WATA is currently examining all of their services to determine how they can balance the budget most efficiently. Last year, trolley fares increased and the second trolley was cancelled to aid budget cuts. Executive Director Kevan Danker cites low ridership as an important reason behind the probable cutting of the service.

The Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily reported WATA is also looking to cancel or change fixed-route service, summer extended hours, off-peak versus peak services, Sunday service and the overall frequency of service.

WATA hosted four public hearings throughout May to give members of the community a chance to comment on these possible changes. Danker says after two of the meetings, they had not received many complaints.

“We’re hearing people like the trolley, but many say they don’t know enough about it,” Danker said. “They aren’t familiar enough with the schedule to use it.”

In an effort to balance the budget to make up for the $1.2 million deficit, WATA received about $1 million in new grants from different localities. The new grants are for the 2014 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

If the trolley is cut, Danker says he hopes to reinstate it in the future if the budget permits.

“I hope we can bring it back someday, but there’s no guarantee,” Danker said.

Chancellor Robert Gates ’65 delivered the ceremony’s opening remarks, describing his commencement attire as “a unique blending of medieval academic tradition and Lady Gaga.”

Gates congratulated the graduates sitting before him in a packed William and Mary Hall.

“To the class of 2013, having passed the last exam, turned in the last paper, and paid the last parking ticket, you have now survived one of the most rigorous educational experiences in the world — well done,” he said.

FBI Director Robert Mueller delivered the commencement address and congratulated the class of 2013 on their achievements. His speech centered around three lessons he had learned from his three “families:” his wife and daughters, the Marine Corps and the FBI.

Mueller urged the graduates to keep these lessons, relating to integrity, service and patience, in mind as they prepare to begin their lives outside of the College.

“Many of you have a career path in mind,” Mueller said. “Many of you have no idea where you will end up. A few of you may be surprised by where life takes you — I certainly was. In the end, it is not only what we do, but how we do it.”

Mueller also commended the College for preparing its students to handle challenges they may face in their professional or personal lives, praising the Honor System for creating a trusting community founded on integrity.

“There will come a time when you will be tested,” Mueller said. “You may find yourself standing alone against those you thought were trusted colleagues. You may stand to lose what you have worked for and the decision will not be an easy call. But surely William and Mary has prepared you for such a test.”

Using personal examples to illustrate the importance of serving others and of remaining humble, Mueller described two people who had inspired him throughout the course of his life: a college lacrosse teammate named David Hackett, who was killed in the Vietnam War after volunteering as a Marine, and Lee Rawls, a former professor at the College who also served as one of Mueller’s advisors when he became Director of the FBI.

Describing Rawls as a mentor, Mueller used the examples to urge the graduates to learn from those around them.

“I encourage each of you to surround yourself with such mentors over the coming years — individuals who will make you smarter and better, those who will recognize you and challenge you in new ways,” Mueller said. “And one day, wittingly or unwittingly, you will serve as a mentor to someone in your life.”

Mueller, Physicist Warren W. Buck III, M.S ’70 ’Ph.D ’76 and Colin G. Campbell, president of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, were awarded honorary degrees at the ceremony.

Brian Rabe ’13 received the Lord Botetourt Medal, which is presented to a graduating senior who exemplifies distinction in scholarship. Rabe maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout his time at the College, receiving degrees in biology and chemistry.

The James Frederic Carr Memorial Cup, which is given to a graduating senior demonstrating superior character and leadership, went to Michael Schilling ’13. Schilling, who double-majored in linguistics and mathematics, also served as the president of the College’s chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary while working as head resident for Ludwell.

“His vision and leadership have made a significant difference for the better in the quality of life in our residence halls,” College President Taylor Reveley said.

Bailey Rose ’13, Kevin Barrett J.D. ’13 and Associate Vice President for University Development Earl Granger III received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards, which go to three people who have dedicated their time to helping others at the College.

Professors Lawrence Leemis and Megan Tschannen-Moran were awarded the Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr. Awards for Sustained Excellence in Teaching, while Ruth Hines won the Duke Award for her contributions as a College employee.

Instead of emphasizing individual recognition, however, student speaker Devin Braun ’12 M.P.P. ’13 encouraged the graduates not to be afraid to pursue careers that may not lead to worldwide acknowledgment.

“In a society where great deeds are accomplished collectively, we have to be willing to do things that other people may not notice,” Braun said.

