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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1986)
Ei- j : • a Thursday, March 6, 1986/The Battalion/Page 5 White to try not to cut funds y for research of agriculture By SCOTT SUTHERLAND Assistant City Editor Gov. Mark White assured the exas A&M Board of Regents nd A&M System agriculture of- kials Wednesday that he would ry to avoid cutting agriculture research funds despite the state’s udget crunch. White received an in-depth briefing on the problems of exas agriculture from leaders of he Texas Agricultural Extension iervice, the Texas Forest Service, nd the Agricultural Experiment tation. White said the briefing was Lplifting and encouraging in the ace of falling oil prices that are hreatening the state with a large udget shortfall. “We aren’t abandoning the old conomy, we’re building a new )ne” he said. “I am uplifted by he prospects of the new economy ve’re building, and I have plans :o find new money for work that s going on here.” A&M agriculture experts said he University is playing a vital ole in developing new technol- >gy for Texas. Last year A&M onducted over $65 million in ag- icultural research. A&M agriculture officials told ins with ^ h' te t ^ ial high technology farm- ^ mg can increase the state’s share the agriculture market, his turnl NefiHe Clarke, director of xrial stud Agricultural Experiment Sta- I of thed t ’ on ’ sa 'd A&M research gains are snabling farmers to add value to their crops — meaning they could ficeadmirl produce at the same levels but in- led the d -tease their income, groups. Si he studet 1 process r'i NM, tkwoodSS Hed them alM 1 the Photo by SCOTT SUTHERLAND Gov. Mark White speaks to reporters outside the Texas A&M Memorial Student Center Wednesday. He said Texas could increase its value-added percentage by es ablishing its own processing plants rather than exporting raw roducts to New Mexico and .ousiana thereby shipping dol- tive systet lars out of Texas. In addition, he said, marketing programs that increase the sala- lility of previously discarded iroducts can contribute to raising he farmer’s income. The average Foundate added-value of Texas farm prod i and tro ucts falls well below the national ent or del| average, eformity. Along with increasing profita bility, Clarke said the extension service and A&M researchers are seeking to reduce some of the in ternal problems that Texas farm ers must cope with. Clarke identified dwindling natural resources, high produc tion costs that are a by-product of high energy costs and weather ex tremes as the biggest internal bar riers to Texas farmers. Extension agents, he said, are seeking to reduce the risk that these barriers impose by imple menting programs like A&M’s bi otechnology program. Through biotechnology, A&M has increased farm productivity by increasing disease resistance and nutritional quality of farm products. Dr. Perry Adkisson, System Deputy Chancellor, outlined the research at A&M and emphasized the University’s role in bringing Texas agriculture to the foref ront. Texas ranks second to Cali fornia in agriculture production. White’s staff reviewing agencies’ planned cuts Associated Press AUSTIN — Gov. Mark White’s staff continued reviewing state agency budget-trimming plans Wednesday, while one of the largest agencies said it could make only about half the 13 percent spending cuts the governor requested. White urged all state agencies and universities to trim spending by 13 percent to help cover the projected $1.3 billion budget shortfall brought on by falling oil prices. Under the Texas Constitution, White lacks the actual power to require such cuts. Marlin W. Johnson, commissioner of the Department of Human Serv ices, submitted a spending reduction plan he said will save $125.9 million over the next 18 months. A full 13 percent cut would trim $245 million, Johnson said, adding, “We cannot reach that level of re duction without carving away crit ical, life-sustaining services to peo ple, primarily fragile elderly and vulnerable children.” Compounding problems is that some cuts in state spending also would bring reductions in matching funds supplied by the federal gov ernment, officials said. Although a hiring freeze is being imposed for non-essential vacant jobs, Johnson said no layoffs are be ing considered. “For the sake of perspective, it can be noted that even if the entire staff of the department were to be abo lished tomorrow, the ‘savings’ over the remainder of this biennium —in cluding salaries, travel, rent, utilities and other staff-related costs —would not meet our $245 million objec tive,” Johnson wrote to White. Cutting further would “raise the spectre of denying life-sustaining services for destitute and infirm el derly people and needy children,” Johnson said. William Hamilton, White’s budget director, said he expected to have a preliminary total Thursday on spending cuts proposed by the agen cies and universities. GALLERY ISSAN 10% Student Discount Discount is on all parts & labor on Nissan Products only. We will also offer 10% dis count on labor only on all non-Nissan products. Student I.D. must be presented at time workorder is written up. We now have rental units available for service customers 1214 Tx. Ave. 775-1500 CONTACT LENSES $79 00 $99 00 $99 00 pr.* - daily wear soft lenses pr.* - extended wear soft lenses pr.* - tinted soft lenses CALL 696-3754 FOR APPOINTMENT * EYE EXAM AND CARE KIT NOT INCLUDED OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D.,P.C. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY 707 SOUTH TEXAS AVE-SUITE 101D COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 77840 1 block South of Texas & University Dr. (1 \&M to receive teacher producer honors ByJO ANN ABLE Reporter The Texas A&M College of Edu cation will be named the number one producer in the nation of math and science teachers, according to a national report on the condition of education. A survey conducted by the Na tional Center for Statistics, to be published next month, lists A&M as the institution with the most educa tion majors in math and science. The publication is part of a national re port on the condition of education. I “They don’t make a big deal of it,” says the dean of the College of Edu- Ication. “They just list the numbers; but it’s a big deal for us.” Dr. Dean C. Corrigan, dean of the Tollege of Education, says A&M’s enrollment in the math and science teaching majors has increased stead ily over the past 10 years. But A&M’s success is in sharp contrast to na tional averages. During the same 10 year period, colleges across the country have ex perienced a 73 percent decrease in the number of math education ma jors and a 64 percent decrease in the “To me it’s not just being first in terms of numbers. It’s being first in the quality which is what I think we are demonstrating (at A&M). ” — Dr. Dean C. Corrigan, dean of the College of Educa tion. number ot students studying to be come science teachers. A shortage of math and science teachers is the number one problem in today’s schools. In Texas the shortage has reached a crisis stage, he says. He says part of A&M’s success is related to the nature of the institu tion in general. A&M has been tradi tionally oriented around science, math and agriculture, he says. “So the general orientation of the environment has been directed to ward those particular subject fields,” Corrigan says. “In addition to that we now have over $300,000 worth of scholarship aid to attract outstanding students into the fields of math and science,” he says. Corrigan says the Math ematics/Science Teaching Scholar Loan Program, established in 1983, recruits high caliber students by of fering “forgiveable” loans for teach ing math and science after gradua tion. Each year the student teaches, a percentage of the loan is forgiven, or credited against the amount owed. “Students in the math/science pro gram get school aid, but it’s kind of in the Aggie way of doing things,” he explains. “It’s really a loan. They don’t get the aid until they teach.” Corrigan says the program at tracts not only outstanding students but highlights math and science in general. The number of students studying to be science teachers has increased from 82 to 329 in a three- year period, he says. “To me it’s not just being first in terms of numbers,” Corrigan says. “It’s being first in the quality which is what I think we are demonstrating.” Students must have a minimum 2.25 grade-point ratio to be ad mitted into the college, Corrigan says. The department also requires a math and English exam in the soph omore year, an exit exam and a 2.5 minimum GPR for graduation. A&M has kept these high stan dards even though the state has re duced it’s demand on teacher qual ifications, Corrigan says. He says two years ago 1,233 math and science teachers were hired in the state and 528 of them were unli censed to teach those subjects. Emer gency teaching certificates were is sued and teachers in other fields were brought in to cover the short age, he says. “And I think that’s the worst thing that the schools can do,” Corrigan says.“It just demeans the whole pro fession.” The solution to the problem of teacher shortages can be solved by offering higher salaries, he says. Harvard this summer: June 23-August 15, 1986 H arvard University Summer School, America's oldest summer session, offers open enrollment in nearly 250 day and evening courses, in more than 40 academic fields and pre-professional pro grams. The diverse curriculum includes courses appropriate for fulfilling undergraduate and graduate degree requirements, as well as programs designed for personal and professional development. The international student body has access to Harvard’s outstanding librar ies, museums, athletic facilities, and cultural activities, with the additional benefits of the Cambridge and nearby Boston communities. Housing for students is available in Harvard’s historic residences. Offerings include pre-medical and pre-law courses, undergraduate and graduate instruction in foreign languages, business, computer science, visual and environmental studies, anthropology, fine arts, education, psychology, the sciences and more. We feature a college- level program for secondary school juniors and seniors, plus special programs in Health Professions (for minority students). Dance, Drama, Film Studies, Writing, and English as a Second Language. Further information is available by returning the coupon below or by calling: (617) 495-2494 (24-hour catalogue request line), or (617) Harvard University Siii Summer School- — Please send a Harvard Summer School catalogue and application for: □ Arts and Sciences □ Secondary School Program □ Drama □ English as a Second Language □ Writing □ Dance □ Health Professions Program Name Street City State Harvard Summer School 20 Garden Street, Dept. 420 Cambridge, MA 02138 U.S.A. Zip Tickets $6 Pre sale at Blocker & ® Circle K $8 at the door proceeds to benefit United Cerebal Palsy of Texas FRIDAY NIGHT, GATES OPEN AT 7:30 • Dancing • Fajita Sale • Free Beer and Soft Drinks • Featuring Ultimate Force For every case of Lite beer Brazos Beverages Inc. sells during the month of March, 1986, a donation will be made to the United Cerebral Palsy Organization. mim I