Editor: Roy Summerford. Contributing editors: Bob Lowry, Janet McCoy and David Granger. Other contributors: Mitch Emmons and Sam Hendrix.

The AU Report is the faculty/staff newsletter of Auburn University and is published by the Office of University Relations at Auburn University. Direct correspondence to AU Report, 23 Samford Hall, Auburn University, Ala. 36849-5109. Telephone 334/844-9999.Electronic mail:summero@mail.auburn.edu

Committee to set standard for comparing AU salaries

The AU administration has asked a University Senate committee to develop a standard for comparing administrative and faculty salaries with those of other institutions.

The Senate's Compensation Committee will begin its deliberations Nov, 10. Compensation Committee Chair Sheri Downer of AU Libraries said one goal is to establish a standard by next spring for use in 1998-98 budget planning.

President William Muse, responding to requests from faculty leaders, has asked
Executive Vice President Don Large to produce data showing how senior administrators and faculty compare to their counterparts at comparable institutions with which Auburn competes.

The University Budget Advisory Committee called upon the Senate committee to develop a common standard because of differences in criteria used by faculty leaders and administrators.

Muse said he would like to see data showing consistent definitions of administrators, time periods measured and comparisons with institutions with which Auburn competes.

The issue is an outgrowth of the Oct. 14 University Faculty meeting at which several faculty senators questioned Muse about administrative salaries, which they contend are closer to the national average than are faculty salaries.

Muse later told the Administrative and Professional Assembly that he anticipates the study will confirm that most salaries fall below the regional average. Senior administrative salaries may average closer to those for the region than the faculty average because most cabinet members and deans have been on the job less than five years. Most positions, including faculty, are filled at competitive salaries at the time a person is hired, but the longer a person is in a position, the less competitive that pe rson's salary becomes, he noted.

The AU president said he will address any positions for which the salary is found to be out of line with pay for similar work at competing institutions.

Downer, chair of the faculty committee, said the panel will attempt to bring some common criteria to the study. "Different people are coming up with different data," she said. "I don't think we can come up with any comparisons until we have a set of dat a that everyone can agree on."

Five faculty members on the Compensation Committee are joined by three ex officio members: Large, as executive vice president; Provost Paul Parks, and Sam Lowther, executive director of Planning and Analysis.

Large has asked the Compensation Committee to include comparisons of AU professional personnel and mid-level administrators in its analysis. Downer said the panel will seek a way to include participation by Administrative and Professional Assembly office rs if members agree to the expanded role.

A&P Assembly Chair Robert Gottesman of Planning and Analysis said the representative body for administrative and professional personnel should be involved in a study of salaries for those personnel. "The Assembly certainly welcomes any opportunity to unm uddy the waters about compensation on campus," he said.

"Our contention is that if we had the data, the average for A&P personnel at Auburn would be as far below the regional average as faculty salaries are reported to be," Gottesman added. "Salary compression is a problem for most categories, but that is a c onsequence of longterm inadequate funding from the state."

Downer said she does not know what A&P categories could be considered for comparison. Staff salaries also need a fresh look, possibly by the Personnel Division and the Staff Council, but the faculty committee will be unable to delve into that area becaus e of its complexity, she added.

Personnel maintains a salary structure for all non-faculty personnel. That structure is based job classification, job ranking, market price and other criteria.

Muse told the Staff Council that he recognizes that some staff positions are funded below market levels. The university is trying to correct severe inequities but until revenues increase, Auburn will not have the revenue to bring all positions up to mark et levels, he said.

Staff Council members cited high turnover of skilled craftsmen in some fields due to increased demand locally. One supervisor noted that half his crew of electricians recently left for higher paying jobs in the private sector.

Waymon Abner, chair of the Staff Council and a facilities technician IV in Housing and Residence Life, noted that staff members have gained their first representation on the university's budget committee under the current administration. While faculty ha ve cited below average salaries for the region, staff members at the low end of the salary scale need relief as well, he said.

The $500 per employee distribution in December will provide more substantial relief for many staff workers than will the 2 percent pay increase scheduled for Jan. 1, Abner noted.

Library's new online computer system to start soon

A new software system being implemented in Auburn University's libraries will allow users to access its online catalog files directly from the world wide web.

By mid-November, the new system, dubbed AUBIECat, will be running on a preview basis, along with LUIS, which was installed in 1984.

People will be able to get a look at AUBIECat next month although all the system will still be under construction and improvements will continue to be made, says Marcia Boosinger, instruction librarian at Ralph Brown Draughon Library.

"We will still be working on AUBIECat and some information may need to be explained to users at first, but we think it's important for people to work with AUBIECat as soon as possible," she said.

In January, LUIS will no longer be operational.

