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Volume Xn. Number 13
Proudly serving the UNCA community since 1982
April 28. 1988
Maas announces
research partner
By Joan Schnyder
News Editor
Dr. Richard Maas and retired
engineer Philip Neal believe
they have developed a process
that will remove 90 percent of
the color units from the Pid-
geon River, said Maas, associ
ate professor of environmental
science.
UNCA will receive a $12,000
grant from Hansel Enterprises
to fund their research on this
process. Hansel Enterprises was
set up around the patent to
fund the process, said Maas.
At a press conference sche
duled for 12:30 today Maas will
announce Neal as his partner in
the project. Neal has remained
anonymous until now. Maas
will also announce the amount
of the research grant and its
source.
"UNCA is going to be using
this funding to research the
process. The research will in
volve Maas and Neal and two
UNCA students who will be
hired to do research through
the Environmental Quality In
stitute this summer," Maas said.
"The main purpose of this
arrangement is to involve stu
dents in the research, we are
interested only in doing the
research not in the application
of the results, said Maas.
However, in relation to the
Champion/Pidgeon River "the
local application of the process
is totally obvious," according to
Neal.
The Pidgeon River problem
provided the stimulus for the
idea, according to Neal.
"During the media coverage
of the controversy over Cham
pion International pollution
problem, I began to think about
things I had seen in my years
as a research engineer that
would be applicable to the Pid
geon River," said Neal. \
"The idea for this solution
came to me after analyzing-
these things, and I contacted
Rick (Maas) about the process.
Ever since that time the pro
ject has been a collaboration,"
said Neil.
The controversy over Cham
pion’s polluting of the Pidgeon
river began when Tennessee
residents complained that the
plant was polluting the Pidgeon
River, thereby preventing the
development of the tourist
trade.
Residents sought the help of
the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), which issued a
draft permit requiring Cham-
Please see MAAS page 10
Commission allots funds
From Staff Reports
A large portion of student
fees were recently divided up
among university organizations
when the Cam|)us Commission
for Student Services allocated
funds to campus organizations.
Underdog Productions (UP),
the organization in charge of
campus entertainment received
the largest portion of the
funds.
The Commission allocated a
total of $60,000 to UP for the
year.
"A group like Underdog, which
serves 3,400 students, basically
gets half the pie," said Dr.
Cissy Petty, director of smdent
development
In addition to the UP alloca
tion, the Commission allocated
$4,500 to the Club Officers
Council, $11,000 to the Student
Government Association, $5,100
to the Fury (literary magazine),
$6,000 to ENCORE (organiza
tion for non-traditional sm-
dents), $3,200 to the SGA
Judiciary, and $15,000 to the
Baimer, making all allocations a
total of almost $105,000 for the
coming academic year.
Dr. Eric lovacchini, vice
chancellor for student affairs,
reported at the meeting that
the remaining fund balance was
approximately $20,000 and that
"the university anticipates col
lecting approximately $126,900
in Campus Commission fees for
the 1988-89 academic year,"
according to the minutes of the
meeting.
From 80 percent to 90 per
cent of Underdog funds go to
"producing student events and
advertising those events," said
Paul Simmons, - chairperson of
UP.
Please see FUNDS page 10
■ ■
“ ■■■ - '
Compliments of Public Information Office
Two students leave a seemingly deserted campus as spring semester winds down and
preparations begin for final exams.
Contract isn’t renewed
By Julie Ball
Editor
Staff Photo—Stacey Higdon
Many students spent an afternoon sifting through the variety of books available at the
Ramsey Library Book Sale last week.
UNCA’s vice chancellor of
academic affairs has recom
mended that UNCA not renew
Dr. Marketta Laurila’s contract,
according to Robert Dungan,
Laurila’s lawyer.
Dr. Lauren Wilson recom
mended to Chancellor David
Brown that Laurila not be re
appointed, according to Dungan.
"Wilson has confirmed to vay
client that she will not be re
appointed," said Robert Dungan,
Laurila’s lawyer.
"She’s now got her walking
papers," said Dungan. Laurila
has one more year on her cur
rent contract at UNCA, accord
ing to Dungan.
Wilson could not be reached
for comment, however, Tom
Cochran, associate vice chan
cellor of academic affairs, con
firmed that the recommendation
not to renew Laurila’s contract
had been made.
Cochran said the recommen
dation was not simply rubber
stamping the recommendation
made by Dr. Henry Stern,
- chairman of the foreign lan
guage department.
Stern recommended to the
' Committee of Tenured Faculty
and Wilson that Laurila not be
reappointed. Wilson then made
his recommendation after con
sulting with the Committee.
Although this decision was
not rubber stamped, Cochran
said that the recommendation
of a department chairman is
rarely overruled by the vice
chancellor of academic affairs.
There have been "one or two
cases in the last two or three
years when the vice chancellor
has not followed the chairman’s
recommendation," said Cochran.
Now the recommendation
must be approved by Chancellor
David Brown and the univer
sity’s Board of Trustees. From
there the recommendation is
sent to the Board of Governors
and President of the UNC sys
tem.
Laurila recently filed a suit
in federal court charging sexual
discrimination against Stern
and Dr. Marcel Andrade, pro
fessor of Spanish.
Laurila charged in the suit
that Foreign Language Depart
ment Chairman Stern jeopar
dized her chances for -contract
renewal by not recommending
that her three-year contract be
renewed.
The suit charges that Stern
and Andrade "have acted in
concert to deprive plaintiff
(Laurila) of her rights to be
free from discrimination on
account of her gender."
The suit states, "As a te
nured track assistant professor,
plaintiff (Laurila) had a reason
able expectation that her con
tract would be renewed for at
least three additional years."
The suit also claims that
Laurila’s first amendment rights
to freedom of speech were vio
lated.
The suit mentions political
activities Laurila has been in
volved i'l and charges, 'Defen
dants (Stern and Andrade) were
aware of these activities and
openly expressed their hostility
toward these activities."
Laurila came to UNCA as an
instructor in 1984. She was
appointed a tenured track as
sistant professor in March of
1986, according to the suit.