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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1995)
A ]Vt u N R T TO DRIVE Papal concern Social work A&M sophomore linebacker Trentpriver is awaiting his a breakthrough season. Sports, Page 7 Pawlikowski: Catholics who question the Pope's teachings aren't necessarily wrong to do so. Tending bar proves to be a way for students to have fun while making money. Opinion, Page 11 Aggielife, Page 3 Battalion 102, No. 35 (12 pages) Established in 1893 Friday • October 13, 1995 egents to vote on post-tenure evaluation Irhe evaluation process would iew the performance of ured faculty members. James Bernsen e Battalion The Texas A&M System Board of Re- Jnts Systems Policies Committee ap- joved a new post-tenure faculty evalu- on process Thursday. The full Board will vote on the pro- Jsal Friday. The new policy will establish a ocess for A&M System schools to re- !w the performance of tenured faculty jmbers, something that the System s never had before. Regent M. Guadalupe Rangel, com- ittee chairwoman, said the post- lure review is something few univer- ;y systems in the country have. mal “I think that A&M is on the cutting edge of a very solid tenure policy,” Rangel said. “We are in the process of fine-tuning this policy in order to meet the needs of all the campuses.” Regent Don Powell of Amarillo said Board approval of the committee’s ac tion is likely. “The Board is serious about post tenure review in addition to annual re view,” Powell said. Currently, annual review of faculty only applies to non-tenured faculty. This process would continue with the approval of post-tenure review. The purpose of the change is not to make it easier to remove professors, Powell said, but rather to evaluate them constantly to make sure that once they receive tenure, they continue to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. “I think the students want the very best faculty,” he said, “and that is what this is all about.” Powell said the Board had some reservations about the whole tenure process, but decided it was needed. "The Board is serious about post-tenure re view in addition to an nual review. — Don Powell Board of Regents member “I think the regents recognize the im portance of tenure,” he said. “We also recognize the importance of perfor mance beyond tenure.” Rangel said the idea was suggested to the System schools and was supported. “I received a very favorable response from all of the faculty from all of the campuses,” she said. Dr. Pierce Cantrell, A&M Faculty Senate speaker, said he was under the impression that the Board would not act on the issue until a later date. “There’s obviously some communications problems between the regents and the system schools,” Cantrell said. “The Board has acted without our input and that is unfortunate.” Still, Cantrell said the Faculty Senate will have to wait and see what happens. “I think we can certainly deal with the policy as adopted,” he said. “There were issues that we would have liked to have at the front end of this.” Powell said the Board is willing to change the process if Cantrell or any other faculty members have valid com plaints, but wanted to get something on the books now. “Ultimately, we are responsible to the people of Texas,” he said, “and I think the people of Texas will be pleased with the action that the Board will take tomorrow.” The criteria of evaluating faculty will be based on several factors includ ing teaching; research and other schol arly efforts; student advising and counseling; committee and administra tive service to the University; and ser vice to the profession, community, state or nation. Powell said each school and depart ment in the System will be allowed to set up percentages for each of these categories to tailor the review to their priorities. “For example, Texas A&M has a large research component, while West Texas A&M is mostly a teaching school,” he said. “This will allow them to weigh different aspects differently.” )kin Deep elicits Dositive reactions The documentary, fesented Thursday ening in Rudder heater, was followed a panel discussion. and With emphasis on changing ac- ns not just attitudes, the film in Deep allowed students to ex- line their own beliefs concerning e and racism and apply them to oblems in today’s society, espe- lly on college campuses. Heather Pace e Battalion See related EDITORIAL, Page 11 Frances Reid, an Academy vard-nominated director, present- Skin Deep in Rudder Theater mrsday night and followed the m with a panel discussion. The film featured four students )m Texas A&M, the University of difornia at Berkeley and the Uni- rsity of Massachusetts. Reid said she produced the docu- sntary because she was curious as why racial issues were especially ated on college campuses. The tremendous sense of hope at followed the civil rights move- ent disappeared in the 1980s as cism appeared in more insidious rms, Reid said. Racheal Grafton, a sophomore omedical science major, said she curious as to how the A&M stu nts featured in the film would irtray racism on campus. “I came to see if they would try to iver up what is going on here,” rafton said. After the presentation and the inel discussion, students respond- 1 positively to what they had seen. Devrah Otten, a senior psycholo gy major, said Skin Deep was