To date, students, faculty and staff wanting to see what was available at the university's three libraries would have to either go to a library or connect to the university's main frame computer. Now the information will be available on the world wide we b.

In December, several sessions will be held at RBD to teach faculty and staff how to use AUBIECat, Boosinger says. The sessions are: Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 3-4 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 4-5 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 8, from 3-4 p.m.; and Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 4-5 p.m. All sessions will be held in the instruction laboratory on the second floor of RBD.

All reference librarians will be trained on the new system and will be able to assist library patrons.

In addition, while the new system is being installed -- from Nov. 7-15 -- books will be checked out manually. "People will have to fill out a checkout card," said Susan Hinds, circulation supervisor at RBD. This is especially important for graduate stud ents, who renew large numbers of books at the end of each quarter. "We've moved up the renewal date to Nov. 20 to give graduate students plenty of time to renew books."

Another housekeeping task being dealt with during this process is overdue fines, said Hinds. Faculty and staff should have received letters concerning any overdue fines. "It will be helpful if users take care of their fines before the conversion to AUBIE Cat if final in December."

The main difference between the AUBIECat system and LUIS will be convenience, said Sheri Downer, head of the libraries' Systems Department. "It's very user friendly. All you will have to do is point and click. You don't have to know as many commands to u se the system."

One important development AUBIECat will allow will be an online renewal system. "It's something we're working toward and hope to have it implemented sometime during the next year," Downer said.

Also, with the new system, people will be able to look at their library records to see what books they have checked out and when they are due.

During the transition from LUIS to AUBIECat, faculty and students will be able to use Document Delivery Services to request materials not available in the AU libraries, said Linda Thornton, head of the Interlibrary Loan Services.

"Forms will be available at all service desks in addition to the forms on the libraries' home page," Thornton said. "The libraries will absorb regular delivery costs if materials are unavailable.

"Most articles will arrive in three to seven days and will be mailed to campus addresses," she said. "Those with off-campus addressed will be notified to pick up the articles."

"You really cannot function today without web access and if you do you there is a lot of information that you cannot access," Boosinger said.

Downer said the new system will "tie in better with subject databases and e-journals because so many are currently available on the web."

AUBIECat will be accessed through the library's world wide web homepage -- http://www.lib.auburn.edu.

LUIS has been a successful system, said Downer. "Few systems live as long as LUIS has and survive that well. But it's time to move to new technology for accessing the libraries' collections.

"Even though the libraries' holdings are massive and there are now other ways to get information. With AUBIECat, we'll be able to offer people connections to other sites," she added.

AU faculty member receives presidential honors at White House

AU faculty member Geoffrey Hill is one of 20 National Science Foundation researchers named by President Clinton to receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Hill, an assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Science in AU's College of Sciences and Mathematics, was to receive the award during a White House ceremony on Monday, Nov. 3.

The presidential award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding young scientists and engineers who are in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Hill was one of 60 to receive the second annual awards, which are given jointly by 10 government agencies.

"These gifted young professionals exemplify the best of our science and technology community and will help set the scientific pace for the U.S. and the world in the years ahead," Clinton said. "Their passion for discovery and their determination to expl ore new scientific frontiers will drive this nation forward and build a better America for the twenty-first century."

"This distinguished award is a reflection of Dr. Hill's dedication as a teacher and researcher and of Auburn University's commitment to providing our students with the brightest and best faculty," said AU President William Muse.

"This is a well deserved recognition for one of our outstanding young scholars," added Stewart Schneller, dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics. "We are proud of Dr. Hill."

The government agencies join together annually to nominate the promising scientists and engineers who will receive up to $500,000 over a five-year period to further their research.

The young scholars are recognized through these awards for their research contributions, their promise and for their commitment to broader societal goals. In addition, their work supports advances in science for important government missions.

An NSF annoucement stated that Hill was chosen for his "original contributions to understanding evolutionary biology, specifically avian sexual selection, and integrating a fundamental research program with public science education."

The NSF selects its nominees for the presidential early career awards from a group of its most meritorious Faculty Early Career Development program scientists and engineers. They have received NSF support because of exceptional research and leadership p otential in their fields, and their integrated contributions to research and education.

Hill joined the AU faculty in 1993. He earned the bachelor's degree from Indiana University, the master's degree from the University of New Mexico and the doctoral degree from the University of Michigan.

Recycling pilot program being tested at School of Veterinary Medicine

A paper recycling project at the College of Veterinary Medicine could be expanded to the entire campus if it proves effective, says Ann Cromwell, AU coordinator for recycling and solid waste.

The pilot program runs from Oct. 27-Nov. 19.

Instead of taking their waste typing and computing paper to a distant location for recycling, Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff in each department now take their
used paper to a centrally located box within their department. Desktop collection trays are also provided for use by individual faculty and staff.

