The Pendulum
October 23,1975
Page Two
How far have we
really come, baby?
1975 is International Women s Year, set by the United
Nations to draw attention to how the role of women in society
can be improved all over the world. Why was it necessary that a
year be dedicated to women? Why was Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 needed? Why an Equal Rights
Amendment?
The answer is that the past history of the treatment of women
has been so dismal that finally, three-quarters of the way
through the 20th century, some people are trying to rectify the
situation. The most powerful forces are, of course, the Federal
government and public opinion.
What progress is being made in colleges? We might expect
institutions of higher learning to be on the frontier of social
change and to reverse discriminatory practices. But they have
moved with glacial speed. The last study by the American
Council on Education of 42,000 teaching faculty members
shows that in five years the percentage of women hired
increased from 19.1 to 20 per cent. And this was during a period
of much talk of "affirmative action."
One great accomplishment has been the scrapping of quotas
for law schools and other professions. Sex is no longer
supposed to be a factor in the choice of candidates. This
progress is more important in the long run than equalizing
dormitory rules and trying to strike a balance in athletic
expenditures. Able women will have a chance in many
professions.
What about Elon College and affirmative action? Because
Elon is a private college, without Federal contracts of over
S50,000 at this time, it is not required by HEW to develop a
written plan of action. Robert Baxter, vice-president for legal
affairs, says that he has worked on the elimination of
discrimination because of sex since 1973 and is still working on
the Title IX memorandum on athletics.
Colleges must perform a self-evaluation of their entire
educational program, including athletics, before July 21, 1976.
Matters of scholarships in sports and accommodating varied
interests of both sexes must be carried out by July 21, 1978.
Before then, HEW suggests publicizing plans to gain assistance
of students, faculty, and staff in complying.
Progress has been made in Elon dormitory life with further
suggestions on visitation rights of women presented at the
Board of Trustees meeting. Elon has a woman president of
SGA and a woman vice-president; a woman editor and one
assistant editor of the newspaper; a woman head of the Liberal
Arts Forum, and one woman on the soccer team.
In the top administration, Elon College has a woman dean; in
the administrative staff of 37, nine are women. Among the 14
departments, only the developing Community Services Dept,
of one person has a woman chairman. Of the 36 members of the
Board of Trustees, three are women. Of the teaching faculty,
two of the nine full professors are women. Of the 20 associate
professors, seven are female.
Vice-President Baxter says that most matters of possible
discrimination because of sex have been equalized or are being
given equal opportunity status. He himself is the de facto
affirmative action agent on campus. He feels that even a
voluntary program would be costly, and that the college has, in
effect, already carried out its own evaluation and action.
In the interests of keeping communications open, the
students would like a report on precisely what has been done
and is being done in affirmative action before the end of 1975,
International Women's Year.
31}^ |[^nbulum
staff
Paige Garriques
Diane Costa & Lance Latane
Gary Spitler
Mike Christie, Janie McGann
Mark Sauer & Mike Talbert
David Nichols
Dave Shuford
BALLOT
BOX
Wowertf of'
+ ht world UNt+C.
You have t»/othiM6 to
lose but Vour 0-ProtJ
StriNgs!
Letters
Note: Utters must have name
and address of writer (name will
be withheld on request.)
Dear Editors:
I must compliment Elon on its
food. I think it's good! But the
pioblem is that we get only h
•sample" of the food.
My room is in Staley Hall so I
eat in the Harper Center
cafeteria. In the morning there is
hardly anybody eating breakfast
so I get a decent meal. By lunch
time everybody has woken up
and there are more people eating
My point is when there are more
people, the servings get smaller
and smaller. Dinner is even
worse. Yc-rre lucky if you get
one slice of roast beef. Maybe
I m spoiled, but I think we
deserve seconds, or a maximum
amount of firsts.
Name withheld on request
Profile on the Board of Trustees
by Lance Latane
Most students have only a
vague idea of what the Board of
Trustees is and does.
Handling many of the college's
affairs, the board determines
policies which often directly
affect the student's experience at
Elon. In an effort to develop
better communications between
trustees and students, some of
the staff got together with
Chairman of the Board Thad
Eure last week to find out how he
feels about his position and the
students he deals with. Such
interplay between the students
and board should greatly increase
each party's knowledge of the
other and provide increased
responsibility in mutual matters.
