Western Front - 1982 October 26

              INSIDE
Women
win big
page 8
48 years,
same bus
—page 12
Western Washington University
Tuesday, October 26, 1982
Vol. 74, No. 52
CBE dean Davis
to resign his post
By MITCH EVICH
Prompted by a chance to
return to where he grew up, J.
Ronnie Davis, 41-year-old dean of
the College of Business and Eco­nomics,
will leave Western for the
University of South Alabama in
Mobile.
Meanwhile, Acting University
President James Talbot has set
into motion plans for a commit­tee
that will lead to the selection
of the next dean.
Davis, who will assume the
deanship of the College of Busi­ness
and Management Studies at
the Alabama campus this spring,
said the university "turned out to
be about 10 miles from the high
school (on the Mississippi coast) I
graduated from."
South Alabama wasn't the first
university to call for Davis' servi­ces.
In his brief tenure at Western
beginning in the summer of 1981,
Davis said, nearly every month a
university notified him that he
was being considered for the
dean's position.
"It was very easy in each of
those cases to write back and tell
them I wasn't interested," Davis
said. "My intention had been to
stay at Western for years."
But the death of his father
helped change that. Davis said he
learned.earlier this year his father
was suffering from terminal
cancer, and that forced him to
"begin thinking about my life
priorities and career oppor­tunities."
Davis said the job opportunity
gave him a chance to be with his
family "at a time when I felt I was
needed."
He conceded that the favorable
growth the Mobile university is
experiencing helped make his
decision easier.
llllllllp^
L ; . V . : . : : ; : * ^ . * ^ « * * ; : ; M ; I ^ » * * « ; K + : I ! ^ * ; + »^
Davis also cited Southern Ala­bama's
emphasis on professional
programs, including business, as
an additional enticement.
Although the college is only
about the size of Western, with an
enrollment of about 10,000 stu­dents,
Davis said it comprises "a
strong professional environment."
Talbot said he will appoint a
search committee early next
month comprising four faculty
members from within the busi­ness
college and one from
another area of the university.
The search committee will
select three, unranked finalists —
all from within Western — and
Talbot said he will select the new
dean sometime in December. The
new dean will take over Davis's
position spring quarter.
Talbot termed Davis's decision
a "total surprise."
"I thought he was doing an
excellent job," Talbot said.
"Nobody wanted him to go."
Outgoing College of Business and Economics Dean J. Ronnie
Davis: a re-evaluation of "life priorities and career opportunities."
Battle for academic independence
Huxley votes freedom
By CAROLYN CASEY
Like an army preparing for battle, Huxley College
leaders last week announced their unanimous
decision to remain a separate college, despite pres­sures
to merge with Western's other science
departments.
Several top administrators, including Provost
Paul Ford, have recommended the chemistry, biol­ogy,
physics, math : nursing and technology dep­artments
and Huxley be consolidated into a coll­ege
of sciences.
Huxley Dean Richard Mayer said the college has
been given the option of merging with the other
sciences or trying to ride out the program review
process, which began last week.
The faculty voted unanimously Thursday morn­ing
to take the position that Huxley should remain a
separate environmental college, Mayer told a crowd
of pre-majors that afternoon.
His announcement was met with applause and
cheers.
"It was not an easy decision to make. I can see the
dangers in it, "Mayer said,
He said it first seemed tempting to join with oth­ers
in a more protected unit, because of the threat of
being eliminated.
But after much "soul searching," he said he
decided it was worth the risk to fight to remain a
separate college.
The main danger is Huxley will become easy prey
for the academic review process taking place this
year, he said. If the planners are looking for small
units to eliminate, Huxley with 250 majors may be
vulnerable, he said.
"There will be people who will have such
thoughts. In fact, I have already heard such
thoughts expressed," Mayer warned the students.
David Clarke, a Huxley professor, said to join with
the other sciences would be the "death of Huxley."
Mayer admitted the battle to save Huxley may be a
rough one. He called on students to help him win.
"I look to you to sell the idea. I need you to go out
in our campus and tell others what environmental
studies is," he said.
Mayer said he "plans to write a document within
two weeks "presenting our case for the continua­tion,
if not enlargement of Huxley'' to
administrators.
The merger with other science departments
probably would force elimination of courses unre­lated
to physical science, Mayer said.
Huxley is proud of its reputation for interaction
between science and social science and doesn't
want the latter "frozen out," Mayer said.
Clarke said Huxley also is vulnerable because of
its often politically unpopular stands on environ­mental
issues.
"A college like Huxley is saying things people
don't want to hear. Huxley's job is to rub people's
noses in it," Clarke said.
Mayer plans to change the direction of the col­lege,
however, through "appropriate environmen-talism:"
a "less emotional and far more cooperative,
problem-solving attitude.
"We don't want to get into bed with industry. But,
we do want to be able to talk with them,'' Mayer said.
"Industry is not interested in prostituting the
environment. They have to live here, too," he said.
Mayer said he wants to increase Huxley's enroll­ment
by eliminating admission requirements next
fall. Potential majors now must take certain courses
before entering the college.
"We are trying to become a little more reasonable
and flexible," Mayer said. "Let's face it, I want to
attract students."
Mayer said approval of the proposed Huxley
graduate program currently being considered
would help the college.
"If we get it accepted in the next few months, it
will give our cause enormous political clout," Mayer
said.
Mayer said he also plans to begin recruiting for
Huxley at two-year colleges and high schools.