THE FREEDOM SESSIONS
Sarah McLachlan's new CD is a techno
logical tour-de-force.
Aggielife, Page 3
vanity unfair
Editorial: Vanity Fair, a national magazine, attacks the
credibility of Texas A&M University and its students.
Opinion, Page 1 3
ARMED AND DANGEROUS
Coach Jim Lawler continues to pro
duce outstanding Aggie pitchers.
Sports, Page
r ol. 101, No. 129 (14 pages)
“Serving Texas AdrAf since 1893
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|Plan aims to raise minority graduation rates
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The Access and Equity 2000
Man's goal is to increase African-
unerican and Hispanic graduation
rates until they at least equal that
>f whites.
3y Lisa Messer
The Battalion
Texas A&M University is focusing on increas-
ig the graduation rates of minority undergradu
ate, graduate and professional students.
A&M’s Access and Equity 2000 plan intends
to increase the graduation rates of African-
lericans and Hispanics until the rates are at
[least equal to the graduation rates of whites.
The plan began in September 1994 as a vol-
mtary continuance of the Texas Plan, which
?as designed to end segregation of African-
[Americans and under-representation of His-
|panics in Texas schools.
Part 2 of 3
Access and Equity 2000 will continue through
[August 2000.
According to the University’s executive sum-
jmary of the plan, A&M is developing programs
|to attract and retain African-American and
Hispanic students.
“It is critical that more emphasis be placed on
better preparing and equipping students in the
15 to 19 age category to meet the challenges of
fered by institutions of higher learning,” the
summary stated. “Texas A&M University is
committed to being a player in solving this
statewide problem.”
In Fall 1994, A&M enrolled 27,670 white un
dergraduates along with 1,077 African-Ameri
cans and 3,448 Hispanics.
Access and Equity’s goal is to have the same
number of white undergraduates enrolled in Fall
2000, but to increase the number of African - Amer
icans to 1,278 and Hispanics to 5,700.
The summary states that competition be
tween universities to attract minority students,
Texas’ population projections, A&M’s enrollment
management policy, A&M’s location in a medi
um-sized town and the University’s short history
of admitting, enrolling and graduating minori
ties have prevented A&M from attracting large
numbers of minority undergraduates.
A&M formed an Access and Equity 2000 Plan
ning and Reporting Committee to work toward
the strategies outlined in the plan.
Mary Broussard, coordinator for special pro
jects and chairwoman of the subcommittee on in
creasing minority undergraduate graduation
rates, said Access and Equity sets a higher goal
than past plans did.
“Access and Equity is an outgrowth of the
Texas Plan, but with those plans there was no as
sessment,” Broussard said. “This plan is a little
different. It requires you to do some evaluating.
“It’s a living plan. It’s not only about goals
and how we accomplish them, but it also tracks
the progress as you go.”
She said the evaluation process would enable
the University to make changes in the programs
that are not succeeding.
“As we look at any program, the major compo
nent is asking whose needs must be met and are
the programs meeting those needs,” she said.
“We have to figure out what programs we have
currently and evaluate those programs.
“The other component is if we find throughout
our evaluation that a program isn’t successful,
then we may need to redirect funds to other ar
eas that are more successful.”
In Fall 1994, 5,270 white students, 173
African-American students and 379 Hispanic
students were enrolled in graduate and profes
sional programs at A&M.
The 552 minority graduate and professional
students in Fall 1994 represent slightly more
than 7.1 percent of all graduate and professional
students at A&M.
According to the Access and Equity plan. Fall
1994 was the first time in recent history that
See Plan, Page 1 4
Tuesday • April 11, 1995
A&M faces budget
cuts from Legislature
□ If passed, the proposed bills could
cost A&M as much as $29 million.
By Tracy Smith
The Battalion
Texas A&M President Ray Bowen stressed the
possibility of major budget cuts for the University
Monday when he addressed the Faculty Senate.
