The Towerlight, September 16, 1977

tl19770916-000 "T a 3 Freshman Primer. See page 10. ma. Air ti) cr11 VOL. LXX, NO. 2 TOWSON STATE UNIVERSITY tMadison vs. TSU tomorrow 7:30 p.m. SEPTEMBER 16 1977 President Fisher addresses the faculty as Vice President Cox looks on. TL photo by Jim McWilliams Fisher, still seeking governorship, attacks state's education boards in annual faculty address by Steve Verch President James L. Fisher recent-ly met with representatives of Acting Governor Blair Lee, the man considered the front-runner in the Governor's race, and discussed the position of Lieutenant Governor. ""There hive been no commit-ments on her side, my interest remains in the Governship...,"" said Dr. Fisher, who announced last February that he had actively stopped campaigning for the Demo-cratic nomination for Governor of Maryland. The remarks were made late Friday afternoon at the close of the President's annual address to the Towson State Faculty, delivered in the Fine Arts concert hall. Typical of such addresses in recent years, faculty attendance was scarce. The President stated that his future political plans were not definite. ""At the moment, my intention is to wait, and if the situation looks good, I will request a leave of absence and run, and hopefully win,"" said the President. In addition, the president ex-pressed personal doubt about the governorship. ""My interest remains in the governorship, although at times, I am not sure that it's worth the price."" Dr: Fisher did not elaborate upon what he meant by ""the price"", or about the ""conversations"" he has had with Lee's representatives, only to say that the conversations had been initiated by them. He did mention that he had been ""approached"" about the president's job at the University of Maryland, but did not say by who or when this occurred. ""And because several of you have asked, it is true that I have been roached about the presidency at the University of Maryland, a position in which I have absolutely no interest."" President Fisher began his 7000 word ""State of the University"" address after a brief introduction by the new vice-president of Academic Affairs, Dr. Joseph Cox. Wearing a white shirt with a charcoal black suit, and flanked by American and State flags, the President spoke about the inade-quacies and the inefficiencies of the State boards and agencies respon-sible for higher education. ""The State University and Col-lege System then is really more of a non-system"", he stated pointing out that St. Mary's College, Morgan State University, UMBC, and UMES do not come under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees of the State Universities and Colleges, though Towson State and several other schools do. Commenting on the State Board for Higher Education, the President said that this board ""has little new authority and essentially the same staff,"" though it was created by the General Assembly in 1976 to replace the Maryland Council for Higher Education. Mahoney leaving for UMBC post by Larry Lepus After an association with Towson State University in one capacity or , another since 1959, Dr. Michael Mahoney, who is Currently director of admissions, Will be leaving. Mahoney will take a new position at UMBC, effective within the next two weeks. When asked about his 1 decision to leave, he explained it ?' was ""a. career opportunity,"" and that he ""couldn't turn it down."" Mahoney has held his current post since October 1969 after previously serving as assistant housing director, assistant Lacrosse .1 coach, as well as being a student. 3 Mahoney said he set certain goals at Y Towson and he has ""successfully accomplished"" all of them. The goals , he spoke of included: changing the racial structure of the 1 school and making it more attractive for community college students. ""When I started,"" Mahoney recalls, ""there were only forty minority students at Towson. There are now 700 to 1000 minority students, and about one half of our students are community college transfers."" At .1.1.1�43C, Mahoney's new title will be Academic Services director, which encompasses administration, Il registration and financial aid opera-tions. The current situation at UM 13(. was described as being ""chaotic, at best' by Mahoney who noted that le ""there. are enrollment problems at. .t L-U M BC, and they have gone through three admissions directors in the past three years."" Other problems are the ""institu-tion is still very new, and the campus is very unattractive,"" where ""a sterile atmosphere prevails."" The school's career programs are not as attractive to students as the ones at Towson,"" he said. Mahoney plans to try to change things at UMBC by bringing in his own staff, observing that the school ""has good potential"" for change and that he ""wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't think something couldn't be done."" Mahoney's replacement will be Dr. Vivienne Lee, who has served as associate director of admissions as well as transfer coordinator. The replacement will be on an interim basis until a new director of admissions will be chosen next year. Mahoney does not expect his move to cause any problems at Towson, saying that ""Towson shouldn't be looking for additional growth, because the school has pretty much reached a comfortable size."" Mahoney was also quick to point out that he was in no way dissatisfied with anyone or anything at Towson, saying that his decision to leave was ""a very tough, emotional one."" He said that he ""has developed very strong ties with the school"" and that ""I will be , leaving some of my best