Editor: Roy Summerford. Contributing editors: Bob Lowry and Janet McCoy. Also contributing: Research Editor Mitch Emmons and Veterinary Medicine Editor Sam Hendrix.

The AU Report is published by the Office of University Relations at Auburn University. Issues appear every two weeks during academic quarters.

Official distribution by campus mail includes full-time faculty and staff at campus offices. Copies also are mailed to trustees and officials at AU at Montgomery.

Deadline for receiving items is noon on Tuesday before publication. Direct inquiries, suggestions and items to 23 Samford Hall, Auburn University, Ala. 36849-5109. Telephone 334/844-9999.Electronic mail:summero@mail.auburn.edu

AU has begun implementing a plan approved by the Board of Trustees on July 16 for program and cost reallocation of resources.

The program, which could lead to elimination of some programs, is part of a five year plan developed by the administration to produce resources to make the university more competitive with other institutions in the Southeast, said President William Muse.

The plan is tied to the recommendations of the 21st Century Commission, which recently charted long-term priorities for the university. One major goal will be to increase faculty salaries to the regional average, which is 13 percentage points above AU's average.

At a time when the university is fighting to prevent funding cuts from the state, Executive Vice President Don Large noted that Auburn would need to increase its revenue by $29 million a year to immediately address its key institutional goals.
Those goals include $19 million a year to raise faculty salaries to the national average, $5 million a year to reduce a $175 million backlog of deferred maintenance and $5 million a year for other high priority goals.

Among recommendations was an annual increase in tuition over the next five years to bring Auburn up to the regional average. AU tuition is now at 86 percent of the regional average.

The university has suffered a $32 million per year disadvantage to competing universities around the Southeast in comparison to their funding over the past 15 years, Muse said.

He blamed the funding shortfall totaling $482 million over 15 years on a combination of below average tuition, bonded indebtedness to pay for buildings and a deficit of $330 million in state appropriations since 1982.

The university is not in a financial crisis but must act to improve its competitive position if it is to continue producing superior graduates and maintain its academic reputation, he added.

Board members cautioned that the university can expect little relief from the state in the near future to bring the university up to the regional average in state funding.

The university will have to act on its own to control its destiny, said Board President Pro Tempore Emory Cunningham. "This is not a knee-jerk plan," he added. "It is part of an ongoing process that will produce long-term benefits for Auburn University. "

A major part of the process is the plan to reduce program costs and reallocate resources. "We were guided by the 21st Century Commission Plan," said Provost Paul Parks. "Our overriding priority is the need to emphasize undergraduate instruction."

Other institution-wide priorities cited in the plan include development of areas that represent the traditional strengths, quality, reputation and uniqueness of the institution; the provision of competitive faculty salaries and reducing the university's d eferred maintenance needs.

Priorities for operating divisions were listed as requiring all operating units to establish priorities, making those priorities an integral part of the unit planning process, consistent with institutional goals and recommendations of the 21st Century Com mission, and having those priorities guide the annual reallocation of resources.

All operations will be examined for possible cuts and reallocation of resources, said Parks. Every division will have to establish priorities for its resources, and all units will have to set aside 1 percent to 2 percent of their appropriated budgets sta rting this fall for reallocation in the 1998-99 AU budget.

Academic programs to be examined first will be those that do not meet viability standards established by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

Programs falling below 75 percent of the ACHE viability standards will be candidates for phase-out and will be identified by Aug. 15. Deans will have until Dec. 15 to appeal and justify continuation of programs on the basis of institutional goals and p riorities.

Muse said programs identified for elimination would quit accepting students with the start of fall quarter 1998 and would continue until students in those programs are graduated.

Savings from program reduction and from the 1 percent to 2 percent departmental cuts will be placed in a "Fund for Reallocation," and, starting in the fall of 1999, those funds will be used for such university priorities as enhancing lower division underg raduate education.

Parks outlined a plan under which departments with major responsibility for lower division and core curriculum courses would be eligible for extra funds.

