AU REPORT Septembr 21, 1998

In the meeting at Auburn University at Montgomery, Muse outlined a set of proposals to enhance the relationship between the university's two campuses and proposed changes in organizational structure at Auburn.
These changes, he said, would improve efficiency and effectiveness.

The major academic change would involve the consolidation of the nursing programs at Auburn and AUM. The Board of Trustees rejected a similar proposal two years ago following opposition from AUM supporters who feared their program would be subordinate to the Auburn program. In the current proposal, the nursing dean would be headquartered at AUM.

Most other academic changes were confined to the Auburn campus and followed recommendations of a special task force of faculty, administrators and staff. The other academic changes included consolidations involving the School of Forestry and the wildlife sciences program, the departments of Geography and Geology and the departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology and creation of a Department of Biological Sciences.
On the administrative side, Muse suggested the merger of Human Resources with Payroll and Benefits.

Most other recommendations involved increased integration of administrative functions serving the Auburn and AUM campuses.
Muse asked the commission to withhold consideration of the proposals until November, when he presents recommendations on high- and low priority programs. Commission members have expressed an interest in identifying and eliminating low priority programs to gain more funds for high-priority programs.

The commission reset its calendar to allow itself more time to study the organizational and priority proposals before making its own recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The new calendar calls for submission of the president's proposals on priorities on Nov. 5, a public hearing on Nov. 13 and a vote on Nov. 19. The commission's recommendations would then go to the Board of Trustees on Nov. 20.

Although the task force and the president examined 35 proposals from various sources for reorganization, the proposals calling for major realignment or combining of schools and colleges did not meet the criteria of improved efficiency and effectiveness, Muse said.

"One of the conclusions that I reached after considerable study is that there is limited potential for improved efficiency through organizational restructuring at Auburn," Muse said. Any major cost reduction will have to come from the establishing of priorities, he said.

The commission also heard from faculty representatives Glenn Howze and Wayne Flynt.

Howze took issue with earlier complaints by AU trustee and commission member Ed Richardson over criticism of the commission from within the faculty. Howze said the faculty and other constituents of the university want to make sure the process is fair and protects the academic interests of the university.

Flynt chastised both the faculty and the Board of Trustees, which has five members on the commission. Faculty are sometimes brittle, unreasoning, hard-headed and turf-oriented, while trustees create a perception of being patronizing and having a paternalistic attitude toward faculty, he said.

The veteran History faculty member warned that Auburn could quickly find itself in a repeat of the turmoil of the early 1980s if conflicts continue to escalate. He urged the faculty to become more cooperative and the trustees to get to know the faculty better. Flynt also criticized what he called the "politicalization of trustee selection" and a perception of misplaced priorities.

"My own sense is that faculty, if fully consulted and afforded opportunity for meaningful input, may oppose and complain about actions which negatively affect them but nonetheless understand the necessity for action," Flynt said.

Auburn president's recommendations to Review Commission

AU-AUM administrative integration
* Increased collaboration on purchasing services
* Joint purchasing agreements for food services and bookstores
* Centralized employee leave accrual and reporting system
* Joint preparation of budget reports
Potential Savings = $200,000

AU-AUM academic collaboration
* Consolidation of nursing programs at AU & AUM
* Further integration of library operations at AU & AUM
* Modification of policy on transfer of students between campuses
* Shared doctoral program in educational leadership
* Centralization of enrollment management services
Potential Savings = $125,000

AU organizational changes
* Transfer of wildlife sciences program in Department of Zoology to School of Forestry
* Merger of Departments of Geology and Geography into single department in College of Sciences and Mathematics
* Merger of Departments of Zoology and Botany/Microbiology, along with general biology program into a Department of Biological Sciences in College of Sciences and Mathematics
* Merger of Departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology in College of Agriculture
* Possible merger of Human Resources and Payroll & Benefits
Potential Savings = $300,000

Waters to be new College of Agriculture dean
When Luther Waters begins his duties Jan. 1 as the new dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, it will mark a return to his Southern roots.

But, more than that, the South Carolina native says it will mark his return in a position where he can give back to the Southern culture he so values.

