1978-02-10; Central Michigan Life

              LIFE
Volume 59 No. 54
Mount pleasant, Mich. 48859
Friday, Feb. 10,1978
Chairpersons call
for greater input
byTONYDEARING
LIFE News Editor
Claiming administrative
decisions are being'handed down
from Warriner Hall with little or
no faculty input, 16 department
chairpersons have petitioned
the provost to express their
"frustration."
In a tersely worded letter
delivered to Provost John E.
Cantelon Wednesday, the
chairpersons of the School of
Arts and Sciences listed a series
of recent practices by the Administration which they have
found disturbing.
In the petition, the chairpersons listed four specific
grievances against the. Ad-
mlnistration's academic
decision-making process. Their
complaints were:
-"We are asked to implement decisions we had no
part in formulating."
- "The apparent lack of fiscal
management at the University
level creates undue burdens at
the department level."
«-"The planning process is
adhered to or abandoned
capriciously."
-"Long-range goals that
adversely affect departments
are set with a minimum of prior
consultation with faculty."
Every department chairperson in the school signed the
petition; which was designed to
impress upon Cantelon "the
seriousness of these continuing
probierBS:" * - *   * '
"It pleases me to observe that
in their recent letter the
chairpersons have raised
substantive issues," Cantelon
responded in a prepared
statement Thursday.
"It certainly indicates there
has been a problem of communication within Arts and
Sciences and between that
school and the Provost's Office.
"The entire University
community ought to be aware
that chairpersons have recently
been burdened with a number of
federal regulations in such areas
as student records and by
provisions of the recent
bargaining agreement with the
Faculty Association," " the.
statement continued.
"I would be pleased to meet
with the Arts and Sciences
chairpersons to see what can be
done within the latitude permitted by these regulations and
agreement to address problems
they have raised," Cantelon
concluded.
Contacted Thursday, several
signing chairpersons emphasized again the seriousness,
of the petition, indicating
emotions were running high in
the school among those who
believe they are not being heard
by their provost.
While the petition does not
support itself with specific
incidents, the chairpersons
contacted Thursday agreed it
does express their chief concern-a concern that when
decisions are made by Cantelon,
the role of faculty input is
"relatively minor."
"The reason we wrote the
petition is because of the kinds
of decisions that seem to have
been imposed from above,"
Joyce Pillote, Philosophy
Department chairperson, said.
"Cantelon's style is more
autocratic; input is relatively
minor."
"We don't have the feeling our
point of view is being understood," Baird Tipson,
Religion Department chairperson, agreed.
"We all understand the
provost alone must be
responsible for- the decisions he
makes and we don't expect a
veto," Tipson said.
"However, it is our feeling the
provost is not getting enough
input from, the chairpersons and
not getting the right input."
Thursday, the chairpersons
listed a number of recent cases
in which they said administrative    decisions    were
—CMU   seeks    dismissal   of   Wilson
tumbling suit—page 3
—Financial    aid   , forms     ready     for
processing—page 6
—Cagers get by Northern Illinois—page 9
—Central faces Kent State—page 10
Although he carries a "challenging" class load and is a
Resident Assistant in Saxe Hall, Ti* Edwards, Flint senior, finds
time , to he an active member of the Academic Senate. He
currently is involved in rehearsals for Sake-Herrig'B production
of the play "Once Upon a Mattress" and despite all these activities, Edwards manages to practice carpentry as a hobby (LIFE
photo by DavidFrite). , *
made without first consulting
faculty.
These included ..the announcement earlier this
semester of a possible merge
between' the Journalism
Department and the Broadcast
and Cinematic Arts Area of the
Department of Speech and
Dramatic Arts and the decision
by the Provost's Office to create
a contingency fund for FTE
(Full-time equivalent) by taking
FTE from the schools.
(See "Cantelon-" page 5)
There is no misery quite like the shared misery of waiting in line with around 50 other persons to get
into the cold clinic at the University Health Services. At least Kim Walker, Oak Park freshman (left),
and Debbie Bennett, New Era sophomore, do not seem to be appreciating the clinic's theraputic value
(LIFE photo by Pam Eckman).
Board seeking 'respect'
SA ponders efficiency
byTIMCUPRISIN
and
JOEGITTER
LIFE Staff Writers
A soul-searching discussion among members of the Student
Association (SA) Board of Directors as to the group's effectiveness
culminated in agreement the board should investigate the campus
parking situation.
With uncompleted or new business facing the board, Janet
Schrock, Wpmen's Health and Information Project representative,
expressed her uncertainty Wednesday the board may not be
representing students as well as it could.
"I'm having an identity crisis as to my position on this board. How
much do we really represent the student?" Schrock, Detroit senior,
said. "I think, as a body, we could have a lot of power, but I think the
Administration thinks we're a joke,"
' Al'StolpeVColoma jutii6r,> Said, "I'm a JunTor at-large representative and I'm supposed to bring issues to the table that concern
juniors. It's really difficult to find anything.
"The ideal thing would be to think back on the people we're
supposed to represent," he added.
Board members aired their doubts and displeasures about factionalism and dissention on the board.
