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Aggieufe: Where's the beet? • Page 3
Opinion: Abortion funding under fire • P,age 5
ATTALION
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Volume 109 • Issue 167 • 6 pages
Gates: 40 jobs will be lost in budget crunch
109 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Thursday, July 10, 2003
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
Layoff numbers originally proposed
to be in the triple digits will now result
in less than 40 people losing their jobs,
said Texas A&M President Robert M.
Gates in a memo Wednesday announc
ing his final decisions on the University
budget for fiscal year 2004.
Gates said the University will elimi
nate approximately 250 positions, but
because of the hiring freeze implement
ed last January, 211 of those positions
are currently vacant.
A “match-up” process will further
reduce the number of employees being
layed off. Gates said.
“We intend to see if we can reduce
that number further by matching indi
viduals being laid off to currently
vacant positions that are being kept,”
he said. “If a clerical staff member were
to be laid off by one component of the
University, is there an open clerical
staff position in another component?”
Gates said if an employee cannot
find a job at the University, the
University will help
him find a job in the
community.
“Letting go even
one member of the
Aggie family is tough
and clearly is a last
gates resort,” he said.
Gates said large
increases are in the works for health
insurance and all employees will see
the costs rise significantly.
Gates said the University will pro
vide a pay increase of $50 per month to
help offset the increase in the health
care premium for full-time employees
making $30,000 or less per year.
“I wish we could do more, but that is
all we can afford,” he said.
Last month, Gates said the
University will increase compensation
by $145.60 for graduate students who
enroll in a University health care plan.
“For those with families and those
in other health plans, this amount will
help defray your original cost,” he
said.
Gates said the University is still
awaiting a response from Attorney
General Greg Abbott regarding the
System retirement bills passed earlier
this month, and said the University is
working closely with the System to
provide the most timely, up-to-the-
minute update for employees.
“We will inform (the employees) of
what we learn just as quickly as we
possibly can to aid in your decisions
about the future,” he said.
In a previous memo sent in June,
See Crunch on page 2
Relishing relationships
‘Grandma Jane’ Bailey shares her love of life with MSC student leaders
By Dallas Shipp
THE BATTALION
A lot of people display
pictures in their office
but, walking into Jane
Bailey’s office, you can’t help
but notice the hundreds and
perhaps more than 1,000 pic
tures of former students that
cover nearly every inch of wall
space. These are students
whose lives have been touched
by Bailey, assistant to the
director of the Memorial
Student Center.
These students are what
Bailey says keep her going and
make her job so much fun.
“I truly like students, and
working with students is what
makes this job worthwhile,”
she said. “If there weren’t stu
dents here'it would just be
another job. I love life and I
love to be surrounded by peo
ple that are alive and full of
life and that’s Aggies, that’s
young people.”
After spending her first 20-
plus years as part of the work
force in four different career
fields, Bailey finally found her
calling in 1985 when she
applied for a job at Texas
A&M working in the MSC.
Now, 18 years later, she says it
is the best thing that has ever
happened to her.
“I’ve had five careers but
this is the most important to
me,” Bailey said. “My relation
ship to the students and former
students is what makes my job
so worthwhile.”
Amy Bacon, Class of 1991,
worked in the MSC with
JOSHUA HOBSON • THE BATTALION
Jane Bailey, assistant to the director of the Memorial Student Center, leadership for the upcoming school year. Behind Bailey are the pho-
looks at photos from a recent student leadership trip to Italy with jun- tos of former students that have filled her office, and her life, for the
ior marketing major Nicole Hoegg, vice president for development past 18 years.
Bailey for four years. Bacon
said Bailey had as big of an
impact on her life as anyone,
including her parents.
“She had a knack for draw
ing you out, making you want
to talk to her, making you into
an extrovert,” Bacon said. “She
would see what your strengths
were and try to pull them out
of you.”
During the course of her
college career and after gradu
ation, Bacon’s relationship
with Bailey turned into more
of a mother-daughter relation
ship than a student and her
adviser.
“Jane just became a part of
my family,” Bacon said. “Jane
was there for all the major
milestones in my life: my grad
uation, my wedding, when my
first child was born. She’s
always been there for me.”
Bacon’s daughter Elena,
who is now 4 years old, refers
to Bailey as ‘Grandma Jane.’
“When Elena was born we
always sent her Mother’s Day
cards, Christmas cards and
everything,” she said. “We
always put ‘To: Grandma
Jane, Love Ellie’ and that’s
just how Elena knows her,
‘Grandma Jane.’”
When Bacon and her family
come to town for football
See Bailey on page 2
Colleges
to discuss
affirmative
action use
By Natalie Younts
THE BATTALION
Director of Admissions Frank
Ashley will attend a national
College Board meeting today
and Friday in Chicago to discuss
the impact of the Supreme Court
affirmative action ruling.
“Our next step is when I get
back from Chicago to meet with
individuals here on campus to
try to figure out what we’re
going to do,” Ashley said.
