Power struggle delays students
(CPS) " The University of
Minnesota’s computer science
department reportedly is punishing
students whose advisers oppose
the department chairmen in an
internal department power
struggle.
Students whose advisers side with
department chziirman David Fox
were more likely to pass a battery
of tests to get into the computer
science doctoral program than
students whose advisers opposed
Fox, the Miimesota Daily reported
in a copyrighted story.
Anti-Fox students tended to fail
the battery even if they had higher
grade-point averages than students
with pro-Fox advisers, the Daily
said after matching students’
success in getting into the program
with the political stance of their
I advisers.
The struggle apparently is one
for prestige and department
control between Fox and two
internationallyrenowned computer
science professors, Oscar Ibarra
and Sartaj Sahni. Ibarra has
resigned from the school.
requirements — collectively called
the Written Preliminary Exam
(WPE) - that students must meet
to get into Minnesota’s doctoral
program. Students are graded in
three parts: an exam, grade
transcripts and personal references
from faculty members.
The Daily found that one student
with a pro-Fox adviser, a 3.75
grade-point average and a 1.75
(out of 4.0) on the WPE got into
the program. But another student
with a 3.9 GPA, a 2.4 WPE and an
anti-Fox adviser failed to get into
the program. The Daily cited
several other instances that suggest
the power struggle has influenced
students’ WPE scores.
"Many departments have
opposing camps. I’ve heard this
only as hearsay, but I believe it," ’
said Jeffrey Kittay, publisher of •
Lingua Franca, a magazine that
will cover scholarly politics when
it begins publication in the fall. -
The WPE is just the latest-
problem in the department, which'
has been plagued for months by
charges of mismanagement on
Fox’s part, hate mail sent to Asian
professors in the department and
the copying of one professor’s
electronic mail.
"It’s a potential danger that
graduate students can get
enmeshed in internal faculty
disputes. It’s very unprofessiontd
(on the professors’ parts) and very
unfair to the students," Kittay said.
Neither anti-Fox Prof. James
Slagle, who advised the student
with the 3.9 GPA, nor Fox
returned phone calls to College
Press Service.
Photo by Miranda Wyatt
Officers
Take me out to the ballgame
UNCA students cheer the Bulldogs on to victory in a home game. The
Bulldogs recently set a school record by winning nine straight games.
Continued from page 1
change of pace. 1 believe this will
be a good change."
Alexander agreed with McFalls,
saying, "It is a good future move,"
he said. "I’m really excited about
going out there to work."
Alexander said that even though
Van Slyke has "turned the place
upside down," he is leaving on a
sad note. "I want to leave the
university with a good name."
"We knew we would have some
major changes, but nothing has
happened to enhance the
development of the department or
its morale," they said.
"I have enjoyed my eight yearg
here. It was definitely a learning
experience," McFalls said. "I hope
in my eight years here I have
helped at least one person."
"We (Alexander and McFalls)
tried to communicate with the;
students, but Jeff said he didn’t*
like that," Alexander said.
Admissions recruits University Ambassadors
By Michelle Franklin
Staff Writer
Did you know that UNCA offers
30 academic programs and majors
and that the library houses 150,000
volumes?
These are just a few of the facts
that University Ambassadors are
required to know for their job.
The University Ambassadors is a
campus group that meets and
tours prospective UNCA students
around the university grounds. 11 is
made up of students who
volunteer their time to show
UNCA to high school students, as
well as transfer students who are
interested in attending UNCA.
The University Ambassadors,
however, is not a certified campus
organization. 'We receive no funds
from SGA, to there fore we are a
student group who serves the
university," said Steve Wilborn,
assistant director of admissions.
Wilborn organized the group
about four years ago.
"I thought UNCA needed a
Berry
program where prospective
students could come and see the
campus and ask questions," said
Wilborn. "I also felt there was a
need to involve UNCA students in
greeting prospective students when
they came on campus to answer
questions from a student
perspective, instead of a staff
prospective."
According to Wilborn, college
recruitment has become a market
for students, so UNCA needs to
be in a position to provide these
types of services to prospective
students.
"University Ambassadors shows
these people that the university is
interested in them," he said. "It
provides a caring type of feeling
for the students."
