■ lie CwvofxjiAijb ^owwaH The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Volume XI, Number 18 Charlotte, North Carolina January 20, 1976 Is “^Mmeshaft’ a faculty country club? By Steve Bass The Carolina Journal staff has received several complaints that students are discriminated against with regard to use of the gymnasium complex. The students making the charges stated that during the Christmas holidays they were denied access to equipment and towels while faculty members were allowed to use the items. One of the angry students said, “That area has become nothing but a country club for the faculty. These charges do not represent the first allegation of improper usage of the facilities the (irolina Journal has received. Members of the UNCC Alumni Association have stated that efforts to recruit new members to the organization have been hampered by the reluctance of UNCC’s administration to allow periodic use of the gym by members. One frustrated Alumni Association member stated, “We try to help the school and the university community with our time and efforts. We’re certain we could interest more people if we could have the gym one day every other month for members to use.” In order to investigate these charges the Carolina Journal questioried Floyd Kerr, Director of the Intramural program at UNCC, and a staff member of the gymnasium facility, Dr. Harvey Murphy, chairman of the Physical Education department- and Ken Sanford, liaison between the Alumni Association and the university administration. Kerr felt the students issuing the charges were making an unfair allegation. He acknowledged these students were justifiably upset with regards to the incident, but attempted to explain the situation. “Officially during the Christmas holidays the gym is considered closed. It is true that during the holidays when staff members are working the doors are opened to students to use the facilities. However, the reason the students were not allowed to use the' equipment and the towels is they did not have an ID validated for the spring term. It’s really a security problem, we just do not know if a certain person will return as a student in the spring. On the other hand, we do know what faculty members will return to the university and that they will assume responsibility to return the equipment.” Murphy, Chairman of the. Physical Education Department, elaborated further on the situation,“In the past we allowed students to use all the equipment. available during summer and Cliristmas holidays if they had a UNCC ID. One summer we lost nearly $1,000 of equipment, so the rule is necessary. As for the allegation that the faculty uses the gym as a country club, that’s horse manure, students have more access to the gym than anyone else.” Murphy continued, “In fact the faculty is always trying to get free days to use the gym, they don’t get it.” Ken Sanford, Director of Public Information, serves as liaison between the Alumni Association and the UNCC administration. In this position he has been involved directly with the Association’s attempts to secure rights to the gym complex. “We’ve faced this problem for years. Was the person a member of the Association or General Administration”? Sanford asked. The people complaining have not generally been involved in the Association.” Kerr felt the Administration was walking a tight line with regards to the Association’s charges.” Alumni, mainly those outside the Association, feel that since they used to go here, and are taxpayers, they deserve rights to the gym. If we followed that, then any North Carolina taxpayer could walk in here and demand access to the gym. It would be nice to be able to to do that, but we can’t.” Sanford continued, “What you’re suggesting, I suppose it could be done at a school like Wake Forest where the graduates scatter across the country. At UNCC so many alumni stay in the Charlotte area las to make it not feasible.”' The specific policy which dictates who may use the gym complex states the facility may be used by enrolled UNCC students and faculty members of the university community. Murphy was the architect of the guidelines regarding the -gymnasium. “There is no policy anywhere which states that the Alumni Association may not use the gym. The policy simply states students must be allowed access to the gym as much as possible. Between varsity sports, intramural sports, instruction, and free-play time it just doesn’t leave aiiytime for anyone else.” Kerr explained the conflict of time in more detail, “There are already 60 intramural ams at UNCC, gymnastics, women’s volleyball, the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and the instructional programs. If we continue to grow at this rate we may have to start Carolina Journal photo by David Wagoner Frustrations and long lines will be eliminated when the registration process will be put on a more efficient computerized system. following the leads of the larger universities.” Kerr continued by pointing out that at the University of Indiana intramural games are conducted througliout the night. “A student will go home, study, go to sleep, then get to play at 3 in the morning. Of course, we may expand our varsity sports to include men’s volleyball.” In other words, more demands on an already over-crowded situation. The answer appears to be an expansion of existing facilities or new construction to take care of the demand for space. Kerr discussed this possibility, “Right now there are plans in the talking stage regarding building a separate facility, possibly just a cheap aluminum one, that would have four or five basketball courts exclusively for tree-play. Of course it depends on how much money is available. The tight money situation is the chiet problem confronting university officials concerning gym facilities. The bond regerendum pending before tlie voters makes no mention of fund's for physical education facilities, only classroom facilities. After that point it is, according to UNCC officials, a mattei of priorities and money allotted. At tlie current time it appears additional recreational facilities are not deemed high priority items, meaning the new facilities will not even be a possibility for five or six years. Photo courtesy of UNCC Information The Mineshaft faces allegations that it is becoming a country club for faculty instead of an athletic facility for students. Registration procedure to be altered in 1977 By Steve Bass The present system of registration at UNCC will be altered in the near future, in favor of a faster, more efficient computerized system reports Bob Gwaltney, UNCC registrar. “The present system we use is one that was used when I came to the* university several years ago,” says Gwaltney. “It’s not a very good system, and so we’ve been examining ways to change it.” Under the present system of registration continuing students must be pre-advised, then go through normal registration in order to enroll in a'class. Students not pre-advised for the semester must endure long lines at the registrar’s office to receive their registration card, report to their major department to be advised, then go to registration in order to enroll. Gwaltney admits the present system is far. more ideal, being inefficient and subject to human error. Often pre-advised students endure numerous problems due to human error. “Sometimes the professor or a new secretary does not understand the system and when that happens the student’s card is not processed, causing problems.” remarked Gwaltney. ‘The new system should change these problems however.” The new registration system, which Gwaltney feels will be in operation by spring pre-advising for the 1977 fall term, will be computerized. “How it will work is that each student will receive a sheet with his/her ID number registered on the top. The computer will be programing to respond to the number. When the student is advised, the sheet will be filled in. The student will then bring the completed sheet back to the registrar’s office where the computer will process and automatically register the student in a class, “ explains Gwaltney. Students fearful this system will lead to an exclusive first-come, first-serve style of registration, eliminating upperclass priority in class selection should not worry according to Gwaltney. '“The system will have a built in capacity to give juniors and seniors first shot at a class they need. We hope it will be an efficient, easy way for our students to register.” To assist the transition to, and execution of the new system, the university has announced that it has hired Dr. Douglas Sutherland of the University of Massachusetts to help with the project.

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