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New rules governing grades,
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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1994 • ATHENS, GEORGIA • VOLUME 101, ISSUE 149
Woodland study site saved from timber co.
By ERIC RAYBURN
Staff Writer
All of the hard work entomology pro
fessor John Pickering put into saving his
study site at Sams Farm finally paid off.
University officials decided Monday to
save the 27.5 acres of trees from the axe
of the timber company that bought them
in January.
“There were several factors in the deci
sion,” said William Prokasy, vice presi
dent for Academic Affairs. “There was Dr.
Pickering’s research, the contract with the
timber company and the long-term plan
ning for the dairy and Dr. Pickering.”
Prokasy said research into the decision
has been underway, but the final decision
was sped up because the timber company,
Timberman Inc., has already begun cut
ting trees on the 110 acres of land at the
University’s Dairy. The timber was sold in
order to pay for improvements in the
waste management system at the dairy.
The old system was leaking wastewater
and was in violation of Georgia
Environmental Protection Division regu
lations. Trees haven’t been damaged on
Pickering’s study site.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Pickering
said. “I’m very grateful to PYokasy, he’s
been great.”
Pickering fought the clear-cut of the
110 acres on Sams Farm because his
study site, in which he said he has invest
ed more than 12,000 student hours, was
included.
The decision to save the timber has pro
vided Pickering, who was using the land
with the authority of a spoken agreement,
the time to continue his research - for
now.
Prokasy said Pickering must submit a
formal proposal, through his department
head, to the University’s Cooperative
Extensive Service by Dec. 31 to continue
using the land.
“I’m going forward with the proposal
and I hope to keep it as a long-term study
site,” he said.
Pickering said he plans to set up the
27.5 acre tract as a site to help a national
survey on the bio-diversity of the United
States.
“I’m glad the University is moving
toward a land-use plan,” he said. “For
classes like mine you really need an out
door classroom. You can’t learn everything
from slides and videos. I’ve taken students
out there who have never been jn the
woods.”
But not all of Pickering’s troubles are
over. He said his summer salary of $9,200
may be cut by $5,000 this year. However,
Arden Lea, head of the entomology depart
ment, said he “didn’t know of any problem
with (Pickering’s) salary.”
The proposed cut comes on the heels of
Pickering’s recent $2,500 University
award for being an outstanding teacher.
Tenure a ‘huge waste
profs who were denied
By JEFF YORK
Staff Writer
When a Slavic language profes
sor applied for tenure in January,
she said she never thought the
final decision would take until
May.
Margareta Thompson, who was
denied tenure, has spent the past
four months writing letters and
appeals in an effort to save her job
- a campaign she called “a huge
waste of time.”
She said that when her applica
tion reached the tenure committee,
after being approved by her
department and outside evalua
tors, it was refused because her
research was not good enough.
Thompson said her research
was good enough and could have
been better if she had a lighter
class load.
“I have never refused to teach
classes,” she said. “In my stupidi
ty, I thought that was why I was
here. I really, honestly, do not
think I’ve had a fair deal.”
After the committee denied
Thompson tenure, she filed an
appeal to University President
Charles Knapp. Six weeks later,
she was told the committee’s deci
sion would stand.
“I don’t see what the logic is
here,” she said. “The department
and College of Arts and Sciences
were impressed with me, and then
the committee was against me.”
William Prokasy, vice president
of academic affairs, would not com
ment on Thompson’s appeal.
“I can’t comment
on a personnel case,”
Prokasy said.
Sixty-nine associ
ate professors
applied for tenure
this year - 51 men
and 18 women. Four
of the men and two
women, including
Thompson, were
denied tenure.
Theresa Bey, an
associate professor
in the University
division of educa
tional leadership, is
losing her job of
seven years, despite
receiving a
Ful bright Scholar
Award.
As a Fulbright
Scholar, she will
travel to several
Mediterranean coun
tries to help redesign
their educational
systems.
