The Towerlight, April 14, 1972

tl19720414-000 "towerlight Volume XXV No. 9 Towson State College April 14, 1972 Towson, Maryland 21204 Fisher requests tuition increase for out-of-state students by George E. Mattingly Towson State College President, Dr. James L. Fisher has requested that the Board of Trustees of the Maryland State College System institute ""a 50 percent increase in out-of-state students' tuition."" The move would raise the rate from the current $450 a year to $675. Fisher outlined and justified his recommendations in a letter to Edmund C. Mester, the Executive Director of the Board of Trustees. He stated that ""we are denying admission to several thousand Maryland residents each year, and it therefore seems unreasonable that we should simultaneously encourage applications from out-of-state students to attend Maryland Fisher named to committee �oil tax-supported schools because they are the least expensive in the United States."" Fisher went on to say, ""research indicates that Maryland State colleges rank fiftieth in the cost of out-of-state tuition, and as a result, it is generally less expensive for non -Marylanders to attend one of our state colleges rather than one in his own state."" Fisher characterized traditional arguments against reducing out-of-state enrollment as ""not valid."" Fisher stated that ""the traditional argument against reducing the out-of-state student population has been that it would result in an inbred homogenous student population without the kind of diversity that fosters growth. This argument is not valid of an urban commuter college with a cosmopolitan atmosphere."" Fisher states in his letter that Towson would realize an immediate increase of about $15,000 during the first year of the increase assessment, and projected ""a probable $60,000 per year during the fourth year at the new rate."" Fisher stated that this increase would ""enable us to proportionately reduce our plans to increase general student fees."" Fisher's proposal has been accepted in spirit by the Presidents' Council of the Board, Dr. James L. Fisher has been appointed to a Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee which will represent the American Association of State Colleges and Universities on the project entitled ""State Budgeting for Postsecondary Education in the Fifty States."" This project is jointly sponsored by the Education Commission of the States and the Center for Research and Development in Higher Education, University of California at Berkeley. The project intends to document as fully as possible the budgetary relationship between state agencies and academic institutions. Among the project objectives are the determination of the nature of the reviews to which college budgets are subjected, the degree of overlap among state agencies and the influence of state master plans in reducing budget conflict among state agencies and in clarifying goals and objectives of the institutions. Index page 1 news page 2 commentary pages 3-5 letters pages 6-7 campus news pages 8-9 news briefs pages 10-1 I ....off-campus news page 12 news briefs pages 13-16 features pages 17-20 special pages 21-24 sports pages 25-26 goings-on pages 27-35 SCA candidates Members of the Academic Council Monday discuss the proposals on the college's policy of giving final examinations. The council passed a motion that makes finals optional at the discretion of the instructor. Academic Council supports optional final examinations by Mike Dilworth Present campus policy on final examinations was supported formally Monday when the Academic Council passed a motion making finals optional at the discretion of the instructor. The policy, recommended by the Academic Standards Committee, only met opposition from four student members of the council. Favorable votes numbered fifteen. A period for the giving ; of final exams at the end of each semester is provided for in the policy. Faculty members are expected to meet with students, the policy reads, during scheduled exam periods. If the faculty member chooses not to require a final for his class, he should use the period for other forms of instruction or evaluation. The instructor has the option of including or not including a final as part of his course. However, the policy said, the department and the students have special interests in the instructor's decision which he should consider. Qualifications established by the policy concerned multiple section courses and student exemptions from exams. If a majority of departmental faculty agree, in multiple section courses, the department may conduct a standardized final. But the individual instructor retains the right to use his own exam in place of the standardized final. A final exam of some nature may be required of multiple section courses if a majority of the faculty in the department agree. Student exemptions Faculty may consider to exempt certain students from taking the final by providing valid alternatives or by reviewing the students prior achievements. The policy urges faculty to involve their classes in making decisions regarding special exam policy and options. In turn, students are urged to make recommendations to faculty regarding exam options. The premise from which the committee operated is that under the present grading system faculty must employ some means of evaluating student performance. The committee recommends keeping the final examination period because to eliminate it would work serious hardship on those instructors who wish to give final examinations and would create pressures to eliminate final examinations for reasons not specifically academic. The committee believes that the instructor is in the best position to determine the need for final examinations within a given course of instruction. However, the department and the students also have more than passing interest in the instructor's decision. Therefore, the policy is structured in such a way as to recognize the instructor's prerogative, protect the department's interests, and at the same time encourage experimentation and the recognition of individual student differences. and he ""expects that an increase in some form"" will be passed at the next meeting of the Board of Trustees in May. Also sees in-state increases Dr. Fisher also predicted increases in the tuition and fees for in-state students in light of the small budget increases for the coming year, increases that college officials feel will not support the present level of education, much less increase it. Liquor license move denied by Jud Almond The decision of the Baltimore County Liquor Board not to grant the Towson Club a transfer of their liquor license from Glen Esk to Auburn House has been upheld in the Baltimore County Circuit Court. The ruling was handed down by Judge John G. Turnbull, who was quoted in the April 10 edition of the Baltimore News American as saying, ""I think the Board's decision is based on a narrow legal basis, which in my opinion is a proper basis."" In his ruling, Judge Turnbull said that liquor licenses are granted on the basis of evidence presented at Board hearings and are subject to the conditions presented by the petitioners (i.e. The Towson Club). Turnbull noted that any rights under the existing liquor license applied only at the applied -for location. The Towson Club has been granted a liquor license for Glen Esk, former home of TSC Presidents, which is located near York Road and Burke Avenue, a predominately commercial area. However, the college has since acquired Auburn House, located on Osier Drive (on what was formerly Sheppard Pratt property) in Rodgers Forge Community, a residential area. When the club applied for a transfer of the license to Auburn House, the Liquor Board turned down the request as a result of strong opposition from the Rodgers Forge Community Association. When asked for comment on the decision, TSC President James L. Fisher said he was ""dissapoiated b u t understanding."" Fisher said, ""I intend to continue with plans to create a functioning club and eventually acquire a license through legitimate procedures."" "