Deans announced
pages
Elon Dairies
page 10
Campus trends
page 12
VOLUME
DATE 3/15/01
Dave dishes the
dirt on NCAA
page 22
www.eIon.edu/pendulum
Hesp resigns after
Web site controversy
Dan Schrot
Sarah Nicholls
The Pendulum
Grahaeme Hesp, director of
Greek life, resigned from his posi
tion after controversial material was
discovered on his personal Web
site.
President Leo Lambert de
scribed the content of the Web site
as “inappropriate, inconsistent with
the standards of the college, and
very much counter to the values of
Elon.” Hesp had a link from his site
to another Web site that contained
the controversial material.
Mark Brzoska, a senior,
viewed printed copies of the Web
site during a class discussion, said
the web site contained “sexist and
anti-feminist jokes and a game in
which the viewer was invited to
take part in the gang rape of a
woman.”
Dean of Student Life, Smith
Jackson traveled with Hesp to Bos
ton for a national conference when
he was informed on March 4 about
Hesp’s link. Jackson and Lambert
decided that the material was in
consistent with the Web policy of
the college and agreed that the Web
site should be deactivated immedi
ately. Jackson and Hesp discussed
the situation.
The decision that lead Hesp
to leave the school, Involved many
factors.. Hesp decided over the long
term he could not be effective as
director of Greek life, and made the
“decision to discontinue his em
ployment” Jackson said. Tuesday,
The Pendulum received a letter from
Hesp explaining his resignation.
In it he said, “There is no
question that I did act without
thought as to potential conse-
Photo courtesy of College Relations
Grahaeme Hesp, Director of
Greek Life.
quences. As an undergraduate I
developed a personal Web site that
included some personal background
information and links to various
other pages related to my life in
England. When I started at Elon, I
transferred this Web site in its en
tirety without even checking the
continued validity of the links con
tained therein. One of these links
was to a satirical comic that is openly
available on all newsstands in the
UK. Regretfully, certain Elon indi
viduals viewed this type of publica
tion as unsuitable for the US/Elon
culture. This is despite the fact that
as an institution Elon prides itself
on study abroad and the develop
ment of the student in the world
culture. These same individuals
decided that it was appropriate to
raise the issue within the classroom.
See HESP on page 3
Trustees increase tuition
Jennifer Guarino
Managing Editor
The Elon College Board of
Trustees approved the $69.3 mil
lion budget, which called for a
5.36 percent increase in tuition for
the 2001-2002 school year. The
Trustees also voted in support of
adding 37 new faculty and staff
positions and increased funding
for the library.
Tuition for the academic
year will be $14,335, an increase
of $779. Room and board fees will
total $5,059, a $210 increase. This
increase is the smallest in three
years. Tuition has increased 198
percent in 10 years. In 1991-92
tuition was $7,400.
“Tuition was increased mod
estly to provide for faculty and
salary increases, to provide for
increased library funding, to
proved better technology and im
proved services to students,” Presi
dent Leo Lambert said.
Although tuition will in
crease, Elon’s costs will remain
18 percent below the national aver
age for private colleges and univer
sities. Elon’s tuition is about 5 per
cent below the averages for schools
in the South, 36 percent below the
averages for schools in New En
gland, 25 percent below schools in
the Middle states and 10 percent
below the average for schools in the
Midwest.
Financial aid will increase 15
percent next year. Currently $4.58
million is awarded to students. Next
year financial aid will total $4.66
million. The aid will include aca
demic and athletic scholarships,
Lambert said.
The largest increase in the
budget will fund 37 new faculty and
staff positions. Twelve new faculty
positions will be added.
“The most important thing
we can do for students is to have
small class sizes and best faculty,”
Lambert said. “That means we have
to have a competitive faculty.”
The search is currently un
derway for 10 of these positions,
Two faculty positions will be added
to the School of Communications,
the Love School of Business and the
English department. One position
will be added to performing arts,
chemistry, computer information
systems, biology and the School of
Education each.
Since 1997, Elon has added
more than 50 full-time faculty posi
tions. This is the largest increase in
faculty positions in one year.
The Trustees also approved a
measure that would add 25 staff
positions for new campus facilities
and the technology program. The
majority of these positions will help
maintain Rhodes Stadium, the R.N,
Ellington Health Center, Counsel
ing Center and two Danieley Center
residence halls.
Another major investment the
Trustees voted to continue is the
increased funding of the library. The
acquisition budget allows for the
purchase of more electronic re
sources, databases, books, journals
See BOARD OF
TRUSTEES on page 3
Tuition Increases
Percent
14-
12-
10-
8-
6-
4-
2-
O'
1L1%
o
o
8.2%
7.8%
00
ON
r-'
6.4%
7,2% 7.1%
O'-
,0:
•O
00-.
-O’?
ros-
o
vr.
Os':
91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02
Facts compiled by Institutional Research