“Two ministries of
education are
expecting me to be a
representative of the
University, but
that’s not going to be
the case,” Bey said.
“Instead I will be
joining the ranks of the unem
ployed.”
Bey said she submitted the
same resume for the Fulbright
Award and her application for
tenure in September 1993. After
JEFT YORK/ The Red and Black
Theresa Bey, a Fulbright Scholar and an associate professor in edu
cational leadership, moves out of her office after she was denied
tenure. Bey has worked at the University for seven years.
two appeals, she was denied a
review hearing by the Board of
Regents.
Prokasy also declined comment
on Bey’s case.
Bey said, “I don’t think the gov
ernment offices are going to appre
ciate the fact that the University
of Georgia could not recognize my
contributions.”
Please see TENURE, page 2.
of time,’ say associate
Colleges to hold individual graduation ceremonies
By ERIC RAYBURN
Staff Writer
Three colleges at the University
will provide a personal touch, and a
smaller ceremony, for their gradu
ates this year.
The colleges of journalism, fami
ly and consumer sciences and phar
macy will hold separate graduation
ceremonies in addition to the
University’s commencement exer
cise.
“(By holding separate cere
monies) it gives a personal touch for
students, faculty and family,” said
Stuart Feldman, dean of the College
of Pharmacy. “It also enables us to
bring in an outside speaker that will
focus on a topic related to pharma
cy.”
The convocations allow the
smaller schools to individually rec
ognize graduates instead of only rec
ognizing the entire school or college.
According to J. Thomas Russell,
dean of the College of Journalism,
the school has convocations every
quarter.
“For students that graduate in
the winter or fall, they are out work
ing and some can’t make it back in
the spring for the ceremony,” he
said. “It individually recognizes
seniors and is one final way to meet
people.”
Many students seem to agree the
smaller ceremonies are more per
sonal.
Mike Copeland, a senior from
Newnan, said convocations are bet
ter than the larger ceremony for a
number of reasons.
“It’s smaller and more personal,”
he said. “At Sanford Stadium you’re
there with 3,000 other people, you
stand up with your school and turn
your tassel, yah-hoo. At least at
convocation your parents get to rec
ognize your hard work.”
The College of Journalism, which
will have two convocations on June
3, will have University President
Charles Knapp speaking at the
first, at 2:30 p.m., and Vice-
President for Academic Affairs
William Prokasy at the second at 4
p.m.
The College of Pharmacy’s cere
mony on June 11 at 11 a.m. will fea
ture speaker Larry Braden, execu
tive vice-president of the Georgia
Pharmacy Association.
The College of Family and
Consumer Sciences will hold its cer
emony on June 11 at 11:30 a.m. in
the Georgia Center for Continuing
Education.
Skipping class is not
an absent
By ROBERT E. SHERRY
Staff Writer
Although some students say
they attend class because of tests
and projects, the frequency of
campus-wide absenteeism hasn’t
been eliminated.
R.D. Dallmeyer, a professor of
geology, said about half of his 28
students regularly attend his
Geology 125 class.
“I had six there last Friday,” he
said. “This is the worst Fve seen it
in 23 years.”
Dallmeyer, who does not take
attendance because he said he
believes students are responsible
for their own education, said the
absenteeism problem in his class
is not an isolated example.
“My perception is it’s a cam
pus-wide problem that’s getting
worse,” he said.
But Dallmeyer said he
becomes frustrated when he sees
excessive absenteeism in his lec
tures and labs, one reason being
that it disrupts the learning pro
cess.
“I put time and effort into what
I think is an important lecture
and people don’t show up,” he
said. “Graduate teaching assis
tants have to spend an inordinate
amount of time with those who
are unprepared.”
David Warren, a student in
Dallmeyer’s Geology 125 class
and a sophomore from
Thomasville, said an average of
12 students actually attend class.
