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Serving Texas A&M since 1893
Thursday, March 24, 1994
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The Texas A&M University System has pro-
ibited purchasing alcohol with any funds ad-
ninistered through the System, according to a
Statement released Wednesday by Chancellor
William H. Mobley and Ross Margraves,
hairman of the Board of Regents.
The statement comes four weeks after two
loard of Regents secretaries were indicted on
’elony charges of falsifying vouchers to con-
eal alcohol purchases for the Board.
Vickie Running, Board of Regents secre
tary, and Sasha Walters, administrative aide to
the Board, were indicted for allegedly altering
bans alcohol in A&M facilities
System Chancellor defines policy concerning use
purchasing of alcohol by University employees
state vouchers to reflect the purchase of
“food, soft drinks, cups and ice” when alco
holic beverages were actually purchased.
Margraves said the statement was issued to
clear up any questions about the University’s
alcohol policy.
“We wanted to formulate a definitive poli
cy,” Margraves said. “We don’t have a real
definitive policy except for the students.”
According to the statement, debts incurred
before the memo may be paid from unre
stricted gift funds.
The System also has prohibited serving or
consuming alcoholic beverages in any build
ing or on any campus of any university in
the System.
Also, the policy restricts serving alcohol in
any service unit facility, or any other public
property or premises under control of the Sys
tem except licensed faculty clubs.
Regent M. Guadalupe Range said she was
proud of the action taken by Margraves.
“I feel it’s up to all of the administration to
do something to curtail the use of alcohol,”
she said.
Regent Billy Clayton said he approved of
the University clarifying its stance although he
thought the University hadn’t broken any
rules to begin with.
“The policies are long standing,” Clayton
said. “I don’t think we did anything wrong.
We didn’t use state funds.”
In a statement released March 1 7, Mobley
blamed a lack of administrative communica
tion between departments and fiscal offices
for the controversial alcohol purchases.
He said the A&M System began reviewing
the practices and procedures relating to the
purchase of alcohol after learning of the
voucher situation.
“The review is not complete; however, it
has become clear that in spite of the availabili
ty of allowable funds for the purchase of alco
hol, over the years, a widespread institutional
practice developed in which vouchers listing
the purchase of alcohol would not be paid by
the fiscal office,” Mobley said.
“When purchasing alcohol, the institution
See Alcohol/Page 8
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Entering
the job search
Study Abroad budgeting leaves
students waiting for trip refunds
By Jan Higginbotham
The Battalion
The Department of Modem and Classical Languages is
working to clear up student allegations and budget prob
lems which arose out of the department's Study Abroad
program in France last summer.
Steve Oberhelman, head of the Modern and Classical
Languages department, said he has been working with the
director of last summer’s trip, Dr. Claudine Hunting, an
associate professor of modern languages, to deal with
concerns raised by students.
The students have alleged that Hunting acted inappro
priately during the trip and are concerned because they
have not received a refund from the department.
“The students did raise concerns, and their concerns
were taken seriously,” Oberhelman said. "I’m trying to
ensure that all their rights were protected. Their concerns
will not be pushed aside.”
Oberhelman said he summarized the students’ con
cerns for Hunting, who is currently on development leave
in France, and is waiting for her response before he takes
any action.
The issue of alleged misconduct is secondary to grade
appeals which were filed by the students, Oberhelman
said. He is in the process of resolving those appeals.
“I am currendy following correct procedure,” he said.
“It is my responsibility to ensure that they have received
fair and proper grades.”
One of the students involved with the trip last summer
said she is concerned because the students have not yet re
ceived their refunds. The student did not want her name
used because the issue has not yet been resolved.
"They told us we would get at least $200 back be
fore Thanksgiving,” she said. “We’ve been home for
seven months. It shouldn’t have taken this long to fin
ish the audit.”
Oberhelman said the department has not yet issued re
funds because the program’s account did not balance and
has not been closed out yet due to $460 which has not
been accounted for.
“We have looked at the director’s records. She report
ed some money stolen and some of the discrepancy could
be because of the exchange rate,” Oberhelman said.
