The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 9, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 5, 2003 Page: 2 of 8
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A.& J
$ 1 * 4
2 November 5, 2003
News
The Rambler
Elimination*, from page 1
The current proposal from
the dean of the School of Arts
and Sciences, Dr Judith
Knfcpatnck, to modify academic
spending cails for the elimina-
Uon of visiting
that need to be offered,"
Kirkpatrick said
The Daily Campus, the
Southern Methodiit University
(SML'j campus new spaper,
reports that whik some faculty
at SMU consider the trend of
assistant profet-
v/rs within the
School of Arts
and Sciences
The univer-
sity's obligations
are generally to
the tenured and
tenured-tracked
positions,"
Kirkpatrick said
"I believe the idea is that letting
these people know early enough
on that they would have the
chance to look for other posi-
tions."
According to Kirkpatrick,
"What we're going through at
Texas Wesleyan is not unusual.
This is happening all across the
country and virtually every insti-
tution of higher education."
Kirkpatrick said that the process
is "a way of looking at pro-
grams, re-examining what we
are doing what's best for the
students what your needs are
now to compete in a very differ-
ent world,"
Although it is doubtful if
the visiting positions are elimi-
nated there might be areas that
will cut back on particular class-
es, according to the dean.
"I would imagine that we
would hire adjuncts in courses
Visiting professors in the
School of Arts and Sciences
Amy Bell — Spanish
Craig Burmide — Biology
Lucinda Caughey — Computer Science.
Karen Hodges — English
Mary Kinsel — Chemistry
Bruce McDonald — Religion
increasing adjunct use a "dis-
turbing development," associate
provost Ellen Jackofsky said,
"it's cheaper and easier to use
adjuncts."
Kirkpatrick explained that
there would be some classes that
may be put on rotation.
"Courses that we have been
offering every year or every
semester may [be offered] once
a year or once every other year,"
Kirkpatrick said.
The school may also
"slightly raise some caps on the
classes — from 18 to 22 for
example." There are a "variety
of ways" to cope with the elimi-
nated positions, Kirkpatrick said,
"but we would not do anything
to hurt the students; they would
still get the needed classes."
"As long as the students
know that the course is going to
be offered every other year... and
Meeting, from page 1
President Harold G. Jeffcoat
met with about 20 Texas
Wesleyan students from the
Science and Mathematics Divi-
sion Oct. 28, assuring them he
has no intention of eliminating
the computer science program as
proposed by the School of Arts
and Sciences dean.
Jeffcoat met with students
in the Ella C McFadden Science
Center to address their concerns
abom the potential cut of the
computer science major that is
included in a proposal —
designed to meet the require-
ment for budget reductions —
awaiting appro% al by the Faculty
Assembly.
Jeffcoat assured students
that he is not bound by the pro-
posals and that be has the
authority to reject, accept or
choose which parts of the pro-
posal to allow.
"Those are not my propos-
als," Jeffcoat said. He said that
he does not know the rationale
of the dean's proposal, but he
does not support the elimination
of the computer science pro-
gram, the merging of a biology
and chemistry degree or reduc-
ing the scope of the sciences on
campus. He does, however,
expect faculty and administra-
tion to strengthen programs and
expects a return on investment.
"I would like to see a plan
of where we're going to take the
program," Jeffcoat explained.
By June, the president said
that he wants to see specific
plans of direction for each of the
university's schools.
"The university can't run if
every program is losing money,"
he said. According to Jeffcoat,
this is the "first time in a long
time that a comprehensive evalu-
ation... has been conducted."
From 1998 to 2000, the uni-
versity spent $26 million more
than what the endowment
earned, and the money raised
from gifts had to go toward bal-
ancing the operating budget,
Jeffcoat said.
Now Wesleyan must "no
longer access draws on endow-
ment" and no longer use gift
money to balance the budget,
but hold the money on reserve
for "long-term improvement," he
said.
Jeffcoat explained that
every year he calls for a reaffir-
mation of assessments — a call
for every budgeted program to
conduct an evaluation including
long- and short-term plans and
cost-benefit analyses. He asked
the deans to assess their schools'
strengths and weaknesses.
According to Jeffcoat, the
current process is not actually
"cutting the budget," but rather
"reallocating expenses," and the
budget will actually be larger by
next year, he said.
When Jeffcoat became pres-
ident of Wesleyan, 52 percent of
freshmen returned their sopho-
more year, he said, explaining
that the lack of retention "hurts
the economy of the university."
"As you can imagine,
nobody wanted their budgets
reduced," Jeffcoat said. "There
are some programs that lose half
a million dollars a year," he said,
and there must be a way to find
how to reduce the losses.