The House and Senate bills are both being proposed
in the state Legislature and could cost A&M as much
as $29 million from last year’s $619.5 million budget.
Bowen said both the bills are worst-case scenarios
and the final decision could look much better.
“The short version is definitely not good news for
the University,” Bowen said. “We hope the long ver
sion will be better.”
The legislature will discuss the budget possibilities
until the end of the session in May, but discussions
could continue into the summer.
Bowen said that currently, the House Bill proposes a
cut of around $29.5 million in the educational and gen
eral funding, the largest part of the Texas A&M budget.
The Senate Bill proposes a $16.5 million decrease.
The House Bill proposes taking away funds from
such areas as the general revenue, doctoral programs,
available University funds and a 1995 one-time money
See Budget, Page 1 4
Faculty Senate recommends
expansion of fine arts classes
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□ The Senate voted Monday to in
crease the number of classes offered
in art, music, theater, and dance.
By Tracy Smith
I The Battalion
The Faculty Senate recommended Monday to
remove limitations on the degree programs and
courses that can be offered in the visual and per
forming arts.
The resolution would change the Texas A&M
Table of Programs to allow programs in the arts
to be developed as a part of the tradition of di
verse academic disciplines at Texas A&M.
The resolution would also eliminate the limita
tion on the number of upper-level liberal arts
classes that can be offered.
In 1990, the visual arts program offered 17
courses. Today the program offers eight courses.
The music program offers 15 courses, five of
which are for a one-hour credit.
This semester, the music program also had three
courses rejected by the Provost after the program
had received approval from other levels.
Dr. Joseph Hutchinson, a senator from the Col
lege of Architecture, said the passage of this resolu
tion would help solve many problems associated
with liberal arts, while also accommodating the in
creasing interest that the University has shown for
a fine arts program.
“One of the reasons top high school scholarship
winners aren’t choosing Texas A&M is partially be
cause we don’t have a program encompassing the
arts,” Hutchinson said. “We have received support
University-wide in favor of such a program.”
The resolution was encouraged after a Fine
Arts Subcommittee investigated the University’s
interest in a fine arts program.
The subcommittee also investigated reasons why
Phi Beta Kappa, a national organization dealing
with the arts, did not accept A&M’s invitation to be
come a part of the campus.
The organization said it declined the offer par
tially because of the small number of fine arts
classes offered at A&M.
Hutchinson said the subcommittee discovered
that courses in art, music, theater and dance are
in great demand on this campus.
“We are all working toward a common goal to
improve Texas A&M,” he said. “The Texas A&M
Statement of Purpose and Missions clearly en
courages the development of the arts, yet the
arts have not been allowed to flourish.
“We hope this resolution will allow the arts to
accomplish this task. Approval will be a milestone
for the University.”
The Senate also discussed last week’s Faculty
Senate elections. The senators will be announced
May 8, at the senate’s last meeting this session.
Dr. Carlton VanDoren, a recreation and parks
professor and faculty senator, said 621 ballots
were cast in this Senate election.
Although the ballot-counting ran relatively
smoothly, VanDoren said the Senate should run
things a little differently at the next election.
“Everyone was working hard to get the results
out as soon as possible,” he said. “But between
counting the ballots for University committees and
the ballots for senators, things got pretty hectic.”
VanDoren suggested that at the next election,
the Senate should count the committee results
separately that day to avoid any added pressure.
Nominations for Faculty Senate officers open
tomorrow and will continue until April 24. The re
sults will be announced at the May meeting.
Cadet to represent A&M ROTC in Virginia
□ Shawn Powers will at
tend the George C.
Marshall Awards Semi
nar this week.
By Gretchen Perrenot
The Battalion
The Corps of Cadets brigade
commander is representing
Texas A&M’s ROTC program at
the 18th annual George C. Mar
shall ROTC Awards Seminar
this week.
One cadet from each universi
ty’s ROTC program receives the
award and attends the seminar.
