September L 1977
Asheville, N.C. 28804
Volume Xin
No. 2
In Protest
UNC-A PROFESSOR
TO RESIGN POST?
This article appeared this summer in the
Asheville Citizen Times. This is a word
for-word reprint.
A University of North Carolina at Ashe
ville professor is resigning his position
with tfie university to protest what he calls
unfair treatment of some faculty members
by the school’s administration.
Dr. William Thurman, chairman of the
classics department since 1968 and a full
professor for 14 years, said Friday that he
will resign as of May 1978 “just to get
away from all the trouble on campus.”
Thurman is one of two UNC-A pro
fessors who recently filed complaints
against the university with the U.S. De
partment of Health, Education and Wel
fare (HEW) Office of Civil Rights. HEW
is currently investigating all^ations tfiat
reprisals had been taken against faculty for
their part in testifying before the university
board of trustees in another civil rights
case.
“1 believe that at UNC-A some of the
most honorable and honest and capable
persons on campus are being unjustly
treated,” Thurman said.
“The corruption in that institution is
very deep and I just don’t want to enter into
it to any great extent,” he said.
Thurman said that the administration of
the school was, in effect, asking its facul
ty, “Will you be a rubber stamp or else?”
“And we just took the ‘or else’.”
The Citizen reported Thursday that Dr.
Phillip Walker, chairman of the history
department for 13 years, said he was dis
missed from that position because he tes
tified for Dr. Mechthild Cranston before
the university board of trustees. He said
that he told the trustees she should be
granted tenure.
Dr. Cranston, an assistant professor of
foreign languages, was refused tenure at
the university in 1976 and an investigation
of charges of sex discrimination was con
ducted by the HEW. It has not released its
fmdings yet.
Dr. Cranston alleged that she was re
fused tenure because she is a woman and
that only two members of the tenured
faculty are women.
Dr. Thurman said that he did not lose his
position as head of the classics department
but said “there have been rq>risals.” He
said that, a number of times, administra
tion members have mentioned abolishing
the classics department.
UNC-A Chancellor Dr. William E.
Highsmith said that the university admin
istration is studying the classics depart
ment to determine whether there is enough
student interest to continue tfie program’s
existence.
Highsmith said that he was not aware of
Thurman’s intention to resign.
“He said something about it but I don’t
know what the specifics are,” Highsmigh
said.
“I don’t think it is proper to speak of
something which has not happened yet and
which is just a verbal statement,” he
added.
Highsmith refused to comment on any
charges made by Thurman.
Thurman said that the pressure of the
situation was also one of the reasons he is
taking a leave of absence from his teaching
duties during the fall semester.
“The central motive in my life is to
glorify Jesus and the situatk>n there has
become such that I do not think 1 can
continue to ocupy that position in the mkist
of the turmoil that surrounds it,” Thurman
said.
“The conditions under which I had to
operate there for the past year have just
been such that I need to get away in order
to maintain a friendly relationship with the
people tfiere,” he added.
Thurman said that he stroi^ly supported
Walker in his stance.
“The treatment accorded Phillip Walk
er is one of the main reasons I am resign
ing,” he said.
Thurman said that Walker was not the
first to be “stripped” of his department
chairmanship. He said that Dr. Jack C.
Wilson, a former chairman of the mathe
matics department, was removed from that
position because he was “in disfavor” in
the eyes of the administration.
He also said that several faculty mem
bers were elevated to high positions in the
university who were not qualified. He
would not give any names.
Lewis Bryson, chief investigator with
HEW Office of Civil Rights, said Friday
that his staff has completed the onsight
portion of the investigation and that anal
ysis of the information would begin soon.
But he estimated that it could take fipom six
to eight weeks before the results are made
public.