Cromwell, who recently assumed the Facilities Division post of recycling coordinator, said the switch makes recycling convenient for those in the pilot project. Participants will no longer have to wait for the monthly visits of the recycling trailer and will no longer have to take their collected paper to a distant collection point such as the trailer.

Janitors in the college buildings collect the paper from the collection boxes and take it to a central location for recycling.

The boxes are collection sites for letters, computer printouts, other office paper and envelopes without windows.

Faculty and staff in the college are asked to take old newspapers to the nearest loading dock, where the papers will be picked up on Thursdays. AU does not have an outlet for magazines and other coated, slick papers, so those materials are not included i n recycling program, Cromwell noted.

Cromwell said Veterinary Medicine was chosen, in part, because of support from Dean Timothy Boosinger, who has asked all faculty and staff in the college to participate. She also credits Veterinary Medicine staff member Fred Harshbarger for helping to im plement the program.

"The Custodial Department staff, especially Fred Thomas (supervisor), has been participating wholeheartedly in this effort," Cromwell added. "They have accepted this change in their work practices graciously and seem ready to participate fully in making this pilot program succeed.

"If this is successful, we will apply it to all of the university starting sometime after Jan. 1," she said. "We will phase the program in gradually until the entire campus has the opportunity to participate."

Auburn spends approximately $71 per ton for landfill disposal of waste products.
Through aggressive recycling, Auburn could potentially reduce its landfill waste and cost by 50 percent to 90 percent, she said.

Extensive recycling would save the university money, reduce pollution and help protect the environment, she said.

The collected paper is collected by Waste Recycling Inc. of Opelika, which donated the collection boxes.

Auburn has had a recycling program since 1993. Cromwell previously managed recycling programs for two Lockheed-Martin defense industry plants, and she holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Ohio State and an MBA from the University of T ennessee.

For further details on the recycling program, contact Cromwell at 844-9430.

Dennis Sabo remembered in scholarship, fellowship

The AU College of Education has awarded the first Dennis Sabo Memorial Scholarships to a student from Opp and an Auburn Junior High School teacher who is working on a doctorate degree.

Friends and family of Dennis Sabo, an education professor who was killed in the May 11, 1996 Valujet crash in South Florida, gathered on Oct. 15 to remember his dedication to education and honor the two scholarship recipients.

"It would make him happy to know his legacy is being carried on," said Sabo's wife, Beth. "He truly believed a quality education for our children was of the utmost importance and the way to get a quality education would be through quality leadership."

Lori Catrett of Opp, the daughter of Larry and Sue Catrett and a junior majoring in early childhood education, was awarded the Dennis Sabo Memorial Scholarship valued at $4,222 for four quarters.

"This scholarship is so helpful because I have a brother and sister in college." said Catrett. "I appreciate Mrs. Sabo and her support of Auburn's education program because it gives a lot of students the opportunity they would not have otherwise.

"After graduation I plan to teach pre-school and maybe kindergarten. I have always wanted to be a teacher because I really enjoy working with young children and I think it is really important for them to get off to a good start."

Ty Ford of Auburn, who is working on his doctorate in educational foundation leadership and technology, was awarded the Dennis Sabo Fellowship worth $4,222 for four quarters. Ford teaches seventh grade at Auburn Junior High School.

Without the Fellowship, Ford said work on his doctorate would not have been financially feasible.

"The fellowship has opened a door of opportunity I thought would never happen and now I can go further professionally than I ever thought I would," he said.
"After graduation I hope to move into administration as assistant principal or principal, then either stay in public education or move to the post secondary level."

Sabo stood for the important values of a professor in the College of Education, said Richard Kunkel, dean of the college of Education. He added that the scholarship recipients reflected Sabo's values.

"We are all pleased his family is memorializing his name in this college and we are working on making these scholarships and endowment," Kunkel said. "Dr. Sabo was an excellent professor and was good at working with rural schools. He was the kind of pr ofessor any good college of education would value."

Although Sabo was at Auburn only three years, he loved the university, his wife said.

"Dennis went to a small college and did not get involved much, but when he came here he got tickets to the (football) game and the roar of the crowd just took him in," she said. "He was a true AU fan."

Sabo, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology, was killed, along with 108 other people, in the crash of a ValuJet DC-9 in the Florida Everglades. Sabo was returning to Auburn from Miami where he had w atched his son, Dennis J. Sabo Jr., graduate from the University of Miami with a degree in engineering.

Before coming to Auburn, Sabo native was a mathematics teacher, assistant principal and principal in New Jersey. Sabo earned the bachelor's and master's degrees from Trenton State College in N.J., and the education doctorate from Rutgers University in 199 3.