"The issues that people are dealing with here in the South and at Auburn are close to my heart," Waters said. "You don't grow up, spend your childhood and early adult life in this environment and lose that connection.
I'm as emotionally connected to the South as anyone else who grew up here and it feels really good to be able to come back here and play some role in helping this culture deal with issues that are very important to its future.

"The other things we talk about -- in terms of the quality faculty and quality programs that Auburn has -- are wonderful, but that's the technical side. The more emotional side is that this is home and that there is some passion to be in a position to help to make the lives of people in this state and this region as productive and positive as possible."

Waters, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees in horticulture from Clemson University and a Ph.D. from Oregon State University, comes to Auburn from his position as department head and professor of horticulture and crop science at Ohio State University, where he has been since 1990.
Prior to that, he served in various teaching and administrative positions at the University of Minnesota for 12 years and eight years with Del Monte Corp.

Until Waters assumes his duties in January, Ron Shumack, associate dean of Agriculture, will serve as interim dean and AAES director beginning Oct. 1, when James Marion steps down. Shumack has been at Auburn for more than 30 years as a professor and department head in horticulture and as associate dean.

Marion, who came to Auburn as dean of Agriculture in 1988 and added the duties of director of the AAES in 1997, said he plans to join AU's Poultry Science faculty as a professor and researcher. In addition, he will coordinate a special research initiative within the AAES on food safety and waste management with colleagues at Alabama A&M and Tuskegee universities.

Benefield named interim dean of College of Engineering

Larry Benefield, associate dean for academics in the College of Engineering, has been appointed interim dean of the college.

William Walker, who became interim provost and vice president for academic affairs for AU on Sept. 1, announced Benefield's appointment to succeed him on an interim basis as Engineering dean.

An AU faculty member since 1979, Benefield was an Alumni Professor from 1984-89 and Feagan Professor from 1989-92.

Benefield earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Auburn and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. A civil engineering officer in the Air Force from 1967-71, he taught at VPI, Mississippi State and the University of Colorado before joining the AU faculty.

Nationally recognized for his work on biological wastewater treatment, Benefield has taught a variety of advanced courses in civil engineering and is the author of more than 100 publications and articles in his field.

Ruth named interim dean of College of Architecture, Design & Construction

D.K. Ruth, a professor of architecture at Auburn for nine years, has been named interim dean of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction.

The appointment was announced by AU Interim Provost William Walker.

Ruth, a professor in AU's School of Architecture, previously held the post of assistant dean for outreach for the college. He also was head of the School of Architecture and co-founded AU's Rural Studio, which gives undergraduate students an opportunity to focus on the "how-to" of architecture while helping less fortunate Alabamians. Since its inception in 1993, Ruth has helped raise approximately $1.8 million in gifts and grants -- including a $650,000 W.K. Kellogg Foundation award -- to operate the Rural Studio.

A 1968 AU architecture graduate, Ruth earned a master of architecture degree from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design in 1974.

He worked as a designer, project designer, architect, partner and principal in various architectural firms in the South before joining the AU faculty.

In addition, Ruth has taught at the University of Tennessee, Mississippi State University and Louisiana State University.
Ruth remains a principal in the architectural firm of Ruth Architects. He is a registered architect in Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama.

Review rates Auburn libraries third in U.S.

Auburn's libraries were ranked third among more than 300 of the nation's top colleges and universities, according to students polled by The Princeton Review for its annual guide to the best universities.

AU ranked No. 3 in the category of "Great Libraries" behind No. 1 Eastman School of Music and No. 2 Mount Holyoke College. Others in the top 10 were: Wake Forest University, Wesleyan University, Naval Academy, Emory University, University of Chicago, University of Washington and Bucknell University.

The Princeton Review surveyed 56,000 students at 311 of the nation's top colleges for its guides, which is out in its 1999 edition. Less than 10 percent of America's 3,500 colleges were analyzed.

Glenn Anderson, assistant dean in the collections department of AU Libraries, said he believes many factors were included in the library's top ranking.

"Auburn's libraries hold more than 2.2 million volumes and we are the largest library in the state, both in terms of volumes held and in the size of the library facilities," he said.

"Exit interviews with graduating seniors consistently characterize library service as outstanding at Auburn and a number of assessments of students and faculty by library staff have also indicated that library users are pleased with the service they receive."

Anderson also pointed to the fact that AU Libraries staff conduct numerous programs to introduce library programs to patrons, as well as keep abreast of the latest technology to assist users.

