March 25, 2002
Walker calls for more diversity efforts
AU to host Jay Sanders Film Festival
Wayne Flynt wins UA's Cason Award
|
March 25, 2002 |
|
| Headlines Walker calls for more diversity efforts AU to host Jay Sanders Film Festival Wayne Flynt wins UA's Cason Award |
 |
Faculty officers
Barbara Struempler, center, of Nutrition and Food Science became the new chair of the University Senate on March 12. Renee Middleton, not shown, of the College of Education, is the new secretary of the senate. Immediate past secretary and chair, left-above, are Isabelle Thompson of English and Jim Bradley of Biological Sciences. At right, above, are Chair-Elect John Mouton of Building Science and Secretary-Elect Paula Sullenger of AU Libraries.
Funding woes no longer unique to Alabama
State revenue problems that have plagued higher education in Alabama for a decade are appearing in many states this year, according to newspapers across the U.S. States which saw rapid funding growth for higher education during the 1990s -- while Alabama's allocations for higher education withered -- now face major cuts of their own.
Although Alabama has been hit hard by the recession, interim President William Walker said the impact has been softened at Auburn by budgeting changes adopted by the AU Board of Trustees in the late 1990s. Those changes included reallocation of resources and establishment of a proration reserve to offset sudden cuts in state revenues, such as AU endured in the mid-1990s.
While the state tries to fend off possible proration this spring and budget projections for next year range from revenue declines to very modest growth, the Legislature is debating a 2002-03 budget that contains, at best, a small increase for AU next fall. The version of the state education budget sent to the Senate on March 14 by the Alabama House contains a $5 million increase in the AU System's state allocation, currently at $200.8 million, but the final budget could differ markedly from the House version.
Most Southern states face budget problems this year. However, the sharp drop in education revenues is not confined to the region.
Among the hardest hit states are:
* Virginia, which according to The Virginian Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, faces one of the nation's largest budget shortfalls. State leaders there have to come up with $1.5 billion in cuts in the current budget year, which ends June 30, and $2.3 billion over two years. About 700 state employees will lose their jobs. The Virginia dilemma follows a period of large increases in education funding in which the state invested $500 million in public colleges and universities and underwrote a 20 percent reduction in tuition, according to the newspaper.
* North Carolina faces a budget deficit of $900 million, according to The News & Observer in Raleigh. In response, that state's governor has declared the North Carolina's second budget emergency, that state's equivalent to proration, in less than a year, amounting to cuts of 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Classroom instruction at all levels has been exempted by the cuts, but The News & Observer reports that the University of North Carolina System has been hit by cuts in other areas totaling $64 million, about 4 percent of its budget. In addition, the university has frozen $51.5 million in funding that had been budgeted for renovations and repairs.
* South Carolina cut its budget for colleges and universities by 4 percent last fall, and that state's legislature is considering a cut of $3 million in spending for those institutions in pending legislation for next fall, according to The State in Columbia.
* Wisconsin's 26-campus university system is battling attempts in that state's legislature to reduce the system's appropriation by $108 million, 12 percent of the system's total state appropriation, according to The New York Times and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The University of Wisconsin responded by abruptly freezing both undergraduate admissions and hiring. Complicating the issue in Wisconsin, according to The Journal Sentinel, is a power struggle between the Legislature and the Board of Regents, which defied legislative leaders last fall by granting $300,000 in executive salary raises, including a $91,000 raise for the university president, despite warnings of declining state revenues.
* The University of Illinois is preparing to increase tuition 10 percent and cut up to 600 jobs, including 190 faculty positions, this fall, according to The Chicago Tribune. The UI president has warned the Illinois Legislature that the university will take those actions to help offset a $50 million cut in state support in the next fiscal year. The Illinois institution cut 140 jobs, including 40 faculty posts, this year due to a shortfall in the current budget. If the university is prevented from raising tuition by 10 percent, the president warned, more job cuts will follow. * Oregon, faced with spiraling revenue declines, faces a $50 million cut to the Oregon State University System budget of $808 million. The Eugene Register-Guard reports that the amount of the cut increased more than $5 million in the days between the governor's call of a special legislative session and the actual convening of the session.
* As Washington's legislature contemplates solutions to a $1.25 billion revenue shortfall, the governor's budget anticipates tuition increases of up to 18 percent at the University of Washington and Washington State University. Even with the tuition increases, the governor is asking the institutions to cut their budgets by 5 percent, according to The Tacoma News Tribune.
