Richard Arndt: the right ingredients

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Richard Arndt's 25 years on campus make him an excellent resource for students, faculty and staff. Beyond advising, Arndt is a past president of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, one of the founding members of the Faculty/Staff Christian Fellowship, and a faculty sponsor for the student chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

by April Schulthies

When you bite into Kentucky Fried Chicken, you probably aren't thinking about how it relates to earning a degree, but Dr. Richard Arndt is.

The director of Advising and Testing Services has come up with many recipes for academic success in his almost 26 years on campus. Handling a variety of situations from grade protests to bewildered freshmen, this veteran adviser especially likes to help students to get motivated about their education.

"Colonel Sanders has eleven herbs and spices in his chicken recipe," Arndt said. "You don't have to have all those spices to make fried chicken, but he made millions with his recipe."

Part of the first Advising Office team in 1974, Arndt encourages students to embellish their university degree like Colonel Sanders embellished his chicken - with participation in travel abroad programs, student clubs and organizations, and community service. Minors, second majors, and certificates also can add value to a degree, Arndt said.

When it comes to getting the degree itself, Arndt compares the process to baking a cake.

"A cake has ingredients and so does a degree," Arndt told students in a University 1 class. "Baking a cake requires a recipe. A four-letter word for recipe is PLAN. You have to have a plan and follow it in order to graduate."

Arndt added that the university's General Catalog is a book of recipes for each major. He maintains that students need to read the catalog - a document he proofreads for degree and policy accuracy.

One of the most challenging aspects of his job, said Arndt, is helping students find a connection with the university. He stated that research indicates students have a greater chance of graduating if they have a connection - whether it is with faculty, staff, student organizations or campus employment.

Arndt tries to build connections every day. Steering students through the bureaucratic system, Arndt encourages them to meet with their adviser to develop a degree plan. "It is the student's responsibility to know the ingredients and mix them properly," he said.

Students in academic difficulty may simply be in the wrong major, Arndt said. "Some students try to fit themselves to a major instead of finding a major that fits them," he said. "Others are enrolled in too many classes, are not planning their time wisely, or have not developed good study habits."

According to Arndt, an on-going sticky issue with no simple solution is dropping classes for "serious and compelling" reasons. Most students want to drop to avoid a failing grade, which does not in itself fit the definition of "serious and compelling," he stated.

Although he admits some students drop out and never return to the university, Arndt prefers to talk about those students who didn't give up.

Arndt remembers a student to whom he gave a second chance, which the student wasted. After entering the workforce, the student realized the value of an education. Convinced of the student's motivation, Arndt readmitted him. After a successful semester, the student was allowed to enter the major of his choice.

Instrumental in drafting the university's cheating and plagiarism policy, Arndt maintains that "cheating undermines the heart of the academic enterprise."

When it comes to grade protests, Arndt has good advice for faculty: make sure the course syllabus clearly states expectations and includes a grading scale. There has never been a case in which a grade was overturned if the syllabus was clear and the instructor followed it, Arndt said.

Arndt receives thank you letters for his assistance from former students, but he has yet to hear back from someone who succeeded because of his cake simile.

"My day will be made when students tell me that my cake and Kentucky Fried Chicken illustrations helped them," he said smiling.

In addition to heading Advising and Testing Services, Arndt serves as chair of the Student Academic Petitions Committee and is an ex-officio member of the Academic Standards and Grading Subcommittee. Last year, he received the Administrative Excellence Award from the California Faculty Association along with Dr. Vivian Vidoli (Graduate Studies). Arndt also teaches workshops at the Center for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and gives presentations at regional and national advising conferences.