"During the past fiscal year, librarians gave 612 presentations to 14,648 participants," he said. "Many of these are orientation sessions for students new to the library, or sessions for students and faculty unfamiliar with AUBIECat, the WEB-based catalog, or with the many databases, indexes and full-text sources available via the Library's home page.

"In addition to the full-text sources, many of which students can use from off campus locations, an electronic 'Ask a Librarian' service and an electronic document delivery service allows library users to do library work from their home or office."

In other categories, AU was ranked No. 2 among "Jock Schools"; No. 4 in "Students Pack the Stadiums"; No. 5 in "College Newspaper Gets Read"; No. 6 in "Town Gown Relations Are Good"; No. 10 in "Students Most Nostalgic for (former President) Reagan"; No. 12 in "Everyone Plays Intramural Sports"; No. 14 in "Students Pray on a Regular Basis"; and No. 15 in "Happy Students."

Student responses to The Princeton Review survey -- the largest on-going poll of student opinions of their colleges -- determine the book's unique annual ranking lists of the top 20 and bottom 20 colleges in 60 categories.

Categories include: academics, financial aid, administration, dorms, food, and aspects of the campus culture: political leanings, social life, race/class interaction, and more.

Published since 1992, the guide features student-based rankings of the universities to give people considering them an inside perspective on what students who attend that university say about it.

Parking violators risk getting 'boot'

Habitual parking violators on the AU campus will be subject to wheel-locking beginning fall quarter, according to the University Traffic and Parking Committee.

Bill Trimble, a history professor and chair of the committee says the panel -- composed of faculty, staff and students -- "looked seriously at the problem of habitual parking violators and determined that, in some instances, wheel-locking may be necessary."

"We hope we won't have to resort to wheel-locking very often, but we realize that it may be needed to ensure a safe and orderly campus," he added.

The new wheel-locking plan -- approved unanimously by the Traffic and Parking Committee -- is being implemented in response to those who continue to ignore parking citations and park illegally and others who pay parking fines but continue to park illegally, Trimble said.

Parking on campus is very limited, with 20,812 paid permits issued to students, faculty and staff for only 9,334 spaces, according to parking manager Jim Williams. Student parking accounts for 5,667 spaces.

Parking problems eased somewhat with the start-up last fall of the Tiger Transit bus system. The initial goal for the bus system was 2,000 riders a day, but daily ridership exceeded 5,500, and projections for the 1998-1999 academic year are as high as 7,000
users a day.

Williams says the number of parking citations issued declined in the 1997-98 academic year under current policy, when habitual parking violators accumulate 10 or more parking citations in an academic year, their vehicles are subject to being towed. In extreme cases, violators can have their vehicles banned from campus by the University Traffic Appeals Board. For students, action may also include referral to Student Affairs for disciplinary action.

Since January 1998, the AU Department of Public Safety has been towing and impounding the vehicles of habitual violators. But if there is a risk of damaging a vehicle, it will not be towed. In those cases, AUDPS officers simply leave a notice on the windshield noting that the vehicle has received 10 or more citations and is on the active tow list.

Towing will remain the preferred method for dealing with habitual parking violators.

But as an alternative to towing, wheel-locking by AUDPS will be used as a last resort, says Trimble.

"When a vehicle is identified for wheel-locking, an AUDPS officer will attach the wheel-locking device and will affix a highly visible notice to the vehicle that advises the habitual parking violator that any attempt to move the vehicle may result in damage," according to a statement from the Traffic and Parking Committee.

"The notice will also advise the habitual parking violator to contact the AUDPS to have the device removed. A fine similar to a towing fee will be imposed before the vehicle will be released. The personal contact will also give the AUDPS the opportunity to ensure the habitual parking violator understands the serious consequences of continuing to park illegally."

The charge for towing is $25 plus the ticket. That will be the same charge for wheel locking.

Jim Ferguson, vice president for administrative services, emphasized that the wheel-locking and towing is aimed strictly at habitual violators. "This procedure is not designed for special events such as football games," he said. "We are focusing on habitual parking violators in the campus parking system."

Higher Education Partnership begins AU membership campaign

The Higher Education Partnership, an organization to rally legislative and public support for colleges and universities in Alabama, is launching a membership drive at AU with the start of fall quarter.

