1982_03 The Daily Collegian March 1982

              P»t« 12-tbe Daily Collegian-March 1, 1982
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the Daily Collegian
California State University, Fresno
Tuesday, March 2,1982
Students rally to O'Brien's defense
By Wayne R. Afner
Daily Collciian Editor-in-Chief
Several Associated Students representatives came to the defense Monday of Dr.
John O'Brien, a CSUF professor of
industrial economics who is facing dismissal charges.
Associated Students President Jeff
Watson spoke with O'Brien Monday and
said that the professor 'thinks we're doing
the right thing (in speaking out).*
O'Brien was unavailable for comment.
Watson said he also encouraged O'Brien
to seek an open hearing. After receiving a
written notice of the charges, O'Brien had
five working days to accept the notice or
ask for a hearing.
O'Brien chose to have a closed hearing
before a CSUF panel, though he could
have opted for a hearing before the state
Public Employment Relations Board.
O'Brien will continue teaching throughout the hearings according to CSUF
Executive Vice President William Holmes.
O'Brien was not relieved of classroom
duties effective Monday, in correction of
what was reported in,the Daily Collegian
Monday.
Holmes indicated that arrangements
are being made for a hearing, and envisions that the hearing would lake approximately one week.
At a press conference held Monday
morning by the Associated Students. Tom
Slocum, senator of the School of Business, rose to O'Brien's defense. He is a
"first-class teacher." Slocum said of
O'Brien, saying that O'Brien was the best
instructor he has had in his nine semesters
at CSUF.
"It is unfortunate that hearings could
(even) be taking place," Slocum said. "I
question what he could have done."
Watson said that the student administration would hope to rally past and present students in O'Brien's defense.
Watson was also critical of any upcoming hearings. "It would be a severe injustice for what would seem to be a personality conflict."
Watson also offered some speculation
on the dismissal charges. "It seems, given
Dr. O'Brien's history of outspokenness to
administration policy, he's being punished
because he has been a thorn in the side of
the administration," Watson said.
Controversy has been part of O'Brien's
16 years at CS U F. A story in the October
14.1975 issue of the Daily Collegian gives
some indication of O'Brien's "outspokenness."
Changes in the curriculum of the
Finance and Industry Department have
led Dr. John O'Brien, professor of industrial economics to charge he is being "railroaded into obscurity."
The controversy centers around the
course BA 101—Economics. Ethics A
Civilization. The course is no longer either
a requirement nor an option because of
'faculty manipulation."
Melinda Lehman, a current student of
O'Brien's BA 101 class, had nothing but
praise for O'Brien the instructor. 'He
actively encourages his students. His dismissal would be a great loss to the university." she said.
Administrators on campus have been
close-mouthed on the subject of O'Brien.,
chiefly because no one is exactly sure what
can be said under state personnel and privacy taws.
"I'm not sure of the confidentiality of
this (what can be said),* commented
Executive Vice President Holmes.
Gene Burton, dean of the School of
Business and Administrative Sciences, in
which O'Brien teaches, indicated that
O'Brien would continue tp teach throughout the semester ..but had little to say other
than that.
It was Burton's request several months
ago that CSUF President Harold Haak
consider dismissing O'Brien that led to the
investigation and ultimate charges.
Aa for the Associated Students. Watson
hopes to encourage the administration to
conduct another investigation.
Watson is also hopefurthat the administration can provide more information
on the charges so that the students can
"have a better understanding* of why Dr.
O'Brien is facing dismissal hearings.
Wood Technology
Special class teaching realistic industrial processes
By Laura Lang
Daily Collegian Siaff Writer
There's a CSUF course that will be
offered next semester, and Mother Nature
is already busy at work "growing" the
course materials: trees.
Wood technology, l-T 184, is offered to
students about every three semesters and
is more than a basic woodworking class.
The student works on his industrial skills,
but he also studies the science of wood.
Also studied is the microscopic structure of the wood, the basic cell growth
process, identification of wood species,
and other important wood properties.
The importance of this knowledge to the
craftsman can help him decide if the
purchase of wood at a good price is really
a bargain, or if the resin content of the
wood might damage his equipment and
cost him more in the future.
Three years ago Dr. Gary E. Grannis.
the Industrial Arts and Technology department head, brought a change of format
and purpose to the class. "I wanted to
make the class more intriguing," Grannis
said. "The course had to become more
project-oriented, more tangible."
One of the changes Grannis initiated
was the class field trips to industrial plants
and to the forest. Grannis said the changes
helped add realism to the class. On the trip
to the forest the class drove up to a site
near Aubery to a pine tree which had been
marked for cutting. It took them about 45
minutes to fall the tree, buck the limbs,
and section the trunk in to movable units.
The entire project was done during the
class time.
The 50-foot Ponderosa Pine the class
cut down was used by the class for projects
and saved for future semesters. By re-investing the wood students save on their
materials fee. and the actual wood from
the project has sentimental value to them.
"What the student.invests in this class is
returned," Grannis said.
The course was originated for wood
products majors, and has one prerequisite
woodworking course. However, the class
is open to all majors, and any student
investing in the course might see an immediate profit, according to Grannis.
"Because the students are project-oriented and take great pride on working on
their projects, the key is successful mass
production," Grannis said. "We mass-
produce wood objects, utilizing all of the
students in the class. Last semester the
16-member class was divided into two
teams, which worked on two different
product lines."
The students design the product and
engage in market value research using
student surveys on campus for input. The
students then design a prototype to figure
out potential production problems with
the design. The idea is to find the best way
to mass produce the product with the
highest degree of quality maintained.
Students form assembly lines to produce the projects, and place themselves
where they can do the best job. A foreman
for the project is selected to keep the crew
working and maintain quality control of
the process.
"The idea is that students study not only
mass production but also industrial concepts and personnel relations." Grannis
said.
"The students work as a group; as some
jobs on the assembly line are phased out
they learn to adjust to a new job farther
down the line. They decide'as a group the
best way to cope with the problems of
production.' he said.
"The students place orders for products. The students arc the investors,"
Grannis said. "Some students sell the
finished products for as much as ten times
the cost of the raw materials they used."
Last semester the class made multipurpose towel racks out of Holly Oak
from a tree removed from Grannis' front
yard. The other portion of the class produced a tripel from wood and cane.
Many students'also produce products
at home with their own equipment for
resale. Grannis said that working on their
own projects gives the students valuable
insight into figuring out production problems.
The end reward may be in any facet of
the industry. They may not work with
finished products, but may help to produce raw materials," Grannis said. "With
the business background we require,
many students have even started their own
businesses." he said.
"We teach a realistic industrial process
and three to four jobs are open for every
candidate." he said.
The business end is covered by more
than just classroom reading. The students
have to go out and take marketing surveys
and tour industrial plants to assess cost
projections and product value. Before
work started on the tripet the class look
two differently-shaped prototypes ofthe
product—oval and rectangular—throughout the campus to ask which one was the
See Wood page 2
'Goodnight ladies'
TMi CSUF student got off hb sola
Nebor./Daily Collegian
and pla jtd a laij tone near tut Collet* Union, taking advantage of the temporary good weather.