2008 Woodie Awards
Advising, blood discussed at forum
Grobsmith fields audience questions
Jesse Kimbrel
Issue date: 5/7/08 Section: News
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Grobsmith spent about an hour in a public forum Tuesday at the Engineering Auditorium, answering questions from students, faculty and staff in regards to her plans if she becomes the university's next president.
Grobsmith highlighted the importance of on-campus advising.
"I see advising as one of the most important jobs of the university," Grobsmith said. "Without proper advising, students perhaps take too long to get though school and won't take exactly the right courses that will give them the pathway to their degrees."
As of March 19, SJSU had nine general education advisers, according to Cindy Kato, director of academic advising.
Guna Selvaduray, the dean of research for the College of Engineering, asked, "What specific actions will you plan on taking, when you become president, on increasing the funding over and beyond what the state assigns to the university?"
Grobsmith said the university can't rely solely on the state for funding, and SJSU is in a great location geographically to receive "private and corporate giving." The university, she said, needs to do more fundraising in general, and added that faculty should be more active in pursuing new ways to bring in money.
After the forum, Grobsmith spoke with media members in Clark Hall.
She was asked what her reaction was to President Kassing's suspension of blood drives.
"That is a very difficult question," she said, "and I think would need to come to better understand the context and environment in which that decision was reached."
She said she is a blood donor and was surprised to read about the on-campus blood suspension: "I understand the incredible need in our society for donations."
Grobsmith said she thought donating blood teaches students to be giving and responsible citizens.
She said she felt that working with organizations such as the American Red Cross would be a good way to examine the issue.
She said there aren't any blood samples taken that don't go through heavy testing.
Gerry Selter, Kassing's executive assistant, said he thought Grobsmith handled herself well, and she seemed like the type of person with whom he would feel comfortable working.
Kassing said in a news conference with student media that he would be "deeply disappointed" if the blood drive suspension was lifted when the new president took over.
He said suspending blood drives was an important position for this campus.
"It reflects the values of this campus," he said. "If you take that reason to discriminate, what other reasons would you find to discriminate?"
Click here to read Grobsmith's profile.
Click here to read a live blog of yesterday's events.
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