Transit system surpasses expectations

Tiger Transit, AU's bus system, has gotten off to a successful start, averaging more than 4,000 riders per day, says Vice President for Administrative Services Jim Ferguson.

Ridership is double projections of 2,000 to 2,500 per day that had been based on the original feasibility study and last summer's pilot program.

Ferguson said it is premature to state with certainty the transit system's impact on Auburn's always tight parking situation. "The general perception is that it is having a positive impact," he said. "A more formal assessment will be made as comparative data becomes available later in the academic year."

Tiger Transit is operated by Dixie Excursions of Auburn under a three-year contract. Students support the system through a transit fee of $10 per student per quarter.

Faculty and staff may ride without charge on campus and between the Veterinary
Medicine campus and the main campus but must purchase a card for $10 to ride on the off-campus routes. Ferguson noted, however, that few faculty and staff are using the transit system.

Including contracted service with LETA, the Lee County transit system, for a fixed route that serves the campus, Tiger Transit operates 10 buses on four routes through campus and several high-density areas of student housing off-campus.

Route maps for the camps system were widely distributed at the beginning of fall quarter and are available at the Foy Union Desk. Maps are also available at
Transportation Services on Wire Road, Administrative Services in Samford Hall and the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.

'Wild Kingdon' host to keynote veterniary confernce Nov. 7-9

Jim Fowler, who for years wrestled with snakes, alligators and other critters on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom TV show, will be the keynote speaker at the 90th Annual Conference for Veterinarians hosted by Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medici ne Nov. 7-9.

Fowler, who is helping the college's Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center to generate support for a new facility, will speak on Friday morning to more than 1,000 veterinarians and veterinary students on the importance of biodiversity in the world's v arious habitats. His presentation will be at the AU Hotel and Conference Center, home base for most of the conference's programming.

"We are truly excited about having Jim Fowler as a keynote speaker," said Gary Beard, assistant dean for continuing education and conference. "He is known to all, and he's a world authority on so many aspects of wildlife and biodiversity. He will be a gr eat addition to our program."

The other key speaker will be 1985 AU Veterinary Medicine graduate Joel Williams, who is epidemic intelligence officer with the Air Force's Biomedical Science Corps. Williams has traveled around the world investigating reported outbreaks of deadly infecti ous diseases, such as Ebola and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

The Auburn conference will also feature five guest speakers from other universities as well as presentations from more than 50 AU faculty members over the three days.

The conference will offer practitioners three days of continuing education courses and hands-on laboratories featuring the latest in veterinary medicine. Also scheduled are class reunions, a banquet for members of the College's Centennial Club and the pre sentation of Distinguished Alumni Awards, Young Achiever and El Toro Awards.

In addition to offering practicing veterinarians an opportunity to earn up to 20 hours of continuing professional education credit, Beard said he expects the conference to generate nearly $500,000 for the Auburn-Opelika economy.
Between 1,500-1,800 guests -- 1,000 or so of them Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine graduates -- are expected for the conference, which ranks as the oldest and largest of its kind sponsored solely by a veterinary school.

"Our visiting veterinarians, their spouses and families will take up around 1,200 of the county's 1,500 hotel and motel rooms for three nights," said Beard. "Our group should have almost the economic impact of a non-conference football game because so ma ny rooms are taken by out-of town guests for three nights.
Conference attendees -- including 66 corporate exhibitors -- will spend more than $170,000 on lodging for the three nights and more than $160,000 for conference registration. Meals not included in the conference will likely generate another $50,000 or so.

Meetings such as the Annual Conference for Veterinarians make an
enormous financial impact on our community, said Patricia Dakin, executive
director of the Auburn/Opelika Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"Attendees not only fill many of the local hotels, but they eat in restaurants,
purchase gas, buy souvenirs and touch many other aspects of the community," said Dakin.

The International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus estimates that spending generated per day at state or local level conferences tops $149 per attendee. If that pattern holds for the veterinary conference, Auburn and Opelika could see a three -day total of more than $497,000 generated by the Annual Conference.

For more details, contact the Veterinary College's Office of Continuing Education at 334/844-3699.

Master of Arts in College Teaching degree to be dropped

AU has notified the Alabama Commission on Higher Education that the university is dropping its master of arts in college teaching degree, which is awarded in 15 disciplines.

Unlike Auburn's current review of up to 53 academic programs in 10 colleges and schools for possible termination, elimination of the MACT degree will have little effect on faculty and students, said Graduate School Dean John Pritchett. Only two or three students are seeking the degree, and only two or three others have received it in the past five years, he said.

Students now in the programs will be allowed to continue until graduation, but new students will not be accepted in the MACT program.
The degree was once popular for students seeking a graduate degree to teach in community colleges, but those institutions are increasingly seeking faculty with doctorates, Pritchett said.

