In-Depth
Race and Religion Factor Into Andover’s History of Diversity
By Charles Shoener
Published on January 24, 2008 in CXXX no. 28Although Phillips Academy has a recent history that puts it among the leaders in secondary school diversity, the school did not make a conscious effort to recruit a diverse student body until 1966.
The 1966 recruitment change was prompted by a faculty steering committee. The committee explored which students Andover should serve. According to school Archivist Ruth Quattlebaum, this was the beginning of Andover actively recruiting students of color. The first student of color who was admitted to the school was Thomas Paul Smith of Boston, MA. According to Quattlebaum, Smith was an African-American student who was a member of Andover’s graduating class of 1838. According to a school document entitled “Black Students at Phillips Academy (Revised) by Graduating Class,” there is a 27-year gap between Smith’s graduation and the graduation of the next black student. This next student, and the first documented African-American to graduate from PA,...
Faculty Alumni Remember Similar Exam Week
By Emma Goldstein and Charles Shoener
Published on November 29, 2007 in CXXX no. 24Nicholas Kip ’60, Instructor in Classics, was a student at Andover more than 50 years ago. While there were no female students on campus and an enforced dress code existed, term-end assessments have not dramatically changed since he was a student. “Finals week has remained [essentially] unchanged…for the last 45 years,” Kip said.
Keith Robinson ’96, Instructor in Chemistry, said that when he was a student, each exam day had periods at 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Each class was scheduled into a block.
Kip said that the Registrar or scheduling officer at the time would create the blocks and that only large multi-section courses, such as math and languages, were scheduled in a subject block.
This meant that different sciences, for example, woud not necessarily give exams on the same day.
The first major change to the exam schedule happened in the early 1980’s with the...
Assessments Span One Week This Term
By Hannah Lee and Catherine Cleveland
Published on November 29, 2007 in CXXX no. 24Phillips Academy implemented Assessment Week last year to allow classes to use their last meeting each term more constructively and to allow a term project to replace a final exam.
“Our hope is that having a range of assessment tools (instead of just exams) enables faculty to graft the most appropriate final assessment for each particular class,” wrote John Rogers, Dean of Studies.
The only noticeable adjustment to last year’s schedule is that Assessment Week takes place during a full week of school instead of having exam blocks separated by the weekend. By chance, the 2007 calendar determined this change.
Winter Term exams will include a reading day, since there will not be a full weekend between the last day of classes and the beginning of Assessment Week.
Another difference is the increased number of common exam blocks due to the term calendar. The common exam blocks are based on the...
PA’s Peer Schools Have Similar Exam Weeks
St. Paul’s Only Gives Finals in Spring
By Audrey Adu-Appiah, Zainab Doctor and Sudhandra Sundaram
Published on November 29, 2007 in CXXX no. 24Several of Phillips Academy’s peer schools have exam schedules similar to Andover’s Assessment Week.
Deerfield’s exam week includes dining “speeds,” in which the dining hall reopens for a brief period after breakfast so students can take a study break to refuel.
During the term, academic departments have specific testing schedules designed to prevent students from having two major assignments on one day. This is similar to Andover’s policy of allowing students to reschedule one major assignment if they have three in one day.
Assistant Dean of Students Amie Creagh said, “I live with tenth-grade boys and they tell me that exam week is pretty mellow. From what I hear, students can sleep a little more…It’s laid-back and manageable.”
Deerfield’s exam week is more fast-paced than Andover’s– all classes meet the Monday of exam week, classes with final exams review on Tuesday, and testing occurs Wednesday through Saturday. This past Fall, conflict...
New Ryley Rolls In
By Hannah Lee and Emily Scoble
Published on November 15, 2007 in CXXX no. 23The Ryley Roller debuted on November 12 to replace Ryley Room, which closed this past Sunday in preparation for the upcoming Commons renovation. The Ryley Roller, stationed by the Elson Art Center, serves a menu modeled after classic Ryley Room fare. The roller is smaller than Ryley and contains a number of appliances to prepare and store food. The truck houses a three-base sink, three refrigerators and a freezer, as well as a microwave, grill, fryer and coffee maker. At the rear of the truck, two propane gas tanks power several of the utilities. A power outlet at the front of the vehicle provides additional power for the truck when an electrical cord from the nearby building is connected to it. A colorful external logo decorates the truck, and music plays in the background. Due to the limited space in the truck, Commons staff selected the most...
Tight Squeeze For Roller Employees
By Sophia Jia and Charles Shoener
Published on November 15, 2007 in CXXX no. 23Staff members working in the Ryley Roller said that they preferred working in the old Ryley Room.
