1996_03 Insight March 1966

              MARCH 6, 1996
Insight
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
VOL. 27, NO. 16
New GE plan
eliminates past
inconsistencies
Insight photo by Ryan McKee
Fresno's first strong mayor since 1920 will be elected this year, to preside over a futuristic, city-hall building downtown.
Looking for a Strong Mayor
■ Mayor will gain "real
authority" under new plan
by Stefanie Hard
Staff Writer
Unclear accountability. Council infighting.
Inefficiency. Lack of leadership.
Fresno City Hall often hears these complaints
about local government.
Some Fresnans are hoping to change that.
Starting Jan. 7, 1997, the city "switches to a
"strong mayor" form of government.
Fresno elected its first strong mayor nearly a
century ago. Since then, thc city adopted a five-
member commission to govern in 1920 and replaced that system with the current council-
manager form in 1957.
Currently, the mayor acts as another council
member and performs many of the city's ceremonial functions. However, the mayor is
elected at- large, instead of by district, as council members are.
The city manager handles the day-to-day operation of the city, as well as the $575 million
budget.
In the new system, the mayor will prepare the
budget and can veto council actions. Thc city manager will report directly to the mayor, rather than
the city council.
The council will be able to override Ihe mayor's
veto with five of seven votes.
"Right now. mayor is a procedural position."
Deputy City Manager Robert Quesada said. "He
has no real authority. The city manager is the head
person. In the strong mayor form, the mayor is the
head person."
A 258-page report by the Little Hoover Commission released March 24, 1992, recommended
that the city consider adopting a strong-mayor form
of government
The commission wrote, "The charge shall be to
recommend a government structure that will efficiently and effectively manage the city from now
and into the year 2020."
The report explained that it is not clear to Fresno
citizens or city employees, who is accountable for
the government's actions.
"Historically, the city manager was thought of
as a neutral, professional manager who would run
government efficiently and economically and not
be involved in the political realm." the commission wrote. "The council role was to make policy.
'Today, those roles arc blurred with the city manager deeply involved in policy making and council
as deeply involved in administration."
1 oday, those roles are
blurred with the city manager
deeply involved in policy making
and council as deeply involved
in administration."
— Little Hoover Commission
March 1992
The report continues, "The articulation and
resolution of such conflicts, which is one of the
basic functions of government, is better managed by leadership who is both accountable and
influential - someone who is a consensus
builder."
The Little Hoover Commission wrote that altering the city government structure would make
accountability more clear and government processes function more efficienUy. Voting rights
would also be more equitable.
The Fresno City Council then formed a nine-
member commission to study the issue and for
See MAYOR, page 4
Low spring enrollment: 'Right on target5
Full-Time Equivalency
Student Rate
i|
110'.  I
1
H
K
1II
WP
1
" 1
i7-l
100*
-■
80*
90*
1. Agricultural Sciences & Technology 1
2. Arts & Humanities
3. Sid Craig School of Business              \
4. Education & Human Development
5. Engineering                                        |
6. Health & Social Work
7. Natural Sciences
X  Social Sciences
by Michelle Barghi
Staff Writer
Spring enrollment al California
State University. Fresno has dropped
nearly four percent from thc fall semesters figures.
The preliminary number of students enrolled at Fresno State this semester is 16.800. down from 17.460
students in thc fall, a total of 660 students.
"The spring decline follows a typical pattern." said Jeannine Raymond,
director of Institutional Research.
Planning and Assessment. "Spring is
always a little lower because of students graduating in the fall, disqualification, transfers and dropouts."
University funding of departments
is based on the Full-time Equivalency
Student [FTES] rate, nol on the actual number of students enrolled in
any department.
FTES is based on how many units
a student carries. A student enrolled
in 15 units would be counted as one
full-time student, using the FTES rate.
Five students, each enrolled in one
three-unit course, would count as one
full-time student.
Stanley Ziegler. associate dean of
the School of Natural Science, said
FTES expectations are up to par in
his department.
"We're about at our target." Ziegler
said. "We really haven't experienced
a decline."
The preliminary FTES number this
semester is 14.420. This number is
down from last fall's 15,116. Although there was a decrease from fall
to spring, this year's FTES rate is
higher than last spring.
Joe Marshall, enrollment services,
said the university only missed its target for both fall and spring by about
100 students.
"There has been a decline jnjhe.
past several years for a variety of reasons." said Marshall. "A portion of it
was self-imposed due to budget cuts.
wecpu]
juld accommodate fcwi
dents.
Marshall said the university is currently trying to establish a planned
growth pattern.
"We definitely don't want to decline: we want to increase. But we
want it to be a controlled growth.
"Right now, the most important
thing is planning for our future, so
we're steering the ship instead of
floating along with it." Marshall said.
Bill Flores. associate dean of the
School of Social Sciences, believes
his department shouldn't be too concerned with the decline.
"Our spring has always been lower
than fall. You get students who register in fall and drop out. Sometimes
students will gel jobs and find they
can't handle it.
"I'm not that worried in terms of
our school. What is a problem is w hen
the university as" a whole is under
[FTES rates|. we lose funding." said
Flores.
I Shift in GE
requirements will
ease transfer woes
by Candace Cline
Staff Writer
When Aynur Devletsah came to
California State University, Fresno in
fall 1995. she expected her units from
California State University. San Jose.
to transfer w ith her.
They didn't.
"I thought I onl) needed two
more GE classes, but I actual!)
needed to take. like, seven.'' said
Devletsah. a speech communications major.
