Volume XIV, Number
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
February 26, 1979
Nursing department under
investigation
By Rick Monroe
Philip Hildreth, vice chancellor of
academic affairs, disclosed Thursday
afternoon the College of Nursing is
being investigated by his office.
Hildreth confirmed the investigation
stemmed from complaints made by
Donna Blunt, a junior nursing stu
dent, who alleged she was unfairly
treated while trying to register for
senior level nursing courses. Hildreth
refused comment on details of the in
vestigation. “I can't say anything
because of the restrictions of HEW
and the Buckley Act,” Hildreth said.
(The Buckley Act deals with a
person's right to inspect their own
private files kept by an institution
and regulated unauthorized inspec
tion of these records.)
Dean of Nursing Louise Schlacter
was not aware of the investigation
but shrugged saying, "I'm sure he
just wants to get all the information
before going on.”
Blunt, whose complaint to the vice
chancellor initiated the investigation,
explained her problem was the dean's
alleged refusal to allow her to register
for senior level courses before com
pleting all required junior courses.
According to Blunt, Schlacter based
her refusal on a College of Nursing
rule in the 1978-79 Undergraduate
Catalog which Blunt quotes Schlacter
as reading “no student may register
for senior courses until all of the
junior courses were completed.” The
text of the regulation, found on page
2 54 of the 1978-79 Undergraduate
Catalog, states, “. . . students may
not attempt senior level nursing
courses until all junior level nursing
courses have been completed. .. ’
Blunt feels this is ridiculous. "If
you don't assume people are going to
pass the courses they're taking now,
she said, “the' whole idea of
preregistration is crazy."
Blunt's problems began when she
was going through drop/add early
this semester. In a statement
prepared by Blunt, she said the dif
ficulty began when an assistant pro
fessor of nursing, Sue Head, refused
to sign Blunt's drop card for Nursing
401 and add card for Nursing 302
without Blunt submitting a drop card
for Nursing 404, which she would
take in the last half of the semester
after completing 302. She was
repeating 302 after failing it during
the fall semester. According to Blunt,
without her taking 404 this semester,
she would not graduate on time and
would have to take the course during
the summer.
Blunt reminded Head of a letter she
had received from former Chancellor
D.W. Colvard before his retirement
assuring her of a space in Nursing
302 during the first seven-week block
of the semester and her eligibility tak
ing any senior level courses during
the last seven-week block of the
semester. According to Blunt,
“(Head) replied loudly. 'You're ineligi
ble, Donna! You can meet with the
dean at 4 p.m. about it.' 1 asked,
‘Well, when am I supposed to take my
senior courses?' Head replied, ‘Next
Phillip Hildreth.
Karen Popp "believes in students”
By Luann Whitley
“Karen Popp believes in students,"
will be the campaign slogan for the
junior political science/business ad
ministration major, who is putting
her name on the ballot for student
body president.
Popp is presently a member of the
Student Legislature and feels she has
“a good grasp on the different pro
blems of UNCC students. I've been
involved in a wide variety of organiza
tions and programs. I think being stu
dent body president involves more
than just working with the student
government,” Popp said. "My plat
form issue will be students rights.
The rights of the students are not
written down anyplace in the con
stitution. I would like to see the ‘Bill
of Rights for Students' added to the
present constitution," Popp said.
Also, Popp is working on obtaining
a child care center on campus. “A
child care center would be a good
source for student jobs and practical
experience for certain majors,” Popp
added.
"Awareness is. the key to organiz
ing the students and to arouse more
participation in campus events. I
would like to propose a Presidential
Council made up of the presidents
from all the clubs, special interest
groups and organizations on campus.
We could work directly with the ad
ministration and help to straighten
out some of the problems on
campus,” Popp said.
“As president of the student body,
I would be mainly concerned with
students, working from student input
year.' (Carol) Fray (who had been in
the office when Blunt entered) started
to ask Head why I could not take the
course. Head just said I was ineligi-
'ble. I told her again I would not drop
404 ... and exited while Fray was try
ing to get a reason from Head about
why I could not take the course."
Hildreth refused comment
but did confirm reports an
investigation was presently
underway in the office of
Academic Affairs.
and student concerns. I am very
aware of the present problems such as
parking on campus. I want to pro
mote "team building” within the Stu
dent Association which would instill
trust and respect within the organiza
tion,” Popp said.
Popp is 21 years old and has ac
quired a long list of past activities as
a student at UNCC, such as women's
basketball, second year resident ad ¬
Karen Popp is the third candidate for student body president to announce.
After her encounter with Head,
Blunt went to the vice chancellor of
academic affairs office and arranged
for assistant to the chancellor, Ron
Ostrowski, to accompany her during
her 4 p.m. appointment with
Schlacter.
When Blunt and Ostrowski arrived
in Schlacter's office, Blunt described
her meeting earlier that day with
Head. According to Blunt's state
ment, “The dean said according to the
catalog, I had no right to register for
senior courses because there was a
rule in the catalog which said, “no
student could register for senior
courses until all junior courses were
completed. ”
Blunt’s statement continued, “I
told the dean I was not aware of any
such rule and the catalog states you
cannot attempt your senior courses
until all of your junior, courses have
been completed and by the time the
second (seven week) block starts, I
(continued on page 3)
visor, co-chair of the Awareness
Resources Center, University Senate,
Women’s Studies Committee and has
been a member of the North Carolina
Student Legislature. Popp wrote a
bill while in the North Carolina Stu
dent Legislature presently being con
sidered in- the state legislature in
Raleigh. The bill deals with nursing
homes and homes for the aged.