The MACT was a non-thesis program that combined study in the chosen academic area with methods courses in education. Departments dropping the MACT will continue to offer a master of science or master of arts in their disciplines, and several offer doctora tes.

The program offered options in microbiology, nutrition and food science, zoology, mathematics, statistics, chemistry, physics, plant science, wildlife science, French, Spanish, apparel and textiles, English, communication and sociology.

The move is similar to one initiated by Auburn in the early 1990s to update its course catalog by removing scores of outdated, seldom-taught programs. Some Alabama institutions taking a similar step have, however, likened their actions to Auburn's more r ecent decision to review active programs that produce fewer graduates than suggested by ACHE's viability standards.

Halogen lamps banned from AU buildings

AU's Office of Safety and Environmental Health has prohibited the use of halogen lamps in all university buildings.

The action extends to offices a prohibition on the lamps in university housing because of their fire hazard, said Debra Sharpe, AU safety officer.

Although the lamps have not been cited as cause of a fire at AU, they have been linked to fires elsewhere through falling over, overheating or coming in contact with combustible materials. A 500-watt halogen bulb operates at temperatures exceeding 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to 260 degrees for a 75-watt incandescent bulb.

Safety and Environmental Health is conducting building inspections campuswide and will remove any prohibited lamps discovered during those inspections, Sharpe said.

Exceptions are granted for the use of halogen bulbs that are required for the operation of specialized equipment such as microscopes or those installed in stationary building fixtures. Sharpe said some enclosed desktop models may be acceptable if their e xterior surfaces are no hotter than an ordinary incandescent lamp.

For further details, contact Sharpe at 844-4870.

Three faternities pledge to banish alcohol from their houses

Three AU fraternities have joined Farmhouse in taking the lead in the AU Greek community's movement toward alcohol-free housing.

The Auburn Farmhouse chapter has been alcohol-free since receiving its charter in 1972, and Sigma Nu, Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Delta Theta fraternities have either initiated or are working toward bans on alcohol in their houses. All Phi Delta Theta facilit ies are dry, Sigma Nu's main house is dry and Phi Gamma Delta has committed to being alcohol-free by the year 2000.

Nationally, fraternities are taking a hard look at the alcohol use on their premises in response to recent highly publicized alcohol-related deaths at Louisiana State University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said Jim Hardin, assistant directo r for Student Life at AU.

"Fraternities' use of alcohol is something I think will continue to gain increased attention nationwide," Hardin said. "We're glad to see some prominent fraternities here at Auburn make this commitment."

Farmhouse is the Greek standard-bearer for alcohol-free housing at Auburn, said Robert Gwaltney, president of the AU Farmhouse chapter. And he says he's glad to see that other fraternities are taking steps to improve the public's perception of the Greek c ommunity.

"I think this is a positive move for the Greek system here at Auburn," Gwaltney said. "The public's perception of fraternity life is basically formed by the news of these alcohol-related tragedies and it's unfair because we do a lot of positive things fo r our universities and our communities. We need to take these steps so the public's focus will be shifted to the more positive aspects of the Greek system."

Hardin said that other fraternities, such as Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Theta and Phi Gamma Delta, face a stiff challenge since alcohol has long been a part of their cultures.

"Certainly, not all members of these fraternities drink, but studies have shown there's more drinking among Greeks than among the general student population -- not just at Auburn, but nationwide," Hardin said. "Of course, the real benefits of the fratern ity system far outweigh any drawbacks and the fraternities making the move to ban alcohol will hopefully increase their emphasis on those benefits."

Ryan Duncan, president of AU's Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, or Fijis, agreed that the emphasis should be on positive aspects of fraternity life. The international Phi Gamma Delta office has adopted a provision to make all its chapters alcohol-free by 2000 after the fraternity was rocked by last month's binge-drinking death of a Fiji at MIT.

"When a member of our own organization died, even though it was a long way away, it really brought the seriousness of binge-drinking home to our chapter," Duncan said. "Although the ban won't affect a lot of the current members, we've talked a lot about it and I personally talked to a lot of prospective pledges about it.
The ban didn't seem to be that big of a deal to them. They realize that, at least as far as the Fijis are concerned, we're about much more than that."

Auburn's Phi Delta Thetas, back on campus this year after being banned following the alcohol-related death of Chad Saucier in 1993, are already alcohol-free, the result of a mandate from the national office some two years ago. Jeffrey Feagin, president of the AU Phi Delts, said he is excited about the fraternity's future without alcohol.

"Because of the no-alcohol policy, we rush (recruit) a different kind of student," Feagin said. "But our rush numbers are up. In fact, we have about 50 chapters across the country that are substance-free and rush numbers are up at most of them.

