Newspaper Page Text
Regent exam policy
undergoes change
By BOBBY BYRD
Staff writer
A change in the Regents' exam policy could cause serious problems next fall for
students who haven’t taken the test, according to Dean of Student Affairs Dwight
Douglas
The new policy, which will take effect July 1. states that students with 105 or
more hours credit who have.not passed the Rising Junior < Regents' i exam will be
unable to enroll in further credit courses until they pass it. and must enroll in
remedial or review English courses.
In addition, students who have completed 75 hours without passing the exam
must "give priority” to the remedial courses. Some question still exists as to what
"priority” means although Douglas said that students in this category could
continue their regular course programs.
The changes in the policy were adopted at the Board of Regents meeting in
November, and will affect students at each school in the University System The
Regents' exam has been a requirement of graduation for several years, but the
new policy is the first measure taken to force students to meet the "rising junior”
timetable, according to Douglas
“We want to emphasize that not counting summer, students only have two more
chances to pass the test before this goes into effect We want them to come on in
and sign up that way. if they don't pass it now. they’ve got time to take it again."
he said
The Regents' exam will be offered this quarter from Monday. February 5
through Thursday. February 8 Students wishing to take the test must sign up in
room 309. Academic building by January 26 The test is offered at 4:30 and 6:45
p m each of the four days, and will be held at various campus locations
The Regents' exam was begun as an attempt to measure the competency of
students in reading and writing skills as they reach the halfway point in their
studies, according to Douglas. The test consists of two parts, one on reading
comprehension and the other requiring a written essay.
The problem began when students didn’t take the exam along the timetable,
which requires that the test be taken after the completion of 45 hours. Douglas
said
"Under the old policy people waited There's a large number of students who.
come fall, will have passed 105 hours but who haven't passed the test.” he said.
The change means a student cannot be classified as a junior without having
passed the Regents' exam, according to Douglas
The 75 and 105 hour figures stated are exclusive of basic physical education and
ROTC courses. Douglas added
There are still several points to be cleared up in regard to the new policy. "As
with all new policies, there is some question as to precisely what the changes will
mean,” Douglas said
Some of the questions still to be resolved, in addition to the meaning of
"priority” of remedial English courses after 75 hours, include implications upon
athletic eligibility and financial aid for students who have passed the 105 hour
mark but not the test, according to Douglas In addition, specifications will have to
be made for incoming junior or senior transfer students who. of course, may not
have taken the Regents' exam.
Douglas hopes that those and other technicalities will be cleared up at a
meeting of system registrars on January 23.
Efforts are already underway to alert students to the new changes Posters about
the policy have gone up around campus, and several schools have taken steps to
notify their students. / f
"We just want to make it clear that the Board of Regents has passed tpis. and
that it will go into effect in July," Douglas said "Now we want to make sure all of
our students here know what they have to do ”
^Skateboarding is alive and well high
above the University campus, as
veteran boarder John Daily shows in
this demonstration of his skill on the
treacherous plank What with the
current deluge of spiralling fees,
housing woes and class scheduling, we
all might do a little obstacle-dodging
ourselves.
Oglethorpe offered
to Housing Dept.
By Jl'STIN '"I LI. IS
Assistant campus editor
The negotiations on the sale of Oglethorpe House to the University Housing
Department were initiated by Northwestern Mutual Life Instance Company,
which owns the complex, according to a Northwestern jffic al
Representatives for the company contacted tl ; University in September 1977 to
say they wanted to sell the building, according to Dan Hallenbeck. University
Housin'* director
Northwestern, headquartered in Milwaukee. Wisconsin, owns private housing
complexes similar to Oglethorpe in col'^ge-towns all over the country The sale of
Oglethorpe House is part oi a "portfolio improvement program," according to
Marvin Hanlon. manager in the Northwestern real-estate depai tment in
Milwaukee
Similar complexes owned by the national insurance company were recently sold
to Wichita State University. Memphis State University, and the University of
Texas, among others
"There ar^ times when it becomes appropriate to sell a property. " said James
Muir regional manager for Northwestern’s Atlanta office, when asked why
Northwestern is selling the housing complex
At the time negotiations began, housing officials thought they would gain
bed-space by buying the facility, since many of the rooms were empty The roc .ns
were subsequently filled, according to Hailenbeck. but the department still wants
to buy the complex in order to make sure ?t stays -»pen a.* student housing
Northwestern has contracted w*th Allen O’Hare, a management firm
headquartered in Memphis. Tennessee, to run the facility Bob Becker manager of
Oglethorpe House could lot be reached for comment rn the proposed sale
No state money is being spent to purchase Oglethorpe House. Hallenbeck pointed
out. stating that a loan will be n.*gotiated to buy the complex and then repaid from
housing department revenues
"We are not diverting tunds from the student center or anything else.’
