Craig Larson, new board member, sworn in at board of trustees meeting during era of controversy
In high school there is always drama. Craig Larson, elected on April 6 as a new Board of Trustee member, dealt with secondary-education issues for a good portion of his life: 27 years in Parkway, three years in Clayton and seven years at Rockwood.
Service project gives books to city students
Inspiring Communities Unconditionally (ICU) will be working with parents and children to help resolve a growing illiteracy issue among student youth on May 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and May 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kirkwood Station Plaza.
Car wash raises $200 for struggling students seeking child care services
A black Ford pickup truck pulled into STLCC-Meramec’s parking lot on April 17 to get a scrub down at a car wash fundraiser. The event was held by student parents to raise money for those struggling to find proper child care services. The door of the truck opened as Bob Nelson, former board of trustees member, stepped out to get his pickup washed with a donation in hand.
Hurricane Katrina is remembered as volunteers help rebuild New Orleans
The Atlantic hurricane season of 2005 left many areas in the United States in great distress, most significantly the city of New Orleans, La. Hurricane Katrina left 80 percent of the city under water and although the disaster occurred nearly half a decade ago, destruction is still evident and citizens of New Orleans are continuing to rebuild the city.
After the resignation of campus President Paul Pai, some are left wondering about campus future
On March 2, Paul Pai, president of the STLCC-Meramec campus, announced to his staff that Stephen Petersen, vice president of student affairs, was no longer with the college because Pai had made the decision, approved by the chancellor, to not renew Petersen’s contract.
According to STLCC-Meramec campus police, between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., on April 14, a white Chevrolet 3500 Box truck was broken into and the contents of a safe box onboard were stolen.
On Saturday, April 18, community volunteers met at Simpson Park along the Meramec River in Valley Park, Mo. to assist in the cleanup of the park and Simpson Lake.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to a live broadcast of the global launch of Adobe Creative Suite 5 on Monday, April 12 at 10 a.m. in the Confluence room of the library at STLCC-Meramec.
Craig Larson, Ed.D, of Manchester, was elected to serve the STLCC board of trustees in the open seat for sub-district four in the April 6 election.
STLCC-Chancellor Zelema Harris faces some criticism for campaign donation to board member Bob Nelson
According to a St. Louis County campaign donations report, on March 2, STLCC Cahncellor Zelema Harris, Ed.D, contributed $1,000 to the Committee to Re-elect Bob Nelson, current board member seeking re-election in the upcoming April 6 election.
With budget cuts in STLCC operations on the rise, as well as the removal of Stephen Petersen Eh.D., former vice president of Student Affairs at Meramec, and the recent resignation of campus president Paul Pai, Ed.D., the future of Meramec is uncertain.
After facing much criticism from students, faculty and staff, Meramec campus President Paul Pai announced his resignation to staff on March 31.
Over spring break, several posters appeared on STLCC-Meramec campus, reading, “Dr. Paul Pai should be impeached and Dr. Stephen Petersen should be reinstated as President!!!!” Signed “Rebel,” the posters, which call for campus president Paul Pai, Ed. D., to be “impeached,” reflect new tensions on campus, something Pai has seen before as an administrator.
Meramec students, faculty and staff defend former vice president of student affairs Stephen Petersen at board of trustees meeting
Following Stephen Petersen’s removal, a large part of the student and faculty population at STLCC-Meramec were outraged and puzzled by this decision. However, it was at the March 25 board of trustees meeting that faculty, staff and students finally came together to express their opinions freely and out of anonymity.
Students vote to remove $7 fee from registration forms after 25 years
The election results for the Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MoPIRG) Reaffirmation were ratified by the Student Governance Council (SGC) on March 23. Students voted for the $7 removable fee paid to MoPIRG at the time of class registration each semester to be taken off registration forms.
While many students were holding on to the last moments of spring break, Michael Roman, president of the Student Governance Council, along with 13 members of other STLCC campuses, attended the American Student Association of Community Colleges’ (ASACC) conference held in Washington D.C.
Yet projects for further repair and renovation are still under way
In 2009 the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) made a report based on visits done to all state public colleges and universities. According to the MDHE, “the point of these visits and the report was to collect information on campus conditions and to develop a baseline on which future reviews would be based.”
April 15 can be the most dreaded day of the year. With several tax forms to sort through combined with the possibility of simple mistakes that affect the pocketbook, it’s no wonder tax season is stressful. A program at Meramec called the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is providing free tax services for students, staff, faculty and community members.
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