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IU Kokomo student Norma Fewell named to Indiana Commission on Higher Education
October 15, 2004 | ||||||
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KOKOMO, Ind.---More than 480,000 college and university students in Indiana are represented at state level by one voice---that of IU Kokomo student Norma Fewell. In June, Governor Joseph Kernan appointed Fewell as student representative to the 14-member Indiana Commission on Higher Education (ICHE). Fewell is the first non-traditional age student to hold the post since it was created in 1990. She will serve through June 2006. Although not a governing board, the ICHE does act as a coordinating agency for Indiana's public and independent colleges and universities. The commission defines those institutions' educational missions; reviews their state budget requests, making recommendations to the Indiana General Assembly; and approves or disapproves the establishment of new academic programs or campus expansions. Rosemary Price of the ICHE administrative office said Fewell has been "very inquisitive and anxious to learn" her duties as a commissioner. "She's also very business-like and open-minded to serving all the students of the state," Price said. Fewell believes that Governor Kernan was "looking for someone different" when he selected her from an original slate of 14 candidates to fill the student representative seat. A 1974 graduate of Greenfield Central High School, Fewell has lived in Kokomo for 27 years. She and her husband, Robert, have two children: daughter Leia, who graduated from Purdue University in December 2003, and son John who is studying at Ivy Tech State College. A few years ago, Norma enrolled at Ivy Tech to obtain a technical certificate in office administration. While there, she developed strong interests in two areas: student government and computer technology. She served as a student government senator and president at the community college. As regional president for Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year college students, Fewell coordinated activities for 24 chapters and ran for international office. Her love of computers led to her complete an associate degree in computer technology and to her current job, working in IT support for American Express Financial Advisers in Kokomo. She also works part time in IU Kokomo's Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, helping staff and faculty utilize technology. "My long-term goal is to work in educational technology or teach," Fewell said. She is now pursuing a Bachelor of General Studies at IU Kokomo, with a minor in computer information technology. "I need more theoretical knowledge in order to teach," she said. "Eventually, I want to get a master's degree." Fewell said IU Kokomo counselors were helpful when she applied here, guiding her in establishing credits for previous coursework. "They understood that my general education background didn't always fit standard admissions parameters." Other Indiana students don't always have the same guidance in transferring, and that's why Fewell is excited about her appointment to the Commission on Higher Education's Statewide Transfer and Articulation Committee. The committee looks at hurdles students face in getting course credits from one Indiana college accepted at another. "It's especially a big issue for community college students, as they move from one level of education to another," she said. "They want to make sure that the money spent on previous education won't be wasted." The committee is proposing state funding for the TransferIndiana information system. On a TransferIndiana Web site, students would be able to input classes they have taken or plan to take and the school that they want to transfer to. The Web site will indicate what credits will be applied toward a future degree. "Indiana's major universities already have the needed degree-audit software to support such a site," Fewell said, "so the funding request includes software purchase and licensing for the two-year colleges, along with the software, hardware and operational costs. Indiana will benefit because it will make educational costs affordable to students." Fewell also sits on the Governor's Task Force on College Affordability, a 13-member board examining the costs of attending college in Indiana. Aside from encouraging efficient use of resources by schools, Fewell wants to advocate for non-traditional students in this group's deliberations. "Much of college costs is considered with the idea that students can depend on parents to cover part or all of the cost. We also need to ask, 'How does this affect the independent student who is raising his or her own family and working?' " she said. The task force will report findings to legislators by December. The ICHE holds its monthly meetings at various Indiana college and university campuses, and Fewell looks forward to being able to meet with students as she travels around the state. She will meet with student government presidents and student trustees at the Statewide Student Leaders Conference, which she is hosting November 19 at IUPUI. Students can contact her at cheStudentCommissioner@msn.com. "If you don't speak up, there is never a chance for change," Fewell said. "You are involved in politics the moment you want your voice heard. I want to encourage students to talk to legislators about their needs."
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