**■
jguste.r
A man in Idaho
drops a dish,
while 1,500 miles
away the weather in
Aggieland is hot with a
chance of afternoon
thunderstorms.
NCAA axes athletic dorms
Southwest Conference
coaches argue pros and cons of
new rule.
PAGE 3
"We also need to see rape victims
the victims of a crime of violence
and treat them with sympathy, not
shame. This will allow them to
prosecute their rapists, instead of letting
them go free." - Michael Cowen
* PAGE 5
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College Station, Texas
"Serving Texas A&M since 1893"
Friday, August 9, 1991
Report on teacher certification problems untrue, officials say
By K. Lee Davis
The Battalion
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A local newspaper report stating
some students in Texas A&M's College
of Education might have their gradua
tion delayed because of teacher certifi
cation problems was false, officials
with the college said.
"There will be some adjustments (in
the certification process), but no stu
dents will have their date of graduation
affected by the changes," said Dr.
Donna Wiseman, associate dean for
teacher education.
"After the story appeared in the
(Bryan-College Station) Eagle, we re
ceived clarification from the THECB
(Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board) that all of these students are
protected and won't have to graduate
late," she added.
Dr. Bryan Cole, dean for undergrad
uate studies in the College of Educa
tion, said the THECB recently inter
preted a section of a 1987 state law
affecting teacher certification that had
not been thoroughly dealt with before.
The law states any individual receiv
ing teacher certification after Sept. 1
must have an academic degree or inter
disciplinary academic degree other
than education.
This new interpretation will cause
some changes in the curriculum A&M
uses to certify teachers for bilingual
studies and special education.
"(The THECB) has given us an ex
tension until Aug. 31, 1991, by which
time the student can be certified in
their current program or can be looked
at individually to make sure that they
can be transitioned into the new pro
gram," Cole said.
Dr. Viola Flores, an associate profes
sor of curriculum and instruction and
the director of bilingual education and
the English as a Second Language Pro
gram, said no student will be forced to
graduate behind schedule because of
the changes.
"When you start to look at the de
mand and importance of bilingual tea
ching in Texas and across the nation, it
would not make sense to cut the pro
gram back," Flores said. "We really
need more recruitment into this pro
gram.
Flores also stated the college had
known about the problem for less than
a week before students were notified.
"The college used that time to for
mulate a plan to deal with the crisis,"
she said.
Wiseman said 17 bilingual education
students were given notification from
the college of the new interpretation
handed down from the THECB.
"It (the new interpretation) can make
some changes in the sequence that
some courses have to be taken," Wise
man said. "But we can adjust that with
no problem."
However, some students might have
to do their student teaching earlier
than they had anticipated, she said.
"Contrary to some of the rumors fly
ing around, no programs are being
eliminated, no students should lose
credit, and no students will graduate
late because of this change," Wiseman
said.
Cole said 85 special education stu
dents will be notified of the changes in
curriculum when fall classes resume.
"Too many of them (special educa
tion students) are gone for the sum
mer, and the problem has been resol
ved," Cole said.
All three administrators stressed that
students with questions should talk to
their adviser soon.
Getting the run-around
Laura Watts, from Houston, runs laps around Anderson Track Thursday afternoon. Watts, a marketing major, will be graduating in August
SONORA ROBBINS/The Battalion
Bills' fates
unknown
Amendment for student regent held up;
tuition increase may be less than expected
By Greg Mt.Joy
The Battalion
;ent amend-
before being
A bleak legislative outlook surrounds a non-voting student re
gent amendment, part of the education-minded House Bill 2, said
Rep. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan.
Ogden said he had high hopes for the student ret
ment, which had passed both the House and Senate 1
held up by a conference committee.
"Tm very disappointed we were held up after getting the mea
sure further than we ever had before," Ogden said. "It's funny
how one or two guys can hold something like this up."
Ogden said the bill's almost imminent death was probably the
result of opposition by Sen. Carl Parker, D-Port Arthur.
