tl19730427-000 "towerlight Vol. XXVI No. 27 April 27, 1973 Towson State College Towson, Md. Photo by Buddy Rehrey Security and SDS members wait outside the switchboard office in Stephens Hall during take-over. Change supported In a Student Government survey concerning the resolution ""that the number of credits required for graduation be lowered from 128 to 120,"" 98 percent of Towson students and 50 percent of the faculty supported the measure. Of those polled, students prefer that the graduate requirement be 120 credits with a 2.00 average while the faculty desired the present 128 credit requirement. The measure is currently under study by the Academic Standards Committee within the Academic Council. In a straw vote taken in the Standards Committee, the five faculty members voted against the motion while the three students favored the resolution. SGA vice-president Andy Eble said that the motion will be voted on at the Monday, April 30 Academ-ic Council meeting. Total survey responses include 435 students and 12 faculty members. The survey reveals that 92 percent of the students and 75 percent of the faculty believe that benefits will be accrued from altering the graduation requirement to 120 credits, while 76 percent of the students and 50 percent of the faculty feel that the 128 credit requirement does hamper those who are student teaching from attaining the graduation on requirement for a four-year pro gra m. 93 percent of the students and 50 percent of the faculty agreed with the statement from the Carnegie Commission's report on Higher Education, ""the length of time spent in undergraduate college education can be reduced roughly by one-fourth without sacrificing educational quality."" Those polled agreed that the 120 credit program would be more compatible with the 'Maryland Council on Higher Education's goal of facilitating native students' ability to transfer among the state college and community college system with the least detriment to the students. Students and faculty disagree over the fact that 128 credit program hinders Towson's ability to attract minority students due to other college's offering a 12 credit/5 year program of work study that will guarantee graduation in 5 years as opposed to Towson's program that will not insure graduation. Although 80 percent of the students believed the present requirement to be a hindrance, 75 percent of the faculty saw no merit in the argument. Disagreement also result0 (Continued to Page 8) Trial for October protest: witchboard Four face probation Towson's Switchboard Four Bill Bleich, Sean Flannery, Pat Messina and Sue Cohen were placed on a one year probation for disrupting college activities in their trial, April 17. The group took over the switchboard November 27 as part of their protest of the shooting of two Southern University students in Baton Rouge November 13. Martie Hock, who defended the group with the exception of Bill Bleich, advised them to seek dismissal on the grounds that the law concerning the disruption of college activities was unconstitutional. The Maryland law states that A-no person shall wilfully disturb or otherwise wilfully prevent the orderly conduct of the activities, administration, college or university within this state, B-no person shall molest or threaten with bodily harm any student, employee, administrator, agent or any other person lawfully in a building of, on or about the grounds of or in the immediate vicinity of any school, college or university, and C-any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. Passed in 1970, the law was aimed at campus disruptions. Hock contested that the law was too vague, and that the term ""disruption"" was too broad. Judge Halpern did not see the switchboard take-over as disruption with classes, but did maintain that the telephone interference did cause some problem, and called for probation of the four. Bob Bauerle of Towson's security spoke on the school's behalf. When Bleich began his defense, the assistant State's Attorney produced a Federal Bureau of Investigation rap sheet on him, and called for a sentence. Although the sheet revealed that Bleich possessed a prior arrest record in connection with a New York strike, 'fudge Halpern dismissed it as inadmissable evidence having no bearing on the case. If the four are arrested in the next year, their case can be reopened but they will not have to report to a probation officer. Although the SDS , had originally planned to make a ""political case"" out of the trial, they did not publicize the trial which had been rescheduled twice. John Young revealed that the main interest of the SDS was simply to ""get the people out."" Approximately 30 people attended the trial to support the defendants. Funding results in fee hike by Susan DeBolt In an April 25 meeting of concerned students, Director of Business and Finance Wayne Schelle and Vice-President of Student Affairs C. Richard Gillespie revealed that there will be a $110 fee increase next year due to limited state funding. Although they said that the fee hike was unofficial, the two indicated that it will be announced officially at the May 3 meeting of the Board of Trustees in Frostburg. The state increased the budget by only 11/2 per cent which amounts to $140,000, but yearly inflation runs 3-51/2 per cent. Baltimore Attica Brigade member David Prigeon called the original meeting to discuss funds for April 12, but opinions differed as to what the increase really was, so a motion was made to meet with administrators. The students criticized the administration for the lack of notice. Student Government Vice-President Andy Eble said that President Fisher had indicated to him that there will be financial increases Concerned students discuss the fee hike. Photo by Buddy Rehrey for the next five years. Gillespie mentioned the possibility of a $100 increase for the next four years. Schelle explained the three part higher education system of university, state and community institutions as he said that the state schools usually received the most limited funds. He called the new budget ""disastrous for the state colleges."" He continued as he said that the state was moving toward other priorities in the budget, and called the 1974 budget the ""worst one of the decade."" According to the formula set by the Board of Trustees, Towson asked for 4 million dollars and received only 76 per cent of that amount. The school received some money through a later supplemental budget and was the only state college to do so. As he told of the ""continuing deficits"" Schelle said that ""we are left with a budget that is not nearly enough to do the job."" Despite 'inflation and increased enrollment, the budget is at a stand-still for the third consecutive year. To compensate for the lack of funds, Schelle said that the school was doing ""everything it can do to generate money"" such as selling college catalogues and raising the application fee to $20. Campus service will suffer from the limited budget. Sixty full-time jobs were vacant this year during the governor's freeze, and Schelle mentioned the possibility of another freeze if there were not enough funds to meet the budget. "