Warren said he has skipped
classes regularly because he
doesn’t enjoy getting up in the
morning and he’s trying to catch
T'o skip or no
problem
up with his homework.
“Except for test days, I haven’t
sat through an entire math class
in over three weeks,” he said, who
is in Math 253 at 8:55 a.m. every
day. “I would give my left testicle
to get rid of my early class.”
Heidi Davee, a senior from
Athens, said usually only six or
seven students attend her public
affairs reporting class, which
started with 14 students.
However, she said she rarely
skips class.
“Because it’s my money, you
feel a lot more worse if you’re
skipping classes when you know
you’re the one who’s paying,”
Davee said.
Brian A. Anderson, a freshman
from Peachtree City, said he reg
ularly attends his classes not only
because he’s concerned about
making good grades, but also
because his Anthropology 102 pro
fessor collects everyone’s daily lec
ture notes.
Some professors say tests and
projects keep students in the
classroom.
David M. Hayes, a professor
who teaches “Preparation in
Health Education,” said at this
point of the quarter, his students
are presenting projects.
“They’re in control of the class,”
he said. “So they had to be there.”
Karl Espelie, an entomology
professor, said he does not notice
an attendance problem in his
class and said an average 270 stu
dents out of 330 attend daily.
“One-third of their grade is
based on scheduled quizzes,” he
said. “My lectures are so interest
ing they want to come to class.”
to skip...
“My perception is it’s a campus-wide problem
that’s getting worse.’’ - R.D. Dallmeyer,
professor of geology
“I haven’t sat through an entire math class in
over three weeks.” - David Warren, sophomore
from Thomasville
“My lectures are so interesting, they want to
come to class.” - Karl Espelie, professor of
entomology
Dance show at Morton Theatre
Lizz Meyer, one of the dancers in tonight's “The Reclamation Project" at the Morton Theatre.
to benefit
By JANELL HOBSON
Staff Writer
Once again, the Morton
Theatre becomes the locale for
another benefit performing arts
event, this time for the the
Mental Health Association of
Northeast Georgia.
This fourth annual benefit will
showcase a series of modern
dances in tonight’s program, “The
Reclamation Project," featuring
choreographers and dancers from
Athens and Atlanta.
The show begins at 8 p.m.
“There’s a need to aid our own
mental health,” said Lizz Meyer,
director of the show. “Also, there’s
not enough dances featured in
Athens. But there’ll be six dance
pieces (in the concert)."
The University’s Bala
Sarasvati and Atlanta’s Suyenne
Simoes will also choreograph
their works in this show.
Sarasvati’s “Bridge of
Dreams," which was also per-
mental health group
formed in winter quarter’s
Concert Dance Company show,
integrates movements and com
puter technology in a complex,
unique expression of urban living
and chaotic emotions. A video
screen and music by Chito
Lapena, local composer and com
puter artist, are included in this
energetic and dynamic piece.
Suyenne Simoes, a native
Brazilian, debuts in Athens with
her duet piece, “Forgot to
Remember."
“The kind of things (modem)
dance requests from you as a per
son are so unique,” Simoes said in
a statement. “It’s like, you don’t
have to be an extremely technical
dancer or you don’t have to be a
dancer who can turn eight times
in three seconds, because that’s
not what it’s about."
Meyer said the title of the show
has a personal meaning for her.
“The idea of reclamation has to
do with rejuvenating my sources
as a dancer," she said. "I haven’t
danced in a year, so this is about
reclaiming yourself and making it
known again.
“I think this will be an uplift
ing concert,” Meyer added. “Very
positive and exciting.”
‘...you don’t have to
be a dancer who can
turn eight times in
three seconds,
because that’s not
what it’s about.’
- Suyenne Simoes
Tickets, available at Big Shot
Records, the Athens Chamber of
Commerce and the Morton
Theatre Box Office, are $5 for stu
dents and $7 for non students.
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