* Among other states faced with potentially large revenue reductions for education are Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana and New York.
Walker calls for education to create culture more favorable to diversity
In his State of the University remarks for spring 2002, interim AU President William Walker said the university should use educational programming to strengthen its commitment to diversity.
"I think our best chance lies in educational programming that is designed to create a culture and a community so abhorrent that those who would practice it are ostracized," he added.
Walker presented the State of the University address to the University Staff on Monday, March 25.
John Heilman, senior adviser to the president, read the remarks to the University Faculty on March 12, after heavy rains delayed Walker's return to campus from Birmingham.
Diversity received the most emphasis in a speech that also discussed institutional capacity, enrollment, housing, campus traffic and pedestrians, private and public funding, economic development, and strategic planning.
In response to racially offensive behavior at two fraternity parties last fall, the university initiated punitive action against the individuals and fraternities at the center of the issue. Resulting lawsuits have those actions tied up in court. However, Walker said, the university must look beyond the fraternity incidents to address the larger problems they identified.
"The actions we have taken with respect to individual fraternity members and their particular organizations represent only the tip of the iceberg," he said. "Changing our culture will take time and will require efforts that reach into all corners of this institution."
Walker noted that the university has taken some steps to increase appreciation of diversity. He cited the support from Russell Corporation for a consultant and workshops on diversity and the provost's efforts to organize a diversity leadership council.
The council will work with campus constituencies to develop a comprehensive diversity plan. "The goal for this plan will be to weave respect for diversity into the very fabric of this institution," he added.
Walker said he also expects the Multicultural Diversity Commission to play an important role in developing greater appreciation for diversity across campus. The commission, which recently gained university committee status, is instrumental in the university's plans to establish a center for multicultural activities. The center will be housed in Foy Student Union.
"With respect to the curricular component of cultural change, I want to acknowledge the tremendous effort that faculty across the university have made, and are making, to incorporate into their courses information and issues that are relevant to diversity and tolerance," Walker said.
On other matters, Walker said:
* A committee will soon begin meeting to seek ways in which to implement consultant William Weary's recommendations on building institutional capacity. Those recommendations, covering governance and identification of shared values, are available on the web at www.univrel.auburn.edu/specialreports.html
* Auburn will adhere to a targeted enrollment of 25,000, with graduate enrollment targeted for 20 percent of the total. Most future growth in enrollment will be targeted for graduate students, he added.
* The university could begin implementing new procedures as early as fall semester to alleviate traffic congestion in the core campus in an effort to make the campus more pedestrian-friendly.
* Changes in the national economy since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. have resulted in new uncertainties about the level of state revenues. Those revenues determine if the state will be able to avoid proration this fiscal year and provide increases in 2002-03.
* AU has launched a feasibility study for a capital campaign, which would seek to increase the amount of private funding for AU.
* Auburn could play a major role in developing areas along the southern end of Interstate 85 into a research and development corridor for high-tech industries. Walker said the presidents of the state's other research universities have expressed great interest in the idea.
* The Directions Group task force is proceeding with its review of Auburn's goals and funding needs for the 21st century.
Interim president outlines steps to increase diversity
Auburn is taking major steps to follow up on a commitment it made last fall to make diversity a core value within the university, says AU Interim President William Walker. Auburn's continuing commitment to diversity and tolerance are key to its establishment as an educational leader of the 21st century, said Walker.
"I have made it clear to everyone here that our renewed and active commitment to diversity and tolerance is one of our key priorities at Auburn," he said. "To be a competitive university in the 21st century, these are steps we absolutely must take. More importantly, promoting and establishing a culture of diversity and tolerance here at Auburn is simply the right thing to do."
AU administrators are among several key groups who are receiving diversity education in a series of workshops under way at AU, said interim Provost John Pritchett.
In February, 62 officials, including Walker, other top administrators and deans of AU's colleges and schools, attended the first of seven training courses. The workshops are being conducted cooperatively with Russell Corporation, and are led by Kevin Clayton, a diversity consultant for the Alexander City-based company, aand Julius Pryor, director of diversity for Russell.
"This was the first of seven of these workshops we've planned," Pritchett said. "The remaining six will include 40 to 50 persons each, representing all sectors of the university -- administration, faculty, staff and students.
