The Blue Banner
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." -- Mother Theresa
UNC president meets with chancellor search committee
Susan Lane
Staff Writer
UNC system President C. D. Spangler refused to comment on the reasons
behind the resignation of Chancellor Samuel Schuman at an Oct. 14 meeting
of the chancellor search committee held in Karpen Hall.
When asked to cite specific reasons why he asked Schuman to resign,
Spangler said, I understand fully your question but I will not comment on
personnel matters. We could stand here and talk all day, but I still would not
comment on personnel. Excuse me, I have someone I have to meet with.”
Spangler said that he followed university regulations and had not broken
university rules in the events leading to Schuman’s resignation, according to an
As/i€Vi7/eCiJizen-7iwi£jstory.Buthedeclinedtocommentaboutcircumstances
surrounding the resignation, citing state confidentiality laws.
Schuman stated in a recent letter published in The Blue Banner that he
personally felt that the process which deprived him of his position was contrary
to good management practice, to elemental fairness, and to the regulations of
the University of North CaroUna.
The room where Spangler met with the search committee was filled to
capacity with students and faculty members upset by Schumanns resignation.
Many stood at the back of the room, in the aisles, or in the doorway.
Spangler also asked the search committee to consider nominating a woman for
the chancellorship, saying that, “Traditionally, what comes to me is an all male
recommendation. We have 16 male chancellors in the UNC system and I regard
that as a personal embarassment It is extremely unwise and in my opinion
wrong because it eliminates outright 50 percent of the population.”
“Having 16 chancellors looking the same way doesn’t reflect well on the
process,” Spangler said. “I’m not running for anything so I can say that without
hope of getting a percentage of the vote.”
Spangler then pointed out that Duke University recently appointed Nannerl
Keohane as president of that school.
Spangler told the committee that it is his responsibility to choose an interim
chancellor, but declined to comment about who he will pick to fill that position.
The search committee voted that the interim chancellor is ineligible few the job
of permanent chancellor.
This rule is designed to prevent another split between the faculty and the
search committee, which happened three years ago when members of the
faculty fought to keep interim Chancellor Roy Carroll as permanent chancellor.
“There are faculty members on the committee, and special meetings with all
faculty members should be held,” said Spangler. ‘The faculty must be involved
if there is to be any degree of tranquility on campus.”
Spangler said it is the committee’s job to sift through the possible 200 or more
applications and submit to him two to four names.
“Then it becomes my sole responsibility to make a single recommendation to
the board of governors,” said Spangler.
Spangler stated that the purpose of the search committee is twofold. “First,
you are to consider what kind of university you need, and second, to determine
the characteristics of the person you feel should be leading this university.”
Spangler charged the committee to do its best to protect the individuals they
will be considering.
“You are protected by North CaroUna law when meeting in private executive
session about personnel matters. This should not be public information. Refer
the press to Chairman Banks formatters of policy and public matters," Spangler
said.
“ You donot have to announce executive sessions,” Spangler told the committee.
“There is no executive craunittee of the search committee. The chairman can
call meetings, but a majority of search committee members must be there.
“We also want to encourage individuals who wish to address the group to sign
up beforehand rather than just raise their hands at the meeting,” Spangler said.
“You will probably want to limit these persons to five to ten minutes each so
that the committee will be able to hear them all and still have time to do its
work.”
Spangler advised the committee to hold their open meetings at a time when
those people who want to speak can attend. He also stressed the importance of
holding these meetings at a time when school is in session as opposed to on
break, and to have the meetings here on this campus, possibly even bolding
some meetings in the evening.
Bomb threat forces evacuation of residents
Teri Smith
Staff Writer
staff Photo By Stacy Whitworth
Going, going, gone .
The Black Women's Coalition for Innprovement held a bachetor auction on Oct. 25.
A bomb threat on Oct. 24 at the
Highrise Hall prompted the evacuation
of the residents in that dormitory.
Students waited outside in the paiking
lot for about an hour until security
officials gave clearance for them to
return to their rooms, according to the
crime report
Quentin Cavanagh was just five
minutes away from ending his shift as
night assistant at the Highrise at about 1
am. on OcL 24 when the pay phone in
the lobby rang. Cavanagh answered the
phone to hear a caller say that a bomb
was in Highrise and that it was set to go
off in 10 minutes,
Cavanagh said he immediately called
security after receiving the threatening
call. “I felt the call was serious,” said
Cavanagh. “It goes through your mind
that it’s a prank, but I acted on the
chance that it was real.
“We are trained to think safety first,”
said Cavanagh. “I was concerned about
the safety of the residents.”
According to the crime report. Officer
D. R. McDonald responded to the call
by contacting Jeff Van Slyke, public
safety director. Van Slyke issued the
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Faculty senate questions Spangler's decision
Lizzy Pressiey
News Editor
In its Oct. 14 meeting the faculty
senate approved a letter to UNC
President C.D. Spangler and Samuel
H. Poole, chairman of the UNC board
of governors, expressing the UNCA
faculty’s concern about Chancellor
Samuel Schuman leaving office at the
end of the semester.
“The sudden and surprising
announcement that Chancellor
Schuman will leave office at the end of
this semester has caused disquiet in
the UNCA community,” said the letter,
a copy of which was also sent to Jay
Banks, chairman of the UNCA board
of Onstees.
Some faculty members had discussed
these concerns after the first faculty
meeting of the school year on Aug. 20
in which Schuman addressed the
faculty “about his own personal
situation... and he made it very clear
that it was not his voluntary choice to
quit,” said Shirley Browning, chairman
of the faculty senate.