rele vant to the issues on campus today, such as multiculturalism. “A lot of people are very offended about multiculturalism,” Otten said. “So maybe this is a little more benign presentation of the issue.” During the panel discussion, Fre da Colbert, Class of ’95, who partic ipated in the documentary, spoke about the importance of breaking through racial barriers. “Where you don’t see a way, you have to create one,” Colbert said. “Fm not saying that I didn’t get burned, but you can get over it. You just have to make a way for yourself and step outside your boundaries.” Colbert said students must realize not only where people from different backgrounds are coming from on racial issues, but where they are going. “People need to learn to accept peo ple for the page they are on,” she said. Duane Thomas, a serdor industri al engineering major who also partic ipated in the documentary, found the experience to be worthwhile. “It was wonderful to see how everyone was so open and ready to learn from each other,” Thomas said. One audience member received applause from the crowd when she said, “I think it should be empha sized that we’re all from one race — the human race.” Tabitha Stump, a freshman politi cal science major, said similarities exist between the movie and her own experiences in A&M’s Corps of Cadets. Like the 23 students who participated in Skin Deep who had to become acquainted with each other quickly. Stump said the Corps forced cadets to get to know everyone. “I thought the documentary would be cheesy and just a get-together and hold hands event,” she said. However, Stump said the experi ence proved to be worthwhile be cause it involved “getting to know everyone on a human level.” Stew Milne, The Battalion Diana Hodges, Aggieland editor, stands among the piles of yearbooks. The 1995 Aggieland has a special cover to commemorate the yearbook's 1 00th year. ‘History in the Making ’ Aggieland celebrates 100th year □ The cover of the 1995 yearbook differs from the traditional cover, with a photo and theme printed on the front. The books are being distributed from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the English Annex across from Heaton Hall. Diana Hodges, Aggieland editor and a junior journalism major, said the staff took a departure from the traditional cover to celebrate the book’s centennial. By Lisa Johnson The Batt alion T he 1995 Aggieland has arrived, complete with a special cover commemorating the yearbook’s 100th year. While maintaining the maroon leather and gold lettering on the cover, the annual’s theme, “History in the Making,” rather than the title, was printed on the front, and a picture was printed on the front of the annual for the first time. Making such a change, Hodges said, made her apprehensive. “I was really worried about the cov er,” she said. “I wanted to keep it tradi tional, but I also wanted to do some thing different. I felt like the picture and printed theme on the cover would give the book a new dimension, but I wasn’t sure how others would react.” Hodges said her worries were re lieved by the reactions of the staff and publishers, whom said the cover looked great. Hodges said she is interested in seeing See Aggieland, Page 10 Multiculturalism bills presented to students at forum jason Ross, a member of the Academ- c Affairs Committee, presents the Stu- lent Senate's multiculturalism bill ‘hursday night at the forum. □ Student leaders said the Student Senate should take a definitive stance on the cultures requirement. By Sterling Hayman The Battalion Texas A&M students directly ques^ tioned and criticized the Student Sen ate Wednesday in a forum dealing with the University’s proposed cultures requirement. The forum, which was mediated by Erin Fitzgerald, Student Senate Academ ic Affairs Committee chair and a senior political science major, allowed students to ask questions and comment on the proposed requirements. “The reason we are holding this is so we can get your input about how you feel about the cultures requirement,” Fitzgerald said. The forum began with detailed pre sentations of both the Faculty Senate and the Student Senate proposals. The Student Senate bill, which was presented by Jason Ross, a member of the Academic Affairs Committee and a junior political science major, recom mended that students be required to take 3 hours of cultures classes. Under this proposal, students would have to complete 3 credit hours of class es, focusing on either U.S. cultures or in ternational cultures. Approved classes that are taken to fulfill other require ments in the curriculum would also count toward the cultures requirement. Amy Bigbee, Student Senate liaison to the Faculty Senate, presented the Facul ty Senate bill. This proposal would re quire students to complete 6 credit hours of cultures class, focusing both on U.S. and international cultures. Neither proposal would alter the cur riculum of students who are currently enrolled in the University. If signed by Dr. Ray Bowen, A&M president, a cul tures requirement would only affect in coming students. Bigbee said, however, that the Stu dent Senate is considering a repeal of the See FORUM, Page 10 Stew Milne, The Battalion Amy Bigbee, Student Senate liaison to the Faculty Senate, presents the Facul ty Senate's multiculturalism bill Thurs day night at the forum.