"I think parents have become more involved in their children's selection of a fraternity and the substance-free chapters are attractive to them. And we've been getting more scholarly pledges, students more interested in getting a good education and a good job. I think that recent events will dictate that more fraternities begin to take the same approach, including the alcohol ban. Feagin said.

"I'm excited about our future and the future of the fraternity system at Auburn," he added.

Author to recount hijacking attempt of FedEx plane

Dave Hirschman, a reporter for The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., and author of the book Hijacked , will speak to aviation management students and the public at 10 a.m. Nov. 14.

Hirschman's book recalls the 1994 true story of a FedEx pilot's failed attempt to commandeer a company DC-10, kill other crew members and crash the FedEx Flight No. 705 into the company's Memphis complex.

The crew members injured in the incident by hammers and a spear gun have been unable to resume flying commercially because of their injuries. Andy Peterson, the flight engineer on the plan, will accompany Hirschman to Auburn and participate in the discuss ion.

Following the program, Hirschman will be available to sign copies of his book in the foyer outside the auditorium. The AU Bookstore will have copies of Hirschman's book available for those interested.

For location, call 844-8474.

Achievements

In September, Herbert Rotfeld, a professor of marketing, was the 1997 Distinguished Visitor at the School of Business at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. There he worked on joint research projects with Australian faculty and provided lectures, informal talks and other presentations to faculty and students on the disparate topics of misplaced marketing, marketing education and academic research and U.S. advertising self-regulation.

Bill Felkey, an associate professor of pharmacy care systems, recently recently presented invited lectures on technology in the field of pharmacy at conferences in several states. He made presentations to the California Society of Hospital Pharmacist s in Los Angeles; the Missouri Pharmacists Association in Kansas City; the National Council for Patient Information and Education in Washington, D.C.; the National Community Pharmacists Associations Expo '97 in San Diego; the Medicine-On-Time Pharmacy Conference in Atlanta; the Australian Study Tour in Boston. He also published an article, "Software to Support Pharmacy Services," in a recent issue of the journalThe Source.

Bruce Berger, a professor in pharmacy care systems, was recently invited to speak at the London Drugs Annual Managers' Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His lecture was titled "Making the Transition to Pharmaceutical Care."
Berger also recently published an article in a recent issue of the Journal of fhe American Pharmaceutical Association. The article was titled "Readiness to Change: Implications for Patient Care."

Zdenko Krtic, assistant professor of art, was recently awarded the Grumbacher Gold Medal Award for his painting, "Volvelle Celestial Cartography." The painting won the award in the 5th annual Carnegie Art Center National Exhibition. The juried show t ook place in North Tonawanda, NY, and it featured two of his paintings.

Michael Robinson, assistant director of internal auditing, was recently awarded the designation of Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. This designation is awarded only to select professionals who meet a stringent set of criteria, including strict character, experience and educational requirements. Robinson also had to pass a rigorous written exam to obtain his CFE. The exam tested his knowledge of financial transactions, the legal elements of fraud, fr aud investigati on and criminology and ethics.

Sam Fowler of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System is one of 25 Cooperative Extension personnel from across the U.S. selected for the National Extension Leadership Development program. During the two-year program, participants engage in study , research and experiential learning for one week at each of four sites across the nation and for two weeks at an international location. Fowler completed the first seminar on Sept. 21-26 in Vail, Colo. The seminar focused on personal leadership develo pment, leadership theory and philosophy.

Cathy A. Simpson, a doctoral student in the Psychology Department's clinical
program, has received a highly competitive National Research Service Award
from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for the 1997-1998 academic year.
These awards are aimed at facilitating the research careers of promising
young scientists and include a stipend, tuition and books, and research
costs. Ms. Simpson's grant is entitled "Impulsiveness and Commitment in
Human Choice." Her faculty sponser is Rudy E. Vuchinich.

Jacob Dane, Alumni Professor in Agronomy and Soils, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy. The award was presented recently at the ASA annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

Campus Views: Grade Inflation hurts all
By Herbert Rotfeld

Students and many faculty believe that grades are a major factor in the job market.
Grades are also used as part of a college's internal standards, course prerequisites or for entrance into upper-level programs: Students must now maintain a C (or higher) average to take many required courses, to declare a major and, once declared, to rem ain in the college. A certain GPA or total grade "points" are often required for graduation. In other programs, a B average is needed to retain scholarship funding. Increasing these requirements always represents "tougher standards," or so we are told.