Congenial 76-year-old Thad
Eure arrived wearing a foot-wide
red bow tie and exclaiming, "rm
glad to meet with you all. There
ought to be more of this.” He has
been chairman for 20 of his 33
years with the board. Between
boyhood Gates County
anecdotes, he continued to
express his eagerness in learning
what's on the students' minds. "I
can relate to students.” he said.
”1 know them personally; the
men and the women's side. I've
got three grandchildren—two
girls and a boy—they're
students. J was a student, and my
children were students.”
Mr. Eure went on to explain
the structure of the Board of
Trustees. The Church has much
influence since two-thirds of the
36 persons on the board must be
members of the Southern
Conference of the United Church
of Christ. Affairs of the college '
are handled as the business of
corporation.
An extremely powerful
organization, the board, as stated
committees: education, campus
life, business, and development.
■'I'm on the campus life
committee, and I invite all
students' views and ideas. As
long as I'm on that committee I
want to hear them. I've never
turned a deaf ear to students. I
think its a privilege to hear
them.”
These committees listen
Pendulum staff members talk'with Thad Eure, center. Robert
Baxter, vice-president for legal affairs, joined the group. (Photo:
ECNB)
in The Charter and By-Laws of
Elon College "elects a President
of the College to serve at the
board's pleasure..." They also
elect and hire the
vice-presidents, secretary,
treasurer and the professors.
Business is divided into four
llafner’s hang-ups
by Laurie Hafner, SGA president
Editor
Assistant Editors
Sports Editor
Sports
Cartoonists
Circulation & Exchange
Photography
Adviser, Dr. Mary Ellen Priestley
Published by the Communications Media Board of Elon
College in conjunction with the Student Government
Association. AJI correspondence and articles: Box 3202, Elon
College.
I've got lots to say. so you
might as well sit back and take it
easy.
The house government
elections were held last Tuesday
and there was a good response. I
really do hope this program
proves a success and does in fact
help the living and social
conditions of resident students.
For those of you who didn't
make it to the concert
Wednesday night, you really
missed it. Linda was hot and
good. I want to thank Rick and
Jay for all their hard work and
thanks to the TKE's for doing
such a terrific job cleaning,
setting up. and marshaling. '
Tonight, in conjunction with
the Public Affairs committee, the
SGA is presenting the dynamic
Dick Gregory. This guy is wild
and will have a dynamite talk.
Hope you all can make it. 1 want
to thank Bob Hurst for
coordinating this program.
The SGA held a trial period of
open visitation last Sunday and it
went really well. Wes Strickland
and Ron Osborne helped put it
together. I also want to thank all
you guys for sitting out there and
registering the people. You all
helped make it work.
To get really serious now. as
many of you know, the Board of
Trustees met last night. 1
presented three proposals: one
about PIRG, one for Friday and
Saturday evening visitation in
men's and women's dorms, and
finally visitation in the men’s
dorms.
I want you all to know I'm
trying my best to get what you
students want. Please let me
know if you think I'm not or if
you have some other ideas. I'm
sponsoring an open forum today
from 2:30 till 4:(X) out by O'Kelly
Memorial. So come on out and
let your gripes be heard. You will
probably end up hearing mine
and maybe we can get it all
together.
appeals’ and then recommend
their opinion to the board which
votes on all matters.
Mr. Eure emphasized the
board's responsibility of running
the college as a corporation. Asa
business firm, they are sensitive
to the college's image in the
community. As we sat there, he
read us a letter from an irate
alumnus who, after seeing a
liquor advertisement in an Elon
football program, announced
that he would not consider
donating "the first dollar to the
college. Pretty hard and cold
facts, but the board fears may
student proposals would
repudiate [xitential benefactors,
"We have to consider, when
dealing with any type proposal, if
it is reasonable and workable
under present circumstances.
Public opinion and financial
consideration play a large part.
Mr. Eure said.
Thad Eure seems genuinely
responsive to students.
want everything here to give an
enjoyable education experience
to the student." he said.
An Elon ID entitles you to
many wonderful things, and one
of them you may not know about
— discount tickets to the Terrace
Theater in Burlington.
The tickets are over half
reduced to SI.35. They're also
cood at all ABC Theaters m
North Carolina. South Carolina,
and Virginia.