The lobbying organization was created in 1997 by supporters of 15 public universities in response to a pattern of funding cuts and level funding by state government. The association works independently of the universities to rally statewide support and lobby for adequate funding for higher education.

Jerry Brown, professor and head of the Journalism Department, is leading the AU membership drive. Brown said the partnership provides a means for faculty and staff at Auburn to join forces with their counterparts and supporters around the state in support of higher education.

Brown and Michael Mercer, assistant professor of journalism, are working with faculty senators and staff leaders to encourage faculty and staff to join the Higher Education Partnership. Membership is $12 per year and can be covered through payroll deduction, Brown noted.

There is more at stake than annual legislative support for Auburn, Brown said. Everyone who is concerned about the future of higher education in Alabama has a stake in the success of the partnership, he added.

"Unless we become part of this larger effort, we are not going to be effective or even heard," Brown said.

Noting that faculty and staff at several institutions, including the University of Alabama, have started membership drives on behalf of the partnership, Brown said the start of fall quarter presents a good time for the membership drive at Auburn.

Gordon Stone, executive director of the Higher Education Partnership, said the organization is recruiting members across the state as well as at the 15 institutions. Stone joined the institutions' lobbyists in pushing for funding increases in this year's education budget, and he has been writing letters to newspapers, distributing information and speaking to organizations around the state on behalf of higher education.

Brown said the membership drive at Auburn will not be limited to faculty and staff. Administrators, students, parents and others who care about the future of the university will be encouraged to join the association. The Higher Education Partnership will provide a statewide voice that institutions cannot muster alone, he added. For information or an application, contact Brown or Mercer at 844-4607.

New budget, raises go into effect on Oct. 1

Auburn will enter its new fiscal year on Oct. 1 with a budget nearly 6 percent higher than the one for the fiscal year that is ending.

The AU Board of Trustees approved a $445 million budget for 1998-99 on Sept. 4 for the Auburn and Montgomery campuses, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The amount is $24 million or 5.7 percent higher than the 1997-98 budget for the year that ends Sept. 30.

The main campus budget is $327 million, up from $309 million in 1997-98. Other units and amounts are: AUM, $42.5 million; AAES, $36.8 million; and ACES, $38.7 million.

On the main campus, instruction is slated for an 8.3 percent increase, research for a 3 percent increase and public service for a 4.5 percent decrease in funds.
Funding for student services will increase 8.25 percent, and scholarship funds will increase 26.4 percent.

Most of the increase for the main campus is projected to come from a 4.7 percent increase in state appropriations from the Legislature and a 10.75 percent increase in revenue from student fees and charges. The two sources account for $194 million, approximately 60 percent of the total.

The budget includes funds for across-the-board and merit salary increases averaging 7 percent for faculty and staff. The base increase for faculty is 3 percent, with up to 4 percent for merit increases.

For staff, the base increase is 4 percent, with up to 3 percent for merit increases. Another 0.5 percent will go for equity adjustments.

The university is also reallocating 1 percent of all unit budgets for additional salary adjustments. That fund, which units are generating through internal budget cuts, is intended to improve the university's ability to attract and keep key personnel in which competition from other institutions is heaviest.

H.C. Morgan recalled for contributions to AU, city

Horace C. Morgan Jr., associate dean emeritus of Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine and a former president pro-tem of the Auburn City Council, died Aug. 31, at East Alabama Medical Center after a lengthy illness.

Morgan, 70, retired from Auburn University in 1993, after a 23-year career with the College of Veterinary Medicine, including eight years as assistant dean and 12 years as associate dean. He also taught pathobiology, rising to the rank of professor in 1981.

The Piedmont native served in the U.S. Air Force from 1946-49 and earned a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Auburn in 1955. He remained with the College of Veterinary Medicine as an instructor for three years while earning a veterinary medicine master's degree in 1958.

After a brief period in veterinary practice in Murphreesboro, Tenn., Morgan taught at the University of Georgia for 10 years before joining the Auburn veterinary
faculty in 1970.

J.T. Vaughan, dean emeritus of the College of Veterinary Medicine, recalled Morgan as a friend and colleague from the time they started college together in 1949.
"In a very real sense, he was like a brother to me," recalled Vaughan. "We had been together as students, as fraternity brothers, as graduate students, as faculty and then in the dean's office for most of 49 years.