"The bottom line," Parks said, "is we have got to change the culture of the university to be sure that faculty whose primary responsibility is undergraduate teaching will have the same opportunities for tenure, promotion and salary increases that go to th ose engaged in research and publishing."

Trustees commend plan to cut, warn of continued lack of state support

AU trustees expressed their support for the administration's plan for improving the university's competitiveness and financial picture.

The plan approved by the board on July 16 seeks to bring salaries up to the regional average from the current level of 87 percent of the regional average, reduce a $175 million deferred maintenance backlog and reallocate funds from low-utilized, high cost programs to high-priority programs.

The board's presiding officer, Emory Cunningham of Birmingham, said the plan submitted by President William Muse was the first comprehensive long-term plan submitted to the board in recent history.

Cunningham commended Muse, Provost Paul Parks and Executive Vice President Don Large for examining circumstances over the past 15 years that led to the board's concerns about future funding for the university. The primary problems were identified as tuit ion levels far below the regional average, increasing debt service as the university pledged bond issues against tuition revenues to construct buildings that state governments financed in neighboring states, and state appropriations far below those grante d by other states to their major institutions.
Cunningham also endorsed the administration's plans to improve Auburn's financial circumstances through tuition increases and funding reallocations.

Bessie Mae Holloway of Prichard and Sen. Lowell Barron of Fyffe called the plan "excellent," with Barron adding, "This is a process in which everybody can participate."

Barron cautioned against Auburn joining a national trend of tuition increases in which he said some institutions are pricing themselves out of the market. Muse responded that Auburn is only seeking to reach the regional average, which is well below the n ational average.

Auburn's average resident tuition for 1996-97 was $387 below the regional average for similar institutions, and the administration proposes closing the gap over five years.

Jimmy Samford of Montgomery said he looks forward to implementing the plan, but he cautioned against the anticipation of increases in state appropriations of $3 million to $3.3 million a year starting in 1999. The university has not had a funding increas e from the state since 1994-95, and Gov. Fob James is seeking cuts in the budget for next year.

Bobby Lowder of Montgomery noted that the university must avoid the assumption that costs such as bonded indebtedness will remain the same over the next five years. He noted that the university will face pressures to construct new buildings, possibly at the cost of additional indebtedness pledged against tuition.

Rep. Jack Venable of Tallassee added that tuition increases constitute the university's main source of added income under the plan. He said the effort is hurt by exemptions from out-of-state tuition such as the Legacy scholarships for children of qualify ing AU alumni and the exemption for Georgia residents in counties within 50 miles of campus.

Lowder said the administration's study backing the plan presents a strong case for more state support. "The numbers are quite shocking," he said. "We can't stand another 15 years of being in this hole.

"We can't raise tuition fast enough to make up that kind of money," Lowder added. He said Auburn's deans and other leaders should join Muse in taking the university's case to people around the state.

James Tatum of Huntsville said he does not want pending program cuts at Auburn to fall disproportionately on the staff. Lack of tenure of staff members should not make them easy targets, he said.

Summary of administration plan

The university's plan to improve competitiveness, endorsed by the AU Board of Trustees on July 16, encompasses the following:

€ The university will increase tuition revenues through annual increases in tuition until the Southeastern average is reached and through recent actions limiting ability of out-of-state students to claim Alabama residency.

€ The university will gradually reduce its debt service, allowing more money for operating costs, and will pursue a lease/lease-back financing arrangement to obtain additional funds for deferred maintenance.

€ Effective Oct. 1, each operating division of the university will be asked to identify 1 percent to 2 percent of its university budget to be placed into a fund to be reallocated in FY '99. This will be an annual process.

€ Deans and directors of operating divisions will be guided by institutional goals, program priorities, program costs (i.e., high-cost, low-priority programs) and productivity (viability standards) in identifying funds for annual reallocation.

€ These funds will be used to:
€ Enhance those high priority program areas in the university "that represent the traditional strengths, quality, reputation and uniqueness of the institution and that continue to effectively respond to the needs of students and other constituents" ( consistent with AU's Mission Statement and recommendations of the 21st Century Commission).
€ Provide for more competitive faculty salaries.
€ Respond to deferred maintenance needs of the university.

