The Towerlight, April 22, 1977

tl19770422-000 "Toilet tour see pg. 7 APP Lacrosse rs Cortland tomorrow night VOL. LXIX, NO. 24 smswam? TOWSON STATE UNIVERSITY APRIL 22. 1977 Thompson named to SGA post by William Lombardi Leon Thompson, a business major and treasurer Of the BSU this academic year, was named Director of Black Relations last Friday over two other applicants. It was a joint decision on the part of SGA President John Ruark and BSU President Fatima Wilson. Leon is now a member of the executive branch. His duties entail informing and advising both, the Senate and executive branch of the black-white situation on campus, testifying at Senate committee meetings,, and being a liaison between the ISU, the Afro-American Culture Center and the Director of Minority Relations. Included also in his duties is the task of mediating between BSU and SGA and making sure that blacks are treated ""fairly"" � specifically: an adequate number of black bands and DJ's at the Pub and an adequate number of dates on the calendar. , Thompson said that some of his prime objectives are to see that more integrated activities are generated and that the ""communi- .cation link"" between the SGA and the BSU has a ""common ground."" He added that his position is a ""needed one"" and that he will serve as an arbitrator between the two factions so they can better ""under-stand one another."" Thompson , believes that the blacks' situation on the TSU campus should be ""upgraded and uplifted,"" and he does see some friction between blacks and whites on campus. He cited the haggle over the BSU budget with the last SGA President as a case in point. He said he would like to see the BSUgranted a larger sum of money for the next academic year, stating that there isn't enough money for black functions on campus and recited figures that described the situation. Over the past five years, the BSU budget has decreased $7000, while in turn it has acquired 400 new student members. Five years ago the budget stood at $16,000 for a little less than 400 members, and every year it has decreased. Never being totally unbiased, Thompson announced that he would be as objectiVe as possible in affairs confronting him. Stimulation of harmony between SGA and BSU is something he would like to initiate. Leon Thompson, newly appointed Director of Black Relations, discusses senate business with Treasurer Erik Perkins. TL ph,)to by Kathy Pascuzzi Students may charge tuition next semester by Steve Verch Assuming that recently passed legislation is not vetoed by Governor Mandel, full-time day and evening students at all state colleges and universities will have the option to use BankAmericard or Master-charge credit cards to charge all tuition, fees and other charges in the fall. Currently, such self-supporting departments of the University as the Bookstore and the Evening and Summer Office have been permitted to accept credit cards. Because these departments are ""self supporting,"" no general tax dollars have been spent to pay the fee levied by the companies that own BankAmericard and Master-charge. Fisher cites moral conflict withdraws from active race by Bill Stetka Although he is ""still serious about being governor of Maryland,"" TSU President James Fisher has with-drawn from active campaigning for the office. Dr. Fisher cited ""a moral conflict,"" adding, ""My energies, my thinkings have to be here. ""I still believe I'm the best qualified candidate for governor,"" the Democrat said, ""but I'm not actively campaigning."" He spoke to several groups during the winter months about his views and platform, but he said he soon I found ""I couldn't do anything without first being identified as a candidate for governor."" It wasn't until February, when the full load of students returned, that he felt uneasy about his role. ""I've always gone to political functions�but not as a candidate. I've gone as the president of Towson State. I didn't feel any conflict during the Christmas holidays or mini-mester. But when that semes-ter started�that was it,"" he said. ""I've always worked about 16 hours a day, but I found I was working' eight hours as Jim Fisher, President of Towson State, and eight hours as a gubernatorial candi-date,"" Dr. Fisher said. ""Too much of my time and thinking was devoted to that instead of what it ought to have been,"" he said. Once he decided to forego the Kditical speeches and the campaign trail, he said, ""I felt at ease with Myself. ""I won't make or keep engage-ments if they contlict with my University activities. If I get involved in some of these things, I'll get deeply involved in all of them. ""I think I'll just sit back, occasionally speak, but I won't get out and campaign. Yes, I'm serious about being governor, but if I have to pay that price, I just won't be governor,"" he said. Dr. Fisher had an organization of at least 600 people who had volunteered to help him and he had gotten around $100,000 in pledges, enough to make him a viable candidate in the eyes of the other Democratic nominees. He said, ""There have been many attempts (by other candidates) to dissuade me from running. ""It is true that I have been contacted by other candidates to run with them as lieutenant governor,"" he admitted, but he labeled as ""not true"" rumors that had him running with both State Senate President 'Steny Hoyer and Attorney General Francis Burch. ""I won't make any commit-ments,"" Dr: Fisher said. ""I'm not at all certain I'd want to be lieutenant governor. I still believe I'm the best qualified candidate for governor."" Still, he said, because of his position as president at TSU, he is not free to campaign without a conflict in his job. ""I seem to be the only candidate who can't compromise his posi-tion,"" he 'said. ""The others are