"He was always totally honest about how he felt. I would fly something by him, and if it passed his scrutiny, I felt a lot more comfortable with it, and if it didn't, I would go back and look at it again," he said.

Prominent internationally as a veterinarian, Morgan was a consultant with the World Health Organization in its efforts to improve laboratory diagnostic abilities in the Caribbean and South America in the 1970s. He also held numerous posts within veterinary professional associations and served on the boards of five veterinary journals.

Off-campus, Morgan was as well known for his community service as for his association with veterinary medicine. He served on the Auburn City Council as a member and president pro-tem from 1976-80, served on the Auburn Water Board from 1983-96, was a member and chairman of the city's Governmental Utility Services Corporation from 1984-95 and was a member of the Auburn Planning Commission from 1984-97.

The AU veterinarian led the successful effort to privatize the city's waste water treatment plant, which the city named in his honor.

Morgan was also active in Auburn Rotary, twice serving as president, and he served as district governor of the community service organization. In 1993, he received the Auburn Rotary "Good Citizenship Award," and he was named the Auburn Civitan Club's "Citizen of the Year" in 1985.

Morgan is survived by his wife, Dorothy Thomas Morgan of Auburn, and two daughters.

President Emeritus Harry Philpot recalls overlooked side of George Wallace

An agreement Gov. George Wallace made in May 1965 with then-new AU President Harry M. Philpott set the stage for their relationship over most of the next 15 years.

"We had an understanding when I came to Auburn that he would write letters of praise for potential appointees at the university, but I would do with them what I thought best," said Philpott, who retired in 1980. "He was always very supportive and never interfered."

Wallace, who died Sept. 13 at age 79, was Alabama governor and president of the AU Board of Trustees for most of Philpott's 15-year AU presidency. Those years were marked by rapid growth and solid support from the governor, Philpott recalled.

"As long as you were doing the job, he wasn't going to interfere, and he was always supportive when we needed his help," said Philpott.

Although Wallace will be remembered in history in terms of his opposition to racial integration in the early 1960s and recantation of that stand in the 1970s, Philpott remembers another side of the former governor, one devoted to improving education in Alabama.

Unlike at the University of Alabama, Wallace did not become personally involved in the integration of Auburn in January 1964, when Harold Franklin was admitted under protection of a federal court order. Philpott recalled that by the time he arrived in mid-1965, most of the attention in education circles was on the governor's support for higher funding.

Wallace, in his eagerness to expand access to higher education, was responsible for a proliferation of community colleges and four-year college campuses in Alabama,
Philpott noted. "What he did establish, he took care of to the best of his ability," added the former AU president

Philpott said Wallace set the stage for education reform in the late 1960s, when he created a commission to address budgetary problems that arose in 1967. With the
AU president as its head, the commission produced recommendations that led to the creation of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, the end of elections for state superintendent of education and a host of other reforms.

By then, Lurleen Wallace had succeeded her husband as governor and had died of cancer. "Gov. (Albert) Brewer actually got to implement the reforms, but it was George Wallace who started the process, and he supported the reforms when he came back into office."

Philpott could recall Wallace attending only one AU Board meeting during three terms as governor during the Philpott presidency at Auburn. That visit was only to thank the board for its work, Philpott said.

Wallace was a good friend of Auburn and a good personal friend, as well, said Philpott. "We had nothing but a very personable and friendly relationship," he added. "He was always very supportive, and I always held him in the highest regard."

AU readies new data system to go online

An electronic database and auditing program that operates as part of AU's new Online Auburn Student Information System will help advisors and students plan course work and academic schedules as early as next January.

Dubbed the "On Course" system, the program can track students' progress toward their degrees and provide detailed information about remaining requirements, says Mary Kuntz, an associate professor in the Department of Foreign Languages who is developing the On Course program.

"The system will be used in some detail under the quarter system -- probably mostly by advisors, but it will be fully used when the semester system goes into effect," she said. "Advisors especially should find it helpful in examining students' credits earned under the quarter system and converting them to semester requirements."

AU will switch from the quarter to semester system in fall 2000.
Students also will be able to use "On Course" to check their credit progress and to plan course work.