Hallenbeck stated The housing department is an independent, self-supporting arm
of the University and does not receive state or federal funds, according to
Hallenbeck
No decision has been made on whether Oglethorpe House will remain coed or on
what visitation hours will be when the housing department taxes over, he said
Room and board rates for Oglethorpe residents will almost surely go down after
the housing department takes over, according to Hallenbeck He said that current
residents would be given priority in renting room-space next fall, assuming the
transfer is completed.
Hallenbeck said it was possible that current employees of Oglethorpe House
could retain their jobs after the .,ale. "I would anticipate those people could qualify
for jobs under the University classification system." he said
Housing department officials have not decided whether telephones will be
installed in the rooms, although Hallenbeck said if the students wanted ohones then
it was likely An official for Southern Bell confirmed that it is possible to tie
Oglethorpe House into the Univers ty’s Centrex phone system
The pool, parking spaces, and dining facility are included in the sale of the
complex, officials say. No decision has been made on whether and how the pool
will be operated
The dining facility will be turned over to University Food Services Hallenbeck
said, but details of the transfer and operation have not been worked out
Faculty senate approves 20 hour minor
By CINDY JACKSON
Staff writer
A recommendation allowing students to
form a minor by taking 20 hours in a
particular department or program was
approved by the Arts and Sciences
Faculty Senate in a meeting Thursday
afternoon
The minor offers students "a way to
structure their elective hours," said Dr.
Joseph Berrigan, Chairman of the
General Studies committee
He further stated that departments do
not have to offer a minor unless they
choose to do so. The opportunity to form
a minor "might encourage students to go
into other departments," Dean Jack
Payne said
Many senate members voiced the
opinion that the option would narrow the
students' education Berrigan opposed
this point, however, by stating. "No
matter what they (students) do they're
going to beat us" and this proposal has
more positive factors than negative ones
The General Studies committee recom
mended a system-wide common core
which was accepted by the Senate as the
minimum core curriculum for all
students graduating from Franklin
College
The core consists of 20 hours of
English, 5 hours of math; 10 hours of a
foreign language. 20 hours of social
sciences and history; and 10 hours of fine
arts and philosophy or religion
Students must complete all of these
courses after a maximum of 120 hours
and pass the Regents Rising Junior
examination in order to enter into an
upper division major
A grade point average of not less than
2.3 will be required for admission as well
Another part of the proposal suggests
that students who achieve a GPA
between 2.0 and 2.3 be granted an
associate degree of art or science and be
dismissed from the college after the
completion of 120 hours
Although the recommendation has not
yet received official approval. Chancellor
George Simpson has "assured that he
will approve the proposal except for the
section awarding an associate degree."
according to Payne.
Dr Homer Cooper, associate professor
of sociology, pointed out that a student at
the University would be fulfilling the
requirements for an associate degree but
would not receive a diploma like he
would if he went to a junior college
Student group
will gather
at University
By KRIS YOUNG
Assistant campus editor
Representatives from approximately 25
schools in the state will gather at the
the Student Advisory Council, a division
of the Board of Regents
The Council meets monthly at different
state colleges and universities to become
familiar with state schools and discuss
Board of Regents’ policies.
During the weekend meetings. SAC
members will discuss questions for a
survey designed to collect information on
the amount 6f academic preparation
which college sophomores received in
Georgia's secondary schools
“It has come to our attention through
various programs that students entering
colleges are not prepared academically
in English and math." said Joan Dawson,
a University representative on the
Council
"We hope to focus on the problems by
going to students who have recently come
out of high school and have had some
experience in college and ask them why
they are not prepa r ed academically."
Dawson said
Results of the survey will be made
available for agencies which will benefit
from this information, according to
Dawson
The Council is also expected to discuss
the tuition hike which is being considered
by the Regents and academic advising in
state colleges and universities
Dawson speculated that the members
will discuss a bill before the state Senate
which would raise the legal drinking age
from 18 to 19. but said. "I’m not sjic
whether we w ill act on it or not "
Representatives from the University.
Georgia State University. Georgia Tech
Medical College of Geor b ia and Valdosta
State College will be among those
attending the meetings which w>ll be held
in the auditoriun at Peabody Hall
Saturday from 9 a m -6 p m and Sunday
from 9 a m.-12 30 p m.