Shawn Powers, a senior bio
medical science major, will ac
company 270 cadets from across
the nation April 11-14 for round
table discussions on the national
security of the United States.
Maj. George Brinegar, assis
tant professor of military sci
ence, said the cadets will discuss
NATO, the Persian Gulf, the re
structuring of U.S. forces, ethics,
world economics and the profes
sion of arms in the 21st century.
The seminar is held in Lex
ington, Va., at the Virginia Mili
tary Institute and Washington
and Lee University in honor of
Gen. George C. Marshall.
Marshall was a 1901 Virginia
Military Institute graduate and
served as Army Chief of Staff,
Secretary of State and Secretary
of Defense.
He is the author of the Mar
shall Plan and is the only career
military officer to be awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize.
Col. Daniel Ruiz, professor of
military science, said he chose
Powers to represent A&M’s
ROTC program because he best
reflects their values.
“He’s probably the most out
standing young man I’ve ever
met in my life,” Ruiz said. “He’s
really an example of what ROTC
and the Corps is all about.”
Powers holds the highest
rank of an Army ROTC cadet,
maintains a 3.4 grade-point ra
tio and is a member of the Ross
Volunteers, Ruiz said.
“To do all this and maintain
high grades, Shawn shows he is
a level-headed, mature individ
ual,” he said.
Brinegar said Powers is a
cadet of high caliber and he pre
dicts Powers will be successful
in the medical field.
“As a brigade commander in
the Corps of Cadets, his future is
bright,” Brinegar said. Powers
said he had no idea he would win
the award and is not sure what to
expect from the seminar.
“I was a little surprised and
very excited when I found out,”
Powers said.
In addition to the roundtable
discussions, the seminar will
present guest speakers includ
ing Gen. John M. Shalikashvili,
chairman of the joint chiefs of
staff; Togo D. West, Jr., secre
tary of the army; Gen. William
W. Hartzog, commander of the
training and doctrine command;
and Maj. Gen. James M. Lyle,
commander of cadet command.
Bart Mitchell/THE Battalion
Boot-scootin' boogie
Jason Ashworth, a senior management major, prepares to flip Amy Carruba, a senior me
chanical engineering major, into a double humiliation during an Aggie Wrangler Advanced Jit
terbug class in G. Rollie White on Monday night. Both are members of the Aggie Wranglers.
Adviser Day brings students, advisers together
Tim Moog/THE Battalion
Shawn Powers will travel to
Virginia today to represent A&M
at the George C. Marshall
Awards Seminar.
□ Students can meet
their academic advis
ers Wednesday from
10-2 in the MSC.
By Wes Swift
The Battalion
Students will have the
chance to meet with academic
advisers Wednesday when Uni
versity Advisers and Counselors
hold Adviser Day at the MSC
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Advisers from A&M’s 10 col
leges will man tables in the
MSC lobby to answer questions
and introduce students to their
assigned advisers.
Mary Broussard, coordinator
of special programs for the as
sistant provost for undergradu
ate studies, said the event will
help students learn more about
academic advisers.
“This is a chance for us to say,
‘We’re here and we’re here to
help you with your educational
planning,’” Broussard said.
Samantha Leech, an under
graduate counselor for the Col
lege of Science, said that al
though every student is assigned
an adviser, many forget them in
the hodgepodge of college life.
“Every freshman is assigned
an adviser during the summer
freshmen orientation session,”
she said. “But between then
and the beginning of their
freshmen year, students receive
so much information that they
forget who their adviser is.”
Michelle Marek, UAC treasur
er and former academic adviser,
said students will benefit by ac
tually meeting their advisers.
“Many people remember
faces better than names,”
Marek said. “It’s better for stu
dents to meet their advisers
face to face, shake their hands
and get a business card.”
Measurement and Research
Services recently released a
study of A&M’s learning
See Advisers, Page 14