During the 18-month Commons renovation, the three staff members who used to work in the Ryley Room will be working in the Ryley Roller. Even though the Ryley Roller has shorter hours, the staff said they work similar hours. Staff said that so far, fewer students frequented the Ryley Roller compared to the Ryley Room.
Nikki Ro, one of the three Ryley Roller staff members, said, “There really is no difference. We have the same pay, same job, same everything. [The] only thing different now is we work in a truck.”
Staff members dislike the new conditions. “When you cook the food it’s very hot on the face,” said Janaet Nunez, a Ryley Roller staff member.
Ro said, “It’s cold here. Whenever we open the window to take an order, the cold air blows...
Analysis of Phillips Academy by James Wickenden in 2005 Contributed to Last Year’s Administrative Restructuring
By By Madeleine O’Connor With Reporting By Hannah Lee
Published on November 8, 2007 in CXXX no. 22In Summer 2005, Phillips Academy hired James W. Wickenden of Wickenden Associates to analyze the school’s administrative structure and functionality.
Head of School Barbara Chase said, “Because it was clear that the Strategic Plan was going to take a lot of funding to become a reality, I knew that a restructuring needed to be done and he was somebody that I brought in that had a lot of experience with schools and school administrations, who I thought would have good thoughts about this.”
Wickenden’s assessment of the school government included both decision-making structure and the community’s perception of that structure.
Wickenden conducted 45 extensive interviews with Trustees, Mrs. Chase, Deans and other faculty members in leadership positions. There were 52 survey respondents, including 27 teaching faculty and 12 administrators.
Mrs. Chase said, “It was...helpful to have somebody come in from outside and have [faculty, staff and administrators] talk to him about...
Staff Members May Take Job-Related Classes Paid For by Phillips Academy; Funding Is Limited
By By Sophia Jia
Published on November 8, 2007 in CXXX no. 22At Phillips Academy, a staff tuition reimbursement program, which is part of the Human Resources Department’s budget, is set aside each year to fund professional development programs. Maureen Ferris, Interim Director of Human Resources, said, “[This fund] is open to staff members who are budgeted to work 1,000 hours per year or more and who have been employed for at least one year. [Staff] may use to money to attend seminars or college level courses that will help them in either their current job or an aspiring job.” To make sure that all staff members are aware of this benefit, Ferris said, “Information...is provided to staff members in a general information sheet that is given at the time of interview and in the Staff Employee Handbook, which all staff members receive. We cover the benefit at new employee orientation and run periodic Gazette articles reminding people about...
Some Isham Nurses Must Work Two Jobs; Most Other Staff Members Satisfied With Pay
By By Emma Goldstein And Sudhandra Sundaram With Reporting By Sophia Jia
Published on November 8, 2007 in CXXX no. 22The Phillipian reported in the October 12 publication that Phillips Academy staff members were generally satisfied with their salaries, working conditions and benefits at Andover. Although there is higher pay available for some of the same positions elsewhere in the town of Andover, all staff interviewed in the October report were satisfied. However, in a recent interview, Anne Vispoli, a registered nurse at Isham Health Center, raised a concern about the recent high turnover rate for Isham’s staff members. Vispoli said, “Over the past two years, we have constantly had nursing positions open and it’s been hard to get the nurses replaced.” Vispoli said that part of the problem is Isham’s relatively low salary as compared to other hospitals and clinics, saying “many people working in Isham have to take part-time jobs because they can’t afford to work here full time.” Mary Angles, a Registered Nurse at...
Faculty Find Time the Only Obstacle for Development Opportunities
By SOPHIA JIA with Reporting by EMMA GOLDSTEIN
Published on October 30, 2007 in CXXX no. 20Phillips Academy provides development funds to allow theatre faculty to see productions of their choosing, for language teachers to practice their language in a country where it is spoken, and for any faculty member to recieve a grant for a project of their own design. Currently at Phillips Academy, the number and variety of faculty development opportunities appear to satisfy the faculty’s needs.
The admnistration is seeking to “Expect and support faculty members’ participation in development opportunities.” as stated in the Strategic Plan.
“In the last three years the trustees have approved and awarded the highest percentage of sabbaticals to those who applied.,” said Maqubela. All department chairs interviewed agreed with Department Chair of Theater and Dance Bruce Bacon, that “[Phillips Academy] provides ample opportunities [for faculty development].” Bacon also said, “The big problem is to find the time to take advantage of [the developmental opportunities]. It is never...