The Towerlight, September 24, 1976

tl19760924-000 "Things We're Heard W'(' page 2 A-ttitrlig SGA Calendar page 9 VOL 1,XIX NO 3 TOWSON STATE UNIVERSITY SEPTEMBER 24.1976 Vassar Clements concert slated by Stephen Verch The Student Government ssociation announced this eek that Towson State will ave its first concert of the ear on October 24, featuring 'Vassar Clements"" as the vents main attraction. SGA President Joanne inegan stated that the band ould receive $2,000 for their PPearance. Finegan cited the Ontire cost of the event, which Will be held in the multi-purpose rooms located on the third floor of the University 3,o�"" at "" a little over 3 Commenting that the third lOor hall can accomodate etween 8-900, Finegan stated hat the tentative cost of single ickets will be $4.50. The SGA will sponsor the event. SGA Vice-President, Nancy Payne described the band as one that plays music which is 'kinda' bluegrass, kinda' jazz."" The SGA announcement came in the wake of campus rumors which allege that the University Union's Special Services had been unable to reach an agreement with the booking agent of the Doobie Brothers for the group to appear in concert at Towson. Contract difficulties arising from the uncertainty of the opening date of the Physical Education Complex where the Doobie Brothers were to have performed is rumored to have resulted in no contract being signed between the two parties. State support for TSU decreases by Melissa Brodie Towson State University is no longer a state supported institution. The start of this fall semester marked its change to a state ""asisted"" school Wayne Schelle, Vice Presi-, dent of Business and Finance, said that the difference bet-ween these two terms lies ' in funding. A support-ed college receives over 50% of its money from the state, Whereas an assisted college relies on the state for less than 50% of its fund. Schelle said that ten to twelve years ago, Towson State ""used to get up to 75'7, from the state"" and added that now we get 49% � � Students will be forced to carry most of the � financial burdens inflicted by the absence of an increase instate suPport. Schelle said that the diffrence will be ""evident in the increase of student fees."" Towson State University's Chan ge in status did not actually come about as the result of a group or individual decision, according to Schelle. He said that it occured due to a ""continued limit in support."" The decrease in the percen-tage of state funds given to the university will in no way affect the manner in which it is controlled, however. Towson State will remain subject to the same state policies and regula-tions that it has answered to in the past. Schelle said that ""the state is not lessening the total support of its colleges."" He said that the money is starting to go in more directions, often with private or otherwise fiscally independent schools as the recipients. This change-over has affected most of Maryland's state colleges. Schelle cited the fact that there are only a few state ""supported"" institutions left in Maryland. Loss of state funding in combination with rising costs has started to take a toll on state colleges and universities. Schelle said that ""we're heading in the direction of a semi-private institution"" as far as costs are concerned and that ""students are going to have to bear the brunt."" Mel Blackburn of Dining Services, goes over the food coupon problem with SGA President Joanne Finegan. TL photo by Kathy Pascuzzi Coupon shortage still to be rectified by Kathy Pascuzzi Dining services has refused to make a cash adjustment to students for their $25 ommis-sion from the $370 food plan. The shortage was discover-ed by students Barbara Royals and Paul Corgill and reported to Dining Services last week. Dining Services officials called the shortage ""a mistake"" in a meeting last Wednesday with SGA officials and Corgill, and offered to make the adjust-ment in coupons. At last Thursday's meeting of the University Affairs Committee, it was suggested that the adjustment be made in cash. In a memo dated Monday, Roy Whitley, associ-ate director of Dining Servi-ces, explained the reasons the office chose to make the adjustment with coupons in-stead of cash. He said that the meal plan, originally priced at $370, represented the ""lowest feas-ible price for providing a se-mester's meals."" The memo noted that by making a cash adjustment, the plan would be reduced to $345. In the opinion of the Dining Services admin-istration, this amount does not represent an adequate meal plan. Another reason given for the refusal was that the Dining Services budget was based on revenue expected from a $370 plan. The office made comitt-ments for food and supply purchases based on this expected revenue. ""Since the budget assumes a break-even status, a refund would put the dining program into the red,"" if these comittments were met. Whit-ley called this ""an unaccep-table situation."" Whitely's memo added that since the meal plan called for $370 in coupons, $370 will be available to all students who pick up the additional cou-pons. The memo said the distri-bution of coupons will con-tinue on a month-by-month basis. The extra coupons, which have been available since Monday, come in $5 increments. The $5 incre-ments will be available to any student on the $370 meal plan at any time during the semester. However, each set of $5 coupons will be limited to use during the