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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1981)
The Battalion i Serving the Texas A&M University community 32 Pages in 2 Sections Thursday, March 5, 1981 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 The Weather •' j Today Tomorrow High . .. 69 High .. .71 Low. . . . .. .42 Chance of rain . . none Chance of rain \ . none enate recommends 1-hour traditions course By TERRY DURAN Battalion Staff With attendance just barely over quorum, the student senate acted on nine of 12 bills listed under old business in a four-hour meeting Wednesday night. sa B Senators were trying to clear up old legislation before , ta Spring elections end the current session. A “Housing Policy Alternative” bill combined 1) a request to survey freshmen and potential Texas A&M students about gpieir housing preferences with 2) an endorsement of a prop- llllllli osed one-hour academic class for freshmen on Aggie tradi- ||ons. Debate arose as to whether an official class was approp- Bate. I “You can t legislate tradition,” some senators cried. B The unamended bill was passed unanimously. B B An amendment to the bill would have relieved intemation- i al and out-of-state students from having to pay the normal $40 ; out-of-state tuition for the course. However, technical prob- ijems in the implementation of such a policy caused the motion ; to fail. B Debate on a measure suggesting changes in some campus traffic policies seesawed back and forth for 45 minutes before the bill was approved. Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Anthony briefed the senate on discussions with University officials about “policies to reduce traffic congestion in the central parts , of the campus.” The amended bill, as passed, recommended the University master planning committee “close Spence Street to through traffic and establish an adequate plan to accomplish this ... measure.” Off-campus graduate senator Fred Seals called the proposal “a ludicrous stopgap,” although he said he favored the con cept of prohibiting motor traffic from the central campus, as did some others. Some said they did not feel there is a significant traffic problem on Spence Street, which runs from Zachry En gineering Center to the Commons. The bill was approved, 39-27. Another unanimously approved bill will request University funds to set up storage areas for student organizations under the two ramps on the west side of Kyle Field. A student services committee spokesman said many organizations had expressed interest in the idea. Cost of setting up the two areas was estimated at about $11,000; the funds will probably come from student services reserves or Memorial Student Center bookstore profits, the spokesman said. More debate blossomed about an “Equal Opportunity Housing” bill that would request the Board of Regents to set aside one of the two new modular dormitories for male stu dents. Both dorms are being planned to house female stu dents. Objections were raised because federal regulations require an equal number of male and female facilities on campus; that parity will not be achieved at Texas A&M until the two dormitories now under construction are filled with female students. An amendment to slate one modular for males and change one currently-male dorm to female occupancy was defeated and the bill was referred back to committee for further study. The senate killed three bills: one that requested the campus police to revert to $5 parking ticket fines and return to multi ple ticketing; a bill proposing support and expansion of the Learning Resource Center in Heldenfels Hall; and the “All- University Pre-Election Bash,” which would have set up a “meet the candidates night” in G. Rollie White Coliseum before student elections. The last bill, however, was essentially replaced by a bill which was placed on emergency status after its first reading Wednesday night. The “Fountainside Chat” bill will give students a chance to meet candidates for Student Govern ment president and vice presidents. Residence Halls Associa tion and Off-Campus Aggies officers and yell leaders from noon until 3 p.m., March 30 — the day before elections. In other action: — Door-to-door dorm campaign hours were changed from noon-10 p.m. to noon-9 p.m. — The results of a student survey reported 63 percent of those surveyed in favor of extending alcoholic beverage sales hours to 2 a.m. seven nights a week. — General Telephone has stopped enforcing the policy it cracked down on late last week: Students may once again make long distance collect calls without a long distance ID number. SI ditor Wing opens [ The Student Publications Board will be accepting applications for summer and fall editorships of The Battalion and for the 1981-82 editorship of the Aggie- land through April 3. | Application forms may be obtained at the Department of Communications office, 301 Reed McDonald Building, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and should be returned to Bob G. Rogers, chairman of the Student Publications Bqard, at 301 Reed McDo nald. | , t The Battalion summer editor will serve from May 17-Aug. 31, while The : pattalion fall editor’s term extends from May 4-May 13 and Sept. 1- Dec. 18. I The Aggieland editor wil serve the entire academic year 1981-82. Qualifications for Battalion editor are: a 2.0 overall and major grade point I; ratio at the time of taking office and during the term served; at least one year of experience in a responsible editorial