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

The AU Report 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

By William Muse, President of Auburn University

The state of Alabama faces a seemingly intractable problem with its system of higher education. Public colleges and universities across the state do not receive sufficient funding to do the job that is expected of them, and research institutions, which a re a key factor in a state's economic competitiveness, are not receiving the resources to compete with comparable institutions in other states.

In spite of the funding inadequacy, Gov. Fob James wants to subtract another $100 million out of the higher education budget.

Even when made with the best of intentions, the idea of cutting the state's investment in higher education is unwise. Alabama is trying to catch up with the rest of the South in economic development, and the most important factors in the state's ability to compete will be our educated workforce and our intellectual resources. We in Alabama do not need to handicap ourselves any further in a race that will influence the future of our children and grandchildren.

In some recent analyses we conducted for the Auburn University Board of Trustees, we found that at no time during the past 15 years did Auburn's state appropriation per student come anywhere close to the average for comparable universities in the Southern Region. In fact, the cumulative difference -- competitive disadvantage -- was more than $330 million dollars.

In effect, the state of Alabama has given each of its neighboring states a competitive advantage in economic development just by failing to maintain adequate appropriations. It is not hard to spot one major reason why Alabama is not keeping pace with its neighbors.

The state has yet to see the impact these funding shortfalls have on nationally competitive institutions such as Auburn, but that situation can change quickly. If we don't address the funding dilemma, our best faculty are going to leave and we won't be a ble to replace them with comparably qualified people. The quality of our academic programs will decline, and the state of Alabama will witness the deterioration of one of its most valuable assets.

What do we need to do? Here is what I recommend.

* Gov. James needs to appoint a blue-ribbon Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The governor is to be commended for announcing plans to take this action. We need to take this issue out of the political arena and let our most thoughtful and eff ective leaders -- from industry, education and government -- recommend what needs to be done, with a commitment from the governor and legislature to initiate legislation to implement what is proposed.

* The Alabama Legislature needs to adopt appropriate accountability measures to assure that the state is getting the results it needs and should expect for the investment of tax dollars it makes. This accountability should be in the form of objective eff ectiveness measurements of the educational programs and other services that are offered by each institution. In each case the assessment should be determined by the purposes and goals of the educational program involved.
The accountability approach is founded on two basic principles:

* As a purchaser of educational services provided by the educational institutions, the State of Alabama should establish standards or specifications that those services are expected to meet.

* Educational institutions should be expected to identify clearly what the goals or purposes of a particular educational program or activity are and should be able to measure whether or not those goals or purposes have been achieved.
Each institution should receive a base budget that would be based on its enrollment and the number of full-time educational programs offered. There are objective data that can be obtained as to the cost associated with any program. Given the mix of prog rams that an institution has and the enrollment in each program, a base budget can be derived. This base budget will vary on an annual basis as there are changes in total enrollment and in the distribution of enrollment across the various programs.
Any money allocated beyond the base budget should be on the basis of performance - i.e., the success achieved in each of the programs or activities in which state funds are invested.

The measurement of success in any educational program should occur at two levels. The first is the effectiveness of the school in getting a student through the educational program successfully, and the second is the success that the student has in achiev ing his or her objectives after having pursued the educational program.
For most, those objectives are to position the individual for career advancement; for others, the objective is to advance to the next level of education.

If adequate funds were allocated on a performance basis, the institutions would be highly motivated to work more effectively with their students to help them complete their educational programs and assist them in achieving their career or educational adva ncement goals. This would be of tremendous benefit to the students who participated in the process and to the state because it would likely produce better trained students at lower cost. Equally important, the institutions that are most effective in del ivering their educational programs and in working with their customers (the employers of their graduates) should be those that are rewarded.

The state would ultimately benefit by getting a better return on its investment in higher education. The weak or ineffective programs or institutions would not be able to compete, as students would gravitate toward those programs that have the highest de gree of success and where they would have higher probability of benefiting.

Alabama has too many institutions of higher education. But this state will never be able to close institutions through political action. Yet, the state should expect and require institutions that receive tax dollars to meet certain standards of performa nce as a basis for receiving an appropriation. If the state would establish such standards and allocate its money on the basis of performance, the market would determine -- as it does in industry -- who would survive and prosper.

Sessions bring together faculty, trustees

Individual AU trustees have been meeting over lunch with small groups of faculty since May in an effort to improve communication between the board and faculty.

Physics Professor Gene Clothiaux, a former University Faculty chair, said the meetings are an attempt to give the trustees a better understanding of campus issues from the perspective of faculty. At the same time, he added, faculty participants are gaini ng a better understanding of the trustees as individuals who are willing to listen to their concerns.

Clothiaux approached President William Muse with the suggestion for trustee faculty meetings five years ago and, with Muse's encouragement, organized several meetings at that time. The meetings lapsed after a year, and resumed last spring under Clothiaux's leadership.

Trustee participants since May have included Board President Pro Tempore Emory Cunningham and members Charles Glover, John Denson and Jimmy Samford. Clothiaux said he hopes to schedule at least three members during fall quarter.

Participants say the meetings have been friendly, open and spirited.

Fisheries Professor John Grover, also a former University Faculty chair, was among faculty who met with Denson in July. Discussion was lively about a range of faculty concerns, including the need for more support for research and graduate instruction, Gr over said. With the board's emphasis on undergraduate instruction, some faculty participants wanted to make sure that their concern about graduate
programs was heard, he added.