month during which it was picked up, in keeping with Dining Services' new coup( n budgeting policy. Whitley commented that the Dining Services office decided to ""do what we thought was right."" Venetoulis and his County staff defends his teaching position Ted Venetoulis Parking, bridges, renovations planned for Towson State by Pete Binns The university is ""in better Shape in parking"" than last Year, Wayne Schelle, vice President of business and finance, said last week. ""Although there were crowds and parking problems, this Year's was one of the easiest openings we've had."" Students are already using 435 new parking spaces in lots 19 and 20, near the new Physical education complex. Three hundred more spaces in What will be lots 21 and 22 should be available next semester, Schelle said. About a third of the spaces are to be slated for faculty use. There is also a recently built Parking area between Van Hokkelen Hall and the College Media Services Building. This is a small lot, much of which is Metered. Schelle said the lot was Metered in order to induce rapid turnover, not revenue."" He said the pur- Pose of the lot was to provide Parking places for Cook Library patrons who wished to aPend only a short time in the library. Schelle said that, with the completion of the parking lots around the physical education complex, there would be ""no More space for surface lots."" To provide more parking sPaces, university officials hope to be able to build parking decks over two of the existing surface lots. Parking Decks One deck over lot 9 has been proposed and two over lot 5. Number 9 is between Univers-ity Union and Burdick Hall; number 5 is behind Linthicurn Hall. Construction on the decks would be done one parking lot at a time, starting with lot 9, because of spaces lost due to construction time. Schelle said that a State grant for the project has already been passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor, but that the Board of Trustees for Mary-land State Colleges must still approve the concept. Hope-fully, (knock on wood), we'll be ready to start construction next summer,"" he added. The vice president describ-ed two other changed made in the parking facilities over the aummer. The old parking sheds, where students wait for the shuttle buses, have been taken down, he said, and replaced with ""new modern ones"" which are expected to be more durable than the old ones. The lighting fixtures in the parking lots have been stan-dardized to a uniform black color. Schelle said that this was done in order to ""help identify the campus, to dist-inguish it from St. Joseph's Hospital and from Sheppard Pratt Hospital. It's to help prevent people from going to the Fine Arts Building expect-ing an appendectomy."" To aid students once they've found a parking spot, flashing lights were put up by the county at the pedestrian crosswalks across Oster Drive and Cross Campus Drive. Schelle said that the lights would ""help alert drivers that there's something happening ahead"" but admitted that it would ""not solve all the problems."" The county has also lowered the speed limits on Towson-towne Boulevard and Osier Drive. Pedestrian Bridges Schelle said that the idea of pedestrian bridges as a replacement for the cross-walks is ""always a high priority here, but the state hasn't seen fit to fund it."" The cost of the proposed bridges is estimated to be $748,000. Three bridges are being considered by university offi-cials, Schelle said. Two would cross Osier Drive -- one to connect the Administration Building and the University Union, and the other to Please turn to page 3 by Jim Moorefield and Kathy Pascuzzi ""There is not the slightest suggestion of a violation of the Charter"" involved in Balti-more County Executive Theo-dore Venetoulis' teaching a poitical science course at Towson State University, John L. Wighton, director of the county's office of Central Services said recently. Wighton responded to charges made by a Towson State student that Venetoulis is in apparent violation of several sections of the County Charter. According to the student, Student Government Associa-tion Parliamentarian Richard Andrews, sections 402, 403, and 1001 of the Charter seem to prohibit the executive from holding any jobs or accepting any salaries except jobs held or salaries paid in relation to his work for the county. Wighton called Andrews' charges ""totally insupport-able"", and added that ""per-haps the nicest thing I can say is that Mr. Andrews' question is unaddressed by the Char-ter."" He further stated, ""the County Executive, along with other local and national personalities, brings a unique experience to any college campus."" Andrews cited Article X, section 1001 (b) as one portion of the law he feels is being broken. That section says that its purpose is one of prevent-ing persons in public service from securing any pecuniary advantage, however indirect,.. other than their compensation provided by law."" He feels that this section prohibits Venetoulis from accepting ""however temporariliy in re-tention, anything of value in return for his services at the University."" A Towson lawyer said that that section of the charter ""deals with kickbacks,"" and so does not apply to Andrews' allegations. Venetoulis said after his class Tuesday that he does accept a salary for his services to the Political Science Depart-ment. He stated, though, 'A large portion of my salary is going