"'On Course' will provide such information as what courses the student has taken; the student's classification; what courses the student still needs to meet degree requirements," said Kuntz. "The system also can be used to compare transfer credits when a student is coming to Auburn from another institution or when they are considering a change in academic majors."

But access to "On Course" information will be secure, Kuntz added, either by special user ID or some other means.

"The information will be in three sections," she said. "Section I will show requirements, including core courses and major supporting courses. Section II provides the list of courses taken that count as credit for a given academic program, the number of credit hours earned, grades and a student's GPA. Section III shows work that does not apply toward the degree and transfer courses that do not apply toward degree credit."

Kuntz, who is the curriculum model editor for the university bulletin, describes "On Course" as an electronic catalog, but adds that it will not be a replacement for the printed bulletin. "A printed bulletin, I believe, is necessary and will always have uses that can't be duplicated electronically."

OASIS goes online this quarter. Kuntz said the goal is next spring for having "On Course" fully operational.

Seroka named to head Center for Governmental Services

James Seroka, former professor of political science and public administration and director of the Center for Public Leadership at the University of North Florida, was appointed director of AU's Center for Governmental Services on Sept. 1.

CGS is Auburn's liaison to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations, and has a mission of promoting excellence in government.

"With the experience he has had leading the Center for Public Leadership at the University of North Florida, Dr. Seroka is ideally suited to provide effective leadership for the Center for Governmental Services," said David Wilson, associate provost and vice president for University Outreach.

"Under his leadership, I think CGS will become one of the elite governmental training and public policy centers in the region."

Seroka earned his bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Michigan and his master's and doctorate degrees in the same field from Michigan State University.

He has authored or edited six books and more than 85 professional refereed journal articles and book chapters.

Seroka spent time as a Senior Exchange Professor at the U.S. Academy of Sciences at the Yugoslav Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1981 and as an IREX Senior
Researcher on the political science faculty at the University of Belgrade in 1986. One of his books, Socio-Political Organizations in Contemporary Yugoslavia, was designated an "Outstanding Academic Book of the Year" and received the American Library Association Choice Award in 1987.

In recent years, Seroka has been a visiting professor at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery and has been a Fulbright-Hays Scholar. He has received grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and has consulted or lectured to numerous national and international organizations.

Rogers named interim director of Honors College

Jack Rogers, a professor of mathematics and a 25-year Auburn faculty veteran, has been named interim director of the AU Honors College, succeeding Bill Gwin, who has retired.

Rogers has been active with the Honors program since its inception in 1979. He has served as an advisor to the director and students and on the Honors executive council.

Rogers says he hopes to build on the progress honors studies have made under Gwin, particularly the program's establishment as the Honors College in February.
"The fact that we are now the Honors College gives us a lot more visibility and helps us in recruiting students and in promoting the program generally both on and off campus," Rogers said.

"There are still certain expansions that we can hope to achieve in the Quad dorms (Broun, Harper, Little and Teague Halls, now designated exclusively as Honors facilities). Beyond that, we are hoping to get further support in terms of endowments. They have already increased considerably and we need to push forward in trying to increase those even more."

Rogers holds a Ph.D. in mathematics, from the University of Texas.

James, Gingrich schedule appearances at AU

Auburn is scheduled to host speeches by two state and national political leaders in coming weeks.

Alabama's governor, Fob James, is tentatively scheduled to deliver a public address on Sept. 30, and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich has accepted an invitation from the AU Student Government Association to visit the university on Oct. 19.

James, who is tentatively scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. in Broun Hall auditorium, accepted an invitation from AU President William Muse to come to campus. An Auburn graduate, James is campaigning for a third term as Alabama's governor. He is the only governor in the nation to have been elected as a Democrat (in 1978) and a Republican (in 1994).

Among his other duties, the governor serves as chairman of the AU Board of Trustees and appoints new members to the board, subject to confirmation by the Alabama Senate.

The election for governor -- between James and Lt. Gov. Don Siegelman, the Democratic nominee, will be Nov. 3. AU is awaiting a response from Siegelman to
an invitation from Muse to speak.

Gingrich's Oct. 19 visit to AU is part of a series of campus appearances he has made in recent months. The Georgia Republican will be on campus for a student forum that will be open to the public. The time of the forum has not been set, but it will be at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Seating will be configured to accommodate an audience of up to 4,500.