Grover said some participants became more aware that trustees volunteer their time on behalf of the university, and he was encouraged by the willingness of the trustees and faculty members to talk with one another. "We need to have as free and open a dia logue in this system as we can possibly have if we are to make progress as an institution."

Trustee Charles Glover of Cullman said his meeting with faculty members this summer increased his concern about the need to improve faculty salaries. "We've got a bunch of good people at Auburn, and I hate to see them in this situation as far as salaries are concerned," he said.

Glover said he was deeply affected by accounts from faculty whose salaries were not keeping pace with inflation. The trustee tried to assure the faculty members that the board wants to find a way to improve salaries.

"Meetings like that are a good way for us to communicate with one another," he said. "They ought to be held more often."

Clothiaux said he hopes that the sessions will become a permanent fixture involving all the appointed members of the board. "We're trying very hard to build a relationship between the faculty and the board so that they will work together on matters that we all have in common," he said.

Faculty participants are chosen from a cross-section of the university, with representation from every college and school for the majority of meetings. Faculty interested in attending future sessions may contact Clothiaux.

Planners furnish early look at semesters

The university has gotten its first look at what Auburn will be like when its academic calendar switches to a semester system in fall 2000.

The University Transition Committee and the Executive Transition Committee have approved a program structure and schedule that sets a minimum of 120 credit hours as the graduation requirement for undergraduate programs begun in fall 2000.

It has classes meeting on either Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Tuesday and Thursday. Class sessions typically will run 50 minutes on the MWF schedule and 75 minutes on the TTH schedule.

The academic year will have two 15-week fall and spring terms with a shorter 10 week summer term that can be divided into two five-week terms. Other terms will be allowed to serve students with special needs.

Under the quarter system, undergraduate degree requirements range from 180 to 210 credit hours -- more in some dual degree programs. Classes often meet daily during the 10-week term.

"These differences are because the structure of a semester curriculum is completely different from a quarter system," said Christine Curtis, coordinator of the semester transition program.

Translated, one credit hour in a quarter system equals two-thirds of a semester credit hour. With longer semester terms, class meetings are spread out. Thus, students and faculty have more time for preparation between class sessions and more time during t he term for project development.

"Everything that Auburn currently teaches in its curriculum is being reexamined and restructured," Curtis said. "The semester calendar calls for evaluating what the educational goals and objectives are for each degree program and then defining the course s that will meet these goals and objectives."

Other highlights of the semester structure include:

** All undergraduate degree programs must provide six semester hours of free electives;

** The minimum number of hours required for an undergraduate major is 30 semester hours. Of those 30 semester hours, 20 or more must be in upper division courses;

** The minimum number of hours required for an undergraduate minor is 15. Of those 15 hours, 9 or more must be in upper division courses; (remaining credit hours are obtained from core course requirements, supporting courses and electives.)

** Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation requirements will be met, including oral communications skills and computer literacy requirements;

** A full undergraduate course load for a given term typically would consist of 15-17 semester hours. Students should take four to five courses each semester;

** Full-time undergraduate student status requires a minimum course load of 12 semester hours. Twenty semester hours are the maximum allowed without special permission from the dean;

** Full-time graduate student status requires a nine semester-hour minimum course load. The graduate school requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graded course work at the 600 level and above for master's degree programs. At least 18 hours must be co mpleted at AU. Doctoral students also must complete 30 additional semester hours of graduate-level course work, including residency requirements as applicable;

** The maximum term load allowed in the graduate school is 16 semester hours.
** Evening classes that meet at 5 p.m. or later may meet once, twice, three, or four times during a week. Available class hours are normally from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The structure and schedule document may be seen in full on the World Wide Web at: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/semester/structur.html.

AU expects over 1000 degrees this summer (at graduation)

Auburn University will award a total of 1,045 degrees during summer quarter commencement ceremonies on Aug. 29, bringing the total number of graduates at AU during the 1997 academic year to 4,731.

AU President William V. Muse will confer degrees during a 2:30 p.m. commencement ceremony in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. The university will award 742 bachelor's degrees, 223 master's degrees and 70 doctorates.

The university will also award about 120 bachelor's and 117 master's degrees during graduation at AU at Montgomery Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the physical education complex.

Preceding commencement will be the commissioning of ROTC graduates as officers in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, scheduled for at 9:30 a.m. in Langdon Auditorium.

For the four quarters of the 1996-97 academic year, Auburn University will have awarded a total of 4,731 degrees; and AUM 1,074 for a combined total of 5,805 degrees.

Since its founding, AU will have awarded a total of 168,433 degrees following this ceremony, and 21,136 at AUM. Combined, both campuses will have conferred a total of 189,569 degrees.

Time to update directory listings

Information on pages 2-20 from the current AU Telephone Directory was mailed out July 24 to vice presidents, deans and directors to be reviewed and updated for the 1997-98 AU Telephone Directory. They will be asked to check with the areas under their dir ection to make sure all information is correct and return to University Relations by the Sept. 5 deadline.

If any changes need to be made regarding names, offices or phone numbers on pages 2-20, you should notify the office of your vice president, dean or director as soon as possible. These changes involve information on pages 2-20 only.