Braun described the uncertain world that the class of 2013 will face upon graduation, listing problems such as the economy and decline of American dominance, emphasizing the need for graduates to take action.

“Surprisingly, as a public policy graduate, I don’t have all the answers to these problems, but I’m willing to bet that the solutions lie in doing, not in posting, liking, sharing or tweeting,” Braun said. “It is this doing that we as College of William and Mary graduates are uniquely positioned for.”

Reveley also discussed the potential for change, encouraging the graduates to adapt while remaining true to themselves.

“Expect to remain under constant construction and welcome the opportunities that come with that constant recreation,” Reveley said. “But also know what not to change even as everything else does.”

One commitment Reveley encouraged graduates to retain is their tie to the College itself.

“This College will always care about each of you — it always will — and you should care about it,” he said.

Gates, who is on campus to participate in this weekend’s commencement exercises, will do an interview with “Face the Nation” anchor Bob Schieffer, which will air Sunday at 10:30 a.m. locally.

“Face the Nation” is the latest of several television shows to be broadcast from the College: Last fall, CNN news anchor John King hosted a segment from the President’s House and last year, “CBS This Morning” came to campus during commencement exercises. Both programs featured interviews with Gates.

“Face the Nation” premiered in 1954, making it one of the longest-running shows in the history of television. It usually broadcasts from Washington, D.C. on Sunday mornings and includes Schieffer conducting interviews with politicians, members of the government and other figures in the news.

Gates will deliver opening remarks at Sunday’s commencement exercises. FBI Director Robert Mueller will serve as the 2013 Commencement speaker.

The Tribe got just that Tuesday as Athletic Director Terry Driscoll introduced Ed Swanson as the new head coach.

Swanson could barely contain his excitement to take over the reins at the College and even made a few bold statements about the future of the program.

Swanson talks to Wavy News 10 after his introductory press conference. COURTESY PHOTO / TRIBE ATHLETICS

“I wouldn’t leave a place if I didn’t think that I had the opportunity to win, and I think William and Mary is a sleeping giant right now in the world of women’s basketball,” Swanson said.

His buoyant words don’t quite fit with a program that hasn’t gotten past the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament since 2009; but, with over 23 seasons as head coach at Division I Sacred Heart, Swanson has a history of building success.

Attendees could be forgiven for not knowing much about Swanson’s former school. Sacred Heart is a small school in Fairfield, Conn. that Swanson has built into a perennial power in the Northeastern Conference. Having spent his entire coaching career there, Swanson has won four NEC Coach of the Year awards and holds a 384-253 career record. Swanson has led the Pioneers to the National College Athletic Association tournament three times — a tournament to which the Tribe has never received an invitation.

These accolades, along with Swanson’s obvious enthusiasm for the job, made Driscoll’s decision an easy one.

“Our goal was to find the best possible fit for William and Mary so that they can enjoy the successes that some of our coaches have had.  There’s no question that from a very strong candidate pool there was one person who distinguished himself.”

Swanson replaces Debbie Taylor, the Tribe’s former head coach of 14 seasons, whose contract wasn’t renewed after a particularly ugly season ended with a first-round blowout loss in the CAA tournament. For Swanson, picking up the pieces will not be easy.

With the bulk of last year’s team graduating this spring, Swanson faces the daunting task of shaping a largely young and inexperienced squad into a competitive team. Eight players return from last season’s squad, complimented by four incoming freshmen. However, Swanson seemed excited for the challenge ahead of him.

“I think we have a great foundation of talent here, and that really sealed the deal for me in taking this job,” Swanson said.

Swanson, By the Numbers

5 fifth head coach in College’s Division I era

23 seasons at Sacred Heart

.606 career win percentage

40 No. 40 among all Division I coaches with 406 career wins

7 number of 20-win seasons

3 number of NCAA tournament appearances

After winning the men’s and women’s cross country championships in the fall, the track and field program won both the men’s and women’s outdoor championships over the weekend in Towson, Md. The Tribe is the only squad to sweep all four championships in one academic year.

The men’s side finished with 185 points, topping second-place University of North Carolina-Wilmington (178) and Northeastern (158). The women’s 154.5 points pulled it clear of Delaware (141.5) and UNCW and James Madison (tied third, 127). Alongside the team championships, the College also won recognition as two throwers, sophomore Brian Waterfield and senior Natalie Baird, took home the meet’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete awards.

Here’s a breakdown of the College’s individual title wins at the CAA track and field championship meet.