"Parallel to these activities, we're putting together a diversity leadership council that will work with the various constituencies of the university to begin putting together a comprehensive diversity plan for the university," Pritchett said.
"In the end, we expect understanding and respecting diversity will become one of Auburn's core values and will be woven into the very fabric of this institution," he added.
Walker mandated that all segments of the university accelerate or establish programs aimed at promoting and nurturing diversity and tolerance. Initial steps include programs by Tolerance.org, the education wing of Montgomery's Southern Poverty Law Center, and Walker's order elevating AU's Multicultural Diversity Commission to status as a standing university committee.
Pritchett said one of the Multicultural Diversity Commission's first actions as a standing committee was to develop a proposal for establishing a Center for Diversity and Race Relations on campus.
 |
In parting remarks to the University Faculty on March 12, outgoing faculty chair Jim Bradley said the university community seems more united than at any time in the recent past. But, he said, the unity is a result of "unfortunate, challenging and opportunity-filled events" over the past year.
"I believe that what unites the Auburn University community is a steadfast confidence in our knowledge that we deserve an atmosphere in which greatness can happen," Bradley said.
The keys to such an atmosphere or ambience, he said, are a diversity of intellectual and cultural backgrounds among students and faculty, openness to debate and dialogue, people who love ideas more than things, and faculty and administrators who value teaching and discovery equally.
Bradley said he senses widespread, if not universal, support for those ideals, which he grouped under the umbrella of academic freedom. The outgoing faculty chair said the university's future depends on further development of such values, which governance consultant William Weary recently described as the "commons."
Conflicts between the faculty senate and members of the Board of Trustees have made the search for the commons more difficult, he said, noting that, despite progress in some areas, faculty leaders and the board remain far apart in other areas.
However, he said, the faculty should not abandon the search for institutional pride, trust and freedom at the heart of the institution. "Once identified, I suggest letting the commons be a guide for action."
Bradley urged the faculty to become more politically involved to gain support for their views beyond the campus.
He said faculty should also nurture diversity, "...not just to teach, but to embrace diversity." The nurturing should include the addition of more minority and female faculty, he added.
Noting the setback to diversity efforts from racially insensitive activities at two fraternity parties last Halloween, Bradley said, "We must build on the progress of the 1990s and rebuild what was lost last October."
On another matter, Bradley noted that most economic projections point to a nationwide increase in private support for public universities and privatization of operations. Such trends may provide the best hope for additional funding, Bradley said, but he cautioned that institutions must rededicate themselves to preserving academic standards as they seek private resources.
 |
Award winner
Outgoing University Senate Chair Jim Bradley is the 2002 winner of the Academic Freedom Award from the AU chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Local AAUP President Judy Sheppard congratulates Bradley, whom she cited as a steadfast champion of shared governance.
AU to host Jay Sanders Film Festival in April
Organizers have received more than 150 entries for the Jay Sanders Film Festival in April.
Hosted by the Auburn Film Society and the Department of Communication and Journalism, the competition offers future filmmakers the opportunity to have their work seen by a theater audience. The entries are in five categories: animation, documentary, abstract/experimental, short narrative and political/social satire.
The festival will start at 7 p.m. April 18 at the Dixon Conference Center auditorium. Sanders, namesake of the festival, taught film history and appreciation at Auburn for several decades until his retirement in 1985.
The competition this year is supported by Movie Gallery, Inc. The gift will provide an opportunity for aspiring filmmakers, said festival director Emmett Winn.
"College and high school students all over the U.S. dream of being Hollywood movie directors and stars," said Winn, who is an associate professor of communication at AU. "However, they can never fulfill these dreams if they are not given a chance to showcase their early works of art."
The Auburn Film Society will award $1,000 first prizes to the best high school video-maker and the best college video-maker. Competition is open to video entries of 22 minutes or less that are completed by students enrolled in accredited colleges and high schools.
"For every movie that we carry in our stores, there is a director that started out making home movies with a gleam in his or her eye," said Joe Malugen, chairman and CEO of Movie Gallery, Inc. "We are pleased to partner with Auburn University to foster and identify a wide range of creative talent on an international level." Movie Gallery operates 1,434 video specialty stores in 41 states and five Canadian provinces.