"We're supposed to be here in a respectable, business-like atmosphere. It often turns out more like Sesame Street," Brenda
Smiley, Organization for Black Unity representative, said.
Student Body President Steve Trudeau related how some board
members have told him they are afraid to speak at meetings
because they fear intimidation by other members.
"The only way to get respect for this board is to get an issue and
start fighting for it," Trudeau, St. Clair Shores senior, said.
In turning the discussion toward campus issues, Richard Kerr,
graduate at-large representative, voiced, concern about the
Department of Public Safety's (DPS) parking violation appeal
process.
(See "SA identity-" page 6)
Fire safety in CMU dorms
equal to most official says
by JACKSON TELFER
LIFE Staff Writer
CMU's 19 residence halls are
"as safe as 90 percent of the
residence halls in the country,"
an Auxiliary Services official
said.
Jerry Quick, director of
Residences and Auxiliary
Services, said, "No changes in
the existing fire alarm system
have been proposed" as a result
of a study by a CMU official
unfavorably comparing fire
safety at CMU with Providence
College in Rhode Island.
"Until someone makes me
aware of some changes which
are required, I can think of no
reason to make any changes in
the existing fire alarm system,"
Quick said.
The study, conducted by
Robert Schaibly, Physical Plant
safety engineer, revealed CMU
residence halls have fewer fire
safety provisions than the
dormitory at Providence College
where nine women died in a
December fire.
Quick said he based his
opinion on 15 years of work in
various university housing
offices and visits to universities
across the country.
The University of Houston,
University of Washington, Kent
State University and University
of Seattle are some of the institutions where Quick said he
has visited residence halls.
Schaibly said he did not know
if Quick was correct in saying
CMU was as safe as 90 percent
of residence halls' at universities
Busy academic addict
fights student apathy
b> JOHN GROG AN
LIFE Staff Writer
.Are these apathetic days on the University
campus; days filled with just about everything
except involvement and commitment?
Some students may say so, but they obviously
have not met "Tim Edwards, Flint senior,
academic senator; Saxe Hall resident assistant,
academics addict and more.
Edwards reports he enjoys keeping busy,
possibly an understatement. Last semester he
carried 21 credit hours, played the lead role in the
Saxe-Herrig production of "Godspell," struggled
with Senate through the University Program
(UP) general education plan and was a member of
the UP Implementation Committee.
In addition, Edwards had his RA responsibilities to contend with, and found time for
intramural field hockey and softball as well.
"It got pretty hectic at times," he said.
This semester rings a similar note.
Still an RA and a senator, Edwards currently
serves on Senate's Executive Board, deciding
topics for Senate debate and setting agendas,
among other responsibilities. He also is involved
in Saxe-Herrig's Winter Semester production of
"Once upon a Mattress," and is once again
carrying an. academic load he labeled
"challenging."
"By nature, I'm really participative in many
activities, especially campus activities," he said.
"Academic Senate was something new to try."
As an academic senator, Edwards and five
other student senators represent the student
body in the academic decision-making process.
Edwards recalled applying for a student
senator position through the Student Association
and discovering he was one of only two candidates who applied for the six positions. "That
shows what kind of apathy there is on campus,"
. he said.
However, as a senator Edwards said he continually is impressed at the dedication and
conscientiousness present in the Senate.
"In the past, Academic Senate has proven how
truly progressive Central is," he said. He listed
CMU's general education and continuing
education* programs as being "years ahead of
their time." .
Discussing his experience as a senator, Edwards said: "I'm very happy that I had the opportunity to get involved in it. I have-learned
more through my experience with Senate than I
have through any class or series of classes."
Although involved in many facets of campus
life, Edwards admitted his special interest is
academic endeavors.
"My love is learning," he said. "Like a dog with
a stick, throw me a book and I'll go fetch it."
throughout the country.
"I have not been around the
whole country, so I don't know,"
Schaibly said.
Quick said, "Let me say that
we are always concerned about
the safety of our residence hall
students. We never let our
guard down."
"Our fire alarm system is a
good fire alarm system," he
continued. "It met all codes at
the, time the buildings were
constructed and in many cases it
exceeded requirements.
"The thing to emphasize is
that'while the structure is itself
fire resistant, there is no such
thing as a fire-proof building,"
Quick added.
Quick said the Office of
Student Affairs and Residence
and Auxiliary Services are
working together to reduce the
number of false fire alarms on
campus, the offices' number-one
priority.
Glass boxes have been placed
over pull switch alarms so
alarms cannot be set off without
first breaking the glass, Quick
said, ,
"The major problem in the
Providence College fire was that
they had had a large number of
false fire alarms and the
(students) began to ignore
them," he added.
Quick staid as a result of the
Providence fire, many
universities have been looking
into the possibility of
establishing an automatic expulsion policy for students
caught pulling false alarms. He
said he believed CMU also might
consider such a policy in the
future.
The two CMU offices also are
publicizing fire safety
procedures and, working on a
fire safety brochure to be
distributed to residence hall
occupants, he said.
(See "Fire-" page 6)
.*s
.... j
4'