The men’s side won the CAA meet with 185 points, topping second-place UNCW. COURTESY PHOTO / CAASPORTS.COM

Shot Put

On the men’s side, Waterfield threw 16.34 meters to claim the title. The throw ranks eighth best all-time in the College’s records. Freshman Taylor Frenia finished second with a 16.08 meter throw. Both Waterfield and Frenia qualified for the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America championships.

Not to be outdone, freshman Rochelle Evans’ 13.82 meter throw won her the shot put title. Evans also shattered her own freshman record in the process, now ranking eighth all-time at the College.

Hammer Throw

Baird placed in all of her events, but she shined in the hammer throw. The senior only fouled once in all attempts, finishing with a 49.09 meter toss to claim the title.

Javelin

Freshman Bob Smutsky had six attempts to win the title. Instead, Smutsky passed on his final four, pleased with his 66.02 meter toss. The field couldn’t top Smutsky’s throw, and Waterfield finished in third for the Tribe.

Clear of the field by two meters, freshman Katie Johnston’s 43.82 meter throw won the javelin event on the women’s side. Johnston was one of two athletes to throw beyond 40 meters.

Pole Vault

With three athletes able to clear the final height, freshman Austin Vegas won on basis of number of attempts. Fellow freshman Derek O’Connor tied for second. Both cleared the 4.65 meter jump.

3,000 meter Steeplechase

It wasn’t just that senior Liam Anastasia-Murphy glided to victory with a 9:33 time, but rather, it was that Anastasia-Murphy had never competed in the steeplechase outside practice. Neither had his teammates, who finished second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth and tenth. The sweep of the first six places garnered the College a whopping 31 points, critical in the race for the team championship.

5,000 meter Run

Junior Josh Hardin began his impressive day with a 14:13 finish to claim the individual title. The College took seven of the 13 slots in the event.

Meghan McGovern continued the Tribe freshmen’s success, winning the race with a 16:34 finish, barely out-stepping junior Elaina Balouris, who finished in second with the same time. Freshman Carolyn Hennessey completed the podium-sweep with a third place finish.

10,000 meter Run

Hardin won his second title of the day, crossing the line in 30:17. Hardin was among the College’s five runners in the top seven positions of the race.

After freshman Emily Stites crossed the finish line, 30 seconds passed before the next runner would follow suit. Stites’ 34:15 run adds to a freshman campaign that has included winning an individual national title, captaining Team USA’s junior cross country squad, and finishing 23rd in the world at the World Cross Country Championships.

The College will prepare for next week’s IC4A meet, looking to qualify for the National Collegiate Athletic Association East Preliminaries.

According to the national organization, the chapter is banned from displaying the fraternity’s emblems and symbols and cannot gather in the name of Lambda Chi Alpha.

The announcement follows a semester of investigations into the chapter’s procedures. In March, the chapter was placed on interim suspension following allegations involving alcohol which resulted in probation, the loss of on-campus fraternity housing and a review of the chapter’s policies. The suspension was lifted April 3, but on April 4, the Office of Student Conduct received a report of alleged hazing that occurred earlier in the year.

The chapter accepted responsibility for the charges and the College suspended Epsilon Alpha until at least spring 2018. The chapter was notified from the national organization on April 29 that national’s closed the chapter.

According to a press release from the College, the second report of hazing on April 4 detailed a long-standing practice of the chapter which included organized hazing activities that involved forced calisthenics and a marathon run lasting six hours, often throughout the night.

“William & Mary is dedicated to being a home without hazing for all students — no student should be demeaned or exposed to harm in order to belong, whether to a fraternity or to any other student club or organization,” Ginger Ambler ’88 M.Ed. ’06 said in a press release. “We are proud to be the birthplace of the American college fraternity, and the College seeks to advance the highest and historic values of fraternity and sorority life. Acts of hazing are wholly inconsistent with those values and have no place in our community.”

The College issued a “Memorandum of Understanding,” stating the intent of the College and the national organization to bring the fraternity back to campus after spring 2018.

“Unfortunately, we are unable to offer the proper undergraduate experience at this time,” Director of Chapter Services for Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity Nick Zuniga said in a press release. “We greatly value the Epsilon-Alpha alumni at W&M and our collaborative relationship with the university. We look forward to our return to campus.”

“Students’ active participation in governance at William & Mary is something we value and encourage, whether that’s through community service, formal student government, residence hall leadership, or individuals’ weighing in on important matters the community is considering,” Ambler said in an email.

