Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 1987)
Tuesday, July 14, 1987/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local »Faculty Senate offers opposition o plan cutting retirement funds nd nst winy - froit By Yvonne DeGraw Staff Writer I The Texas A&M Faculty Senate passed a reso lution Monday expressing opposition to a plan to ■lake cuts in a retirement plan used by many nculty. I The plan, which has received preliminary ap proval from the Texas House of Representatives, would cut the state’s contribution to matching funds for the Optional Retirement Plan by 1 per- lipent. This would result in an 11.7 percent cut of its contribution, the resolution says. I The Faculty Senate’s resolution recommends that A&M’s administration convev its opposition to the proposal to the Texas Legislature. I Faculty members may choose between the Teacher Retirement System and the ORP. TRS pensions are based on years of service. Benefits do not begin until an employee has worked 10 years. The ORP, which is not available to many staff members, allows the money set aside to be invested. The House’s proposal would increase the number of years — from one to three — re quired to wait before removing the money. The Senate also passed a rule intended to streamline the process of approving the numer ous changes needed to make degree plans con form to the core curriculum plan. “I was told there are 470 pages of documenta tion being sent to us from the Department of Modern Languages alone,” said Dr. Don Russell, who introduced the measure. The rule allows a curriculum plan to be passed without coming to the floor unless two senators object. In the committee session following the meet ing, Dr. Mark Busby made a related proposal. He wanted to direct the curriculum implementation committee to tell colleges that extremely restric tive requirements for categories like humanities and social sciences could be rejected by the Senate. As an example, he related a rumor that the College of Business will require Economics 203, Principles of Economics I, and Economics 204, Principles of Economics II, to satisfy the six hours of social sciences required by the core curriculum. His motion was defeated 15-27. Earlier, a policy on academic honesty was re turned to committee after much discussion. While the document refers to Rules and Regu lations, which lists avenues students may take to defend themselves from charges of plagiarism or cheating, it lists no options for faculty. Currently, there are no formal rules covering sanctions against faculty. Dr. Clinton Phillips, dean of faculties, said such a policy is in the works. Contact Lenses Only Quality Name Brands (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve) *$79 00 " STD - DA,LYWEARSOFTLENSES $99. 00 -STD. EXTENDED WEAR SOFT LENSES * <600 00 -STD. TINTED SOFT LENSES DAILY WEAR OR EXTENDED WEAR Call 696-3754 For Appointment * Eye exam and care kit not included CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., P.C. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY 707 South Texas Ave., Suite 101D College Station, Texas 77840 1 block South of Texas & University Coupon ■nalk n Taiwanese Association rallies to get backing for own Democratic Party • ■ : > INTERNATIONAL HOUSE qf HLNCAHEL RESTAURANT By Rodney Rather City Editor I While many 1 exas A&M students ■ocused their attention on Saturday’s final exams and contemplated where to celebrate the close of the first ad summer session, one group rallied ^ for a different way of life in their f ftountry. I The theme of the Southwestern W aiwanese Association’s annual con ference, which attracted over 600 fceople to Rudder Tower over the Aveekend, was to build support and ■pread awareness of the fledgling progressive Democratic Party of Tai- ■van. It is the first party to compete fcgainst Taiwan’s ruling government 1— Ko Men Ton — in over 40 years, Raid Mike Kuo, chairman of the con ference and president of the Hous- ■on Taiwanese Association. I With the aid of an interpreter, party chairman Peng Chiang said pie movement, which climbed out of nderground organization on Sept. 8, mustered almost 30 percent of he votes in a national election less 5$ id no than two months later on Dec. 12. Dr. Do Chen, president of the Over sea Taiwanese Association, acted as the translator. The party hopes it will receive of ficial integration as a political body from the Taiwanese government this September, Chiang said. The organization’s ultimate goal is to replace the current ruling party and democratize a government that has been administered by mainland China for 47 years — a process im possible under a 40-year-old regime of martial law, he said. “Anytime we have an election, we only elect a very small fraction of people,” Chaing said. “There are 319 people who are administrators and 219 people don’t have to be elected; they are permanent admin istrators. So only 100 people are elected every three years.” Such a small number of elected officials can’t project an effective voice in the government, he said. Taiwan’s political soil is primed for democratic cultivation, Chiang said, because the economy is strong, the educational system is good, and the people rely on “self-do” — a more democratic way of life. Kuo said the party, using confer ences as a conduit, informs people in the United States about the situation in Taiwan and employs their efforts to strengthen the movement. It also expresses concern abdut the human rights oppression the KMT imposes on Taiwanese living in America who criticize their homeland govern ment, he said. “I’m one of the several hundred people who have been prohibited to go back to Taiwan to visit my fami ly,” he said. Chen said KMT martial law ex tends to the United States — people are intimidated and spied upon. Kuo said he knows some A&M students who have been asked by KMT agents to act as spies but have refused. But he suspects there are others who are acting as informants. “They have tried to force some of the students to report to them,” Kuo said, “but those students have told me they were contacted, but did not accept the job. So I believe that there must be somebody who has accepted thejob.” The KMT often uses benefits, such as money or a visitation trip to Taiwan, to attract students to work for it, he said. The U.S. government, Chiang said, has been cautious in its support of the opposition party and hasn’t made any public acknowledgement of it, although frequent contact is kept with several congressmen and State Department personnel. For instance, Chiang said he was invited by Sen. Walter Mondale, D- Minn., to a special conference of the National Democratic Institute in Washington D.C. last January to bol ster support for the party. Active U.S. support of the movement, he said, won’t come until after the party becomes powerful. The only way for Taiwan to athieve a democratic society, he said, is through its own effort. Mon: Burgers & French Fries Tues: Buttermilk Pancakes Wed: Burger & French Fries Thur: Hot Dogs & French Fries Fri: Beer Battered Fish Sat: French Toast Sun: Spaghetti & Meat Sauce All You Can Eat $ 2" MmmA 6 p.m.-6 a.m. no take outs must present this Expires July 15, 1987 I International House of Pancakes Restaurant 103 S. College Skaggs Center We’re building for the future by not building a building. eche and Jeaf keikf One of the questions we hear most often is, “When is Homestead Savings going to build a new building?” We are outgrowing our present headquarters on Texas Avenue. Our lobby is usually crowded with students and community people transacting check ing and savings business. Our drive-in lanes are busy throughout the day. It would be nice to have room for more tellers, more drive-thru lanes and more parking. In these times, however, we have elected to in vest our operational profits ($200,000 plus last year) into services rather than brick and mortar. Some banks (and most savings and loans) would trade their building for our profits. We wouldn’t trade our customers for theirs. We are planning a new building and we will be able to afford it when we build it. Next time you want a bank that has old-fashioned ideas about living within a budget, come home to Homestead Savings. Homestead Savings Association of Texas Drawer HC/College Station^ Tejfcas/(409) 693-11963 /vtirriber fsuc MSC TRAVEL OFFERS FUN AND LEADERSHIP MSC TRAVEL IS LOOKING FOR OFFICERS FOR THE 1987-88 YEAR POSITIONS AVAILABLE ARE: FINANCE DIRECTORyTRIP COORDINATOR PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR/TRIP COORDINATOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR/TRIP COORDINATOR : / I : J. ■" ‘ ' ' APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW IN ROOM 216 MSC, TRAVEL CUBICLE CALL 845-1515, ASK FOR FLOYD OR TERRY Pizza Wednesday 4fut Buy a LARGE one topping PIZZA plus a pitcher of soft drink for only 501 University 99 good every Wednesday Northgate Battalion Classified 845-2611