Between this meeting and the senate’s
first meeting in September, some of
the faculty members discussed how to
express their concerns. Browning said.
A draft statement was presented to
the senate in that September meeting
for discussion.
“The senate discussed the question,
not as a formal motion but just as an
open discussion, the fact that the faculty
were concerned and the faculty were
feeling they didn’t know why. The
faculty questioned the manner in which
this happened,” said Browning.
The letter states that the faculty have
been satisfied with Schuman’s
performance as chancellor, and that
they “agree with his vision for
UNCA’s future.”
It also states that the faculty feel
“there should be consultation within
the campus community when a
chancellor's tenure is at stake.”
“We hope that in fact the people
who receive the letter will take it
seriously, will understand that no
matter what the judgment is as to why
Dr. Schuman is leaving office, when
things like this happen you have to
"As far as the faculty is
concerned, and given the
implications of the
chancellor's comments, it
appears that there might
not have been any
consultation,' Browning
said.
expect the faculty to be concerned
and you have to expect the faculty to
say, 'we deserve some explanation,”’
said Browning.
According to the letter, the faculty
"recognize that while the chancellor
serves at the pleasure of the president
and the board of governors, we are
accustcaned to a generous measure of
due process in personnel decisions."
Browning said explanations of
matters regarding personnel decisions
are restriaed because there exists an
element of confidentiality.
However, he said, such matters
should be discussed between those
making the personnel decisions and
order to evacuate the building.
Rebecca Barraclough, head resident
assistant (RA) at the Highrise, received
the call from security to evacuate and
was instructed to notify the resident
director. Cavanagh broke the glass in
the pull station with bis bare band to
sound the alarm and then woke other
RAs so they could evacuate their halls.
“Students did a tremendous job in
evacuating properly,” said Van Slyke.
“All of the approximately 300 students
were out of the building in about six
minutes.”
“The fu-st part of the evacuation went
extremely well,” said Dennis Gregory,
investigator. “The students got out of
the building quickly. But, wedidhave
some difficulty keeping the students
orderly in the parking lot and it would
have been difficult if we needed to get
fire or rescue etjuipment in.
“We are currently working with ttie
housing department to develop a plan
for handUng students once they are out
of the building and finding a place
where they could be more
comfortable,” saidGregory. “Ourplan
worked. We just learned from this
incident that we need to cany it a little
further.”
“The night assistant did a very good
job. He and Rebecca are to be
commended for what they did,” said
Van Slyke.
Barraclough said she feels
comfortable with the responsibility of
being a resident assistant “We are
well trained to handle emergency
sittiations,” said Barraclough. “Ididn’t
really know what protocol was for this
particular situation, but our training
helped.”
According to Barraclough, she and
other RAs ensured that the building
was empty.
Arnold Jones, assistant director of
public safety, Gregory, Van Slyke
and McDonald searched the building
and found nothing that resembled a
bomb.
“Making a prank bomb threat is a
misdemeanor and is punishable by up
to two years and/or a fine,” said
Gregory. “If there is an object found
that resembles a bomb, the offense
becomes a felony.”
“This incident was a tremendous
disruption to personal lives and very
unfair to iimocent students,” said Van
Slyke. “But it is important for students
10 never take for granted that it’s a
false alarm.”
“I’m glad it’s over and relieved that
everybody got out quickly,” said
Cavanagh. “I wish they could catch
the person who did it, because I’d like
to see justice done.”
those who are familiar with the
performance of the persons about whom
the decision will be made.
Browning said if Spangler did consult
with members of the UNCA
community, he is not obligated to tell
what they discussed.
“As far as the faculty is concerned,
and given the implications of the
chancellor’s comments, it spears that
there might not have been any
consultation,” said Browning.
There was a “range of opinion”
among the faculty members as to the
degree to which they were upset, said
Browning.
Some felt the letter should contain
more forceful language while others
thought the issue of finding a new
chancellor was more important
“How the campus reacts to this
situation is viewed by srane faculty as
being important in te.ms of the
atmosphere within which we recruit the
new person,” Browning said.
This concern is also expressed in the
letter. It states that the faculty are afraid
that "the circumstances surrounding Dr.
Schuman’s departure from office could
have a negative effect on the ability of
UNCA, and other constituent
institutions, to recruit high-quality
leadership for the fiiture."
The letter, said Browning, was a
compromise between the different views
of the faculty. Linda Nehns, associate
professor of management and Michael
Gillum, professor of literature, wrote
the final version of the letter.
Browning said the faculty hope that
Spangler will realize how dissatisfied
they are with the handling of the
situation, and that will take this into
consideration. They also hope to receive
some response from Spangler.
Staff Photo By Karen Brinson
Paul Sweeney, assistant professor of drama, was recently
named an outstanding educator by the United States Institute for
Theater Technology
Professor receives award
Kent Thompson
Staff Writer
The Southeast Regional Section of The United States Institute for
Theater Technology (USITT) recently presented the Founders Award
for Outstandmg Educator for 1992 to Paul Sweeney, associate professor
of drama at UNCA.
The award was presented on Sept 17, at the organization’s master’s
class, in Auburn, Ala., by Delbert Hall, of East Tennessee S tate University.
“Sweeney was commended for the success of his sttidents, most of
whom are working in professional theater and education,” said a press
release.
USm is the national professional organization that represents and
serves designers and technicians from both the commercial and
educational performing arts.
According to Sweeney, USITT is divided into smaller regions, and the
award he received is from the Southeast Regional Section of that national
organization.
See "Sweeney," on page 8