all elected officials. They can go out and campaign on company time. ""For me to do that on the platform I've proposed is a contradiction,"" he said. ""I'm a reform candidate Legislation permitting the day divisions of state universities and colleges to use credit cards had met opposition in the past. Legislators feared that non-self-supporting de-partments would spend state funds to pay this credit charge, meaning state funds would subsidize utiliza-tion of credit cards. According to Wayne Schelle, vice president of Business and Finance, a compromise was reached in Annapolis this year, whereby those students using credit cards pay the charge required by the companies. Schelle stated that the University had negotiated a discount rate with BankAmericard of 21/2 per cent, and a discount rate with Mastercharge of two per cent. With the expected increase in volume of charges that the ne'w legislation will bring, Schelle added that TSU will seek a one per cent discount rate, and eventually a zero discount, meaning no charge would be assessed to use a credit card. The current retail rate is six per cent. Thus, if a student were to charge his $100 tuition by Mastercharge, it would cost $2 to use the credit card. Schelle estimated that current charges total $500,000 per year in 1,500 transactions. ""Parents and students will be able to tailor their own credit plan . . . 30 days, six months, or one year . . .,"" ,said Schelle. Asked about the possibilities for abuse, Schelle responded that there should be no added abuse, and that lists of stolen or ""bad"" cards will be used. TSU fees increase again by Ruth Ann Leftridge Fees are increasing again. Commuter students will pay $362 per semester next year instead of the present fee of $349 to attend TSU. Residents will pay $1,097 per semester instead of $1,027, and out-of-state students will be charged $1,547 instead of $1,377. Also, there is a possibility of another $25 tuition charge per year for all students in addition to these other fees. ""I think that the $25 is going to be approved,"" by the Board of Trustees of State Colleges and , Universities, said Wayne Schelle, vice president of Business and Finance. Approval by the Board of this charge will bring the stotal bill for commuters to $374.50 per semester. Total charges for residents would then be $1,109.50, and, for out-of-staters, $1,559.50. In a break-down of these figures, the largest increase comes in tuition for out-of-state students, which will jump from $450 per semester to $550 per semester. Schelle explained that this is a ""legislative and Board-mandated"" increase. ""We [Towson State] didn't have any control"" over the rise in out-of-state tuition, he said. TSU has ""only about 300 out-of-state students,"" Schelle said. The second-largest increase is in the charge for ""room"" for resident students. It will cost $340 per semester to live on campus next year instead of the present $308. It will also cost more for residents to eat next semester. The 14-meal To be available in Newell and Union plan which now costs $370 will cost $395 in the fall. The curriculum fee, which affects all students, is going from $162.50 per semester in 1977 to $185 per semester in 1978. Other increases will come in the ""student services"" and mailing fees. These increased fees will be collected from 8,350 students next semester, Schelle said. This 8,350 figure represents 200 more students than are currently enrolled, the Vice President said. TSU ""usually"" experiences a 400-student increase in enrollment from year to year, he said. Enrollment is being limited to 8,350 next semester, however. ""because we didn't get any new faculty and we didn't get any more general state dollars,"" Schelle said. All-you-can-eat concept to return by Rose Scally ""In September, when we move back into Newell Hall, the all-you-can- eat concept will be put back into effect,"" according to Al Walsh, director of Dining Services. He explained that an innovative meal card plan will be instituted at Newell and in a portion of the cafeteria in the University Union. Stutients may choose from ten, fourteen, and nineteen meal-a-week plans at $350, $390, and $425 respectively. Students will receive laminated plastic cards with their photographs on them. The card will have a special code identifying the student and what kind of meal plan he has. When a student gets a meal, his card is ""read"" by an electronic data machine at the end of the food line. The machine picks up the code, and registers what meal the student is getting (breakfast, lunch or dinner). In addition, the computer will not allow the student to get more meals a week than he has paid for. The system, called Vali-Dine Series 3, benefits administrative accounting. The computer compiles statistics not only about the number of students eating at anyone time, but also what foods students most often choose. Electronically, it organizes rapidly what now takes a great deal of time to do by hand. Three ""reading stations"" as the machines are called, will be placed in the three second-floor dining areas at Newell. Another will be put in the 'snack bar at Newell, and one more will be in the cafeteria in the UU . Newell Hall will not cater exclusively to meal plan members. Walsh indicated that cash equiva-lents will be worked out for students . who do not have meal cards. Correspondingly, students with the meal plans will be able to get food at the UU since one of the computers will be placed there. This was a result of a request by the Student Food Committee. The committee felt that such service at the UU would be necessary, particularly during in-clement weather, since so many students would be coming from classes at Burdick Hall, the Towson Ferguson will 'keep order' Center, and the