1. Permanent resignation

The proposed addition to the Student Conduct Procedure section of the Student Handbook allows students to choose to resign permanently from the College with the Dean of Students’ approval, within 72 hours of being notified of a pending conduct case.

Associate Dean of Students Dave Gilbert said resignation is already an option for students accused of an honor violation. They are given 24 hours to choose whether  continue with the investigation or to resign. Gilbert defined resignation as the student’s agreement to end his or her career at the College with the understanding that the resignation will be noted on his or her transcript.

“In reviewing the Code, we believed it would be efficacious in some cases to provide the student with this option if the student wishes to agree to leave the College with the understanding that he/she may not return,” Gilbert said in an email. “Generally these cases would be situations in which the alleged violations would likely lead to permanent dismissal (the equivalent of an expulsion).”

Gilbert said if a student chooses to resign from the College due to a conduct violation, the record would be treated in the same manner as a resignation associated with an honor violation.

The proposed addition states students who choose to resign after being notified of a conduct violation will have a designation on their transcript that reads: “Resigned under suspicion of a serious violation of the Code of Conduct. Ineligible to return.”

2. Record disclosure

If Proposal 2 is passed, prospective students who do not report records of criminal proceedings or disciplinary actions to the College of William and Mary before applying or after their acceptance will violate the Student Code of Conduct.

This proposal to the student handbook creates an addition to the Student Code of Conduct, stating students who do not disclose these records will face serious consequences, including potential suspension or dismissal from the College.

“The expectation that students fully disclose records of arrest or disciplinary action is not new and is contained on the College’s application for admission,” the proposal’s explanation states. “The current Code of Conduct is unclear regarding the serious consequences of the failure to disclose.”

Former Secretary of College Policy Ben Migdol ’13, who led discussions with administrators on the Required Disclosure of Arrest Policy added through last year’s student handbook changes, said this year’s addition is explicitly outlining an ongoing practice.

“From my understanding, it’s the practice that’s going on right now, and they’re just kind of codifying the current practices of how it works,” Migdol said. “They do expect students, after they’re admitted to the College of William and Mary [and] for the duration of their careers, to update any criminal proceedings they have.”

The current application to the College asks potential students if they have been disciplined for academic or behavioral misconduct in high school, as well as if they have been convicted of a crime, felony or misdemeanor. Applicants can answer “no” if the conviction or adjudication has been expunged, annulled, pardoned, erased or ordered to remain confidential. If the applicant answers “yes,” he or she is required to provide an explanation as to what happened and a response including what he or she learned from the situation.

3. Material witness

Proposal 3 to the 2013-14 Student Handbook allows “material witnesses” to receive amnesty from conduct charges in cases of reported sexual misconduct.

The proposed change means students who would otherwise be charged with a conduct violation, such as alcohol consumption, would not be if they were a witness to a case of sexual misconduct.

“It is important for witnesses to feel comfortable coming forward and participating in our process without fear of being charged with a violation for any possible violations of the Code of Conduct,” the rationale for the proposed addition states. “This clause will assist students in participating in the process.”

Gilbert explained that students who report sexual misconduct are already granted amnesty in these cases.

“This policy already exists with respect to the reporting party, and we thought it wise to extend it to witnesses so that they may testify without fear of being charged for any admissions of drug or alcohol use arising from the same incident,” Gilbert said in an email.

The proposal’s rationale also explains providing amnesty to witnesses is consistent with the College of William and Mary’s approach in its Amnesty Policy.

4. Students with disabilities

A proposed addition to the Student Handbook commits to providing specific accommodations to students at the College of William and Mary with documented disabilities.

Gilbert said the Americans with Disabilities Act recommended the proposed change.

“While we would and must offer reasonable accommodations to students with known disabilities now, we thought it advisable to include a specific policy statement informing students of this option,” Gilbert said in an email. “The policy allows for consideration of a student’s unique situation so that the student may address any potential allegations of misconduct in a fair and appropriate manner.”

The proposal’s rationale says the new section will provide increased specificity and outline the College’s responsibilities to students with disabilities and their accommodations.

The proposed addition lists potential accommodations, including administrative assistance, extra time and alternatives to the formal hearing process. It also says students with disabilities are encouraged to meet with the Director of Disability Services.

5. Loss of privileges

Proposal 5 would remove social activities from those prohibited under the Probation with Loss of Privileges sanction if implemented.

The proposal’s rationale states the term was removed after the Dean of Students determined the term “social” activities too broad.