friends, both professionally and socially."" President Fisher also attacked several agencies of the State governmetlt connected with higher education calling it a ""$40,000,000 morass."" To deal with the aforementioned ""morass"", Fisher said, ""Eight years ago we did a complete order of battle on the influence-power hierarchy of the State."" Fisher said that he rarely attends meetings with potential contributors to the University, political or other, when he has not been briefed on these individuals' personal back-grounds, families, and how they vote. He added that he visits Annapolis regularly to attend meetings, parties, and testify before legislative committees. In addition, the President stated that he personally hosts breakfasts in his office with these individuals, on a one to one basis, and that he prepares anywhere from 25 to 50 of these breakfasts each year. The President had words of praise and appreciation for the Alumni Board and the Towson State University Foundation Board. ""Clearly, the Foundation has been our measure of excellence at Towson. The Board performs a vital service and has measureably affec-ted almost every area of our operation."" For the future, Dr. Fisher said that the next major task of the University would be one of ""program sophistication, a greater emphasis on the quality of instruc-tion and the obvious improvement of the total academic climate."" He added that he had spoken earlier this month with the Maryland Commissioner for Higher Education and that it was agreed ""based on past performance and present condition, Towson State University should be encouraged in Maryland's new master plan for higher education to become Mary-land's prestige liberal arts univers).- ty. "" $ 1 0 refund due on parking fees by Ruth Ami Leftridge Day students who paid a parking fee this semester will be refunded $10, either in the form of a rebate check or as credit toward next semester's bill. Day students were charged $25, $10 more than last semester, for parking this fall. The parking fees were to be used to help fund proposed $1.9 million parking decks. Evening students will be refunded $2.50 off the price of their parking fee. Wayne Schelle, vice president of Business and Finance, said that the Board of Trustees of the State Univer-sities and Colleges approved the park-ing fee increase. However, the Board did not approve a request by the finan-ciers of the project to establish a separate account to guarantee the money be spent only for parking decks. Usually, the money from the park-ing fees goes into a general account used for maintenance and the opera-tion of TSU's physical plant. The Board of Trustees is now awaiting approval from the state's Department of Budget and Fiscal Planning to establish the requested separate account, but students will receive a refund regardless. Schelle said he expects approval to come ""within the month"" and then ""there will be an agreement to pro-ceed"" with the construction of the parking decks. The Vice President said the parking fee increase was ""premature."" He ex-plained that the fee increase was in-cluded in the statement of fees because TSU administrators were ex-pecting full approval from the Board. John Suter, director of Campus Planning, said proposals actually call for two parking decks�Me over Lot 5 (the faculty/staff lot between Burdick and the UIJ). One proposal will generate 480 addi- Wayne Schelle tional parking spaces. This plan calls for two decks to be built over Lot 5 and one deck over Lot 9. The second pro-posal, which will generate 535 spaces, allows for two decks over Lot 9 and one over Lot 5. Suter said he expects work on the parking garages to begin sometime next summer. ""Hopefully, within a two-semester period, we would have the construc-tion completed,"" he said, adding that the parking decks will actually be ""a very simple project."" The Director of Campus Planning said the parking decks are needed because of ""a lack of central-campus parking."" Suter said he would be ""reluctant"" to park far away, especially as ane vening student. The 1977 Maryland State capital budget allowed for a $350,000 ap-propriation to TSU, Suter said. This $350,000 could be used in any manner, he explained, as long as it was in the area of parking. This money, as well as an eventual increase in student parking fees, will make up the $1.9 million needed for the parking structures. Schelle said studewnt parking fees will probably increase to $25 by fall 1978. Money for the parking decks will also be generated through a parking fee imposed on faculty and staff members, Schelle said. He added that this will be the first time in the history of Towson State that faculty and staff paid for parking. Schelle explained the need for park-ing close to the central campus area, saying, ""I think the future of the day and evening schools are at stake."" Student discount cards accepted with skepticism by Bill Stetka The Student Government Associa-tion will begin distribution next week el' cards entitling students to discounts on purchases from 10 merchants in the Towson area, but the reason for the need for the cards apparently is still open to some question. SGA President John Ruark said that the cards will be available, at no charge to students, at the University Store, Newell Dining Hall, the Recreation Center and the Student Information Service. The 10 local merchants paid $250 each to a private company to produce the National Student Con-sumer Card for Towson students. All of the money went to the California-based group, which was represented by Bob Hamerslough. Those merchants