Western Front - 1974 March 5

              wwsc 75th anniversary
Vol.66
No. 31
TUESDAY
March 5, 1974
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Flora:
'quality
with less'
by KORTE BRUECKMANN
"There will be genuine impairment"
to college programs as a result of the
Western budget cuts, according to
College President Charles J. Flora.
Speaking to the Western Front staff
Friday, Flora indicated more pessimism
than usual as he explained that damage
is unavoidable and the best he can do is
try to minimize it.
He said most of the present programs
will be largely intact next year but that
budget cuts will hit hardest during the
following year.
Access to some classes will be
curtailed by offering them less often,
but Flora is determined to maintain
quality.
He admitted that the college was
over-funded by the legislature and is
trying to "protect what is good" in the
programs while reducing faculty
strength by 100 positions.
Equal cuts across the board for all
college programs have been ruled out by
Flora because they would reduce
Western to mediocrity.
Flora believes that new enrollment
figures from Winter quarter can provide
an additional $250,000 if they are
accepted by the state. He also hopes to
remove library and student services cuts
from the budget revision; this would
save another $150,000.
Although he doesn't think he can get
both items accepted by the state "our
chances of getting one are good, and
we're gonna give 'em hell."
Flora refused to comment on the suit
being brought against Western by 16
faculty members who claim that the
reduction-in-force policy violates faculty
handbook guidelines.
Flora said he has never denied that
FLORA REVIEWS FRONT — During a press conference before the Western Front staff, President Flora said he was determined to
maintain the quality of college programs. But he admitted cuts were inevitable this year and next. — photo by J.E. McCartney
the provisions of the handbook are
binding on him but that the Board of
Trustees can revise the handbook at any
time without consulting the faculty.
" I don't remember a time that I have
ever knowingly violated any provision
nf the faculty handbook," Flora said.
Flora mentioned several times during
the conference that he did not
appreciate the recent Front editorial
comparing him to Richard Nixon.
"Does it cause me pain?" he asked
after another reference to editorial
attack. "No, it causes my children
pain."
However, he defended the Front
editor's right to state opinions on
college issues.
Flora praised the Front, calling it the
best college newspaper published in the
state.
inside...
Debate climaxes Gay symposium
i
Highlights of the week were a dance, a gay art show and a debate on
Christianity and homosexuality. See page 4.
\ .
Hoopsters wear region crown
Defense won it for Western's women eagers.
earned the'm a trip to nationals. See page 11.
Proposal more flexible
The last-minute 39-37 victory
Proposed housing cost hike
subject of meeting tomorrow
Disagreements over a planned raise in
on-campus housing costs and possible
alternatives can be aired at a public
meeting tomorrow at 4 p.m. in College
Hall 133.
Housing Director Pete Coy recently
announced the $95 rate increase to
offset rising costs of food, electricity,
heating fuel and proposed staffing
pattern.
Coy said his office had only two
choices: to eliminate some of the
present services, such as Saturday-night
steaks, or raise rates. The latter course
was chosen, he said, to retain a higher
degree of service than would be offered
on the limited funds.
Fifteen dollars of the raise will come
from a proposed reorganization of
residence hall staffs. Under the plan,
two new area coordinator positions will
be created that will, along with resident
directors, . managers and aides, cost
students living in college-owned housing
$103,895.
The proposal will be taken to the
Business and Finance Council March 19,
and to the Board of Trustees April 4 for
final approval. The rate increase is
scheduled to take effect Fall
quarter.
by ERIKMAGNUSON
Students would have much greater
flexibility in satisfying general college
requirements under recommendations
now before the Council on Arts and
Sciences Curriculum.
At an open meeting last Thursday
the council heard testimony from about
30 students and faculty on the proposed
requirements. Most favored offering a
greater variety of classes but objected to
specifics of the plan.
The recommendations as drawn up
by the General College Requirements
Committee are likely to stand through
the next academic year if approved by
the council at a meeting this Thursday.
Students must take a specified
number of credits from six
"class-blocks" under the plan. Five of
the six will sound familiar to students —
communications, humanities, social
sciences, mathematics and science. A
sixth, comparative cultural studies, is
new.
A larger selection of classes from
more departments would be offered in
all class-blocks.
For instance, to meet humanities
requirements, one would be able to
choose from 55 classes in 10
departments, including journalism,
music and art. Previously there was
a choice of only 22 classes from five
departments.
A major innovation is the possibility
of meeting humanities requirements by
taking 20 credits of a foreign language.
At the meeting Sene Carlile of the
speech department objected to the
proposed communications requirement.
Under the recommendations a student
may take a class in journalism or English
rather than in speech.
"We think there should be a writing
requirement and a speaking
requirement," Carlile asserted.
He requested a meeting with the
committee before the recommendations
are finalized.
The council also heard strong
testimony from Jesse Hiraoka, dean of
the College of Ethnic Studies (CES).
Many courses included in general
education no longer serve a purpose and
should be changed, he said. He also
complained that Western students do
not realize they can get credit for CES
courses.
Council Chairman Robert Monahan
said afterwards that although the
proposals of the committee have yet to
be approved, the council has rarely
over-turned the committee's
recommendations.