Downtown plan behind schedule
By DON SCHANUHK JR.
Staff photo Hal Brook*
The Athens Downtown Development
Authority's plans for renovating the
downtown area are behind schedule,
according to Joe Burnett. ADDA
executive director
Burnett had outlined the ADDA
proposal, which includes increased
parking, a shopping arcade, and an
activities center, last July At that
time he said he hoped to be through
with working' drawings by autumn, to
begin acquiring necessary land by
spring, and to have the activities
center under construction by summer.
Plans were to prepare downtown
Athens for competition with the
Georgia Mall, scheduled to open in
1980
He also said last summer. "If we
wait until that mall opens, we’ll be
treading water Store owners have to
make decisions now. They’re signing
leases for the mall now."
The proposals of the ADDA, a
one-year-old organization funded with
federal community development
money allocated to Athens, are
attempts to rejuvenate Athens'
downtown business area, which is
feeling the pinch of competition with
shopping centers on the city's outer
rim.
Tb* ADDA, along with other groups
downtown, is working to bolster the
downtown business area Their plan
4hus far includes * three phases
building three new parking lots, which
would create an additional 250-300 new
spaces; creating a new shopping
arcade; and turning College Avenue
between Broad Street and Clayton
Street into a park like activity center
Burnett, a graduate ot the Univer
sity’s School of Environmental Design,
came up with a tenta’iv drawing for
the ADDA, which angered some
downtown merchants who would have
been forced to move their businesses
However, Burnett is quick to point out
the tentativeness of the sketch "All
this is a drawing It illustrates a
concept," he said
Besides its long range goals, which
have yet to be funded, the ADDA has
instituted more immediate aid for
downtown businesses In cooperation
with Inca! banks, the ADDA is making
available low-interest loans for
business downtown to improve their
facades
The AAA Bakery on Lumpkin Street
received such e loan to restore its
front when its awning blew down last
year Priscilla Catoe, of AAA Bakers
said she was glad the ADDA could
help "We got a real good percentage
on the loan," she said
Burnett believes the outlock is good
for downtown Athens The area is now
doing about $50 million in retail trade,
he said He estimated that ADDA’s
proposed changes would cost about
$500,000
If the ADDA can find funds for one
of the parking lots, the shopping
arcade, or find a way to sell the
now vacant parking garage to a
developer, he believes the effec'. will
snowball and the whole plan will be
realized
UGA Today
Martin Luther King Sr. here
Martin Luther King Sr. will attend a program sponsored by the Committee for
Black Programs tonight at 8 o'clock, in North PJ
The program, honoring Martin Luther King „r s birtnday. will feature a film
on King's life, entertainment by the Ebenezer Baptist Choir, and the
presentation of the proceeds from a fund raising event to King Sr
(—
SUPER Bowl XIII
+
The devasting Pittsburgh Steclors meet the
defending champion Dallas Cowboys in Miami for
Sunday's Suprr Howl XIII
This classic contest will begin at 4 pm on channel
ct
P4ll«S
L
2.
A special pre-game show starts at 2 o clock—re
viewing the history of the SuperBowl and discussing
scouting reports on both teams
Pittsburg*
J
Ciompi Quartet
The Ciornpi Quartet will perform in
the Chapel at H pm on Saturday.
January 20 This program, one in the
Franklin College Chamber Music
Series, is free and open to the public
Folkdancers
The small ballroom in Memorial
Hall is the place to be tonight at 8 00 if
you want to meet with the
International folkdancers. Beginners
are welcome!
Profile preview
Today's Profile features Carr.e
"Mamma" John-on. a familiar face to
those who frequent Snelling Hall
"Mamma" has been a University
employee for 37 years see Profile,
page 6
for an instant
Stop in - even
A representative of the Airericar. Institute of Foreign Study will be
interviewing sludei.ts who are interested in studying in Europe at today's
International Coflee Hour
The coffee hour, „ weekly event, is in the ballroom in Memorial Hall from
.1 30 a m 'o I 30 p m
Stop in. even if it's only for an instant
Paper Chase
A special 'Paper Chase'' is on at 10
o’clock on channel 5 "Paper Chasi ’
called 'Th- best show on the ai." by
the Oilca.o Sim-limes, stars John
Houseman and Co-stars James Ste
phens
Tognight’s episode finds Anderson
(Robert Gin"’I losing cont ol—in the
classroom and at the card tabic