Correcting or updating information in the faculty and staff section can only be done by filling out a Personal Data Form (PDF), which you can get from your department, and sending it to the Personnel Office.

Student information is updated at registration.

Education faculty cite benefits of ties to Brazilian university

AU faculty in the College of Education say a partnership with a university in Brazil is providing research opportunities and new insights into teaching in this country as well as abroad.

The partnership between the AU College of Education and the Federal University of Piaui, Brazil, has resulted in a Brazilian professor teaching at Auburn in 1995-96, sharing of information about teaching methods and technology during a visit from a Brazil ian delegation last winter and participation by a team of AU faculty last spring in an international conference at the Brazilian institution.

Faculty in the two institutions have also had other contacts with Piaui and other Brazilian institutions over the past four years as they have explored differences and similarities in education in the United States and Brazil.

The international partnership is providing a fresh perspective with which to identify ways in which schooling can be both an inhibitor and a pathway to social improvement, said Jeff Gorrell, associate dean in the AU College of Education.

Gorrell established the college's first contact with Piaui four years ago after learning from a colleague at another institution that the Brazilian university was interested in a partnership with a U.S. university. Since then, the College of Education ha s expanded its contacts with Piaui and expanded its international contacts to other institutions in Brazil and other countries in South America, Europe and Asia.

A major breakthrough came two years ago, when Piaui faculty member Francis Boakari spent a year at Auburn as a Fulbright visiting scholar. He taught students in the College of Education, bringing a fresh perspective on comparative education to students a nd faculty, Gorrell said.

Auburn also hosted a team of scholars from the Brazilian university last December, when the Piaui faculty studied the uses of technology in American classrooms. That visit led to an invitation for a team of AU faculty to participate in the Brazilian univ ersity's first international conference on language, education and community.

The AU delegation included Gorrell; Nancy Barry of the Department of Curriculum and Teaching; William Spencer of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology; Holly Stadler of Counseling and Counseling Psychology; and AmySue Reilly of Rehabilitation and Special Education.

The AU faculty members presented workshops and papers in their fields, and Gorrell, who also teaches in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology, was part of the conference's keynote panel discussion on comparative education.

The conference attracted about 800 participants, nearly triple the expected number.
Spencer noted that the university and community schools are a vital part of the culture in the isolated northeastern part of Brazil. "They seek opportunities to connect with people outside the country, and this provides opportunities for us to participat e in education for a developing, democratic society," he said.

"We were able to examine the social effects of education," he added. "It is not just teaching methods. We examine how teachers relate to students in a developing society. There, schools are considered an instrument for community development as well as economic development."

Barry, who led workshops in the teaching of fine arts, said the experience of this visit and a previous one provided fresh ideas about and enthusiasm for teaching. "I was delighted to see how excited about learning their students are," she said.

Unlike the United States, with many opportunities for learning, students in Brazil often must go great distances for a university education and place a high value on learning, Barry noted. Ninety percent of the class would linger for an hour asking quest ions after a session, she added. "Working with them gives you a greater appreciation for the value of teacher education."

Reilly said she had been eager to compare notes with the Brazilian faculty on their campus after meeting several on their visit to Auburn last winter. "With any faculty exchange, you learn more about cultural issues," she said. "Through exchanges, we le arn how different cultures develop academic strategies."

As a result of her involvement with the international program, Reilly said, "I am more enthusiastic about what I do professionally. This continues to spark my interest in learning and teaching about education."

The AU faculty members said the international involvement can teach them and their students more about the relationship between school and community.

Spencer noted another aspect of the relationship. "From them, we can learn more about how to humanize our education system to put more emphasis on students and less on procedures," he said.

Stadler, who presented a workshop on school guidance and counseling, observed some common interests, as well. "It seems to me that in both of our cultures, teachers are concerned not only with subject matter instruction but also with the personal develop ment and welfare of their students," she noted.

New classes to be taught on websites

When classes start next month on the AU campus, some students won't have to leave their dorm room or apartment to attend class, engage in classroom discussion or take tests.

Two "virtual" classes -- Political Economy and World Regional Geography -- will be taught this fall by two College of Liberal Arts faculty who developed the courses on the World Wide Web with the assistance of the Office of Distance Learning and Outreach Technology.

The on-line political economy class will be taught by Charles Spindler, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science. He received at $25,000 grant from the MCI Foundation and funding from AU's Office of Outreach to develop the class.
Tom Martinson, a professor in the Department of Geography, has developed the on line freshman level geography class. In addition, he is developing another class -- Society, Culture and the Environment -- for the web and hopes to have it ready soon.

"The College of Liberal Arts is committed to outreach as one of the principal missions of Auburn University," said John Heilman, interim co-dean of the college.
"We see distance education as an increasingly available way to provide education to those who can't otherwise be on our campus."

Auburn students interested in taking the classes can register for them as they do any other class, and others not on the AU campus wanting to take the Internet courses can contact Office of Distance Learning and Outreach Technology, according to universit y Registrar John Fletcher.

All course assignments will be available over the Internet and students will read selections from assigned textbooks as well as on-line materials, some of which will be supplemented by computer audio. Students will then answer interactive questions on-lin e and take part in on-line discussion groups to take the place of the classroom. In addition, the professors will be an e-mail away to answer any questions or provide assistance.