“I am concerned that there was the shortfall, but no
one in the fiscal office can call it an act of misconduct,” he
said. “I am accepting the word of the director.”
“In the interest of the students, I am covering the
shortfall with department money,” Oberhelman said. “I
fully expect refund checks by the end of March.”
The anonymous student said concern was also ex
pressed by the group because they felt Hunting acted un-
pro fessionally and treated the students unfairly. The stu
dents created a list of allegations for Oberhelman to make
him aware of Hunting’s actions.
“She was disrespectful to us in general,” the student
said. “Whenever we asked her questions concerning
money, she’d tell us it was none of our business.”
The student said concerns were also raised because
Hunting accused several students of plagiarism and made
other allegations which they considered outrageous.
Oberhelman said he is most concerned with the students.
“I have a very student-oriented background,” he said.
“Students are the primary reason for this institution and
my decisions as an administrator look to students. ”
Oberhelman said he has been pleased with the stu
dents’ actions in dealing with the situation.
“I have been extremely impressed with the students’
patience.”
Oberhelman said each Study Abroad program is indi
vidual.
“Each trip takes on the character of the director,” he said.
Oberhelman said he has already chosen directors for
this summer’s program, which offers trips to Spain, Mexi
co, France, Germany and Russia.
“I looked at who would be the type of person I would
want my child to take a trip with and who I would want if
I were a student, ” Oberhelman said.
He said he chooses directors on their ability to recruit,
if they prove to be good representatives of Texas A&M, if
they are responsible leaders, if they will be willing to as
sist the students and if they show fiscal capability.
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Mary Macmanus/The Battalion
Tim Nguyen, a senior mechanical engineering ma- ter bulletin board. The center is located on the
jor from Garland, looks for a job on the career cen- second floor of the John J. Koldus Building.
Aggielife
Campus
Cartoons
Pg- 3
Pg- 2
pg. 14
Opinion
Sports
What's Up
pg. 15
Pg-9
Pg- 7
Clinton’s health care plan in jeopardy;
Democrats offer compromise proposal
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — House Republicans thumbed
their noses Wednesday at President Clinton’s origi
nal health care reform plan as Democrats sought to
close ranks behind a compromise plan to guarantee
health insurance for every American.
A Ways and Means subcommittee was attempt
ing to become the first panel in Congress to ap
prove a health reform bill.
It was expected to vote Wednesday night on a
bill stitched together by its chairman. Rep. Pete
Stark, D-Calif.
Republican opposition and Democratic misgiv
ings about the 0.8 percent payroll tax in Stark’s bill
could hobble the compromise.
Stark said the Democrats might have a last-minute
proposal to change the revenues and benefits.
Stark’s plan would require all employers to pay
for health insurance. It would create a new
Medicare Part C program to cover the uninsured
and extend prescription drug coverage to the elder
ly. It would also limit the growth of private and
public health expenditures.
Stark would not force most Americans into
mandatory insurance purchasing alliances.
His plan would let people keep the private
health plans they now have.
The 11-member panel fust was rejecting alter
native health proposals offered by both Republicans
and Democrats.
Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif, engineered a vote on
the original 1,342-page Clinton Health Security Act
by offering it as a substitute for Stark’s plan.
Democrats accused the minority of playing
games and trying to embarrass the White House.
They said the controversial Clinton blueprint had
evolved into Stark’s plan.
“We have improved upon it,’’ said Rep. Ben
jamin Cardin, D-Md.
“I just wanted to know if it’s appropriate to of
fer a eulogy now,” said Rep. Fred Grandy, R-Iowa.
“I did it for the American people,” said Thomas.
“The president’s plan was a beginning. ... The vote
today is to certify the end of the beginning.’’
Thomas charged that Stark’s plan was even worse
See Health Gare/Page 8
Gunbattle in West Bank leaves five dead
The Associated Press
HEBRON, Occupied West Bank
— As dawn broke Wednesday, the
Muslim call to prayer competed with
the staccato chatter of machine guns
and explosions of rockets tearing
apart a stone building suspected as a
guerrilla hideout.
When the 2 2-hour siege ended at
midafternoon,, four Islamic militants
and a woman bystander were dead,
and Arabs opposed to the resumption
of Middle East peace talks had a new
rallying cry.