Gingrich, 55, who is serving his 10th term in Congress, is the first Republican to be re-elected speaker since 1928.

He represents the Sixth Congressional District of Georgia north of Atlanta. Gingrich, who holds a Ph.D. from Tulane University, taught history and environmental studies at West Georgia College for eight years before his election to Congress in 1978.

Theatre provides early taste of new season

AU Theatre will present an early taste of the 1998-99 season with a production of "Crimes of the Heart" this week and next.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Beth Henley and directed by Dan LaRocque of the AU Theatre faculty will be presented in Telfair Peet Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 26 and Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

The production by AU Theatre students and faculty examines the lives of three Mississippi sisters who must deal with their past before they can move forward with their lives. Tickets are $8 for all seats. For reservations, contact the Theatre Box Office at 844-4145.

Season tickets are also available from the Box Office. Upcoming productions are "The Skin of Our Teeth" in November, "Guys and Dolls" in February, "A Raisin in the Sun" in April and "Edward the Second" in May.

AU-developed fabric proves its stopping power against bullets

An Auburn researcher has developed a tough new bulletproof material that outperforms conventional body armor while providing more comfort to its wearers.
Developed by Howard Thomas, an assistant professor in the Department of Textile Engineering, the fabric has the appearance of felt. Looks are deceiving, however, because the new layered material can stop a high-velocity rifle bullet at close range -- something existing body armor can't do.

In addition, conventional ballistic-resistant fabrics can't match the comfort of the material developed by Thomas.

Body armor fabrics currently are based on polyamides (a group of synthetic fibers, including nylon) and polyethylene, says Thomas. The fabrics are woven, and various layers are used to construct garments. Increasing the ballistic protection factor means increasing the number of fabric layers in the garment.

"Garments made of these materials provide a substantial degree of protection, but they don't breathe and transport body moisture efficiently," Thomas said. "As you can imagine, they can be quite hot and uncomfortable, and types presently produced still aren't effective against hand guns at close range -- and certainly not against rifle bullets."

Thomas' fabric is not woven, but laid in alternating layers using various arrangements of the types of fibers used in Kevlar and Spectra -- two ballistic resistant products that now dominate the market -- and fluffed into a mat-like material. Tiny ceramic or metallic inserts are imbedded into the fabric.

"The mat actually acts as a cushion, absorbing and distributing the shock of a bullet more efficiently than conventional woven fabric," he said. "The imbedded inserts serve as deflectors, reducing the energy of the bullet by diverting its path in a multitude of directions simultaneously.

"When a bullet strikes the fabric, it strikes multiple deflective surfaces and spins at so many different angles and rates of speeds within itself, that it literally disintegrates."

When sandwiched between layers of conventional woven ballistic-resistant material, the result is a garment weighing up to 30 percent less than those currently available that also provides greater protection and comfort to the wearer. Thomas' fabric has performed effectively in tests at ranges as close as three feet against various bullet calibers, including high-velocity rifle rounds.

Thomas has received one patent for his fabric and a second one is pending.

Speaker to discuss impact of dams on Alabama

Harvey Jackson III, a leading authority on Alabama's dam system and how it impacted the state, will lecture Monday, Sept. 28, on the construction of Lay, Mitchell, Martin and Jordan dams.

Jackson's presentation, sponsored by AU's Center for the Arts and Humanities, will be at 4 p.m. at Pebble Hill.

Drawing on his book Putting Loafing Streams to Work, Jackson will discuss the story of resourceful people who envisioned and built the dams that brought electricity to Alabama.

Jackson's book chronicles the story of the extraordinary vision and human effort that went into completing one of the most complex feats of engineering in Alabama history.

Campus Views
Stop city's move toward year-round schools
By David J. Elton, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering

Where do you stand on the issue of year-round schools for Auburn? Not sure? Better decide quickly -- the Auburn Board of Education plans to vote on the issue this December and could implement this sweeping change starting July 1999. The rush to decide is on.