For both classes, students can work on personal computers connected to the internet or in one of the computer laboratories on campus. "The on-line project will permit student to study at their own pace, in their own time," Spindler says.

Martinson says he hopes to have students from around the world taking his web classes. Currently, Martinson is involved in a program with the University of Texas, called the Virtual Geography Department, where he serves as webmaster.

"I think the internet is changing the nature of education," Martinson says. "Right now, we're just touching the surface of possibilities."

While both professors use the internet in their teaching, the on-line classes "will significantly expand current efforts to integrate new information technologies into the classroom," Spindler says.

"Flexibility is the key," says Martinson. "Many times students are concerned if they have to miss a class, and they think they can't catch up, or if they want to know more."

Both agree that they way they teach is changing because of the internet and that it is revolutionizing teaching methods.

"Courses can be taught differently than ever before because instead of telling students information and asking them to learn it, we are giving them the tools to search for the information and learn about it firsthand," Spindler says.

"They have access to the great libraries and museums of the world through the Internet."

Martinson says he's become more visually oriented in his teaching. "I build my lectures around images and since students are much more image oriented because of television and computers, I hope it will be the hook to get students interested in learning."< P> The Office of Distance Learning and Outreach Technology is providing the necessary technology needed to bring classes to the internet, says Braden Kuhlman, program coordinator for distance learning at AU.

Boulton to assist in state's effort to improve training

An AU management professor will be the consultant on a project that will develop computer-based training in mathematics skills for about 1,100 community college students and adult learners.

William R. Boulton, the Olan Mills Professor of Strategic Management at AU, will work on the project with Susan Armour, director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Alabama, and Northeast Alabama State Community College in Rainsville, where the training will be based.

The $200,000 project is being funded primarily through a $160,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission

"This is an example of two state universities collaborating on a project, and also shows our involvement in trying to improve the skill levels of local workers for industry," said Boulton.

The use of computers and software to enhance math skills was successfully demonstrated several years ago in some Alabama schools where it is now in use. Those schools include Jefferson Davis-Montgomery; Davidson-Mobile; Prattville; Wetumpka; Piedmont; Smi ths Station and Theodore. The ARC grant will provide a demonstration and training center at NASCC for the software known as "Learning Logic."

In approving the grant, ARC noted the unskilled and uneducated workforce in northeast Alabama was a major deterrent to economic development in the region and that alternative teaching methods were needed to improve basic math skills in workers in local in dustries. It also said schools using Learning Logic cited lower failure rates, improved student attitudes and better study habits.

IBDS gets $2 million in research grants

The Institute for Biological Detection Systems has received a pair of grants totaling more than $2 million to conduct research on how dogs are able to detect explosives.

James Johnston, a professor in the Department of Psychology, will be the principal researcher on the three-year project.
IBDS is based in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The first grant for $1.04 million from the Federal Aviation Administration -- the third from the FAA -- will finance research on how dogs detect explosives, said Nancy Cox, IBDS director.

An additional laboratory project will measure how well dogs can detect explosives from air that has been pumped from cargo containers. Other elements of the study will determine how often dogs need refresher training and how they work in different environ ments.

The second award to IBDS is a contract for $957,000 from the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for a three-year program of research on canine sensitivity and detection odor markers for land mines and unexploded ordinance. Cox said the rese arch program will focus on determining in the lab the detection odor signs dogs use to find different types of explosives and buried mines.

Vet Medicine faculty member helps Opelika students construct ostrich skeleton

Some Opelika first graders will be "boning up" on their knowledge of ostriches this fall, thanks to an AU veterinary professor.

Arvle Marshall, associate professor of anatomy at the AU College of Veterinary Medicine, has been helping Becky Hendrix, a first grade teacher at Opelika's Carver Primary School, piece a skeleton together, bone by bone.

For a few hours most afternoons in July, Marshall and Hendrix have been assembling their skeletal puzzle, and their work is taking form. Rising nine feet above its wood base, the ostrich skeleton consists of 121 bones, which are held together by wire and attached to a metal frame. Upon completion, the skeleton will be transported to Carver primary to become an exhibit in Hendrix's first-grade classroom.

The ostrich hen was donated for this purpose by an ostrich farm in Georgia.
Marshall will use the bird's heart -- preserved and protected through a process called plastination -- for teaching veterinary students. The skeleton, upon completion, will go to the first grade.

"Probably the first thing my students will ask is, 'Is it real?'" Hendrix said.
Within her classroom, the skeleton will serve as a tool to generate excitement and learning. It will be an important model to demonstrate several subjects.

"The students are learning to measure in both inches and in centimeters, so they can use the skeleton to measure, Hendrix said.

"They will learn geography, because the ostrich is native to Africa. They will
compare and contrast by measuring the different bones and by comparing the size of the ostrich to their own size."

Clinic receives gift of equipment to diagnose hearing problems

The donation of a $9,000 piece of diagnostic equipment will allow practitioners and students in AU's Speech and Hearing Clinic to make easier and faster diagnosis of certain hearing problems.

The equipment -- a Madsen Celesta Otoacoustic Emissions Analyzer -- was donated by Madsen Electronics, a division of Minnesota-based GN Davavox Corp.

The sophisticated equipment was given to honor the long-standing relationship Madsen has had with AU's Department of Communication Disorders, said Mike Moran, chair of the department.