Yet it is intuitively obvious that grade standards vary from university to university.
Even within a given university, they vary between different programs as well as between individual teachers in each program. And students know which teachers run easier courses. If students want nothing more than higher grades, they take these courses. Hi gher grade requirements often result in nothing more than more frequent hunting for the easier teachers and "softer" grades. Some assert that a university with tough grade standards hurts its students on the job market. But employers do not see all grades from all universities or programs as equal. They will quickly recognize a program whose B+ graduates exhibit on-the-job insight of a hamster. They know which schools have "above average" or "B" grades as a mark of accomplishment. In the long run, it hur ts a university more to give many high grades to average (or below average) students. But grade inflation is not just caused by faculty members wanting to be nice. It avoids problems. With increasing frequency, if a grade is seen as low, the student compl ains. The student may be lazy, stupid or just have a problem with that course's material, but anything lower than what a student desires will engender complaints. To fail students, for whatever reason, or even to award more C grades, causes a faculty memb er to spend time fighting complaints.

And then there are the students' teacher evaluations. At the end of every course, the students fill out forms stating how they would grade the teacher. Repeated assessments of these forms at many schools find evaluation scores to be higher when the teache r gives more high grades and lower when the course involves a strong dose of intellectual rigor. Yet these forms are still used to help decide which teachers are retained or get tenure and which senior faculty get top pay raises.
For too many students, the university is not a bastion of academic quality, or even intellectual integrity. In fact, the motto for many students could just as readily be "I am ignorant and proud of it." Yet with all these incentives to the contrary, few faculty members would ever wish to simply state to a student, as phrased by
University of Pennsylvania writing teacher David Slavitt (who says, if often painfully obvious): "You're dumb, you're young and you're wrong." Grade inflation should not be a surprise to anyone. What might be surprising is that there remain any pockets o f resistance to the trend.

So student attitudes and expectations get tied to decreasing expectations on the part of the faculty. In the book, Generation X Goes to College, the real-name-unknown author Peter Sacks describes how his ad hoc committee on standards and quality died whe n faced with potential problems of declining enrollments at the unnamed college. A friend reported that his department chair told him that, "We need to get enrollments up to 400, and then we can start to worry about entrance requirements and program qual ity." Which brings up the related problem that, exacerbating the incentives to pander, some university administrators refuse to support faculty standards. They actively encourage faculty to give higher grades. I have seen memos from deans, associate deans or even vice-presidents at different universities telling faculty members that they may not fail students or that they MUST give mostly A or B grades. Moving from one school to another of equivalent ability of incoming students (as measured by admission requirements), this award winning teacher at the first school was called on the carpet by the provost at the second for giving "too many" C grades and "not enough" A and B marks. "We have a bunch of dummies here," the provost reportedly said, "so we want to give them the grades they want and get them out."

But if the university is really concerned about standards, if it really wants to make certain that the graduation is a sign of intellectual development, it should focus on fighting grade inflation and supporting faculty against pressures to lower academic standards in the classroom. To raise standards, administrators and tenure committees should exhibit skepticism of teachers who repeatedly award almost everyone A grades every term, since it is unlikely one person would be so lucky to teach only superior students. Most important, as the many students complain about a low grade, they should show more support for the experienced faculty members, recognizing that many of the complaints are without substance, instead of placing the faculty member on trial.

At one time, the catalogs at most universities said that a grade of C means "average." Many no longer do this, since they know that "average" grades are much higher. But there is nothing wrong with being average. In fact, it is wrong if a university or program tries to say that all its graduates are "above average," especially since that decreases the accomplishments of students who are truly superior.
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Herbert Rotfeld is a professor in the Department of Marketing & Transportation.

Campus Roundup

Notify benefits office to change deduction
A section of the Internal Revenue Code allows the amount of premiums that employees pay for health and/or dental coverage to be treated as pre-tax dollars, resulting in a larger take-home pay. Anyone wishing to discontinue coverage for one or both of the se plans or make a change for the 1998 year may do so during the open enrollment period of Nov. 1-30. Receive the necessary forms or direct questions to the Office of Payroll and Employee Benefits, Ingram 212. For information, call 844-4183.

St. Petersburg String Quarter to perform
The Auburn Chamber Music Society's first concert of the season will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in Goodwin Hall. The St. Petersburg String Quartet from Russia will preform selections from Beethoven, Shostakovich and Glazunov. Single tickets are $15; Student admission is free.

Public lecture to examine genetic research
Chris Brinegar, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at San Jose State University, will present a public lecture, "Genetic Engineering in the Supermarket," at 7 p.m., Nov. 12, in Broun Hall Auditorium. Brinegar, the Fall Disti nguished Lecturer for the Auburn Chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Honor Society, will present a professional seminar earlier in the day.

Nominations sought for teaching awards
The Auburn Alumni Association is seeking nominations for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards. Students, alumni and others are invited to submit nominations for professors from each of Auburn's colleges and schools. Twelve awards with $500 each will be presented in early 1998. The Alumni Association established the awards in 1987 to honor the faculty who teach Auburn undergraduates and to "emphasize the continued importance of good teachers." In 1995, the Alumni Association voted to increase the num ber of awards from two to 12. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 15. For information on nomination procedures, contact Liz Peel, Alumni Teaching Awards, Auburn Alumni Association, by phone at 334/844-1146 or e-mail at peeleli@mail.auburn.edu.

