A
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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.