“We’re going to decide whether
or not we even want to use race
as a factor for admission.”
The U.S. Supreme Court
ruled last month that giving
minority applicants automatic
bonus points in admissions con
sideration is unconstitutional,
while considering race as one
factor among many is legal. The
inclusion of race as an admis
sions factor has been banned in
Texas since 1996 when it was
ruled unconstitutional by the
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in
Hopwood v. Texas.
“The meeting will provide a
forum for higher education pro
fessionals to come together and
work through implications and
come to a better understanding
of the new legal landscape,” said
Kristin Carnahan, associate
director of public affairs for the
College Board.
More than 50 directors of
admissions from across the
country and the lawyer who
argued the case will attend the
See Colleges on page 6
UNIVERSITY AIDS GRADUATE STUDENT)
Those enrolled in a University
health care plan will receive ^
an additional ££EEQt] fik
compensation per month ■■
Graduate students with families
will see health care premiums rise
approximately!^^
Increased aid for graduate students will
cost the Universityl
$3 million
RUBEN DELUNA • THE BATTALION
Grad students
receive extra
compensation
By Jodi Rogers
THE BATTALION
In a University-wide memo,
Texas A&M President Robert M.
Gates announced Wednesday that
graduate students enrolled in a
University health care plan will see
increased compensation by
$145.60 per month for the 2004
fiscal year.
The compensation will cost the
University $3 million. For gradu
ate students who are single, the
increased compensation will cover
their monthly premium. Those
married with children can expect
health care premiums to jump from
$108.80 per month up to $281.07,
an estimated percent increase of
258.
Graduate Student Council
President Josh Peschel said in an
earlier interview with The
Battalion that the CSC recom
mended that the University pro
vide full coverage for all health
insurance premiums. It also sug
gested the option of offsetting
some of the increase with a pay
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
raise for graduate assistants.
Andreas Mershin, a graduate
student in the Department of
Physics, said in a previous inter
view that he and his colleagues
plan on collecting signatures on a
letter asking A&M’s administra
tion for greater financial support
for graduate students.
Chris Lavergne, a graduate
assistant in the Department of
Agricultural Education, said he
welcomes the extra compensation.
Lavergne, married with two chil
dren, is from Kansas State
University, where he said the
multi-billion dollar budget deficit
hit Kansas hard, too.
“Everybody is hurting,” he said.
“We knew it was going to be tough
to come to grad school. It’s an
investment. Ten years down the
line I’m going to have my graduate
degree from Texas A&M, and the
last thing on my mind is going to
be that I had to pay an increase in
health insurance.”
Lavergne said he was
impressed that the University
appropriated $3 million so quickly
in such a short amount of time.
Christa Catchings, another grad
uate in the Department of
Agricultural Education, said the cur
rent health insurance increases will
be hardest on doctoral students.
Fran draws record crowds
for 2003 Coaches’ Nights
By Jeff Allen
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M football coach Dennis
Franchione will take center stage at
Coaches’ Night 2003 presented by the
Brazos County A&M Club two weeks from
today on July 24 at Reed
Arena. Franchione, who has
been drawing record crowds
to similar events across the
state, is the featured speaker,
but will be preceded by a
short address given by
Director of Athletics
Bill Byrne. franchione
Brian Bishop, Brazos
County A&M Club president, said the pur
pose of the event is to help fund the many
scholarships given by the organization. Each
year, the club gives out at least six scholar
ships ranging from $1,500 to more than
$3,000 a year for the recipient. The majority
of the funds for the scholarships are derived
from the annual Coaches’ Night, which can
fund as much as 70 percent of the scholar
ships.
This year’s event has become especially
important with the addition of Franchione to
the lineup. The extra excitement swirling
around Aggie football has spilled over into
ticket sales for the club.
“Last year we sold around 700 to 750
tickets,” Bishop said. “We have already hit
that number this year with two weeks to go.
Last year we sold 31 reserved tables, and
this year (we’ve already sold) 72.1 think that
speaks to the excitement (Franchione) brings
to the table.”
The ground swell of support for the
Coaches’ Night also means an even more
vibrant source of income for the Brazos
County A&M Club. The club now has an
opportunity to extend its scholarship
program.
“We started a new $25,000 scholarship
and the goal was to pay it in four years,”
Bishop said. “Now we will be able to pay it
off this year...we may cut (the Texas A&M
Foundation) a $17,500 check to fully fund
that scholarship, and that allows us to start
looking for more scholarships.”
The Coaches’ Night will also feature a
silent auction with sports memorabilia,
restaurant certificates and a variety of other
items that have been donated by merchants
and individuals from across the state.
Tickets for the event are still available at
$50 per person. However, due to the
increased amount of interest, 30 student
tickets will be available for $25 each.
Students can purchase tickets by calling
Bishop at (979) 218-3882 by Friday, July 18.