Wayne Flynt wins Cason Writing Award at UAT
Southern historian Wayne Flynt of AU is this year's recipient of the Clarence Cason Writing Award at the University of Alabama. Flynt received the award March 13 in Tuscaloosa.
The award, presented by the UA Department of Journalism, honors exemplary nonfiction writing over the course of a productive career. Winners have strong connections to Alabama, reflected either in their backgrounds or their work.
Flynt, a Distinguished University Professor at Auburn, teaches Alabama and Southern history. His books have explored the plight of poor Southerners and assessed the role of religion in Southern politics. His essays appear in many newspapers in the South, and he is a sought-after speaker across the region.
The Cason Award is named for the founding head of the UA journalism department, who wrote the highly critical work of his native region, 90 Degrees in the Shade. That book was published shortly after his death in 1935.
Flynt, a Cason admirer, is the author of the preface to the second edition of Cason's book for the University of Alabama Press.
Previous winners of the Cason Award, which was given for the first time in 1998, are author Gay Talese, scientist and writer Edward O. Wilson, journalist Howell Raines and jazz musician and writer Albert Murray.
ACES expands Spanish language activities for newest immigrants
Like the immigrants who preceded them, Alabama's emerging Hispanic population will make positive and lasting contributions into the state's economic and social life, but like all newcomers, these immigrants will need help assimilating to their new surroundings, says Diego Gimenez, Hispanic coordinator for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The Extension System and other Extension offices around the country are providing an array of Spanish-language educational materials dealing with issues such as how to obtain proper medical care, how to shop wisely and how to care for many of life's basic needs.
Many of these publications can be accessed through the Alabama Cooperative Extension System's web site. The Alabama Extension site also links to other Spanish-language publications developed by other state Extension offices throughout the country.
Extension agents throughout Alabama already are providing these materials to Hispanic clients who need help assimilating into Alabama's cultural life. Working with Gina Bailey McKell, executive director of the Governor's Office on National and Community Service, and Hernan Prado, chief executive officer of the Alabama Latin American Association, ACES is also focusing more attention on the expanding roles Hispanics play in the state's social and economic life.
Last year, Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman also signed a proclamation recognizing November 2001 as Hispanic Community Recognition Month to "celebrate the contributions and rich culture of the Hispanic community."
"Without these partnerships and the governor's close cooperation, a focused, coordinated effort toward assisting Hispanic assimilation into Alabama's cultural and economic life would have been far more difficult," Gimenez says.
Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. Since 1990 the Hispanic community in Alabama has grown 207 percent.
Family Fun Day planned for May 15 at new site
Auburn's sixth annual Family Fun Day will be May 15, with activities on the grounds of the AU President's Home. William and Myrna Walker, AU's interim president and first lady, will host the 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m. activities, which include games, music and other entertainment for AU employees and their families.
The AU president and units from Auburn's ROTC program will open Family Fun Day activities with a ceremony remembering the events of September 11. Since parking availability will be limited, buses will shuttle participants from the Haley Center and Coliseum parking lots to the event from 2:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.
Albert Snipes, Director of employee relations for AU's Office of Human Resources, said the event has emerged as an Auburn tradition since its start in 1996. About 4,000 persons attend the activities each year. The program is open to faculty as well as staff members.
"Family Fun Day has proved to be an effective way for us to bring university employees and their families together for an afternoon of fun, food and fellowship," said Snipes, who is chair of the Fun Day organizing committee.
Snipes said cards with information about the event will soon be distributed to AU employees. Each card will contain a mailing label, which will qualify the recipient to compete for door prizes.
The organizational committee is seeking volunteers to help with the activities. To volunteer, call Kerry Ransel at 844-1757.
Space scientist to speak at Auburn
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will speak at Auburn next week as a 2001-02 Littleton-Franklin Lecturer in the Sciences and Humanities.
Tyson, who is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the New Hayden Planetarium in New York, will speak at 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, at the Dixon Conference Center auditorium. On April 10, Tyson will speak to student classes on campus.
Tyson, who also serves as visiting research scientist and lecturer at Princeton University, holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia University. He writes a series of monthly essays in Natural History magazine and is the author of The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist, One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos and Just Visiting this Planet. The International Astronomical Union has named an asteroid "13123 Tyson" in recognition of his service to the field.
The Littleton-Franklin Lectures, held at AU since 1968, are sponsored by the John and Mary Franklin Foundation of Atlanta.
Go to Next Page.