"Having the capability to perform this type of testing will provide better training for our students and better audiological services to our community," said Moran.
The equipment measures sounds generated in the ears of people with normal hearing.

Test scoring times set for finals week

Faculty using computer scanning for exams during summer quarter finals can get the exams scanned at Test Scoring Services in Tichenor 120. Scanning services are available Saturday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Monday-Thursday, Aug. 25 Aug. 28 from 7:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m. For information, call 844 9904.

Spirit of Excellence recipients for July announced

AU Employees named Spirit of Excellence winners for July were John Reese, Housing and Residence Life; Cathy Simmons, General Biology; Susie Hall, Administrative Services; and Derrick Callo-way, Anatomy and Histology.

Unsung Hero: Whit Allen, Campus Mail Service

This week's Unsung Hero is Whit Allen, assistant manager for the AU Mail Service in the Facilities Division. He has been a member of the AU staff for six years. He was asked:

I get the greatest satisfaction in my job when... "I can answer a question regarding mail delivery or postal regulations so that the system works for all involved, creating a more efficient operation."

In my job area, quality is measured by... "the ability to deliver mail to departments and students in a timely manner and with as few interruptions as possible despite the volume of mail handled daily on campus."

If I could change one thing about Auburn or my job, it would be... "to increase the morale of employees and to reward workers that are dependable and efficient on the job."

I've always wondered why... "it's so easy to blame others for our mistakes."
When people come to campus, I want them to... "experience the Auburn pride and spirit so that they will have the desire to return again and again."

In my spare time, I like to... "travel and attend sporting events."

For Sandra Newkirk, sleepless nights viewed as part of community service

Sandra B. Newkirk, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance in AU's College of Education, wasn't looking for another challenge nearly two decades ago, when she signed up as a counselor for rape victims in the Auburn-Opelik a area.

All she wanted, she says, was to find out more about rape counseling as an outgrowth of service as a Crisis Center volunteer.

What she got was a lot of sleepless nights spent helping rape victims cope with their trauma and 17 years of community involvement far beyond anything she imagined at the time.

In the years since attending the informational session sponsored by the East Alabama Mental Health Center in 1980, Newkirk has been a source of assistance for rape victims in Lee and some surrounding counties. Since the second year, she has headed a smal l group of volunteer counselors, now called Rape Counselors of East Alabama, Inc.

The volunteers are on call nights and weekends to counsel rape victims while they receive medical treatment at the emergency room of East Alabama Medical Center.
The counselors provide emotional support and brief the victims on the recovery process, but often the most important role, Newkirk said, is simply to be a caring listener during a highly emotional time for the victim.

"When you go out there like that, you are the only person who is not asking for something," Newkirk explained. "The police, doctors and nurses are helping the victim, but they have to ask questions or ask her to do something. We are just there to help t he victim, and we don't ask anything of her."

While professional counseling is the domain of others, the rape counselors are there to comfort the victim when she may need help the most, said Newkirk.
Typically, a rape victim will be emotionally traumatized when she arrives at the hospital. "Some victims do not readily respond to assistance, but you can see them get more at ease after you visit with them a while," she said.

Rape counselors do not push assistance on the victim. Instead Newkirk advises the victim that she is there to listen. She does, however, brief the victim on what to expect in the days and weeks ahead. She provides the victim with a beeper number and re sponds when the victim asks for help. With some victims, she has been by their side when the case goes to court.

"Sometimes they need to turn to us," Newkirk said. "Many times, family members treat the victim badly, as if she did something wrong, and she turns to us, instead, when she needs someone to talk to."

Newkirk's initial involvement with rape counseling was an extension of her service as a listener for the Crisis Center of East Alabama. When she attended the first information session on rape counseling, Newkirk was a volunteer listener for the Crisis Cen ter, which is a telephone call-in service for residents experiencing emotional problems running the gamut from mild depression to thoughts of suicide.

Listening to other people's troubles can be emotionally demanding, but Newkirk said she sees the involvement as part of her service to the community.

"It may be a thankless job at times, but there's a certain satisfaction that comes from helping somebody just by being there for them," she explained. "You don't do something like this for an end result; you do it because you care."

A public health grant now supplements financial support from the United Way, so RCEA has two part-time staff members who work with school systems in a five county area to educate teens about the dangers and implications of rape, including date rape. Volu nteers, meanwhile, work with the victims of rape.

Newkirk said more volunteers would be welcome. (The Rape Counselors telephone number is 745-8634.) Rather than professional credentials, the primary qualification is the ability to listen, she added. "You very quickly learn that one of the most importan t skills a person can have when assisting others is the ability to listen without making judgments."

The volunteer leader said everyone can find a way to help improve their community, whether as a rape counselor, a Crisis Center listener or other means of service. "First of all, people should support the United Way because they help us provide the servic es that help others. And then they should get involved. We all have talents and time we can apply if we really want to do so," she said.

"There are so many groups like the rape counseling service that need somebody to step forward and say 'I care -- I want to help,'" Newkirk added. "For everybody, there is a place where they can give something back through community service."

Achievements

Paul M. Swamidass, professor of operations management at AU, has been asked by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to evaluate a multi million dollar proposal for a technology and manufacturing related center at Bangalore, India. Swamidass will travel with a team of experts to UNIDO headquarters in Vienna, then to New Delhi and Bangalore between Sept. 10-27.