osition on The Battalion or a compara- ;ble student newspaper; or at least one year of editorial experience on a com mercial newspaper; or at least 12 hours | of journalism including Journalism 203 | and 204 (Reporting and Editing I and II) I or equivalent. The 12 hours must in- | elude completion of or enrollment in Journalism 402 (Mass Communication, iw and Society) or equivalent. Qualifications for Aggieland editor a 2.0 overall and major GPR at the ime of taking office and during the term served; at least one year in a responsible staff position on the Aggieland or equivalent yearbook experience else where. Photo by Margo Bell Catching rays, not footballs More than just a place for football games, Kyle Field givqs Stewart Krisch plenty of room to stretch out and absorb the sun’s rays. A&Mmedschool to graduate first physicians in 1981 A&M has state’s newest med school Texas A&M College of Medicine receives recommenda tion for full accredita tion More thefts found By BERNIE FETTE Battalion Staff An undetermined number of stereos, speakers, and tools were stolen from 18 different vehicles in Parking Annexes 56 and 61 in West campus Friday night and Monday night, the nights of the MSC All Night Fair and the last home basket ball game. Lt. Josie Hoelscher, who is in charge of investigations for the University Police, said owners of some of the burg larized cars have not yet been contacted because the University Police doesn’t have their current addresses. These burglaries occurred on the same two nights as the burglaries re ported in Neeley Hall in which more than $1,500 worth of jewelry and cash were stolen from dorm residents. Neeley Head Resident Hadley Hoff said there is a possible connection between the burglaries in the dorm and the theft of a pass key on Feb. 27. Hoelscher said the fact that officers are involved with traffic problems after basketball games may have made the burglaries easier to pull offMonday. But the officers were not busy during the All Night Fair, she said. Hoelscher said there is a possibility the incidents of both nights were re lated. “We don’t know right now, but they might be related,” she said. “They hap pened at different times but they took the same things.” Hoelscher said no estimate has been made of the losses in the parking lot thefts, but the value of the stolen goods isn’t the only consideration in this case since windows in several of the vehicles were smashed out to gain entry. Also, some of the toolboxes on pickup trucks were broken into. “All it takes is a crowbar or something like that for the toolboxes,” Hoelscher said. She said the other vehicles may have been broken into with the aid of a coat hanger. By WAYNE COOK Battalion Reporter On June 6, 1981 the Texas A&M Col lege of Medicine will graduate its first i physicians — the culmination of years of work to establish a medical school at sil Texas A&M University. The first push for a medical school began when people started realizing how well Texas A&M prepared pre-med students, said Dr. Elvin E. Smith, asso ciate dean of medicine. The first tangi ble efforts to create the College of Medi cine were in the early 1970’s when Dr. Jack K. Williams was president of the t University, he said. A plan was submitted to the Texas College and University System Coordi nating Board, the body authorized to approve medical programs. The plan called for a joint venture with the Baylor College of Medicine where students would study two years at Texas A&M and two years at the clinical facilities of Baylor. In April 1973, the coordinating board approved the plan, and in June the school received its first funds from the state Legislature. However, the medic al school ran into problems. The Liasion Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the national organ ization authorized to approve medical schools, refused to accredit the prog- 1 ram. Smith said. He said the LCME I thought the division between Texas I A&M and Baylor would cause a lack of > I consistency and undefined responsibil- | ity. Without accreditation, the school | was ineligible to receive federal h| funding. In 1974 a bill was passed by the state Legislature which helped Texas A&M overcome the problem — the Teague- Cranston Bill. Introduced by Olin E. Teague, a long-time supporter of Texas A&M, the bill allowed the Veterans’ Administration to assist the state with the establishment of new medical schools. In December 1976, the coordinating board approved a new program for the College of Medicine. The program con sisted of two years study at Texas A&M and two years study at Scott and White Hospital and the Veterans Administra tion facility in Temple. This plan gave Texas A&M control over the entire program and provided complete clinical coverage. Texas A&M also received two grants from the VA amounting to $17 million. With a plan approved, the College of Medicine began steps toward accredita tion. First, a letter of reasonable assur ance was submitted to the LCME con taining detailed plans for the medical school. Then in 1977, the college admitted its first students and was given provisional accreditation, the usual status of a medical school until the graduation of its first class. The last step in the accrediting pro cess has recently occurred. A site survey team visited the Texas A&M College of Medicine to evaluate and pass on a re commendation for full accreditation to the LCME. The site team has recom mended the Texas A&M College of Medicine for four years of full accredita tion , Smith said. The LCME is expected to act on the recommendation in June. By WAYNE COOK Battalion Reporter Texas A&M University’s College of Medicine, the state’s newest, has been recommended for four years of full accreditation by a national site survey team. The team’s recommendation is ex pected to be acted on in June by the Liasion Committee on Medical Educa tion (LCME), said Dr. Neal Gault Jr., site team chairman and University of Minnesota dean of medicine. The LCME is the national body au thorized to accredit medical schools. The 40-member organization draws membership from the American Medic al Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Accredita tion is important to medical schools be cause only accredited colleges may re ceive federal funds, explained Dr. Elvin E. Smith, Texas A&M associate dean of medicine. There is a tremendous stigma associated with unaccredited colleges, he said. The recommended four years of full accreditation pleased school officials be cause even established medical schools often receive only five-year accredita tion, Smith said. “Much of the credit for the recom mendation belongs to Dean Stone,” Smith said, “his membership on the LCME and experiende with estab- lishing new medical schools is invalu able.” Dr. Robert Stone is the Texas A&M dean of medicine. Until the College of Medicine is fully accredited, it is under provisional accre ditation — the usual status of new medical colleges until the graduation of the first class, Smith said. “They (LCME) want to look at a finished product,” he said. The College of Medicine graduates its first physicians June 6, 1981. Texas A&M’s program allows stu dents to apply for admission during their sophomore year in college, and involves two years of classroom instruc tion at College Station plus two years of clinical training in Temple at Scott and White Hospital and the Veterans Admi nistration facility. Smith said a site survey team consid ers curriculum, faculty, financing, phy sical facifities, and student accomplish ments when evaluating a medical col lege. The site team was particularly im pressed with the support for the prog ram by the Texas A&M University Board of Regents, he said. Not only have the regents indicated they support adequate funding for the College of Medicine, Smith said, but they also favor an emphasis on high quality rather than size. Present enrollment in the College of Medicine’s is 126, with each entering class having 32 students. “We feel that number (32 per class) is conducive to personal development and learning,” said Dr. William E. Ward, Texas A&M associate dean of medicine in charge of student affairs. Although the Texas A&M medical school is relatively new, Ward said attracting top students is no problem. The College of Medicine received approximately 700 applications last year. “We re competing well with other schools...many students are impressed with the friendliness of the A&M cam pus,” said Ward. Smith said he hopes the yearly acceptances can be raised to 48 by Fall 1983. A favorable aspect of the Texas A&M College of Medicine is the high teacher to student ratio. Smith said. The college has 42 full-time faculty members, for a ratio of one faculty member for every three students. Total faculty for the Col lege of Medicine exceeds 400 with part- time faculty included. One requirement for accreditation was the construction of permanent faci lities. The College of Medicine has been temporarily located in Teague Research Center. The Medical Sciences Build ing, under construction on the east cam pus across from the Veterinary Medi cine Complex, meets this requirement. The building will include classrooms, teaching labs, faculty and administra tion offices, and faculty research space. Total project cost, including equip ment, is $19.6 million. The building is scheduled for completion in January 1983, and is currently running four months ahead of schedule. Smith said. Besides Gault, the LCME site team include Dr. W. Warren Point, director of medicine and assistant dean at West Virginia University; Dr. Tamarath Yol- les, associate dean for continuing educa tion at the Stony Brook School of Medi cine Health Sciences Center; and Dr. Allen W. Mathies Jr., dean of medicine and vice president for health sciences at the University of Southern California. Teachers to receive notices United Press International HOUSTON — A spokesman for the University of Houston says the school will carry out its threat to fire any lectur ers and teaching assistants who fail to appear at work by the end of the week. Administration spokesman George Magner said Wednesday although the number of teachers calling in sick was down from the day before, several early morning classes had to be canceled. Up to 200 teaching assistants refused to come to work earlier this week in a dispute over low pay, but more and more now appear to be returning to the classroom. The assistants are demanding an in crease from their present $350 a month take-home pay to at least $850, and said they will stay out until school officials negotiate in good faith. Chris Rampacek, a teaching assistant in the physical education and health de partment, said school officials were given three weeks since the last sickout to make plans to pay increases, but it appeared there had been no progress. Magner said the university has offered the teachers an across-the-board 5.1 percent pay increase, but they can’t offer any more money until the state Legislature gives the university more funds.