What's the rush? The Auburn City Schools Superintendent's YRS committee has too much work to do in too short a time. How is the committee going to accomplish these minimum tasks in the 60 days Superintendent Martin gave them on Sept. 1:
* redo Phase 1, fact finding mode, (the original Facts report was rejected Sept. 1),
* suggest a tentative YRS calendar, so it can...
* perform an economic evaluation (which hasn't started yet),
* visit and investigate some of the hundreds of schools that went back to our calendar after trying year round school (none have been contacted so far),
* examine the report/reasons YRS was rejected in Auburn in 1992,
* perform a manpower requirements evaluation,
* set, publicize and hold public meetings,
* consider input from public meetings (plural),
* conduct a survey of the business community,
* conduct the promised ACS faculty meetings,
* write and conduct the promised anonymous faculty survey,
* write and conduct the promised parent survey,
* and then digest the results from all of this.

And all the above in only 60 days with a committee of 50! Do you think that's enough time? I don't. Why the rush?

Where's the publicity? Why haven't you heard much about this before? With the decision imminent, why haven't Auburn citizens been given clear and complete information about this proposal and an opportunity to voice their informed opinion? Why the long delay, so near the decision date, to get public input?

What's wrong with Auburn City Schools? The most basic and pertinent question is "What is the problem in Auburn City Schools that YRS is supposed to solve?" This problem remains unspoken. The Auburn City Schools public relations director's statement in the Opelika-Auburn News that the Board of Education required the study is not satisfying. The real question is "why?"-- "alternative calendar" is mentioned, but "year round school" is not. Why was this "alternative calendar" chosen? Moreover, there are no "directives" in that entire report.

If there are problems, why are we only looking at YRS when other methods may exist to better address those problems?

As best I can tell, YRS proposal is a solution in search of a problem. It's a "cutting edge" solution to a problem we don't know. We have an excellent system. Let's determine what problems it might have before implementing any drastic change.

A few facts. Let's define the issue. Serious studies of YRS show that students don't learn any more or less by simply changing the calendar. Often it was more costly.
Over the past 30 years, only 3 percent of the nation's schools have adopted YRS. YRS abolishes the traditional long summer vacation, substituting a system of quarter year sessions separated by a few weeks of intersession. Hundreds and hundreds of schools have tried it and come back to our calendar (we should interview them!).
Check the reports at the local copy centers.

Major lifestyle change. Changing our city school calendar to a year-round schedule will have a major impact on everyone in our community. It would dramatically affect student summer jobs, church activities, continuing education for teachers, athletic and band practice during breaks, summer jobs for teachers, camps, vacation plans, school-year extracurricular activities and family time. For those of us in the university community, it would seriously impair our freedom to include our families in any extended summer research or study in other locales. Think of your own family. What changes would year-round school force on you?

Too much going on already. Block scheduling, new buildings and districts, middle schools, new principals and now this? It's too much to ask of our students, parents and administrators.

What can you do? Don't take my word on this. Look at the research. Ask your Board of Education "What's the hurry?" and "What's the reason?" A concerned citizens' group has a hotline (821 2266). Talk to your neighbors. Go to the Board of Education meetings, the YRS committee meeting and City Council meetings. And especially, write the Board and the Council.

Save our summers.

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Editor's Note: Campus Views are columns by faculty and staff members reflecting a writer's individual views about issues of interest to the university community. Columns submitted should be 400-600 words. Columns should also reflect the intellectual level of a university community and be written in a style appropriate for a general audience. To submit a column or inquire about submitting one, contact Roy Summerford at 844-9989 or e-mail at summero@mail.auburn.edu . Mail columns to the AU Report at 23 Samford Hall, campus.

Unsung Hero: Pat Sandlin, Aerospace Engineering

This week's Unsung Hero is Patricia F. Sandlin, associate office administrator in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. She has been in the College of Engineering for six years. She was asked:

I get the greatest satisfaction in my job when... "I accomplish something that I know will be of benefit to others."

In my job area, quality is measured by... "not only the timely and proficient manner in which the work is done, but also by being helpful and thoughtful to the faculty and staff members."

If I could change one thing about Auburn (or my job), it would be... "communicating with the students more. I really do enjoy meeting and interacting with them when I have the opportunity."

I've always wondered why... "Samford Hall doesn't have an elevator."

When people come to this campus, I want them to... "feel that their Auburn experience was a great one. And, I believe that it takes the efforts of all employees to create that feeling."

In my spare time, I like to... "crochet, cross stitch, paint, write poetry and play the piano."