Ed Williams, an associate professor in the Department of Journalism, was one of 20 college journalism professors from throughout the U.S. selected by the American Society of Newspaper Editors to participate in its Excellence in Journalism Fellowship Progr am this summer. Williams is working for six week as a staff writer for the Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria, Ohio. The Chronicle-Telegram is a 35,000 circulation afternoon daily newspaper.

The AU College of Education recently presented awards for outstanding achievement to several faculty members. The awards and recipients were: Outstanding Faculty Contribution to the Undergraduate Program, Jody Davenport, Health and Human Performance; Out standing Faculty Contribution to the Graduate Program, Caroline Dunn, Rehabilitation and Special Education; Outstanding Research Faculty, Nancy Barry, Curriculum and Teaching; Outstanding Contribution to the Extension Program, Russell Wilson, Vocational a nd Adult Education; Outstanding Staff Members, Sharon Huey, Health and Human Performance, and Dawn Browning, Department of Rehabilitation and Special Education.

Jitendra K. Tugnait, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, recently received the Alumni Sigma Xi Research Award. The award is presented annually to an AU researcher by Sigma Xi Research Society and the AU Alumni Association in recogni tion of an outstanding record of research.

David Alexander, associate professor of music, has been invited to perform and conduct at the 1997 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Goteborg, Sweden, this month. The conference features teachers, professionals and talented amateurs from around t he world in solo and ensemble performances and lectures. Alexander will also conduct a group of international trumpeters on the "Praeludium" for trumpet ensemble, written by Randall Faust, also of the AU Music Department.

Four faculty members in the College of Engineering have been named as recipients of the college's Birdsong Awards for excellence in teaching. The recipients, who each received $4,000-$8,000 stipends, are James Stallings, Civil Engineering; Mac Cutchins, Aerospace Engineering; Chris Roberts, Chemical Engineering; and Nels Madsen, Mechanical Engineering.

Earl "Buddy" Weaver of Brewton was named Outstanding Alumnus of the AU College of Education for 1997. Weaver received the award from the college's dean, Richard Kunkel. The occasion also reunited Weaver with his former major professor, Kenneth Easterday. Weaver, a Brewton businessman and Alabama timber industry leader, holds bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the AU College of Education and taught in Alabama schools for several years before entering business full-time. He is also president of the Auburn University Foundation and served as interim vice president for alumni and development at AU during the university's Campaign Auburn fund drive.

Some meal reimbursements to be taxed
Reimbursements for meal allowances that do not involve an overnight stay are now subject to withholding taxes. These reimbursements will be processed during the employee's payroll, beginning with the monthly payroll dated Aug. 29 and will be subject to F ICA and Medicare taxes as well as federal income tax. As a result, net pay for these individuals will fluctuate in those pay periods in which there is a meal reimbursement of this type. Ron Herring, director of the Payroll and Employee Benefits Office, said the change is to comply with federal regulations, which previously required payment of the applicable taxes at the time of tax filing rather than through withholding. The change came about, he said, because of the FICA withholding.

University Computing offers on-line installation
AUInstall, a new Web-based mechanism for installing the Aunet software suite of applications on your PC, is now available. For more information, see http://auinst.duc.auburn.edu.auinst.index.html.

New agreement for NCAT
Representatives from AU have signed a new five-year contract with the research and education foundation of the National Asphalt Pavement Association to continue operation of the College of Engineering-based National Center for Asphalt Technology. The pact was signed by AU Provost Paul Parks; NCAT Director Ray Brown; Charles Potts, chair of the NAPA Research and Education Foundation; and Tim Docter, chair of NCAT's board of directors. NCAT has finished 10 years of operation at AU, during which it has train ed about 150 faculty members from across the nation in asphalt technology and directed publication of two textbooks. Internationally recognized for its research efforts, NCAT operates on an annual budget of $2 million. NAPA represents the national organiz ation that serves hot mix asphalt contractors.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield representative to visit
AU's Blue Cross/Blue Shield representative will return to campus on Tuesday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m.-noon in the Payroll and Employee Benefits Office, Ingram 212. No appointment is necessary.

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 Services. Forms may b e acquired from departmental offices or Personnel Services.

Payroll & Benefits head recommends generics
Ron Herring, director of Payroll and Employee Benefits, has issued a reminder to employees that, for participants in the university's health insurance plan, the cost of generic prescription drugs is $5 per prescription, versus $15 for brand-name drugs. He rring recommends that patients ask their doctor to prescribe generic brands when those brands are available.

Recycling Trailer Schedule
The recycling trailer will be at the following sites on these dates: Aug. 11-15, College of Veterinary Medicine; Aug. 18-22, Coliseum parking lot; Aug. 25-29, Agriculture Engineering; and Sept. 1-5, College of Business. Items accepted are newspapers , mixed office paper and colored paper. Paper clips and staples do not need to be removed. Magazines and manila envelopes are not accepted for recycling. For further information, call 844-9580.

Outreach

Outreach assessment report moves closer to enactment

Auburn faculty who are committed to outreach are a step closer to seeing their efforts recognized in the promotion and tenure process, following AU Senate acceptance of a report on outreach assessment.

The report has gone back to Outreach Vice President David Wilson for a determination of specific policy considerations necessary for implementation. Wilson will then submit a recommendation to Provost Paul Parks and President William Muse.

