1996_11 Insight November 1996

              Smiths
plans to
go out
with a
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•A
Insight
California State University, Fresno M V NOVEMBER 20,1996
■   Volume 29 Number II ^^^^J
Take a peek at
library's oldest book
■ See IN FOCUS, PAGE 7
Panel seeks closure in campus inquiries
I Administration did not act
outside of university policy,
panel says
by Valerie Gibbons and Dawn Howe
Staff Writers
ellite Union to answer questions from the Academic Senate and other faculty.
"A president and his administration makes
thousands of judgment calls every day." said
Thomas Ehrlich, an independent consultant
who was recommended by Ihe CSU Chancel-
The Academic Senate and thc administration   lor to head a commission to provide an ob-
took a big step Friday to end the controversy jective opinion on spending and hiring
over administrative practices which have di-   practices that have been questioned by some
vided faculty and university officials for eight  faculty.
months. Ehrlich said it was time to accept those
John Welly and members of two oversight judgements and for faculty and adminisira-
committccs met face-to-face to iron out differ- lion to work together on the challenges of the
ences and then held an open meeting in the Sat-   future.
December   '
grads may get
celebration
o
The Academic Senate's own c
ad hoc Administrative Accountability Committee (AHAAC). also investigated the
administration's actions on a wide range of
Subject to interpretation
When AHAAC's preliminary report
reached different conclusions than Ehrlich's
study. Ehrlich was asked to return to campus
lo speak with AHAAC members directly.
"Many of the issues that have created tension are based on decisions that where subject to interpretation and require a judgment
to be made by administration." Ehrlich said.
Ehrlich led a panel discussion which included President Welty, Ida Jones, the chair
of AHAAC. and Noel Grogan. former senior
director of human resources and operations
for ihe Chancellor's office.
The panel addressed the relocation costs .
of Dr. Peter Smits. Vice President for University Advancement and the costs associated
with the refurbishment of the Thomas Administration building.
Ehrlich's major finding was the problem of
clarity surrounding university policy. However. Ehrlich could not find any valid evidence
lo substantiate claims the administration had
acted outside of university policy.
In the case of the Smits relocation. Ehrlich
found no error in judgment but did agree that
there was reason for questions to be raised.
"The actions taken by administration were
proper but unusual." Ehlrich said. "The process was designed to get the most developed
person. Fundraising is important to the success of thc university. In order to get the best
person it took that type of money," he said.
Another one of the most debated issues was
the Pacific Gas and Electric rebates, which
were put into Foundation accounts. The
money has now been transferred into state
accounts, according to Ehrlich.
see PANEL, page 7
■ Thanks to a student's
sibling, graduation.
plans underway
by April Ghan
Staff Writer
For the first time in Fresno State's
85-year history, December graduates
may get the chance to walk down the
aisle in caps and gowns.
Since 1911, commencement ceremonies were held only in May. Until now, that is.
Thanks to the diligence of one
graduate's sister, the Satellite Student
Union is the likely site of an unofficial December graduation celebration, tentatively scheduled for Dec.
19.
The idea for a December graduation first came lo Linda Darnell, 51.
when she discovered that her twin sister, Lacrctia Atkinson, a cultural anthropology
senior, would
get her degree in De-
c c m b e r
without fanfare.
"When I
first found
out, I was
shocked. I
thought.
'What? This
is horrible,"' Darnell said.
Darnell was determined to give her
sister a graduation. She posted fliers
and put ads in the universiiy newspapers to let other students know about
the event. "My sister is going to have
a graduation if I have to give it in the
a
Linda Darnell
middle ofthe highway," Darnell said.
For Darnell, the hardest part of the
planning so far has been making students aware of the event. This year,
1,200 siudenis have filed for degrees
in December.
"I was starting to give up on this
because I haven't gotten a lot of response. But every time the phone
rings, it renews my energy in this."
Darnell said.
Darnell has been planning the
graduation by herself for seven weeks
and has received responses from 20
other students.
She added that finances and the
speakers for the graduation are already set.
"All we need now are the caps and
gowns and a place to have it. And if
we can't have it on campus, we'll have
it someplace else." Darnell said.
/
Inconvenience in May
Darnell has been working with
Thomas Boyle, director of Student
Life and Development, to help organize the graduation on campus.
Boyle has been in charge of the
commencement process for the past
16 years and said that Fresno State
has always held one commencement
at the end of the year because of tradition.