Jeffcoat's demand for set
standards, he said, is what "some
of the squabbles are about —
I'm holding [the faculty]
accountable."
The president said that he
wants to know why there are so
few math and science majors at
Wesleyan. He described his
vision to begin students here in
math at their competency levels
rather than granting them
exemptions from math courses.
He said that he does not
want career paths blocked
because the general education
requirements are too low.
Jeffcoat said it is a "disserv-
ice to the students" if they are,
as some students said, being
encouraged by Wesleyan offi-
cials to take classes elsewhere
"because they are easier."
Jeffcoat also discussed his
desire to use fewer visiting pro-
fessors at Wesleyan, some of
whom decide to teach classes
outside of their disciplines, he
said. Hiring visiting assistant
professors is actually making up
for absences of professors who
could teach the courses, he said.
Jeffcoat said that he does
not believe the quality of inst-
ruction is poor, but he must ask
why there are so few students.
The university must make
Law student's passion for politics drives him as he helps candidates along the campaign trail
Whitney Fowler
NEWS EDITOR
For Cody Hand, encouraging voter turnout at the
polls is a crucial element of his job. Voting, he says, is
one of American's "fundamental rights," which college
students should not disregard.
Hand, a senior Wesleyan Law School student and
Resident Director of O.C. Armstrong Hall, currently
works for the re-election campaign of U.S. Congress-
woman Kay Granger, R-Texas.
"The responsibilities in any campaign are the same:
get out the vote," Hand says.
According to the l edcral Election Commission,
turnout for the voting-age population in the 1998 presi-
dential election was 49.1 percent and increased to 51.3
percent for the presidential election in 2000.
"It is one of our most fundamental rights that should
never be taken for granted," Hand says, "College stu-
dents should vote because they are Americans. Many
people throughout the world are denied the right to vote.
Many in our nation's history fought for the very right to
vote,"
Hand explains that people complain about the way
the system works, but they "don't do the very thing that
could change the system. When college students fail to
vote, they let another generation decide how we live."
Hand has worked as an area volunteer leader on
George W. Bush's Texas gubernatorial campaign, and as
a general volunteer in his presidential campaign.
Hand currently is campaigning for Granger's re-
election to District 12 in the U.S. House of Represent-
atives.
"Rep. Granger is such a strong candidate and such a
great voice for her district that campaigning for her
might actually entail working for another candidate in a
close race elsewhere in the state, or nation, even, as hers
might not be that close," he explains. "Campaigning is
actually very fun. If you believe in your candidate, work-
ing to get that person elected is very rewarding. You
meet tons of people and go to some great places."
Through his experience working in politics, Hand has
observed the strength of conviction that people express
through their devotion to campaigns.
"When people believe in something — not just a
superficial belief — they will give time and efforts to
support that belief," Hand says.
Hand attended a presidential fundraising event last
month, when Vice President Dick Cheney appeared at a
Fort Worth hotel.
"I didn't formally meet him. These events are often
like that — even had we known each other we might not
have shaken hands," Hand explains. "This was my first
encounter with him, but hopefully not my last."
Hand says that he feels so strongly about what he
does "because politics affects every part of our life."
"To truly make a difference in the world, politics is
a great route. Every act plays a role in people's every-
day lives. Politicians do more than make laws, they pro-
tect people and help those who need it with the various
government agencies," Hand says.
One of Hand's memorable experiences while cam-
paigning for then-Gov. Bush, when Hand was in college
working on Bush's west Texas re-election campaign.
"San Angelo was in a long dry spell at the time and
very hot. I picked him up at the airport one afternoon
and after the press conference accompanied him to his
fundraiser," Hand says. "He commented on the drought
and I said it would really help his chances if he could get
it to rain.
"Later that night, as we were leaving, it started to
rain. I know the rain may be a coincidence, but as he
was walking out, he turned, pointed to the storm clouds
and said 'Cody, will this help?' When I see him in the
White House, I remember that he called me by name
after a night of mingling with oil barons."
Hand says that he is planning to work as resident
director of O.C, Hall until May and then will work on
more campaigns. In the long run, Hand says that he will
take the bar exam and plans to get a government job pos-
sibly in Washington, D.C.
As far as ever running for office himself, Hand, who
last year was treasurer of the Wesleyan Law
Republicans, says, "I have always felt that, were I asked
to run, I would. The rewarding work, however, is behind
the scenes, so I would not mind just staying in the
wings."
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Nettles, Marc. The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 9, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 5, 2003, newspaper, November 5, 2003; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth253305/m1/2/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Wesleyan University.