€ As resources are reallocated to other program areas, some departments and programs will be steadily reduced in size, some will be combined with other departments and some will be closed.

Academic programs listed as below minimum ACHE viability standards

Minimum viability standards set by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education are: Undergraduate, bachelor's level: 7.5 graduates per year. Master's degree programs: 3.75 graduates per year. Doctoral programs: 2.25 graduates per year. The following AU pro grams fall below those levels for number of graduates per year:

Agriculture
Bachelor's
General Ag.
Ag. Journalism
Ag. Eng.
Entomology
Rural Sociology
Master's
Ag. Eng.
Entomology
Poultry Sci.
Animal & Dairy Sci.
Doctoral
Ag. Eng.
Entomology
Animal & Dairy Sci.

Arch., Design & Cnstr.
Master's
Industrial Design

Business
Master's
Business Admin./Mgmt.
Business Economics

Forestry
Bachelor's
Forestry Eng.
Doctoral
Forestry

Education
Bachelor's
Foreign Lang.
Music Educ.
Master's
Music Educ.
Reading Educ.
Doctoral
Music Educ.
Reading Educ.
Early Childhood Educ.
Post-Secondary Educ.
Curriculum & Instr.
Special Educ.

Engineering
Bachelor's
Textile Eng.
Textile Chem.
Doctoral
Aerospace Eng.
Comp. Science & Eng.

Human Sciences
Bachelor's
Apparel & Textiles
Master's
Marriage/Fam. Therapy
Doctoral
Family & Child Dev.
Nutrition & Food Sci.

Liberal Arts
Bachelor's
German
Fine/Studio Arts
Music
Religion
Philosophy
Master's
Fine/Studio Arts
Music
Clinical Psych.
Doctoral
English

Sciences & Math.
Bachelor's
Biochemistry
Doctoral
Wildlife
Microbiology
Zoology

Veterinary Med.
Master's
Anatomy
Human/Animal Path.
Large Animal Med.
Small Animal Med.
Radiology
Pharm. & Physiology

Deans say they are striving to meet ACHE's program vitality requirements

Auburn's deans in several affected areas say they are working to meet the Alabama Commission on Higher Education's viability standards for academic programs.

The ACHE standards will be one factor in consideration of AU programs to be phased out. Minimum viability standards set by ACHE are: Undergraduate, bachelor's level: 7.5 graduates per year. Master's degree programs: 3.75 graduates per year. Doctoral prog rams: 2.25 graduates per year.

Robert Voitle, associate dean for instruction in the College of Agriculture, which was particularly hard hit in ACHE's report, said he expects some "changes will be made . . . as a result of the presentation (at the Board of Trustees meeting on July 16).< P> "We don't want to destroy our strong, ongoing research and extension programs in those areas, but we are going to work with the administration," he said.
"We certainly think there are good reasons for these programs to exist on Auburn's campus, but some of the programs may be combined."

Voitle noted that a request has been made to combine agricultural engineering and forestry engineering into one program, thereby meeting ACHE's requirements.
Entomology, which was targeted at the bachelors, masters and doctoral level, is another program with significant research and extension programs.

"Entomology is important to animal sciences and plant sciences," Voitle said. "There have been some initial discussions of combining it with other biological sciences, but it's at the talking stage at this time."
College of Education Dean Richard Kunkel said his college is continuing to look at ways to reduce its expenses.

"We will continue to look at all programs in the college for efficiency. We've been doing that for the past three or four year and we will continue to do so," he said. "This gives us something to work from and we're not against the overall plan or how it will be carried out."

Rebekah Pindzola, interim co-dean of the College of Liberal Arts, mentioned two departments ‹ philosophy and English -‹ which were marked by ACHE. "A program like philosophy is important to the basic education of all college students.
Our philosophy program is quite viable if you look at student credit hour production, and it attracts a number of students who select a double major or minor," she said.