The gunbattle came less than a
month after a Jewish settler shot 30
Palestinian worshippers to death in
Hebron’s ancient Tomb of the Patri
archs. Palestinian leaders accused the
army of endangering civilians with
the siege.
Palestinians were especially in
censed the roof of a pediatric hospital
holding 3 2 children was used as a
staging point by Israeli soldiers to
pour fire at the holed-up guerrillas.
That move also drew protests from
the International Red Cross and other
human rights groups.
Israeli military censors banned
news media from reporting on the
battle until after it ended, apparendy
hoping to hold down Palestinian
protests in the occupied territories.
U.N. spokesman Sami Mshasha
said 1 8 Palestinians were wounded
in clashes with troops during
protests in Hebron and others towns
in the West Bank.
The army said the siege started
around 4 p.m. Tuesday, when an Is
raeli patrol was shot at from the
building. An army spokesman, Capt.
Ram Izrach, said the last shots heard
from inside the building came at
around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
“They were called on many times
to surrender, but the answer was al
ways gunfire,” he told an Associated
Press reporter at the scene.
Izrach said five soldiers suffered
minor wounds, including the driver
of an armored bulldozer who was
wounded by glass fragments when
guerrillas fired as he battered the
three-story building.
Reporters estimated troops fired
more than 100 anti-tank rockets
along with thousands of bullets from
machine guns and automatic rifles.
Night turned to day, setting roost
ers crowing, when up to 15 yellow
flares at a time glided down over He
bron repeatedly Tuesday night. Red
tracer bullets streamed at the hideout,
which was held in the glare of blind
ing spotlights that jumped from win
dow to window looking for move
ment.
“After the thousands of shots
they’ve fired in there, only ghosts and
angels could be left,’’ said Surayia
Abu Sineini, 44, who watched the
battle that turned a refurbished white
stone building into a fire-blackened
wreck.
Maj. Gen. Ehud Barak, the military
chief of staff, said the four dead were
among the most dangerous wanted
members of the Islamic Resistance
Movement, or Hamas.
Announcing the battle during the
See Violence/Page 14
Board of Regents to
decide fate of A&M
professors’ tenure
By Kim McGuire
The Battalion
The fate of 73 professors will be decided Thursday, at the Board of Regents
meeting, when the regents decide whether to grant them tenure.
The vote follows several heated discussions about tenure and a workshop
earlier this month in which regents aired concerns about the matter.
The controversy came to a boil at the regents’ December meeting when
several regents voted against granting tenure to 12 candidates until Chairman
Ross Margraves pleaded with them to change their votes until a forum could
be held to discuss the issue.
Many of the regents objected to tenure policies and feared tenure prohibit
ed unproductive professors from being dismissed.
“I will not vote for giving someone a permanent job,” said Regent Billy
Clayton, who has consistently voted against tenure because of “philosophi
cal differences.”
However, Dr. Manuel Davenport, chairman of the committee on academic
freedom, resignation and tenure, said granting tenure is not guaranteeing a
professor a permanent job.
“All tenure is a guarantee to a hearing if your job is in question,” Daven
port said. “It’s nothing but a guarantee of due process. Professors without
tenure can be fired at will, whereas tenured professors cannot.”
He added the University would be damaged if tenure was ever abolished
and would be put on a censured list by the American Association of Uni
versity Professors.
“No quality professor would take a job here and, as a result, you’d see a
mass departure of high quality professors and department heads to schools
with tenure,” he said.
A forum to discuss tenure was held March 11 in Austin and headed by
Clayton, chairman of committee of academic campuses.
Clayton said the chancellor for the University of Florida spoke at the fo
rum about some of the problems tenure presents and how the process
might be improved.
Jim Morgan, Speaker of the Faculty Senate who attended the forum, said
one of the problems of the tenure process is often that university officials
aren’t properly notified if a professor isn’t performing adequately.
"Tenure provides mechanisms to get rid of someone who is not doing
their work,” Morgan said. "And it works as long as someone notifies the uni-
See Tenure/Page 8