Because the general education requirements at Fresno State are different from those at San Jose State.
Devletsah may have to wait until fall
of I9U7 to graduate She had hoped
to be sprung in the spring.
Many students who transfer to
Fres
I  Slat
same probler
as junio
i as Dev I
S have the
tsah  Thev
finish their GE requirements at another university, but when they
come to Fresno, they're told it's not
enough.
Thc proposed revisions to Fresno
State's GE program are aimed at
eliminating these inconsistencies.
Under Title V of the California
Code of Regulations. University of
California campuses, state colleges
and junior colleges must offer GE
classes that meet the requirements of
all other California universities.
According to Pedro Amaral. chair
of Fresno State's Task Force on
General Education Review, the recommended changes would bring
Fresno State into compliance with
Title V.
Fresno Stale's current general education program is incompatible with
most other schools.
The Academic Senate began re-
v iew ing the recommendations made
by the task force Monday.
If the Senate approves the new plan,
the core breadth and capstone categc-
See GE REVISION, page 3
President Welty
prepares for class
by Jerry Lowe
Staff Writer
President John D. Welty w ill spend
the first day of school next fall gelling his lecture notes in order and taking roll.
Welty. 51. will teach a one-unit
graduate class in the School of Education entitled "Current Issues in Edu-
It will be his first classroom effort
since he became president of California State University. Fresno in Julv
1991.
"I find the opportunity to be in the
classroom stimulating." said Welly,
who taught a similar class as president of Indiana University in Pennsylvania. "The opportunity to interact with students is refreshing."
Welty. who chooses his words carefully, has been described as being a
reserved public speaker. He said it's
an accurate description.
"I tend to be straightforward in
terms of speaking style."' Welt} said.
"I've never been able to be effective*)
humorous, so I don't try."
Students may not get a witty lecture, but Welty will bring to the classroom over 30 years experience in student services and administration.
The class. EAD 278T. will focus on
current issues facing school administrators. Courses with a "T" designation are topics courses that change
content from semester to semester.
The course was previously taught
by Don Coleman from the School of
Education. Welty will be the only one
leaching the class next fall.
When Welly first arrived at Fresno
State, he was thrust into the middle
of one of the w orst budget crises California has ever seen. He said things
are better now. and it's one reason
why he'll have the time to teach.
Welty started his career in educa
tion in 1965 as a residence hall director for Michigan State University.
Since then, he has been an admissions
counselor, an associate dean of students and a vice president for student
affairs at various universities.
Most recently, he was president of
Indiana University in Pennsylvania.
He said Fresno's climate is a "significant improvement" over Pennsylvania. He enjoys California's national
parks and has learned to cross-country ski since moving here.
"I think the climate allows you to
take advantage of more outdoor activities." Welty t
California has I
also changed him I
in other ways.
"1 think the I
people are more I
informal, and I've I
become more in- I
formal." Welty I
said. "And I'm l—
probably a little Jonn °- "•"W
bit more relaxed."
Welty was the first in his family to
attend college. He received his
bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University in 1965.
"I had the opportunity to attend a lot
of lectures and cultural events that I
think sometimes students today have
problems taking advantage of." he said.
Welty said many students today have
to work in addition to going to school.
Welty said he thinks that too much
emphasis is placed now on getting a
degree just to get a job. He said college should be a "broadening experience" as well.
"Some students today take a college education for granted and don't
fully understand the value of (he opportunity." Welty said.
The only enrollment restriction for
Welly's class is graduate status.
Fresno high schools fight to keep dropout candidates in classroom
I Recent statistics show
slump in FUSD dropout rates
by May Xaykaothao
Staff Writer
Life is difficult for Jackie Gago.
At the age of 13. she had her first child. By 15,
she gave birth to another child and dropped out of
Roosevelt High School.
Now, at 17, she lives in an apartment with her
boyfriend and her two children. She supports her
family with welfare.
Every two weeks, she receives a $303 welfare
check. The money is barely enough to cover the
rent and baby products.
"I wish I would have waited, but I love my chil
dren," she said. "Sometimes I can't even buy anything for myself, but my kids come first, then me."
Struggling between her children, friends and
family. Gago finally dropped out of school in the
ninth grade.
On June 14, 1995, dropout data for the 1993-94
school year was released by the California Department of Education.
Statistics show that Fresno Unified School District dropout rales continue to decline.
While rates for Duncan Polytechnical. Bullard
and Fresno High Schools increased slightly in
1994, the overall dropout rate for high schools went
down.
Rates for males continues to be higher than for
females, although the difference narrowed in 1994.
For some ethnic groups such as blacks, His
panics, Filipinos and Asians, rates went down. For
whites, Pacific Islanders and American indians, it
went up.
In the Fresno Unified School District. Bullard
High School ranked lowest on dropout rates with
2.26 percent and Roosevelt High School ranked
highest with 6.5 percent.
"We all know that statistics can say whatever
you want them to say. " said Joan Ardovino.
Roosevelt grant coordinator. "Who knows how
many different factors are built in?"
With so many factors impacting students, such
as poverty, drug and alcohol abuse and psychological problems, Roosevelt is working to decrease the
dropout rate.
"From our perspective, we are try ing to do many
things to help students. You have to be a risk-taker
and you have to say .'OK. that didn't work, but that's
all right, we tried it, we learned from it and now we
See DROPOUT, page 6
DROPOUTREPORT
Fresno Unified School District
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