Call to attend retirement seminar
Members of the Employees' or Teachers' Retirement Systems are encouraged by the Office of Payroll and Employee Benefits to attend a retirement seminar at 1 p.m., Nov. 13, in Foy 213. The seminar will be conducted by representatives of the Retirement Sys tems of Alabama. Faculty and staff interested in attending should ensure adequate seating by calling the Payroll and Employee Benefits Office at 844 4183.

Marriage & Family Therapy Center offers help
If you or your family are having marital, child, family, drug, alcohol or related problems, AU's Marriage and Family Therapy Center can help. Call 844-4478.

Volunteers sought for child development study
The Child Development Study Program in the Department of Psychology seeks volunteers for a study involving children, ages 6-11, and their parents. Participating parents will complete questionnaires, and the children will take part in one lab procedure. Participants will be compensated up to $70 for their time and effort. Contact Mona El-Sheikh or graduate assistants at 844-6905.

Forms required for employees to take classes
Employees planning to enroll in AU courses for credit must submit an approved UPO 200 (Request to Enroll in University Course Work) each quarter of attendance. The completed and approved UPO 200 should be sent to University Personnel.

Unsung Hero: Debbie Allgood, Veterinary Medicine

This week's Unsung Hero is Debbie S. Allgood, scientific text processor for the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She has been at AU since 1985. She was asked:

I get the greatest satisfaction in my job when... "I am given a rough idea or an envisioned project to create on the computer. When I return the finished project and see the look of gratification, I know that I have created just what they wanted."
In my job area, quality is measured by... "using all my computer skills necessary to do a good job."

If I could change one thing about Auburn (or my job), it would be... "to do away with the automated phone answering system, especially areas that receive many calls requesting information about Auburn. People placing calls to Auburn University need to ta lk to a live voice not a recording. This system is efficient and should be used only during extreme busy times when you cannot be interrupted. Answering machines relate a message to the callers that you do not want to take the time to talk to them person ally. New technology is good, sometimes even great, but regarding this area the old way is the best, person to person."

I've always wondered why... "Auburn University cannot have tuition or fee waivers for children of employees. Other major campuses throughout Alabama and the U.S. are able to offer this benefit. Why not Auburn?"

When people come to this campus, I want them to... "understand that Auburn University is not only our employer, but Auburn is also our home. We take pride in our town and college and it should be treated with the respect it deserves."

In my spare time, I like to... "learn as much as I can about computers and different software, desktop publishing, surf the net, go to NASCAR races, participate in church activities (sing in the choir), and read Stephen King novels."
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Unsung Heroes are individuals who, working behind the scenes, go to extraordinary lengths to help others at Auburn. To nominate an individual for recognition as an Unsung Hero, contact the AU Report at 23 Samford Hall, or by fax at 844-9981 or by e-mai l to summero@mail.auburn edu .

Upcoming Events

Monday, November 3
€ Recycling Trailer: Haley Center Concourse through Nov. 7.
Thursday, November 6
€ Artist Lecture, 6:30 p.m., Opelika Arts Association, Southern Artist Beverly Buchanan. Work on display at Biggin Gallery until Nov. 15.
Friday, November 7
€ Physics Colloquium: Leslie Bauman, Mississippi State University, "Viscous Flows," 3:15 p.m., Parker 213.
€ Veterinary Medicine Conference: Through Nov. 9. Keynote Speaker: Jim Fowler of "Wild Kingdom." AU Conference Center.
Monday, November 10
€ Recycling Trailer: Business Building through Nov. 14.
Tuesday, November 11
€ Blue Cross/Blue Shield representative available for consultation, 10 a.m.-noon, Ingram 212.
€ University Senate, 3:10 p.m., Broun Hall Auditorium.
Wednesday, November 12
€ Women's Studies Program "Brown Bag Lunch Discussion": "Portrayals of Young Women on TV: Realistic or Not," noon, Foy 203.
€ Sigma Xi Public Lecture: Chris Brinegar, San Jose State, "Genetic Engineering in the Supermarket," 7 p.m., Broun Hall Auditorium.
€ Theatre: "Tartuffe," Nov. 12-15 and Nov. 18-20. Times vary. Admission charged. Telfair Peet Theatre. Box Office: 844-4154.
Friday, November 14
€ Physics Colloquium: Fassil Ghebremichael, USAF Academy, "Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Studies of Dye Doped Polymers," 3:15 p.m., Parker 213.
Monday, November 17
€ Recycling Trailer: College of Veterinary Medicine through Nov. 21.