Plaza on the main campus. The event is a chance for students to learn more about local businesses that come to showcase their products and services.
Source: Staff Report
Staff members, campus police officers and students took turns Monday pointing people in the right direction or even ushering them to the appropriate rooms.
"Really, it's pretty easy to tell if someone's lost," said Luis Ramirez, a computer engineering major.
Ramirez, 20, is one of 10 students who work for the college's Student Ambassador and Activities Board. They spent much of Monday assisting fellow students with directions and answering their questions.
Shan Cortez, 22, is also a board member. The Philippines native came to the U.S. three years ago.
"I know that feeling of coming to a new country, a new school," Cortez said. "I want to be that person these kids can talk to, or if they just need a friend, to help them adapt."
Ramirez and Cortez also helped out with last week's orientation for new students, the first time the college hosted such an event. The college didn't get an exact attendance count, but 342 people signed the sign-in sheets, according to school officials.
"We were thrilled so many students did partake in that," said Steven Hinds, director of public relations and marketing.
Still, there were plenty of people needing guidance Monday. Some needed help finding a class. Others needed to know where to go for a student identification card or a parking hangtag, Hinds said.
The first preliminary enrollment count for the semester won't be available until the 11th day of classes, but Hinds said officials felt "very optimistic" about the numbers. The number of credit hours taken last fall semester was 70,592, a 7.3 percent decline from two years earlier.
Returning students will notice a few changes on campus this semester.
One is in the food court in the Becky Paneitz Student Center. Lindy's College Cafe opened in the space formerly occupied by Blaze'n Burrito. Lindy's serves breakfast and lunch. Most breakfast items are less than $3, and most lunch items are $4 or less.
"We've tried to make sure vendors price their items so they fit the students' budgets," Hinds said.
Blaze'n Burrito decided to pull out of the food court after trying it for one year. Jack Thompson, director of operations, said because Blaze'n Burrito is headquartered in Fort Smith, it was difficult for them to manage the Bentonville location.
The food court also has Kennedy Coffee and Chick-fil-A.
The campus police force has adopted more casual uniforms this semester. The uniforms are meant to be more comfortable for officers, but the college believes the more casual look also will make students more comfortable approaching officers, Hinds said.
The college also bought three bicycles for the campus police this year. Four officers were trained to use the bicycles for patrol purposes. There are usually at least two officers on bike patrol at any given time during the day.
The officer on a bike is far more approachable than one in a vehicle, said Ethan Beckcom, director for institutional policy, risk management and compliance.
Beckcom's office also has launched an "In Case of Crisis" application for students' smartphones. The app is intended for use during on-campus emergencies.
Wendy Echeverria, 19, of Centerton took over as Student Government Association president this summer. She admired the job her predecessor, Cyndi Beltran, did last year and said it inspired her to run for president.
"It's been wonderful. I love it," Echeverria said about the position.
What interests her about the new semester is getting to know new professors and how they teach, she said.
This fall the association will host a visit from Stephen Smith, a professor at the University of Arkansas, for Constitution Day on Sept. 17. Smith will speak at noon in the Student Center that day. The public is invited.
The association also is trying to line up visits from the state's candidates for governor this fall, Echeverria said.
NW News on 08/26/2014