For many December graduates,
however, reluming in May is not possible.
This is the problem for Darnell's
sister.
Atkinson will be in graduate school
in New York by the time Fresno Slate
commencement arrives in May.
"It's a great inconvenience and I
just don'l have the time or the money
see DECEMBER, page 7
Campus cops
take to bikes
■ Foqr-member unit to
cruise campus where
cars can't go
by Leah Perich
Staff Writer
With the installment of a new bicycle patrol unit, university police
hope to make the campus safer—and
the officers a little more user-friendly.
Within the next two months, four
bicycle officers from the Fresno Stale
police department will patrol the campus in a way that patrol cars can't.
"Usually what happens with patrol
cars is that they patrol the outside of
the campus," said Police Chief Willie
Shell. "With the bikes, we can get into
the interior ofthe campus."
Shell said this access allows officers to monitor problems on campus
like vandalism, car theft and the increasing problem of bike thefts. "You
can't see that stuff while in a car," he
added.
The bicycle patrol unit makes it
easier for officers to see problems and
to get across campus faster.
Shell also said lhat having officers
on bikes will give the campus the
chance to get to know the police.
"Officers can actually slop and talk
with students rather than just driving
by. which is very impersonal," he
added-
When these officers start patrolling
the campus on bikes in the next few
months, some bike-riding students
may have to clean up their riding hab-
will
Enforcing the rules
Along with looking for crime
campus, the bicyck patrol unit
also be enforcing vehicular codes on
campus streets.
While bikes are on streets, vehicular codes also apply to riders. This
means that any bike that docs not stop
at a stop sign could be cited.
"If it's street, it is considered a road
see BKES, page 7
'Volunteerism on this campus is extremely popular."
Chris Florentine coordinator of
Students for Community Service
I
Business
management
student Richard
Herrera
contributes 100
hours a semester
A Helping
Hand
service.
Insight photos by Ryan McKee
Chris Fiorentino, coordinator of Students for Community Service, gives local non-profit
agencies a hand by finding volunteers on campus.
■ Fresno State office
promotes community
service among campus
by Angela Castiglione
Time is precious for students
who balance academic studies and
work. But a few dedicated
students make time for the
community.
Just ask Richard Herrera.
Herrera, 26. a business management major, contributes 100 hours
a semester to community service.
"If I could do more. I would do it,"
he said. Herrera gives up time
from his customer service job at a
local bank to volunteer for San
Joaquin Valley organizations.
"It's less pay for me, but in the
long term I get more out of it,"
said Herrera. who sometimes
donates his own money to the
groups he works for.
Volunteering for a non-profit
organization or helping the Fresno
area has increased the growth of
Students for Community Service
(SCS). a program at Fresno State
that promotes community service
to students, faculty and staff. SCS
helps agencies by placing
volunteers in local organizations,
while providing students with
quality volunteer experiences.
"Volunteerism on this campus
is extremely popular." said Chris
Fiorentino. 34. Students for
Community Service coordinator.
Fresno State even offers
Community Service 101. a course
that enables students to earn up lo
six units of college credit and
scholarships for community
sen ice. Enrollment in the class in
fall 1990 was at 30 students. In
spring 1996, there were 313
students involved, culminating in
11.835 hours of community
rvice.
•e HELP, page 3
Secretaries help keep it together
■ Surrounded by coffee
and ringing telephones,
secretaries sparkle
by Steve Echeverria
Staff Writer
Gwen Burks abruptly places the
receiver down, making a few marks
on her calendar. Swiveling her chair
in the direction of a knee-high cabinet, Burks' mission is to find thc elusive file crucial for the impromptu
meeting made an hour earlier between President John Welty and another official.
It starts in 10 minutes.
"People don't usually stop to think
about all the plans that are made behind closed doors." said Burks, a
clerical assistant in the office of university advancement at Fresno State.
"If jan administrator] doesn'l have
the hands to carry those plans out. it's
nol emng to work."
The effort to make each day run
smoothly   is   supreme   for   th.c
.vretari
, In an
sphere of spilled coffee and ringing
phones, the secretaries — mostly
women — might be the glue lhat
holds the university together.
"I depend on my staff every day."
said Burks' boss. Peler Smits. vice-
see SECRETARIES, page 7
Peter Smits, vice-president for university advancement, depends on
his staff, Nydia Goto (middle) and Gwen Burks (right).