"He didn't hold it up just for the student regent amendment,
though," Ogden said. "There were several controversial points on
that bill, including a decision to save $200 million by not funding
pre-kindergarten baby-sitting. Parker would rather see the entire
Dill die than try to work it out."
Ogden said the most surprising news came surrounding H.B.
11, a tax bill that included a slight tuition increase.
"Most students had resigned themselves to a bill perhaps dou
bling tuition," he said. "But the tax issues discussed (Thursday) in
clude only a $2 per semester hour increase. Any increase will cer
tainly not be along the lines of the major increases proposed by
State Comptroller John Sharp."
Ogden said legislative leadership was going to submit a sub
stantial tax bill, totaling about $2 billion to $3 billion, coming
See Ogden/Page 8
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B-CS communities will look for solutions
to homelessness, provide housing strategies
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By Robin Goodpaster
The Battalion
Homelessness is a growing
E mblem — even in Bryan-Col-
ige Station — and the two com
munities will look for new solu
tions at an open meeting
Wednesday.
Gail Macmillan, community
development coordinator for
Bryan, said social service provid
ers and the general public will be
able to provide ideas about hous
ing strategies.
The meeting will begin at 6
p.m. Wednesday in the Brazos
Center.
"This meeting is to assess the
greatest needs for housing and
Battalion moves
underground in fall
The Battalion office has
moved to the basement of the
Reed McDonald building. It
will now be in 013 Reed Mc
Donald.
Also, The Battalion's final
summer issue is today. Look
for the next issue of The Bat
talion on Aug. 28 and The Bat
talion's Back-to-School Issue
on Sept. 2.
what to do about it," Macmillan
said. "We want the plan to be re
flective of the whole commu
nity."
Jo Carroll, community devel
opment administrator for Col
lege Station, said the additional
input will enable social services
to help more people.
"We hope to identify groups
or needs that have not been seen
before, like the elderly or AIDS
patients," Carroll said. "Maybe
someone at the meeting will
come up with a solution that we
have not thought of."
Macmillan estimates 127 fami
lies are homeless in Bryan-Col-
lege Station but said the actual
number could be higher or
lower. She said a good estimate
would be to add together how
many people are staying in half
way houses and how many are
being turned away.
Bryan and College Station are
coming together for the project
to gain federal dollars.
Funds generated under the
Cranston-Gonzales National Af
fordable Housing Act are
granted when a local govern
ment creates a housing strategy,
and the meeting is designed to
accomplish that.
Block grant funds are desig
nated to eliminate slums, ad
dress emergencies or help low
See Housing/Page 8
A&M offers heart fellowship
Staff and wire reports
Physicians at the Texas Heart Institute and officials at Texas
A&M University on Thursday announced a new research
fellowship program that will train veterinarians in human cardio
vascular medicine.
"To me, the merger is just the epitome of my dreams to see THI
and A&M get together," said Michel T. Halbouty, the chief exec
utive officer of Halbouty Energy Co., which made the initial dona
tion to endow the five-year fellowships.
The first two of what eventually will be 10 full-time fellowships
have been awarded this month to two graduate veterinarians.
Pressure
buildup
causes
explosion
By Jeff M. Brown
The Battalion
An ether experiment rattled
Texas A&M's old Chemistry
Building Thursday afternoon
when extreme pressure built
up, causing an explosion that
damaged the lab and exhaust
stack on the roof.
Robert Stitler, University
safety and health officer, said
there were no injuries and a
minimal amount of damage.
Graduate students working
on a distillation project in lab
201A, where the accident oc
curred, were able to extin
guish the fire caused by the
explosion. Increased pressure
in a connecting smokestack
"popped" the top off the stack
on tne roof.
The College Station Fire De
partment and University Po
lice were called to check the
building.
Neal Gray, a member of a
See Explosion/Page 8
RICHARD S. JAMES/The Battalion
John Demere, with the Systems Safety Office, surveys the damage to an
exhaust stack on top of the old Chemistry Building. The exhaust stack
was damaged when a chemistry experiment accidently exploded.