Inlirmary
Information
1977-1978
Infirmary Hours—
Monday, Wednesday, Friday — Open
8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00
p.m. (except for lunch)
Tuesday, Thursday—Open 9:30 a.m.-
6:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. (except
for lunch)
There are infinnary open hours, but
nursing service is available for emergen
cies from 8:00 a.m. Monday through 8:00
a.m. Saturday. If town students need
emergency treatment, they must call in-
firmaiy before coming; dormitory students
must notify a proctor or police officer, and
the inHrmary will be called before student
is brought over. Night nurse is at infirmary
16 hours, 8 of which are duty hours, and 8
sleeping time. So unless theie is an emer
gency during the night that requires im
mediate attention, the nurse is not caUed.
If nurse is not at infirmaiy as scheduled,
note of explanation will be ti^d to door,
noting time of return or where nurse is, and
Thurman
to leave?
DANCE A SMASH
The orientation dance was a smashed
success as students loosened up and got
tight. The band was great, the beer was
cold, the gameroom was open, and eveiy-
one got a kick out of seeing okl friends and
meeting new people.
Bill Branham, S.G. President, went the
extra mile Friday night when it became ap
parent that the beer supply was running
low. Instead of closing the kegs, the man
got in a couple of more kegs. Somehow,
we had enough beer.
I.D.’s were not checked only because
most students had not gotten them proc
essed by Friday. They will be checked in
the future, so have them ready.
Two complaints, however. Just because
the beer is free, plea.se don’t get more than
you can drink. The tables were covered
with cups full of beer. Leave it for some
one who wants it. Also, try to put them in
the trashcan. The student volunteers who
clean up afterwards would appreciate it.
We can’t help but look forward to the next
dance. The S.G. social schedule has not
been drawn up yet, but we’ll keep you
posted.
UNC-A NAMED
ECONOMIC
STUDY CENTER
By ALISON PHILUPS
After serving a year as a pre-center, the
University of North Carolina at AsheviUe
has been designated the first Center for
Economic Education in North Carolina of
which Dr. Shirley Browning, associate
professor of economics, will direct. As
part of a developing network of colleges
and universities throughout the state, the
Centers work with public schools to ex
pand the economic educatk)n of young
people from the elementary through ttie
secondaiy levels. For the past five years,
UNC-A has offered workshops in eco
nomic education and mini-society simula-
can be reached. If nurse not on duty
because of illness, Vance Hail office will
be notified, and police officers notified.
Infirmary closed weekends after 8:00
a.m. If students need medical attention, or
there is medical emergency, notify cam
pus police and they will see that help is
obtained, or will take student to Memorial
Mission Emergency Room.
No charges are made for registered
students who use the infirmaiy, come to
see the doctor, have treatments, are given
medications, or stay overnight. (A few ex
pensive medications such as antibiotics are
carried at infirmary as a convenience to
students, and a portion of the cost is
charged if the student wishes to have the
prescription filled at the infirmary.) Visits
to the doctor’s office, or laboratory or
tions for area teachers.
Dr. Browning stated that the Economic
Department is highly pleased by the
NCCEE action and that it will mean
greater support for UNC-A from both the
National and N.C. Councils in terms of
materials to help with curriculum develop
ment. Dr. Browning further mentioned
that funding for workshops and in-service
training will come primarily from the pri
vate sector, corporations, and founda
tions, with no cost to the public schools
other than the time of the teachers attend
ing these programs. Dr. Margaret O’Don
nell, assistant professor of economics, will
work with Dr. Browning on the project.
■nHMBiiDininminniwiiiiiufMnRm^
x-ray work done at an office is paid for by
the student. Prescriptions arc filled at
pharmacies at student cost if the medica
tions are not carried at the infirmaiy.
Doctors’ Hours—
Monday, Wednesday, Friday—8:30 a.m.
-9:30 a.m. Students wishing to be seen
must be here between 8:30-9:00 a.m.
Dr. Claude Steen or Physician’s Asso
ciate, Mr. Robert Jackson.
Tuesday—4:00-5:00 p.m. Students must
be here between 4:00^:30 p.m. Dr.
Edith Hapke.
Thursday—2:00-3:00 p.m. The doctor
will see all students who crane during
this hour. Dr. John C. Ransmeier.
In emergencies, or between visits made
Con’t. on page 8