The report is the result of the work of a 14-member committee charged by Wilson in 1995 to evaluate and assess quality outreach efforts. The AU Senate accepted the report in July.

"This is a very important report for us," said Wilson. "What it says is that if we expect our professors at Auburn to help the state solve its problems, we must reward them come tenure and promotion time.

"We can no longer just reward those professors who conduct basic research and write articles and books, but we will also reward those who use their expertise to help this state become more competitive," the vice president added.

Despite historic emphasis on its three-part academic mission, Auburn, as many institutions of higher education, has focused its assessment of faculty scholarship for tenure, promotion and reward largely on research performance, according to Wilson.

Distinguished University Professor Wayne Flynt chaired the outreach assessment committee.

Flynt presented the preliminary report last fall to the University Outreach Council and spoke of "how faithfully" the committee had addressed its assignment.

"I have worked with many groups in my 30 years in the profession, but none that brought more rigor, genuine concern and integrity to a process," Flynt said. "There seemed to be no special interest, no protected turfs, no academic pique, just a solid and d etermined desire to address the issue."

The report recommends that faculty outreach expectations be "clearly communicated" at the departmental level."As part of the annual negotiation of assignment, the head/chair should explicitly define the faculty member's duties in teaching, research, outre ach and service," the report states.

Every department or unit is expected to engage in outreach of some kind, but not every individual faculty member will be expected to do so, according to the report.
"I really applaud the report for moving in this direction," said Wilson.

"We expect academic departments at Auburn to be fully engaged with the state. I fully understand that some faculty members are more suited for outreach than are others, so I think having the focus of outreach on the academic department and not on every fa culty member in the department is the most appropriate strategy for us," Wilson added.

Limited reaction to outreach assessment report favorable

Outreach in AU's Department of Journalism has sometimes been a confusing endeavor, just as it has in many other disciplines on campus.

But the policies and procedures outlined in the Flynt committee's assessment of University Outreach are helping department heads such as Jerry Brown to sort out what was once a confusing quagmire.

"It's very helpful, the clearest statement to date," said Brown.

Brown plans to incorporate the report's guidelines in the near future.
The department has two assistant professors who will be eligible for tenure in the near future, according to Brown.

"It's been needed," said Brown, adding that outreach has sometimes been "difficult to get a handle on."

With seven full-time and two part-time faculty and approximately 150 journalism and corporate journalism students each quarter, the journalism department is one of the smaller departments on campus.

The department already has one person committed to outreach, but other faculty will soon be more active in the outreach mission in accordance with the Flynt report.

"I think it is good solid work that provides us a good foundation," said Brown.

Lectures to present look at state's dams

The impact and importance that a system of dams built in Alabama have had on the state will be discussed in a series of statewide lectures sponsored by AU and Alabama Power Co.

There will be 16 programs around Alabama to discuss four major hydroelectric dams -- Lay, Mitchell, Jordan and Martin -- built by the Alabama Power between 1910 and 1930. The discussions will be based on a book, Putting 'Loafing Streams' to Work, and le d by its author, Harvey H. "Hardy" Jackson III.

The first discussion program will be a reception on Monday, Aug. 18, at the Alabama Power corporate offices in Birmingham. The program will begin at noon.
The discussions are sponsored by Auburn's Center for the Arts and Humanities and the Alabama Power.

The second program will be Sunday, Sept. 14 in Wetumpka. The session will begin at 2:30 p.m. and will be at the Elmore County Courthouse. Each program will also be sponsored by a local historic society and the local Alabama Power office.

Future programs will be scheduled this fall and in early 1998 in: Clanton, Dadeville, Sylacauga, Pell City, Anniston, Selma, Tallassee, Montgomery, Ashland/Lineville, Mobile, Alexander City, Centre, Gadsden and Tuscaloosa.

Wilson selected for Leadership Alabama 1997-98

AU Outreach Vice President David Wilson has been selected for the 1997-98 class of Leadership Alabama.

The nine-month, nonprofit, statewide program advocates leadership development by working with leaders in the community to achieve positive change.

Others chosen from Central Alabama include Barbara Patton, mayor of Opelika, Fran Pearce, a Dallas County civic volunteer and James Ware, director of Dallas County Human Resources.

Research

Human Subjects Office offers help to researchers

Research involving the use of human subjects must comply with a variety of federal and university guidelines, and the Office of Human Subjects exists to help Auburn researchers meet those obligations.

"We have been meeting with groups across campus for several months making presentations about the requirements and helping researchers to better understand them," said David Pascoe, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance and the Office of Human Subjects faculty liaison.

"All research involving the use of human subjects must go through this office," added Jeanna Sasser, program administrator. "With the presentations, we're trying to ensure that every researcher knows what is required and that we are here to help."

Research involving human subjects crosses a broad gamut, Pascoe said. It could involve anything from conducting surveys and questionnaires, to pharmaceutical research, medical intervention, athletic performance, psychology studies and other
programs.

"Some projects may actually be exempt from these protocols," he said.

Others may require examination by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), a 10 member panel comprised of representatives from the medical and legal professions, the clergy, children's welfare, psychology, and other disciplines at AU.
The idea is to ensure that subjects involved in research are fully informed, Sasser added.

"They must understand any risks that may be involved, any benefits, and the confidentiality requirements," she said.