"Eliminating philosophy would not save additional dollars because the philosophy courses are needed for our core curricula and, if the major was eliminated, it would become a service department only, but the same number of faculty would be needed," she ad ded.

"The English Ph.D. program is important because of the viable undergraduate and master's level programs," Pindzola said.

"Our Ph.D. students are vital to the undergraduate teaching mission and to not have them would cost even more money because we would have to hire tenure track faculty to replace them," she added.

Timothy Boosinger, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the college is reacting to the report, which targets six master's level programs.

"We've been working on combining those programs listed into one program so we would meet the viability standards," he said.

"We hope to have it taken care of by August," Boosinger added.

Factors to influence phase-out decision

€ Low priority program.
€ Does not meet state established viability standards.
€ Essential functions can be carried out by other units.
€ Cost of program in relation to priority and productivity.

Procedures to be followed in phasing out programs

€ Academic programs in which the average number of graduates is less than 75 percent of the viability standards will be candidates to be phased out over the next five years. The programs will be identified by Aug. 15, 1997.
€ Academic deans will be given until Dec. 15, 1997, to appeal and justify continuation of programs on the basis of institutional goals and university/college/school priorities.
€ For those programs that are identified to be phased out, enrollment will be suspended fall quarter, 1998.

When a program is to be phased out

€ Students in that program will be allowed to graduate over the next four to five years. No new students will be admitted.
€ Courses unique to the major will be phased out over four to five years until the program's students graduate.
€ Tenured faculty will be reassigned to other academic units in their general area of expertise.
€ Administrative positions will be either eliminated or reassigned.
€ As attrition occurs, requirements for transferred positions will be assessed in the context of needs and institutional priorities.
€ Salary savings, maintenance funds, facilities and equipment will be reallocated on the basis of institutional goals.

Some departments would gain with service designation

Under the model developed by the AU administration and approved by the Board of Trustees on July 16, AU departments that have major responsibility for lower division and core curriculum courses will be eligible to participate in an incentive plan to stren gthen those programs.

These departments will be required to meet performance goals:
€ All faculty in the department must participate in the lower division undergraduate teaching program.
€ All faculty, including senior faculty, will teach at least two undergraduate courses per quarter.
€ All faculty, including senior faculty, must teach at least one core curriculum course per quarter.
€ The department must fully meet legitimate student demands for undergraduate courses offered by the department.

Departments fulfilling these goals will receive additional funding for salary improvement, to support professional development of faculty and to improve instructional facilities and technology.

Under this model, some departments will become primarily undergraduate service teaching departments, but faculty in those departments that accept this responsibility and commit to develop and enhance student learning and quality instruction will be reward ed through tenure, promotion and salary increases.

Administration seeks to avoid 'Dirty Dozen' errors

In his presentation to the Board of Trustees, President William Muse identified 12 attributes which he said the university wants to avoid in its attempt to improve competitiveness. Citing a study of 334 colleges and universities, Muse said institutions with declining resources can be as effective as institutions with abundant resources. The study also identified these attributes, dubbed "The Dirty Dozen," which hampered the effectiveness of institutions where they occurred:

Centralization
Decision making is pulled toward the top of the organization. Less power is shared.

Short-term, crisis mentality
Long-term planning is neglected. The focus is on immediacy.

Loss of innovation
Trial-and-error learning is curtailed. There is less tolerance for the risk and failure associated with creative activity.

Resistance to change
Conservatism and threat-rigidity response lead to "hunkering down" and a protectionist stance.

Decreasing morale
Infighting and a "mean mood" permeates the organization.

Politicized interest groups
Special interest groups organize and become more vocal. The climate becomes politicized.

Nonprioritized cutbacks
Across-the-board cutbacks are used to ameliorate conflict. Priorities are not obvious.

Loss of trust
Leaders lose the confidence of subordinates, and distrust among organization members increases.

Increasing conflict
Fewer resources result in internal competition and fighting for a smaller pie.

Restricted communication
Only good news is passed upward. Information is not widely shared because of fear and distrust.

Lack of teamwork
Individualism and disconnectedness make teamwork difficult. Individuals resist cooperation and involvement.

