[Vision2020] Parking Survey Under Way and other NSA Issues

[J Ford]

Get the "school" out of the CBD whose students take up valuable parking 
spaces, that doesn't pay taxes nor contribute to the overall economic health 
of the CBD except and ONLY when their church's business' can not provide 
what they are looking for!

BTW, is anyone outside of Atwood aware of the fact that Idaho Graduate 
Schools will NOT accept NSA's degree or GRE test scores because the "school" 
is NOT regionally accredited?  It only has accreditation from an 
organization that supports its beliefs and educational goals, which is 
admittedly focused and very narrow
.

As reported in the Lewiston Trib:

"A student who scored perfect marks on a top graduate school admittance exam 
probably can't go to an Idaho university, the president of a Christian 
college in Moscow told the House Education Committee Monday.

His school's 200 students contribute to the community as they pursue 
"classical Christian" studies, said Roy Atwood, president of New Saint 
Andrews College.

Those bright students also score among the top 3 percent in ACT and SAT 
college entrance exams. But once the students get a Saint Andrews diploma, 
Idaho universities won't take them into graduate programs because Saint 
Andrews is not regionally accredited.

"The students are great assets to us while they are here and they'd be an 
asset if they stayed longer," Atwood said.

One student scored perfect 800s on the three major sections of the Graduate 
Record Examination, a standardized test commonly used for admittance into 
English-speaking graduate programs. That student probably will not stay in 
Idaho even if he wants to, Atwood said.

"Our senior with the perfect GRE score could go anywhere in the world, but 
... our state's public universities won't consider their applications 
because we are nationally accredited," Atwood said.

The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools accredits 
Saint Andrews on a national level. But regional accreditation is nearly 
impossible for religious institutions because of "increasing secularization" 
of "hostile" accrediting bodies, Atwood told the Lewiston Tribune.

For instance, Catholic universities have fallen short of regional 
accreditation standards because of the traditional focus on educating men 
for positions of church leadership, Atwood said.

"It really is part of the culture wars," Atwood said.

Last year, the Idaho State Board of Education considered requiring regional 
accreditation for the state's religious schools. The state board dropped the 
idea, which would have been disastrous for Saint Andrews, Atwood said. For 
instance, the regional bodies might require standards that espouse feminist 
ideals, a philosophy rejected by Saint Andrews officials, he said.

"Those are the pressures coming to bear on faith-based organizations," 
Atwood said.

Atwood gave his brief presentation about his college at the invitation of 
Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow. Atwood was seeking no state assistance. Rather, 
the college keeps a fair distance from government -- even steering clear of 
federal grant and loan programs. The college has been the center of lively 
community debate because of controversy surrounding the beliefs of the 
school's founders."


J  :]





>From: "g. crabtree" <jampot at adelphia.net>
>To: <pcook818 at adelphia.net>, <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Parking Survey Under Way
>Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:53:24 -0800
>
>Mr. Cook,
>
>Please don't get me wrong, I do think that the survey will objectively 
>measure the communities perception of the parking problem. I just don't 
>think that perceptions are as important as realities. I also think that 
>it's a mistake for the city to devote too many resources to a dimly 
>perceived "subjective and political" problem it can't do much to resolve 
>anyway. The undeniable facts of the matter are that there are x number of 
>business's, y no. of parking spaces, and z no. of potential shoppers. 
>Realistically, which of those variables can or should the city modify?
>
>g
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Philip Cook" <pcook818 at adelphia.net>
>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 10:54 AM
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Parking Survey Under Way
>
>
> > Mr. Crabtree,
> >
> > You are correct that two additional surveys focusing on customers and 
>employees are planned.
> >
> > I disagree with your and Mr. Deco's assertions that the survey nor the 
>surveyors are objective.
> >
> > You are correct that the survey is designed to measure perceptions, but 
>it is designed to measure them objectively. The measurement of perceptions 
>of  downtown parking problems is the goal of the survey. The data gathered 
>by this survey and the others, along with engineering data, will help 
>inform the political discussions about management of downtown parking.
> >
> > Yes, I serve on the Transportation Commission, but I also spent much of 
>my graduate academic training and early career designing, implementing, and 
>reporting the results of surveys. I have observed and participated in the 
>design of this survey and have seen nothing that leads me to the conclusion 
>that it will not be objective. I will let you know if something changes 
>that assessment. Please let me know if you have evidence otherwise, too.
> >
> > The time where objectivity is always questionable, and indeed 
>impossible, is in the interpretation of (objectively gathered) data and 
>recommendations for changes based on the results. Each of us, regardless of 
>training, political persuasion, etc., brings our own experiences, beliefs, 
>and biases to the table when we interpret results and talk about possible 
>policy alternatives. Questions of what we should do are always political 
>and subjective; science can only inform the discussion about possible 
>outcomes.
> >
> > Your suggestion about a civil engineering project is illustrative. 
>Engineering data is helpful, but insufficient by itself. Let's say an 
>engineering study concludes that "85% of all car drivers arriving downtown 
>between 9:00am and 10:00am found a vacant parking spot within 150 feet of 
>their desired destination within 30 seconds of beginning their search for a 
>spot." Objective data, yes. But so what? Is the situation good or bad? Do 
>customers find that situation acceptable or not? Do business owners? Are 
>there any management actions the City should take to change the situation? 
>These are all perception-based questions, and the answers about what should 
>be done are subjective and political.
> >
> > As for myself, I'm looking forward to having at least some objective, 
>systematically-gathered data about downtown parking to inform the 
>community's discussions, rather than relying on a hodge-podge collection of 
>personal anecdotes.
> >
> > Philip Cook
> >
> >> Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 09:47:00 -0800
> >> From: "Art Deco" <deco at moscow.com>
> >> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Parking Survey Under Way
> >
> >> Gary writes:
> >>
> >> " A better approach might be to have an independent third party obtain 
>some objective data with regard to the parking situation."
> >>
> >> That would be a good first step.  Given that data then an unbiased 
>professional survey designer could then design a survey with unloaded 
>questions, carefully and fairly select the sample space, and then proceed 
>to determine public and business attitudes/beliefs.  Perhaps the UI or WSU 
>math departments could make this a carefully supervised graduate statistics 
>student project.
> >>
> >> Assuming that even if MacDonald and Steed have any enthusiastic 
>supporters, they would probably concede that neither is a qualified survey 
>designer/taker.  We have just discussed a poorly constructed survey by Fox 
>News.  Let's not waste money on another questionable effort which will 
>satisfy no one.
> >>
> >> Though Gary and I do not have much in common in our world views, I 
>think we both agree that facts are needed in the discussion of the parking 
>issue, and I hope that we agree that the different parties to the dispute, 
>especially the city, are not likely to generate unquestionable data 
>themselves.
> >>
> >> W.
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: g. crabtree
> >> Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 6:20 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Parking Survey Under Way
> >>
> >>
> >> My understanding is that there will be three surveys done. The first 
>for business owners. The second for employees, and the third for customers.
> >>
> >> What I see as the glaring problem with this approach is that a survey 
>will only net you answers to what people perceive the problem to be. A 
>better approach might be to have an independent third party obtain some 
>objective data with regard to the parking situation. Perhaps quietly turn a 
>few civil engineering seniors loose on the project?
> >>
> >> g
> >
> > =======================================================
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >               http://www.fsr.net
> >          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > =======================================================
> >


>=======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>=======================================================

_________________________________________________________________
Laugh, share and connect with Windows Live Messenger 
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwme0020000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://imagine-msn.com/messenger/launch80/default.aspx?locale=en-us&source=hmtagline