participating include: Record and Tape Collector, Michele, A Bit of Georgetown Shoes, Cole Porter, Ltd., Maryland Photo Stock Co., Holiday Ihn North 2, Via Waye Travel Bureau, Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips, Collec-tive Impressions, Ltd. and Framer's Print Shop. And while Ruark is proud of the fact that ""it didn't cost us (the SGA) a single penny,"" some administra-tors questioned the need for the cards. The idea behind the cards is to increase student business for the merchants, at the same time giving students discounts on merchandise purchased at cooperating dealers. ""Any company can offer the students a discount without giving someone $250 for their name on a plastic card,"" said Robert Roll, director of News and Publications for the University. Roll said that the University was contacted soon after Hamerslough began seeking clients by a local merchant, who was checking ""to make sure the project was legitimate."" Roll said that anyone representing Towson State must get permission from the University before they can solicit money. ""I was trying to protect the SGA and the University,"" Roll said of his skepticism of the idea. He said he thought ""the company was sus-pect,"" and added, ""We had no guarantee from this company, 'but John was willing to take a gamble."" ""Why would a company pay $250 on a one shot deal and then give students a 10 percent discount? They can give the discounts to students without the cards,"" Roll said. ""All you've got to do is have one fly-by-nighter come in here and you're in trouble. We have to live with this business community."" Ruark said that the SGA has been assured by all ten merchants that the cards will be accepted. Several store managers have even called to ask when the SGA is going to distribute the cards, Ruark added. The SGA president admitted that the local businesses ""had a right to be slightly suspicious about it' when Hamerslough began making tne rounds with his proposal anu letter of permission from the SGA. 'F' grade reinstated as sign of re-established social values by R. Alan Nelson After an absence of several years, the ""F'' grade has reappeared on campus. The ""F"" grade was last used in the late 60's at a time when many social values were being questioned. It was felt by many that the ""F"" grade was too punitive. At that time, if a student received a failing grade it would remain on their record, even if the student repeated the course and passed. Eventually educators yielded to pressures from within their profes-sion, as well as student pressure and replaced the ""F"" grade with the NC (no credit). But they soon realized that eliminating the ""F"" was not the answer. William Reuling, associate direc-tor of admissions, said after the Vietnam War it became apparent that while grades were rising, the SAT scores were going down. Reul-ing said the need to stay in school to beat the draft wasn't necessary so student protest over grades event-ually ceased. It was these and several more related reasons which Reuling feels brought the eventual return of the ""F"". in the early 70ts TSU, as did mahy other colleges, began to revaMp their programs and reorganize their goals. By doing this, Reuling said, the need to reinstate the ""F"" grade became evident. At the same time Towson lowered the credits needed for graduation from 128 to 120. This according to Reuling, was to make TSU's credit load similar to other colleges. Reuling also said when the credit requirements were reduced the general requirements were ex-panded to give a broader liberal arts education. Another reason for the ""F"" grade comeback, said Reuling, was many students who received grants and VA benefits would register for a full course load and then not attend classes. At semester's end they would receive grades of NC, not ""F"". Because they didn't fail, Reuling said, their loan or grant requirements were fulfilled. Reuling said at one time the University didn't even record any course in which a student received an NC. It was just as if, he said, the student never registered. Reuling said it was about two years ago that they began recording the NC. Reuling also said there was some concern on the part of student organizations that the reinstated ""F"" grade would be punitive, and a failure would be a permanent scar on the student's record. But, Reuling said, if a student earns a failing grade, he or she can repeat the course and have the ""F"" grade removed'. The NC grade can be removed in the same way, Reuling said, which he feels is a very ""equitable and rational way of dealing with this problem."" Reuling said it was too early to know how many students would be dismissed from TSU because of the reinstated ""F"" grade, although he did say the University didn't dismiss anyone last spring because, ""They would have felt the full brunt of Still another problem, said Reul- .ing, is a student will receive their grades at the end of a semester only to find they have received an ""F"" for a course they had not registered for. Reuling admits that some of this is caused by computer errors, but he said, many times it was the student's fault because the wrong course number was copied on schedule cards. One of the ways to eliminate that problem, Reuling said, is sending out mid-semester course lists. These lists are designed to give a student time to make corrections if there is a problem, Reuling said. Reuling feels the instituting of the ""F"" grade is symbolic of the 70's, a time, he said, when people are re-establishing values and standards that were cast aside during the conflict of the 60's. "