back to the University for a scholarship fund,"" and the rest is earmarked for a charity, as yet unnamed. He said he is ""not sure how the University will arrange Andrews has written several letters to University and county officials outlining his charges. In a letter addressed to John O'Rourke, chairman of the County Council, Andrews based his argument on the Charter and a court decision, Howard County Metropolitan Commission vs. Westphal. He said that the court of appeals decision in this case declared that ""even if a public officer should entirely refuse comp-ensation for an otherwise forbidden second position, the prohibition would still remain."" University President James L. Fisher remarked that ""It is our responsibility to see if the law is both upheld and enforced, but I don't mean to imply that Mr. Venetoulis is in violation of the County Charter."" Dr. Fisher further said that the executive and his advisors are ""better qualified to determine legality that I and my associates."" Fisher did say that he had asked the Dean to review the conditions under which Venetoulis was hired and the Dean saw no problems. Kenneth Shaw, dean of Academic Affairs, said he feels that there is ""no problem"" in the Executive's teaching the course, and added that the University is ""pleased"" to have secured Venetoulis' services. Dr. Fisher said, ""At this point, my position, assuming he hasn't broken the law, is that we are fortunate to have a person of his experience in the classroom."" He mentioned Venetoulis' teaching experi-ence, adding, ""It 'is to the distinct credit of the political science department that they were able to enjoin him in our faculty ranks."" Andrews also said in his letters that under section 402 of the Charter, it is a violation for the Executive ""to hold other employment at all,"" since that section calls for hime to ""devote his full time to the duties of his office."" He added that according to the law encyclopedia, Corpus Juris Secundum, "" 'full time' has been held to mean a 'duty to serve an employer exclu-sively.' "" Carol Strahlman, the Execu-tive's press secretary, said, ""Mr. Venetoulis feels com-munication is part of his job as County Executive, and teach-ing this course is one method of communicating."" Vene-toulis agreed with her state-ment, ponting out his academic qualifications for teaching the course. ""I have two master's degrees, and all the coursework necessary for a doctorate."" He added that he feels it is ""part of my job"" to teach and help youth under-stand the workings of govern-ment. Andrews said that the fact that the University and the Executive ""signed a contract for the course"" makes teach-ing a different job, a ""sepa-rate occupation"", and as such is prohibited under section 403 of the Charter. He called the action (of teaching the course) a ""bad precedent, because the next county executive could sell insurance, or practice law or medicine."" Andrews also said ""By his actions (teaching), Mr. Vene-toulis has proven himself to be a worthy successor to Sprio Agnew and Dale Anderson."" Press Secretary Strahlman said ""It's ridiculous to assume that teaching a course for 2 1/2 hours a week would set a precedent for future execu-tives to sell insurance or practice medicine."" In a letter addressed to Dr. Shaw, Andrews charges that Venetoulis is ""forbidden by Charter from contracting any employment, paid or unpaid, while serving as County Executive."" He further alleges that ""Any contract which has been entered into by the University and the County Executive is, due to its provisions being contrary to public law, null and void."" The County Solicitor's office, which serves as a lawyer for the county, could not offer an opinion regarding Andrew's charges. Phil Tam-burello, of that office, explain-ed that the usual procedure for obtaining an opinion begins with the submission of a detailed statement of all the pertinent facts in the case. The solicitor then reviews the information, and decides if a specialist's opinion is neces-sary. He explained that after the expert reviews the infor-mation, the statement is returned to the solicitor with his comment. The solicitor then reviews the information with the expert's comments and finally issues his own opinion. Another point in Andrews' correspondence states that the class taught by the executive begins at 4 p.m., half an hour before the end of the County's regular business hours. He feels this, too is a violation of the Charter's provisions that the Executive ""devote his full time"" to his office. Press Secretary Strahlman said that Venetoulis' schedule is not limited to the hours of 8:30 to 4:30. She outlined a routine which begins most mornings with a breakfast meeting at 8 a.m. The day continues, filled with meet-ings, office time, and personal appearances, sometimes until as late as 8:30 p.m. Andrews, who lives in the city, says ""If I were a resident and taxpayer (in the County), I would file civil suit myself."" He said that the County Council could either rule on the matter or ignore it. If the Council chooses to ignore his charges, he says he intends to present the case to Sandra O'Conner, the County's States Attorney. A car, travelling west on Towsontowne Blvd., went out of control and crashed into the fence surrounding the baseball field at Burdick Hall. No one was seriously injured in the accident which happened last Friday afternoon. TL photo by Beej "