Scapegoating leaders
Leadership anemia occurs as leaders are scapegoated, priorities are unclear, and a siege mentality prevails.

Veterinary Medicine researcher escapes injury in lab accident

A heated vial containing what officials describe as a minuscule portion of a mild radioactive material popped open on July 14. An official said the AU researcher at risk of exposure to the material tested clean moments after the event.

The researcher, Genevieve L. Fontaine, was one of four people in the College of Veterinary Medicine lab, but the only one who may have been exposed, Dwight Wolfe, head of the Large Animal Teaching Hospital, said.

"The researcher had two vials on a heating element, which was required for the experiment they were conducting," he said. "These inch-long vials frequently pop their tops after reaching a high temperature, but this one popped with a little more gusto tha n usual," he explained.

Wolfe said the amount of material that escaped probably equaled a single drop, and it was primarily water or even condensation that had formed at the top of the vial.
"We are convinced that the amount of radioactive material that landed on the researcher was no more than one-twentieth of a drop, and it was likely even much less than that," he said.

Student Affairs restructuring cited by association as model

A major restructuring of the Division of Student Affairs ‹ cited as an example of administrative cost-cutting and improvements during the July 16 session of the AU Board of Trustees ‹ has also caught the attention of a national association.

AU Student Affairs has been selected as one of six programs cited for "Exemplary" status by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
Bettye Burkhalter, interim vice president of Student Affairs, was notified of the selection in a July 1 letter from NASPA president Jack Warner and Executive Director Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy.

AU was chosen from more than 40 programs in the nation considered for the honor and will be featured in an upcoming NASPA publication. Other winners are Ball State University, Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, The College of New Jersey, St. Xa vier University in Chicago and the University of Nevada at Reno.

"This publication will not only showcase your institution and your work, it will serve as a model for other institutions striving to provide innovative and effective educational services to students," wrote Warner and Dungy.

The Washington, D.C.-based NASPA represents approximately 7,000 members in 1,800 institutions in the U.S. and other countries.

While the administration's presentation to the AU board cited cost savings and improved efficiencies, the NASPA selection included bridge-building efforts between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs and services such as the Student Success Center.

The division's accomplishments include outsourcing of the health center; consolidating of functions; elimination of the operating deficit at Foy Union and implementation of a student fee increase to provide adequate program funds; reduction of full-time p ositions by one-third to 132; and transfer of $100,000 to instructional budgets.

Golson named to head Enrollment Management

James Golson of Queen's College in Charlotte, N.C., has been named assistant vice president for enrollment management at AU.
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Bettye Burkhalter said Golson will begin his job at AU on Aug. 1.

"Dr. Golson can bring forth his successful history of analytical marketing, strategic planning and information technology and his experience in developing an Enrollment Management System to promote the best interests of our students. He will definitely be a valuable asset to Auburn University," said Burkhalter.

Golson has held various administrative and faculty positions at Queens College including special assistant to the president and vice president for administration and finance.

At Queens College, Golson oversaw the college's overall financial management, including budgeting, financial analysis, capital planning, endowment and investment management. His key accomplishments include leading a major strategic planning effort; helpin g implement a plan to balance the school's budget; increasing its endowment; and helping design and implement an undergraduate enrollment management and admissions program.

Golson earned a bachelor's degree in physics from AU in 1966, a Ph.D. in physics and computer applications from Duke University in 1970 and the Executive MBA degree from Queens College in 1991.

Angarano named associate dean in Veterinary Medicine

Donna Angarano, a member of the AU College of Veterinary Medicine faculty since 1986, has been named the college's associate dean for academic affairs.

She had been interim associate dean for the past year.

"Dr. Angarano's experiences with veterinary medicine transcend the classroom and the clinic, where she excels, and she has already proven an excellent administrator," said Dean Tim Boosinger.

Angarano, a veterinary dermatologist who earned her bachelor's and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at the University of Missouri, has served in the AU Small Animal Clinic for the past 11 years.

