^Banner
Volume 29 Issue 7
March 18, 1999
ageii
;ord
Gun incident concerns
students in dorms
By Mike Bryant
staff Writer
UNCA students have voiced con
cern about the university’s lack of
action in an incident involving stu
dent possession of a loaded hand
gun on campus.
“I do not understand how the
university can allow someone who
had a loaded handgun in his dormi
tory room to remain in campus
housing,” said Joseph Andrew, a
freshman. “I live on the same floor
in the resident hall where the gun
was discovered. It is hard to feel
comfortable knowing that another
student had a loaded gun just down
the hall.”
UNCA police officials charged] us-
tin Lane Donaldson on Feb. 15
with possession of a handgun on
school property, a felony offense,
according to Jerry Adams, an inves
tigator for public safety at. The gun
was discovered in the student’s room
on Feb. 10 following an anony
mous report to Nancy Williams,
assistant director of housing and
residence life.
University officials have refijsed to
specifically comment on the
Donaldson incident, citing the con
fidentiality provisions ofthe Buckley
Amendment or General Education
Provisions Act of 1974.
"The university is unable to dis
cuss or release any information re
garding any action, if any, that the
school has taken or will take in this
matter,” said Eric lovacchini, vice
chancellor of student affairs. “The
provisions of the Buckley Amend
ment prevent disclosure of this type
of information on any student.”
The university has generally waited
for the legal resolution in the public
court system before deciding on a
course of action, according to
lovacchini.
“If the determination by univer
sity officials is that the student or
students do not pose a harm to
themselves or others, we usually
await the decision of the public
courts before deciding on univer
sity action,” said lovacchini. “How
ever, the university can act indepen
dently of the public courts in cases
that violate university policy.”
“In matters involving the viola
tion of school policies, the univer
sity can hold a student conduct
hearing before deciding on any ac
tion to be taken against a student,”
said Amy J ustice, assistant director of
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TARA HAMMOND
Students are concerned that the university’s delay in dealing with gun possession on
campus could lead to further I
student development. “The hearing is
closed, and any action taken by the
university is disclosed only to the sm-
dent.”
Smdents should tell university offi
cials their concerns about campus-re-
lated matters.
“Students need to contaa the appro
priate university officials with any fears
or concerns they may have involving
their academic environment,” said
lovacchini. “That kind of information
may change a previous position taken
by theuniversityinaparticular matter.”
The imiversity has initiated action
regarding the weapon incident, accord
ing to Donaldson.
“I have a student condua hearing
scheduled for April 1 ,”saidDonaldson.
“Also, I am scheduled forDistriaCourt
in Asheville on April 9.”
Donaldson expressed regret for hav
ing the gun in his room, but he does not
understand why other students in his
dorm are so upset with him.
“Having a gun in my room was a
stupid mistake,” said Donaldson.
“However, I do not thinksmdents who
know me are concemed with my pres
ence in the dorm. I hope I can remain
at the university and continue to live in
the dorm.”
A meeting has been scheduled for
March 18 in South Ridge Residence
Hall to discuss the concems of the
■ threats to safety.
residents, according to a housing offi
cial, according to Melanie
Rhodarmer, resident director in
housing and residence life
“Students will have the opportunity
to voice their vlevvs bn the evening
ofMarch 18th in South Ridge about
the gun incident, Donaldson and
other matters,” said Rhodarmer. “I
am hopefijl that the concerns of any
of the residents, including
Donaldson, can be openly discussed
at that time.”
Some students said they did not
want to wait to discuss their con
cerns at the meeting.
“I hope the university will remove
Donaldson from the dorm,” said
Clint Bergin, a freshman. “I was his
roommate at the beginning of the
fall semester. I do not think he
should be allowed to remain in
university housing after having a
loaded gun in his room.”
“I did not feel I could be comfort
able as his roommate any longer,”
said Thad Eckard, a j unior philosphy
major. “I moved to another dorm,
and I feel a lot better now. He was a
difficult roommate. The gun was
only one of the problems. He just
does not show any respect for those
living around him.”
“I do not feel Donaldson should
be allowed to remain in the resident
hall,” said Jay Van Ooteghem, a
freshman.
Complaints had been made to a
resident advisor about Donaldson,
but housing took no action, accord
ing to Eckard.
“I know that a complaint had been
made to Amanda Thorn, a resident
advisor on the second floor of South
Ridge,” said Eckard. “Donaldson is
a Sigma Nu pledge, and I believe
that Thorn is engaged to another
member of Sigma Nu. Basically,
nothing was done about the com
plaint. It was disappointing.”
Thorn refused to comment on
Eckard’s allegations, or any circum
stances involving Donaldson.
“I am not able to respond to any
matters involving Donaldson,” said
Thorn, a senior mass communica
tion major.
I cannot discuss it due to the con
fidentiality of my position as resi
dent advisor. 1 will say that I think
Donaldson is a good person,” said
Thorn.
