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Letters to the editor

Students for Staff relies on Miami for budgets

Students for Staff has been repeatedly mischaracterized as leading a campaign without meaningful data and without sufficient research, and we would like to respond to these critiques which are themselves not grounded in fact. Hopeful that readers have not been swayed by the overheard conversations and not-so-biting wit which have appealed against us, here we clarify how our campaign has been conducted-a point on which our critics seem uninformed. We are interested in creating a dialogue with community members who carefully consider the living wage proposal and the research that we have labored over and repeatedly set forth in our fliers, events, letters and Web site. If you argue that Students for Staff does not do any research beyond flashy poster designs, then you have not been listening to anything we have said over the past four years.

In fact, last school year we devoted a large portion of our campaign to getting data from the administration, showing that up to 449 employees were potentially below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. After receiving this data, our campaign entered a period of intense research-in collaboration with local social work agencies and assisted by faculty and staff representatives-to determine the full scope of poverty among Miami University employees and how it might be effectively addressed.

The result is a proposal informed most significantly by data on the cost of living in this region. The need for this proposal comes in part from the labor history of Miami-a history that includes a decision by the Ohio Supreme Court declaring Miami guilty of unfair labor practices, a strike in 2003 and an investigation sponsored by the state of Ohio which recommended a 22-29 percent increase in minimum pay rates-which went unheeded. We have proposed $12.45 per hour as a baseline wage for Miami's staff because this number is the minimum it would take to meet a conservative cost of living for a single wage earner with two dependents in this region, based on a breakdown of basic necessities provided by the Oxford Family Resource Center. To the best of our ability, we have estimated that the implementation of this policy will cost under $5 million and will potentially require some restructuring of the university budget.

However, we will leave that restructuring in the hands of our administration, who are better versed in the matters concerning the university budget. Where administrators have already expressed a commitment to better supporting faculty and staff, we want to identify what is truly necessary in the case of the latter. The above is only a sampling of our most critical endeavors, and if readers are interested in more of the real campaign, we welcome them to a meeting. We hope that readers will reflect on the above research and understand the sense of urgency felt by the faculty, staff and students who have devoted their time to this campaign. We ask you to join us in making a living wage a reality.

Robert Winslowwinslorc@muohio.edu

Following various study tips can increase potential

It's crunch time. These last four weeks of the semester can make or break you. You can buckle down and give it your best effort or slack at this critical point and fall behind. The suggestions below can help you raise your grades:

10. Use all resources. There are lots of resources available right on campus such as tutoring services, library services, student services, learning centers, etc. Find out what is available: call them, search the school Web site, ask around and read flyers.

9. Give out your cell number. Exchange phone numbers with someone from each class in case you have a last-minute question about an assignment or test. This is a great way to meet people and it helps to have someone to call, even if it is just to rag on your professor.

8. Get organized. Sloppiness was cool in seventh grade but as an adult you will find that organization is the key to success. Time organization is also essential. Follow the daily 8-5-5-3-2-1 rule: eight hours for sleep, five for class, five for homework, three for free time, two for meals and one for personal hygiene.

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7. Go to office hours. In a one-on-one setting, even the meanest professors are nice and want to help students. Often in a private meeting, a professor will give a student tips about how to do better on a test or project, so it really pays off to build a relationship with them. Try to make contact with them at least once a week by staying after class or going to office hours.

6. Take the home out of homework. Do homework on campus-in lounges, food courts or the library. It's too tempting to blow off homework once you get home and you see your friends having fun. This allows you to save time at home for chilling with friends, plus you will finish homework faster when you know you can have fun as soon as you finish. Do homework between classes or after classes, but before going home.

5. E-mail your professors. Students have questions about little things all the time, don't dismiss them. Professors want to hear the questions you have, so don't hesitate to ask them anything, even if it is small. They usually have great advice and it helps build a relationship with them.

4. Go to the review. Attending a review session shows that you care about your grade and are willing to work for it. Teachers are all about rewarding hard workers, so at a review they will cover specific information that will be on the test. When it comes time to give out grades, they will remember students who made the extra effort and may reward them by rounding up their grade to give an additional reward; so 79.6 percent can become a B instead of a C.

3. Take notes. Professors love to reward students who attend class by making test questions from class notes. One mistake students make is thinking the notes a professor posts on Blackboard are all they need and skip the class. Those notes are an outline, and should be used in class to follow along, but the other information presented must be added to them.

2. Use a planner. This is the most essential tool for success. If utilized fully it will keep you on track and you won't even have to think about what is due. The secret is to break down weekly work into daily and hourly work. For example, to spread reading, use the sections of your book to divide reading into manageable pieces then spread it over the days of the week. Planning around things you like to do, like watching TV, playing Halo or chilling with friends is also key. Once completed, all you do is look at the planner each day and it will tell you what to do. Your mind can be at ease, knowing everything will get down, with time left for fun. If you are not the type who likes planning things, find someone to help you, like a parent, friend or contact student services for help, because the planner is the most important tool.

1. Just go. Research shows that just going to class is the easiest and most effective way to raise your grades. You might not believe this, but once you go regularly you will understand why it works. All you have to do is just show up, because it is more important to go to class unprepared than to not go at all. Just get to class, just take yourself there, just go.

Remember, in a horse race the winner often leads by just a nose. The difference between an A student and a B student is also just this small. Making minor improvements can move you ahead an entire letter grade and raise your GPA.

Barbara Bruner-LeikLearning Intervention SpecialistBernard Rinella, Jr. Learning Centerbrunerb@muohio.edu


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