Before coming to Auburn, Angarano was on the veterinary faculty at Cornell University.

Butler named chair of Marketing & Transportation Department

Daniel Butler, a member of the AU faculty since 1989, has been promoted to head of the Department of Marketing and Transportation.

Wayne Alderman, dean of the College of Business, said Butler will serve a fixed three-year term under a system in which the chair is rotated among the department's faculty. "Dr. Butler received wide support from the departmental faculty and has been an ou tstanding faculty member," said Alderman.

Butler received his B.S. degree and the MBA from the University of Central Florida. He was a Post-Graduate Rotary Fellow in 1981 at the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in Cordoba, Argentina. Butler received his Ph.D. in 1990 in marketing and internation al business operations from the University of South Carolina.

Butler's business experience includes positions as a lobbyist, bank auditor, assistant cruise director and business consultant.

UT advisors offer advice to AU team leading semester transition

Switching from quarters to semesters provides a rare opportunity for a university to thoroughly review its curriculum and start with a clean slate, say several University of Tennessee advisors who recently visited Auburn.

Five UT faculty and administrators, who were at UT when it switched to semesters in 1988, came to Auburn June 26 to share their experiences with AU leaders.

"We were advised by other schools to change as little as possible when we made the transition," said Lee Humphries, a professor of religion at UT and coordinator of their transition process. "We didn't take that advice, and I think we were wise not to. We used the occasion to review just about everything we do, and those occasions are rare in academics."

UT departments were asked to thoroughly examine their curricula. Although it was not a tension-free process, the panel said the effort proved successful.
"Forget about the old curricula," said Ralph Norman, also a professor of religion and co-chair of the UT transition. Trying to fit the quarter curriculum into a semester calendar simply will not work, he added.

"You are dealing with two different types of calendars," Norman said. "It's awkward, but departments need to think through what it is they want to do in their programs."

Starting in 1985, UT followed a three-year program in developing its transition ‹ just as Auburn is doing. Curriculum redesign occurred during the first year of the pre-transition process, and the group said Auburn can expect its curriculum redesign phase to be quite intense.

"We had some tension and arguments among our faculty as they discussed the curriculum," Humphries said.

"What has to be recognized is that the arguments are over the right things ‹ what is the nature of the curriculum, what should it be, what should be the nature of advising and such. When we get heated about these types of things, we're probably in a very healthy state."

C.W. Minkel, dean of UT's graduate school and co-chair for his school's transition, said, "The real value is from going through the (transition) process and the change and stimulation it causes."

Unsung Hero: Carol Thompson of Theatre Department

This week's Unsung Hero is Carol Thompson, secretary IV in the Department of Theatre in the College of Liberal Arts. She has been a member of the AU staff for 11 years. She was asked:

I get the greatest satisfaction from my job when I can... "help a student with a problem. I can make prospective students and their families feel welcome to the Theatre Department."

In my job area, quality is measured by... "meeting deadlines and challenges while having a good working relationship with my co-workers."

If I could change one thing about Auburn (or my job), it would be... "well, prosperity would be nice, but there won't be any raises this year."

I've always wondered why... "some flower beds on campus are not only prettier, but better taken care of than others."

When people come to this campus, I want them to... "know we take good care of their kids. Their kids make our jobs possible."
In my spare time, I like to... "meditate, read, write, take classes when I can and get close to nature."

AU SPAN Network helping C&G process users to navigate system easier

A new advisory group is helping administrative staffers and researchers at Auburn learn to more easily navigate the contracts and grants systems.

AU SPAN (Sponsored Programs Advisory Network) is a group of 40 key people involved in the university's sponsored programs administration and accounting.
The group meets monthly to provide training and guidance and to help administrative and professional staff solve problems they may have using the systems, said Martha Taylor, director of Contracts & Grants Administration.

"It's a way of trying to actively improve communications," Taylor said. "Our mission is bringing together faculty, staff, administrators and sponsors for progressive sponsored programs management."

"There is a great need for a way to inform those who need to know about issues such as cost accounting standards, cost sharing policies and external regulations that affect the way we operate," added Verlyn Burkhalter, director of Contracts & Grants Accou nting.