Fine Arts building, for example. Moreover, the reading stations in the UU make it convenient if meal plan members, primarily residents, want to eat with' commuter friends. The ten-meal-a-week plan will be offered to all students next semester. That plan was, originally established for students in intern-ship and nursing programs who aren't on campus that often to eat. In fact, Walsh said that under the coupon system ""those students were the ones I really felt sorry for"" because they often had no way of getting rid of all the coupons they had. However, as with the coupon system, if a student's allotted meals are not used, they are lost. A student cannot lend his card to another, since the photograph of the owner is on each. Despite this drawback, which is minor, the majority of colleges use the meal card plan. As a final note, Walsh pointed out that this plan will go into effect in the fall, but of course may still be subject to changes. New Parliamentarian selected by Debbie Felton Freshman Diane Ferguson is the new Parliamentarian. Ferguson won over opponent Mark Jacobs by seven votes last Tuesday at the Senate meeting. Her job involves ""keeping order f4 SGA meetings and making sure they follow parliamentary procedure."" Ferguson said she wanted a position that would keep her involved but is not time-consuming. Ferguson was nominated for her position by Debbie Leslie, SGA vice president. Leslie said she suggested Ferguson for the job because she ""knew she had (student government ment) experience in high school."" Even though high school and college parliamentary procedure differ, said Leslie, ""she still knows the basic rules.'' Leslie thinks Ferguson has the necessary energy and enthusiasm for the job. It's ""good that we get somebody new in Senate that we can train and give experience,"" said Leslie. ""I hope she'll stick with Leslie and former Parliamentarian Richard Andrews will conduct a workshop on parliamentarian proce-dure in early May. Ferguson is concerned about being compared with Andrews. She thinks she is .""under pressure to keep up Richard's standards."" ""I don't think Senate should expect anybody to be another Richard Andrews,"" said Leslie. ""It's impossible."" Leslie said sincg Andrews rewrote most of the Senate rules, no one will know the rules as well as he does. Senator Brian Ridgeley nomi-nated Jacobs for parliamentarian. Even though he did not vote for Ferguson, Ridgeley does think it is favorable to have a freshman in Senate who can serve for three more years. Senator Nancy Payne said Fergu-son ""came and expressed interest in the student government,"" which she felt was necessary. ""I like to get somebody from out of the system . . . not the same old blood, It's good to get the younger people involved,"" she said. tudent paychecks often delayed by Kathy Pascuzzi Student University employees have reported a four to six week delay in receiving their paychecks. The students say that when they start working for the University, the pay lag ""creates problems."" ""In the beginning of the semester, we have to buy books, pay rent and buy food,"" said one student worker. Employee Jo Butler said, ""I wouldn't even realize"" if she were under or over paid, because of the lag. ""You could check it,"" she said, ""because the checks are dated, but six weeks later, you wouldn't think to check."" ""It's (the delay) just part of the bureaucratic process,"" said Donald H. McCulloh, director of Finance. He explained that the first check is delayed ""at least one pay period [two weeks]."" He said that the student's employment has to be verified at several stages in the process. Usually the entire verifica-tion process takes about four weeks. McCulloh gave the example of a student who started work on April 2. The student would work two weeks from April 2 until April 15, filling out a time sheet every day. At the end of the two week period, the student would turn the time sheet in to the supervisor, who would sign it, verify it, and send it to the timekeeper in the department. The timekeeper verifies the time recorded, adds it up, and sends the record to the Data center in the Administration Building. Then, the information is entered into the computers. The computers send the payroll information to the Payroll office. There, it has t6 be verified again, before it is sent to the Central Payroll office in Annapolis. Central Payroll makes out the checks, and finally, the check is mailed to the student by the University Payroll office. The student is paid May 6 for work done between April 2 and April 15. McCulloh said that the process is not much different for full time employees. One secretary said that she waited ""about a month"" for her first paycheck. McCulloh said that his office is ""trying to reduce"" the lag. But he emphasized that he doesn't see ""how it can go below one pay period."" He added that ""about 90 per cent"" of the 850 paychecks processed each period ""are handled fine. ""Foul-ups do happen,"" he said. He explained that ""some depart-ments get behind in the paper-work."" This, of course, results in delayed paychecks for the employ-ees of that department. However, McCulloh said the Payroll Department ""has to meet deadlines"" to get the paychecks out on time, so they try to have the other departments keep reporting proce-dures uniform. McCulloh said that the lag is not corrected until the employee leaves his job. ""So if a student quit today, he'd still be getting checks for a couple of weeks."" Since the delay is simply due to procedures involved in putting a new person on the payroll, he added, ""no one really loses money."" He said that the process could be speeded up if students and other staff were conscientious in getting records to the Payroll department in time. "