tl19730330-000 "towerlight Vol. XXVI No. 23 Towson State College March 30, 1973 Towson, Md. 21204 86 percent in favor: Mini fares well at hearing by Susan DeBolt Mini-mester appears in good standing after a favorable hearing Friday, March 23. Along with a survey revealing that 86 percent of the students and faculty that participated in the session preferred the continuation of the program, approximately 20 faculty members voiced their support for the mini. No real opposition was expressed. The question of the mini-mester's desirability is in the hands of the Curriculum Committee of the Academic Council. Joyce Neubert of the Math department, Gary Wood of the English department, Dr. Joseph Cox of the Evening and Summer Division and student Amy Shaffer compose the Task Force set up by the Curriculum Committee to study the question. Many of the faculty present were puzzled over what they felt to be non-existent opposition to the session, but Neubert said that the hearing had been set to determine whether there was any substantial opposition and that the Academic Council had originally planned to evaluate mini-mester after its second term. There has also been limited opposition from faculty who feel that their teaching time is reduced. Cox said that the best means of supporting the session would be written statements in favor of the mini-mester from individual faculty members. Neuberg said that the survey and group ""seemed far and away in favor of the mini-mester."" Dr. Michael Jessup of the Education Department questioned whether there had been a ""study as to how much the academic community had suffered."" Cox revealed that the major criticism comes in the form of those classes which meet on Tuesday and Thursday and are therefore shorter."" Fall instructional days are only three less than in 1970-71, while the spring instructional time remains the same. One faculty member said that the instructional time was actually increased, although another instructor added that this was not true for the average student. There was also some disturbance over mini-mester holding up the second semester, but this was invalid since the academic calendar was determined by the Board of Trustees to coincide with other institutions in the area. Faculty present at the hearing had nothing but praise for the mini-mester as their feelings were summed up by dance instructor Helene Breazeale who said ""that it was one of the most exciting of my 23 years in teaching."" She added that it ""would be very sad if that opportunity was denied to anyone else."" The survey, designed by Jay Stanley of the Sociology Department, was taken from 1250 students and faculty participating in mini-mester, and reveals overwhelming support for the mini-mester as 81 percent said they would participate in another session. It reveals that 71 percent felt the mini to be a much better experience than their regular courses plus 67 percent believed that the concentrated academic experience was more valuable than others. Dr. Michael Figler of the Psychology department said that there ""seems to be a call for the Senate meeting: more popular general courses,"" although the original emphasis was designed to be experimental. The survey indicates the call for more regular courses as 48 percent asked for a larger offering of such classes while 27 percent favored a wider variety of practicum courses, 15 percent desired more independent study offerings and 10 percent wanted a wider variety of travel. One instructor expressed fear over the mini-mester becoming a ""winter summer school."" Towson's summer school enrollment dropped 8 percent last year and Cox said that this could be traced to mini-mester, but that summer enrollment had dropped all over the country. Although several instructors called for additional courses, another faculty member said that the ""concept of mini-mester was not to allow students to make it a part of their regular program."" Dr. Joseph Cox comments on Towson's mini-mester during the March 23 hearing. Non-endorsement bill repealed by Bryan Harness The Senate voted Tuesday to repeal the No Endorsement act, which prohibited SGA funded media organizations from endorsing candidates for school offices. The bill, introduced by Robert Leatherwood and Rob Ryan, was passed unanimously. Later, Senator John Kipper introduced a bill that, if passed, would have prevented Towerlight and WVTS from endorsing candidates for school offices, with the penalty being if a campus media organization should violate the act, no members of their Editorial Board eligible for scholar aid would be allowed to receive it. The bill received considerable discussion before the final vote was taken. Members of the senate debated among themselves as to its constitutionality, while lobbyists from Towerlight and WVTS argued against the bill in its entirety. Ryan labeled the bill as ""unconstitutional,"" and so did several other senators. Kipper defended his bill, saying ""They shouldn't be judging with student money who will be President, who will be vice-president, and who'll be treasurer."" Kipper later added, ""There's an awful lot of dummies and apathetic people on this campus who will see a-one-inch headline saying 'Mr. Y For President' and later, Kipper indicated, the students would vote for that endorsed candidate. George Mattingly, ex-senator and a spokesman for Towerlight, said ""It's an obvious attempt to muzzle the paper."" He later labeled the bill ""a piece of lunatical legislation!"" A roll-call vote was soon taken, and the bill was defeated by a nearly unanimous count, with its sponsor, Kipper, casting the only ""aye"" ballot. The SGA also allocated $333.76 for transportation costs to the SDS. The costs will aid in hiring a bus which will transport 36 students to an SDS convention which is to be held in New York City on April 27, 28, and 29th. The trip will be open to all members of the Towson State student body. Several SGA Senators consider John Kipper's ""Non-Endorsement"" proposal at Tuesday's senate meeting. "