The need for a group such as AU SPAN was discovered soon after Auburn launched a revamping effort in 1995 to improve the efficiency of its contracts and grants process.

"We conducted a survey of faculty and staff who use the process and learned that the more knowledge they have about how the process works, the more satisfied they are," Taylor said.

To be truly effective, the two say, AU SPAN must be an active and growing network.
"People are providing useful suggestions and we are able to not only learn from them, but they are becoming more aware of the overall ins-and-outs involved with the total contracts and grants process," Burkhalter said.

"The effectiveness is largely dependent on members of the network spreading the word among their departments," Taylor added. "Although we currently have a 40 member group, those people need to share the information with faculty and staff within their own areas. The intent is for the network to disseminate the information as widely as possible so that the knowledge base continues to growC."

AU SPAN's next meeting is planned for July 29 at 8:30 a.m. in Foy Union 246. For more information, contact Taylor at 844-4438 (taylomm@mail.auburn.edu) or Burkhalter at 844-4847 (burkhve@mail.auburn.edu).

Veterinary researcher tests food additive as lameness treatment

Research at Auburn's Large Animal Teaching Hospital is showing promise for a feed-based solution to a chronic cause of lameness and arthritis in horses.

Reid Hanson, an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is overseeing testing of Cosequin, a nutritional additive to feed. So far, Cosequin, which has been on the market for four years, appears to be an effective treatment for navicular syndrome, which Hanson says causes 30 percent to 40 percent of equine lameness cases.

"Many products claim to improve navicular syndrome, but we're seeing significant results in our tests," Hanson said. "If we continue to see positive results, we will likely have confirmed a real breakthrough in the equine industry."
Hanson says navicular syndrome is the most common cause of arthritis lameness in Quarter horses and probably in several other breeds. Navicular syndrome increases the horse's sensitivity to pain in the feet and leads to the horse's developing a short, cho ppy gait.

"There are a host of treatments for navicular syndrome, which means equine specialists have tried a lot of different solutions and nothing has worked consistently," Hanson said.

Cosequin, a patented combination manufactured by Baltimore-based Nutramax, provides chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, raw materials essential for the synthesis of joint fluid and cartilage. Twice-daily supplements to a horse's diet have shown Hanson en ough results in preliminary testing that he believes the product has promise.

"We conducted a study of 25 horses with arthritis two years ago. We put them on Cosequin and evaluated them every other week for six weeks. We found significant improvement in an analysis of their movement and in a measure of their increasing stride lengt h," he said.

In that test, researchers knew that the horses were all on Cosequin.
Hanson and AU veterinary students are conducting a double-blinded study, analyzing a group of horses, ages five to 15 years, all of which have contracted navicular disease during the past year.

"We along with many horse owners will be very interested in a product that can reduce the problems associated with navicular disease."
Hanson testified about the product's effectiveness two years ago before the Food and Drug Administration. He will present his research findings in September at the World Equine Veterinary Congress in Padova, Italy.

Psychologist explores importance of social contacts among scientists

Social contacts often can play an important role in a person's professional success as stressed in the adage: It's who you know as much as what you know .

This scenario exists within the scientific community as much as within any other field, says a professor and researcher in the Department of Psychology, who has made exploring the politics of science the topic of his work.

Roger Blashfield has interest in a field known as the "sociology of science," a study that uses quantitative methods to determine how science works.

"It's a technique that turns science on itself," he explained. "It uses scientific techniques to learn how scientists actually function.
One of the established facts for research in the sociology of science is that the literature of science doubles in size every 15 to 20 years, noted Blashfield. This rate of growth has remained constant for the last three centuries.

"I tell my students that the expectant career of a person who enters academe is about 30 years," Blashfield said. "By the end of an academic's career, the literature in their area will be four times as large as when they were a graduate student."

Because it is so difficult to keep up with the rapid information growth, most scientists specialize in their areas of interest.