Donaldson said he hopes the sched
uled meeting ofthe residents at South
Ridge will change the minds ofthose
students concerned by his presence
in the dorm.
“If students get to know me, they
will see that I am no threat or prob
lem,” said Donaldson.
UNCA faces
office space
shortage
By Meghan Cummings
staff Writer
UNCA is trying to develop ad
ditional office space on campus
for new full-time faculty arriving
this fall. There are currently no
unoccupied offices available.
“All offices are occupied by
somebody right now,” said Tom
Cochran, associate vice chancel
lor of academic affairs. “In terms
of identified standard kinds of
offices, we effectively have none.”
Although all faculty members
currently have an office, many
question where new faculty will
be able to work.
“When it comes to expanding
the faculty, right now we do not
technically have any empty of
fices,” said Shirley Browning, as
sociate vice chancellor of aca
demic affairs.
Office space is the most serious
space issue on campus, given that
there are no more offices. How
ever, classrooms and laboratories
are also often insufficient to
handle the growing needs of the
school, according to Cochran.
“We have very few (technologi
cally equipped) classrooms, and
what everybody wants now is to
teach with the technology that is
available,” said Cochran. “We
have a need to fix up a lot of these
rooms and make them more us
able by today’s standards.”
Cochran said the university’s
long term plan for easing the space
problem is to build a new office
and classroom building that will
provide more technologically ad
vanced classrooms.
The new building is part of the
ten year facilities plan that was
created in 1997, according to
Arthur Foley, vice chancellor for
financial affairs.
“Ini 997, following nearly a two
year planning process, UNCA
adopted a 10 year campus facili
ties master plan,” said Foley. “The
first new capital project identi
fied is a classroom and adminis
trative office building.”
However, the school needs to
find a way to create office space
for the new faculty who will come
in the fall. Temporary solutions
are necessary while planning, and
eventually fundraising will take
place for the new building, ac
cording to Cochran.
“You can’t build a building in
six months,” said Cochran.
“We’re not going to have new
offices for these faculty, so the
short-term problem is where do
we put these new people?”
One temporary solution the
university is considering is to di
vide infrequently used classrooms
into offices, according to
Cochran.
“One of our strategies is to take
some of these classrooms that are
not utilized and justconvert them
to offices,” said Cochran. “Then
we have to decide whether to make
them temporary or put in new
walls and heatingsystems to make
them permanent.”
Another possibility is to give
offices that are currently being
used by part-time professors to
the new full-time faculty, accord
ing to Browning.
“We do have some offices used
by adjuncts, and, sadly, we may
need to let full-time faculty have
priority over those offices, “ said
Browning.
The other option is to ask
part-time faculty to share an
office, according to Browning.
“I don’t think that would be an
unreasonable request as long as
the instructors do not need the
office at the same time,” said
Frank Quinlan, adjunct assistant
professor of atmospheric sciences.
“Many adjuncts already share an
office.”
There will be at least five addi
tional full-time faculty members
coming to UNCA in the fall. The
new positions were created be
cause the increase in full-time
enrollment allowed the school
funding for additional professors,
according to Cochran.
“This fall is our next big wave of
new faculty,” said Cochran. “We
are anticipating at least five new
full-time faculty members.”
The new positions will give ad-
See SPACE page 9
Health and fitness proposes two new majors
By Emma Jones
staff Writer
Faculty and administration are evalu
ating two new degree programs pro
posed by health and fitness depart
ment.
The department has submitted basic
outlines called “requests to plan” for
degree programs in public health pro
motion and sports medicine. Each
major will involve new courses.
It depends on three things. First,
he plan will need to be consistent
*''ith the university’s mission. Second,
'''e need to consider the impact it will
lave on other departments. Third, we
Heed to consider whether or not we
an get new money from the General
Administration in Chapel Hill,” said
Keith Ray, chair and associate
professorof the health and fitness de
partment.
“These programs are going to have
to be really grounded in traditional
and social sciences,” said Peter
Caulfield, chair of the university plan
ning council and associate professor
of literature.
The proposed public health promo
tion major would prepare students to
educate and provide services to people
in the areas of disease outbreak and
health hazards, according to the pro
posal.
“Public health promotion is prima
rily going to be focused on interdisci
plinary studies of public health,” said
Ray.
“Majors may choose to do commu
nity wellness education, corporate
health and wellness, a hospital-based
wellness program or they may go on to
graduate study,” Ray said.
A student graduating as a sports medi
cine major would be educated in the
field of athletic or fitness-related in
jury prevention and treatment, accord
ing to the proposal.
“Sports medicine graduates may go
on to serve in some capacity as an
allied health professional,” said Ray.
“They may go into the physical therapy
market or go on to graduate school for
physical therapy.”
The proposal that has been submitted
to the administration and faculty is a
preliminary plan and the beginning of
a process of submissions to different
areas of the UNC-system administra
tion.
“1 want to make sure that everyone
See MAJORS page 10
f
The health and fitness department wants to
include two new majors.
PHOTO BY CARRIE ENDERS
expand its program to