“A student proposed that we review this policy, as she found it was not clear to her whether spending time with friends, for example, would be prohibited under a loss of privileges,” Gilbert said in an email. “We explained that no sanction can prohibit a student from spending time with friends outside of the context of official school activities … and we determined that by making this modification, the intentions of the sanction would be more clear to students and to the councils who administer the code.”

The proposal’s rationale also explains the policy was never intended to restrict students from social relationships.

While the word “social” would be removed, the rest of the probation policy would remain the same, dictating that a student on probation is still enrolled at the College of William and Mary, but is unable to participate in extracurricular activities for a specified period of time.

6. Required Arrest Disclosures

Proposal 6, a proposed Student Handbook revision to the Required Disclosure of Arrests Policy, adds specificity to the current policy, which requires College of William and Mary students to report any felony charges, as well as violence-related offenses within three days of their occurrence.

The proposal specifies the types of offenses, citations for criminal offenses (other than minor traffic incidents or accidents not involving injury to others), and convictions.”

The proposed revision lists examples of charges students must report, including assault, battery, sexual assault, stalking, resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs and reckless driving resulting in injury.

Migdol said the goal behind the revisions is to better meet students’ needs as it enters its second year.

“Essentially, what [the policy] did when it was put into effect was this wide, sweeping, broad policy that any citation, court summons, arrest, ticket — with an exception of a speeding ticket or parking ticket — has to be reported to the College and we found that [it] … overstepped a little bit,” Migdol said. “The rationale behind the policy is that the College is held accountable for any sort of violent crime, so in a shooting like Virginia Tech or especially in light of everything that’s been happening recently with violent crime, the College needs to know any sort of history of their students in terms of violent crime.”

Migdol said the proposal’s revisions would allow for fewer reports of crimes unrelated to violent crime.

“We didn’t see a link between common arrests for students — which are underage possession of alcohol, drunk in public, anything like that, consuming alcohol underage,” Migdol said. “We felt there was no real link between that and this sort of violent crime or campus safety that the College is trying to protect us from or promote, respectively.”

Students who fail to report arrests included in the policy can be charged with a conduct violation, at which point Migdol said the Dean of Students Office will use its discretion in handling each situation, operating on a case-by-case basis.

He added that he hopes the revised policy will be clearer. The Dean of Students’ website has a Frequently-Asked-Questions section detailing the disclosure process.

Zavelsky has not yet accepted the plea bargain, but the accusers’ lawyer said the agreement would require a no-contact clause as well as prohibit Zavelsky from publicly posting about the two female students online in any capacity. Neither the hearing nor the plea bargain would require the testimony of witnesses.

Zavelsky is charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors for the death threats he allegedly posted about two female College of William and Mary students on the CollegiateACB website before spring break.

In his hearing yesterday, Zavelsky apologized to the two students for the postings.

“I know that what I posted — there’s no excuse for it. It’s highly inappropriate,” Zavelsky said. “It’s nothing that I’ve taken seriously. I understand it’s no consolation to you. … I’m very sorry.”

Earlier this year, Zavelsky was charged with possession of marijuana, underage possession of alcohol, and public swearing and intoxication, for which the court restricted his driver’s license. CBS News reported if Zavelsky is found guilty for the double death threats, the addition of his previous legal history could result in up to 10 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

Zavelsky will remain in jail until the continuance of his hearing next Friday. He applied for bond earlier this semester after his arrest March 11 but was denied. Zavelsky remains banned from campus.

“I think we’ve done a lot of good this year in the SA, but where we’ve really failed is in outreach,” Secretary of Outreach and former Senate Chair Kendall Lorenzen ’15 said. “I think a lot of people have a bad perception of what the Student Assembly is and how it works, and it doesn’t attract females.”

Currently, the Undergraduate Council holds the largest percentage of elected female members of the SA, with three of the 15 positions held by women for the 2013-14 academic year. In comparison, the University of Virginia — where undergraduate females make up a similar 54.9 percent of campus — has a male to female ratio of 43:57 in its student government.

At the College, more females are involved in the Council than in any other elected branch of the SA, where three of the 15 elected positions are currently held by women.

“A lot of times the females who are interested in student government end up running for Undergraduate [Council],” Lorenzen said.

Others work their way up through unelected positions in the executive branch.

Former Vice President Melanie Levine ’13, for example, began her SA career as an undersecretary.

