The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Volume XVI, Number 39
Charlotte, North Carolina
i^l
Thursday, February 5, 1980
No Minimum Hours Needed For Official
By Chip Wilson
Carolina Journal Staff Writer
Ron Olsen smiled as he pointed to
an open green page binder.
“See. There’s nothing in the Con
stitution about this.”
The UNCC student government
president was responding to a
reporter’s question over his eligibility
to continue holding his office. Olsen
only completed three credit hours at
Fall Semester’s end.
No question lingers over Olsen’s eli
gibility. Nothing in the Student Body
Constitution or the Elections and
Publicity Act determines the amount
of hours the president or any other
elected student official should at
tempt or complete.
“Unbelievable, but true,” said Deb
Legislature Criticizes
Lack of Minorities
By Chip Wilson
Carolina Journal Staff Writer
The lack of black professors and ad
ministrators at UNCC is criticized in
a resolution passed by the Student
Legislature Tuesday.
The motion, sponsored by the cam
pus affairs committee, cited the
disproportion between the number of
black students and the number of
black faculty.
Opposition to the resolution came
from legislators who were concerned
that the university would concentrate
on filling racial quotas, rather than
looking for quality instructors.
“I think the resolution is dis
criminatory,” said William Faquin,
who represents the Arts and Science
college. “We should be looking for the
best qualified teachers. The universi
ty should provide quality education
and not a certain color mixutre.”
Rick Van Pelt, a Commuter repre
sentative, opposed the bill, saying
other minorities including Chicanos
and Orientals should be included in
any resolution on faculty hiring.
Legislator Baker Smith argued that
blacks were the only minorities ex
periencing discrimination in faculty
hiring. He quoted statistics showing
a higher number of hispanic and
Asian-American faculty relative to
the percentage of the respective
students.
Renee High, the chair of Ways and
Means, supported the resolution but
stressed that the purpose was not to
recommend specific hiring practices.
“You know the UNCC administra
tion will not see our resolution and
run out and hire 5, 6 or 7 black faculty
members. The only thing we are
stating is a need for black faculty
members.
“We want to call this to the atten ¬
Dellinger, the student attorney
general. “This question has come up
before, so we are clearing it up by
rewriting the Elections and Publicity
Act.”
Election regulations only apply to
candidates for office, not for those
who already hold positions.
“The Elections and Publicity Act
requires that a candidate for presi
dent ‘shall have completed 45 hours.’
When I filed last year, I had those
hours.
“It also states that a candidate
should have completed 9 hours in the
semester prior to the election. I did
that also.”
In the fall semester of 1980, Olsen
enrolled for a 16 hour course load. But
tion of the administrators, because
they are evidently accepting this
(need for more blacks) without
research.”
Despite one motion to table the
resolution back to committee for a
rewrite, the proposal passed with 13
legislators in favor, 6 against and 1
abstaintion.
In other action, the legislature:
—Defeated a motion by Lee Wil
liams to reconsider a revertment of
$100 to the Black Student Union. The
money was allocated to the organ
ization for telephone installation and
expenses.
Williams contended, “It is my
understanding that legislators hav
ing a connection with an organization
considered for funding are not allow
ed to vote on it.
He said that since all blacks were
members of the BSU, the votes of
black student legislators on the
telephone funding was not valid.
High told the legislators that she
and six other black legislators were
not members of the BSU, because
they did not pay dues required to
belong officially.
The legislature voted against recon
sidering the motion. Dean of
Students Chuck Lynch and Linda
Russell, chair of the Club and
Organizations committee both stated
that the BSU membership was not
limited to blacks, nor was the group
inclusive of all black students.
—Approved dates for spring elec
tions on March 24 and 25. Nomina
tions will occur February 23-27.
Renomination date was set for March
2-4.
—Passed a motion increasing club
and organization gasoline expense
’allotments.
by semester’s end, he had completed
only three hours and took in-
completes in two other three-hour
courses.
“I’ve already completed one of the
classes,” Olsen said. “For the intern
ship I just have to write a paper.”
“The way the rules read now,
anyone who fits under the category of
student can remain in a position,”
Dellinger said.
The Student Body Constitution de
fines the term “student,” as “any per
son regularly enrolled in courses at
the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte.”
The attorney general said a person
could fit the category by signing up
for a one-credit class. “The way it
Landscaping Slow Process
For Apartment Residents
By David E. Griffith
Carolina Journal Campus Affairs Editor
In the constant swirl of construc
tion on this campus natural landscap
ing is destroyed and must be replac
ed.
Assistant Director of Residence
Life Keith Wassum says much of the
problem with landscaping can be at
tributed to the fact that “capital ex
penditures for any project usually in
cludes landscaping, but when the
costs for the project start to mount,
I landscaping is the first thing to be
sacrificed.”
Landscaping at Phase I campus
apartments has been underway since
before winter break. The area has
been mulched and 300 trees have been
planted. Other campus apartments
have not been landscaped. Phase II
reads now, a person can drop the clas
after signing up and not lose his pos:
tion.”
“This is just my personal opinion
but I think any student governmen
official should be carrying a minimun
of 9 hours.
“The documents review committe,
is going to have to state how man;
hours each officer should complete.”
Dellinger said the revision of tht
Constitution may be put befori
voters in the election, to be held oi
March 24 and 25.
“That’s what we’re shooting for
Since any change in the Constitutioi
must be approved by the studen
body, it would be easier to have then
vote then,” she said.
for instance has little or no grass.
Wassum said, “We cut down deac
trees and have plans to do minimal
landscaping in Phase II and III.’
“Minimal landscaping consists oi
replanting trees, grass and shrub
bery. To eliminate much of the ero
sion problem, storm drains have beer
installed in the Phase II area.
Grounds Superintendent Sam Bol
lick says the objective in Phase I is tc
stabilize the hillside and establish a
low maintenance natural area. Bollick
said the cold has killed much of the
grass in the Phase II.
Assistant Grounds Superintendent
Dick Smith says “We just haven’t
started over there (Phase II), but we
have worked up a proposal on what
the area needs.”