Wilborn also said that most
students do not even visit colleges
when they apply for admission.
"Students wait until they have
been accepted and then decide to
visit the campuses," said Wilborn.
"We feel that visiting the campus
helps them make up their minds.
That’s why it’s important to
conduct the University
Ambassadors’ tours."
Wilborn tries to recruit about 15
students each semester to serve as
ambassadors. During the 1989-90
school year, Wilborn said he had
10 students participating in the
group.
Wilborn is presently recruiting
for the summer sessions. Any
student is welcome to apply,
according to Wilborn. However,
he said he looks for students who
are involved in campus life and
that have attended UNCA for two
semesters or more.
"I think that students who are
involved in campus life are more
aware of what is going on and can
relate that to prospective students,"
said Wilborn. "Really, students
need to have attended UNCA for
at least one semester, preferably
longer, so they can be familiar
with our campus."
Students interested in becoming
a University Ambassador can fill
out an application and return it to
Wilborn. He then interviews
applicants and requires them to
attnd training sessions to prepare
them for their position.
"Students undergo training to
learn about all the campus
buildings and information that is
often asked about UNCA," said
Wilborn. "Most of what they’re
required to learn is statistical
information, like how many
computer terminals we have on
campus and things of that nature."
"The ambassadors usually give
one tour a week and assist with
visitation days. They also
telephone students and
congratulate them on acceptance
to UNCA.
The ambassadors’ most active
time is during the spring semester,
according to Wilborn.
"Everyone is trying to make their
final decision during this time,"
said Wilborn. "Summer is also
pretty busy for us, even though we
don’t have a full schedule of
tours."
According to Wilborn, there are
many advantages to becoming a
University Ambassador. One
advantage is that University
Ambassadors are allowed to-
register earlier than everyone else.
They also receive a survival kit of
goodies during every exam week.
"During December, we took the
ambassadors to a Christma
concert and then to dinner at Fine
Friends Restaiu-ant," he said. "We^
try to offer advantages to these;
students for their service to the
university." ;
University Ambassador Supatai;
Inpirom says she has enjoyed:
participating the program. ^
Continued ^om page 1
"The killing of the planet itself is
the last blasphemy that humans
are able to commit," said Berry.
Life, as desctibed by Berry, is a
divine gift that "is given to us not
directly by the divine but in and
through the wonderful earth on
which we live."
Berry also included economics in
his discussion of the environment.
"The planet is a genius
economically and there can be no
valid human economics that is not
integral with the economy of the
planet," said Berry.
With the concerns over the
national deficit, Berry said he
wondered why there are not as
many people concerned with the
planet’s deficit. In regard to the
vast amount of damage being done
to the planet, Berry asks "As soon
as we irreversibly put the Earth
into deficit how can our economy
exist?"
Progress and technology are an
essential part of society, but
humans must take into
consideration what happens to the
earth with this progress. Over the
last few decades "the human
responsibility for the natural world
has vastly increased," said Berry.
"Every member of the life system
must progress in order to have
true progress. Humans cannot
progress if the planet does not
progress," said Berry.
Progress also means
improvement. Berry said.
Improvement within the industrial
system "is not acceptable. The
[entire] system must go," said
Berry. We can recycle paper and
metals, dispose of our waste
properly, and cut down on
consumption, but we "must not do
[these things] under the illusion
that this is going to make the
system workable."
Task Force
Continued /fom page 4
international students to come to
UNCA? What are the benefits and
liabilities of this? What plan or
strategy should we use to recruit
foreign students? What are the
problems related to having
international students in a small
liberal arts campus, (housing,
orientation, type of staff support,
etc.)? Should there be a center of
international studies in which
advising is housed.?
In the third workshop, questions
such as: Should UNCA develop its
own study abroad program or join
existing programs? How can we
encourage a faculty exchange
program? Should UNCA develop
ties with Universities in other
countries for exchange of students,
faculty and resources? What are
the benefits of study abroad? How
can we encourage students with
limited economic means to
consider studying aborad? will be
considered.
Boland said, "the conference is to
initiate concern with international
studies with faculty and students."
There are a variety of cultures
students and faculty need to be
familiar with, he said.
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