A second well-accepted phenomenon in the sociology of science is that almost half the literature in any area of specialization is published by about 10 percent of the scientists working in that field, Blashfield says. These individuals, often known as the "stars" of the field, tend to dominate; they are more likely to receive grants, to become editors of major journals, to be asked to write chapters in important books.

A third phenomenon discussed by sociologists of science is "invisible colleges." These are scientific colleagues at different universities who tend to collaborate, attend the same meetings and form social-political groupings within science, Blashfield exp lained.

As Blashfield describes these invisible colleges, they are definite forms of social cliques.

"They begin to cite one another in their areas of study," Blashfield said. "They often co-publish together."

It's important to have one's work published in the prestigious journals and to have it recognized as having impact on the field, Blashfield added. Scientists ‹ especially new scientists ‹ need to be aware that this sociological process exists, he said.

"Scientist like to think that what they do is a purely cognitive, rational process, but there is a definite sociological process that goes on," he said.

"One should not expect that just because you have a brilliant idea that all the doors are going to open up to you. You really must be politically savvy to survive."

New software to help better manage C&G information

The capabilities of a new electronic information system to improve the efficiency of Auburn's research contracts and grants program were demonstrated recently to members of the program's redesign task force.

The COEUS Information Management System, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is being customized to Auburn's contracts and grants administration system. It is the precursor to implementation of a totally electronic proposal submission and tracking system, said Contracts and Grants Administration Director Martha Taylor.

COEUS is available on PC and MacIntosh platforms. It provides convenient electronic access to high-level proposal data, detailed award terms and conditions, reporting requirements, award histories and agency contacts, Taylor said. Investigators will be ab le to monitor their projects from proposal submission to award closeout.

"Our hope is that this system will reduce our backlog," she said. "Ninety percent of our work not directly related to working with proposals or negotiating awards is directed toward answering the many questions that arise about the awards process. This sy stem will provide that information in an easy to use format accessible to the individual researcher through his or her desktop computer. It will enable researchers to monitor their projects more efficiently and more timely."

Companies show interest in developing AU technologies

At least five companies have contacted Auburn's Office of Industrial Programs and Technology Transfer in recent weeks expressing interest in commercializing specific AU-developed technologies, says IP&TT Director Jan Thornton.

"Occasionally this occurs," Thornton said. "Companies usually are looking for technologies to license which will somehow give them a competitive edge. Often they are interested in research investment opportunities as well."

Among recent contacts are Intercon Research Associates of Lincolnwood, Ill., specializing in electronic materials such as sol/gel technology, composites and various types of polymerization; Cell Therapeutics Inc. of Seattle, Wash., interested in all class es of antineoplastic agents, anti-emetics, immunology and antifungals; Colmen Capital Advisors, King of Prussia, Pa., technology that can be incorporated into novel drug formulations for oral, intranasal, pulmonary or parenteral administration; Ashland Ch emical, Columbus, Ohio, adhesives; Proctor & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Mason. Ohio, technologies for bone preservation or restoration, anti-infectives, skeletal muscle restoration and cardiovascular treatments.

Thornton urges researchers working in these areas to contact the IP&TT office.

"Researchers interested in working with any of these companies need to ensure that their interests are protected," Thornton said. "They should have a Technology Disclosure form on file with the IP&TT office before any discussion or disclosure of confiden tial information takes place with a company."

Web access to SPIN improved

Internet access to Auburn's sponsored programs information service has been improved, says a specialist in the Office of Research Development.

"To provide better, faster response time for SPIN (Sponsored Programs Information Network) the system has been put on a new server and a second Internet access line has been added," said Research Services Specialist Barbara Avsharian.
Avsharian added that AU researchers now can receive procurement announcements from the NASA Acquisition Internet Service (NAIS) through e mail subscription.

To gain access to the subscribed-to enhanced SPIN system, contact the Office of Research Development at 844-5961 or 844-5964 or via electronic mail at avshaba@mail.auburn.edu or luthewa@mail.auburn.edu. Access to the NAIS service is available through its web site at http://procurement.nasa.gov/maillist.html .