Presentations are customized to the audience, according to Pascoe.

"They usually last about an hour," he said. "There is a 30-minute slide presentation, followed by about another half-hour of question and answer."

Topics include explanations about regulatory requirements; associated definitions; guidelines regarding data collection, risk frequency, research versus practice, equal rights, and special group compliance, Pascoe explained.

The IRB meets the second Wednesday of each month, Sasser said. Proposals set for IRB review should be submitted to the Office of Human Subjects in 307-D Samford Hall eight days before the scheduled review.

"Our primary job is to protect the subjects involved, but we also are here to help and facilitate the investigators in preparing proposals that meet federal guidelines," Pascoe said.

"As a researcher, I understand the extra effort compliance requires. However, being on both sides of the fence, I see the need for it."

Groups who want to request a presentation from the Office of Human Subjects or researchers with questions about compliance should contact Sasser at 844-5966.
Compliance forms soon will be accessible through the Office of Human Subjects web site, Sasser said.

Forestry study providing data for environmental policy making

When government regulations affect the value of privately owned property, many landowners believe there should be just compensation.

Although efforts are underway to institute laws to protect landowners in such circumstances, the values and limits of just compensation have become a national debate strewn with opponents, proponents and no clear standards for deciding when regulations go too far, says Assistant Professor Daowei Zhang of Auburn's School of Forestry.

Zhang -- who specializes in forest and natural resources economics -- and a team of graduate students have launched a three-year project to gather information on the economic impacts of environmental regulations. Their focus is on the effects of the Endan gered Species Act, which to forest landowners in the South, mainly involves habitat for the red cockaded woodpecker; in the Pacific Northwest, the northern spotted owl.

"This study will use econometric methods to estimate the economic impacts of the Endangered Species Act on private landowners and to forecast the economic outcomes if compensation is required by laws," Zhang said.

These birds are two of the most controversial among endangered species, Zhang said, and they reside exclusively in old-growth -- highly valuable -- forests.

"Many are privately owned forests," he said. "The appearance of these endangered species has changed management activities and some lands have been set aside for protecting them -- sometimes at significant financial losses to the landowners."

The Pacific Northwest and the Southern regions of the United States provide about 78 percent of the timber harvests and 58 percent of the forest inventory in the country, Zhang notes. The economic impact of land use regulation in these areas due to endang ered species is perhaps the most significant in the nation.

"In recent years, interest groups and grass-roots organizations have emerged to push for stronger protection of property rights," Zhang said. "The main issues in ongoing debates involve cost to the public if compensation is paid and cost to the landowner if it isn't.

In addition to the field research experience Zhang's students are gaining through this project, he adds that much of the information gathered will be used as teaching examples and policy issue discussions in the classroom.
"Our objective is to gather data to show the widespread impact of land use regulation and in doing so, provide a much needed data base of information on this important environmental and economic issue," he said. "The results of this study will facilitate informed debates among policy makers, interest groups and landowners on regulation and property rights issues... it also will add to the knowledge base available to our students."

EPSCoR relaxes policy on co-funding certification

One of the nation's largest research funding agencies has relaxed its co-funding certification policy, a move that provides more opportunities for Auburn researchers.

The National Science Foundation's EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) has expanded co-funding certification eligibility previously restricted to its Career Awards program and to research related to technology infrastructure. No w, any research proposal related to the agency's three priority areas is eligible for co-funding consideration, according to a notice from Alabama EPSCoR Director Ken Pruitt.

EPSCoR's priority research areas include: Information Science and Technology,
Materials Science and Biological and Environmental Science. Researchers seeking co-funding certification must submit an original copy of their proposal to the NSF following the same procedure outlined for the Career Awards program. Proposals must be submi tted with sufficient lead time to allow certification to be returned by regular mail.

"Auburn has significantly benefitted from this program in the past," said Bill Luther, director of research development at Auburn. "For example, last year we won more Career Awards than any other university in the program."
Auburn currently is receiving 20 percent of all NSF funds available through EPSCoR this fiscal year, Luther added.

The NSF's EPSCoR was established to enable states receiving historically low federal funding levels to effectively compete in national research programs. Alabama is among 18 participating states and Puerto Rico.

Research alliance may boost AU defense opportunities

Membership in an industry-university alliance may lead to Auburn participation in new defense research programs potentially worth millions of dollars in contract task orders.

Earlier this year the Army Space and Strategic Defense Command (SSDC) in Huntsville solicited proposals for a System Engineering and Technical Assistance Contract (SETAC).

"Auburn, as a member of the six Alabama research university's Science and Technology Alliance, teamed with Computer Science Corp. of Huntsville and associated firms to form a large science and technology group that could present a research proposal to the SSDC," said Bill Luther, director of research development at Auburn. "Each member would function as a team mate, working to address various tasks under an overall SETAC agreement."

Computer Science Corp. and three other Huntsville firms were awarded the contract.

Some 95 task orders have been issued to-date under the contract. However, most have been service oriented, according to Luther.

But recent changes in the alliance agreements may increase Auburn's odds, Luther added.

"We now are not restricted from visiting SSDC and making independent proposals under the SETAC agreement," Luther said. "That means that Auburn can work with Computer Science Corp. team mates or make its own proposals more suited to its capabilities to me et SSDC needs. Most contracts awarded through this process will be sole source."