“I don’t feel disrespect from anybody that I work with or any students, but I can see how a female student might be concerned that if they step into the public spotlight that they might be scrutinized in a way that they can’t handle and that men don’t typically have to be,” Levine said.

Sen. Colin Danly ’15 emphasized the accomplishments of females in the SA. Lorenzen, for example, has one of the highest passing rates of any senator in recent history, according to Danly. Sen. Danielle Waltrip ’13, the only other female senator as of last April, served as chair of the public affairs committee this year. Two of the three females in the Undergraduate Council serve as class presidents.

Still, the College’s SA does not proportionally represent the gender make-up of the College’s undergraduate population. John Marshall professor of government Ronald Rapoport cited the difference in political interest between genders as a possible factor.

“Generally, levels of political interest are lower among women than men,” Rapoport said. “Levels of political knowledge are lower among women than men. Whether that’s true at William and Mary — I don’t know that it is ­— But if you look at the mass populous, you do find that pretty consistently.”

Chief of Staff Drew Wilke ’15 compared the current female representation to that of the federal government.

“I think it’s a social norm based on how our actual government is. … If you look at America as compared to European countries, there are less females involved in the political system on a federal level.”

Senators tend to recruit their friends to join the SA with them. Lorenzen said  one reason behind the lack of female representation in the SA may be due to groups of students running for elected positions together. Former Secretary of Student Rights Emily Wade ’15 expressed a negative opinion of the trend of groups of boys from specific fraternities coming in waves.

“I remember guys getting up in the middle of senate to go sit and talk in a corner and whisper,” Wade said. “And they were all in the same fraternity. It’s insane because they are very exclusive, and they don’t want to talk to outsiders, which means girls.”

Former SA President Curt Mills ’13 touched on the history of the gender disparity in the SA in his speech at the spring 2013 inauguration ceremony.

“Kendall is the first sophomore that I know to chair the senate and the first sophomore girl certainly to chair the senate, which often is the ultimate boy’s club,” Mills said.

Overall, students of the College have demonstrated disinterest with the SA through their 34.7 percent voter participation and only 14 students competing for the 12 senate positions. Danly emphasized he would rather work with males who wanted these positions than females who did not.

Next year, Lorenzen plans on meeting with as many student organizations as possible to increase awareness of the SA.

“I think it’s important to have as much diversity as possible so that people’s voices really do get heard, and then also I think that everyone brings in a different perspective and comes from different areas of campus,” Lorenzen said. “It’s not just more females that we want in the Student Assembly, we want people from more cultural organizations as well.”

Under the proposed system, students would take a freshman seminar listed under the designation COLL 150 and six courses — three listed under COLL 200 and three from regular departments — throughout their education. The courses would be from each of the newly created domains: “The Arts and Aesthetic Interpretation,” “Social and Humanistic Understanding” and “Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning.” Juniors would take COLL 300 and a two-credit course called “W&M in the World,” Seniors would take a two credit senior seminar listed as COLL 400, in which students would compile and present their four years of learning to a public forum.

To open the panel, Society for the College member Matt Ames ’80 explained his chief concerns about the changes. He argued that while the proposed plan’s focus on interdisciplinary work and global relevance is admirable, it doesn’t require a broad enough foundation in basics like U.S. history and economics.

“It’s fine to have senior level classes for the best qualified undergrad[uate]s, but we believe that William and Mary students need a solid foundation … before moving on to interdisciplinary work,” Ames said. “As it stands now we feel [the proposed plan] does not succeed.”

Emory University professor Mark Bauerlein, expressed similar sentiments, saying a college’s curriculum should emphasize breadth before depth. He also criticized modern education’s focus on critical thinking over specific factual content.

“The broader your background knowledge is in, say, history the better you will be able to engage in critical historical thinking,” Bauerlein said.

Economics professor and Director of the Africana Studies Berhanu Abagez criticized COLL 300, designed to prepare students for studying abroad and an increasingly globalized job market, calling it “poorly conceived and designed.”

He also said the proposed system would put increased pressure on popular departments such as history and government.

“We should meet the demands of students as they express them … not shape student demand for courses by increasing the availability of certain classes,” Abegaz said.

Board of Visitors member and Lt. Gov. candidate Pete Snyder ’94 mentioned that the changes deal with only about one quarter of credit hours required for graduation and won’t be a radical departure from the College’s vision.

“I am certain that through conversations with our rector and future rector that any real deviation from the traditions and excellence of the College won’t be tolerated,” Snyder said. “[But] is there an opportunity to modernize? Absolutely.”