Report on Chairs of Excellence Invites Controversy Chattanooga College
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THESrc/i9__vrEcH0 Volume 84/lssue No. 20 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga February 15,1990 Report on Chairs of Excellence Invites Controversy By Kim Printz The committee compiled the 43-pagc attract top scholars. However, about $68,000 the foundation to take a dollar of its revenue Echo Managing Editor report without conducting extensive per year is available. and turn it into six dollars," Obear said. interviews. The program was "seriously underfunded "The dollars used for underwriting the Dr. Marvin Ernst will present a 12-page "We wanted to go stricUy on the facts and and thus fundamentally weakened from the five chairs weren't available for use on amendment correcting factual errors in the got information from the actual files. We start," the report said. programs or people," Obear said. recent UTC faculty council report on the followed the paper trail," said Dr. Eileen "Salaries offered were notcompetitve even Money from the foundation came from Chairs of Excellence program, Chancellor Meagher, one of the authors of the report. with ordinary full professorships in first funds which had been set aside by the Frederick Obear said Wednesday. The report said that UTC's Chair of rank institutions elsewhere," the report said. university in the downtown properties fund Ernst," associate provost of graduate Excellence program has not consistently "UTC has neither positioned its chairs as and the rainy day fund, Area said. studies, is responsible for the supervision of attracted top candidates due to insufficient well financially as the other major campuses "We met the spirit of the downtown the chairs and was the only person salary levels and questions about tenure. have, nor have we been as patient in pursuing properties gift [by applying the money interviewed by the faculty council ad hoc The formation of the ad hoc committee candidates and holding out for top-level toward the chairs program]," Obear said. committee on the Chairs of Excellence. was prompted by a memo to the faculty people who are manifestly harder to get," However, Ingle said, "Taking UC funds Ernst's handout will only respond to the couricilbyDr.Larrylngle.ofUTC'shistory the report said. borders on a violation of the spirit with errors and will not respond to the department, who has criticized the Chairs of Firstchoice candidates repeatedly rejected which the UC Foundation and Chairs of recommendations put forth by the Excellence program. offers or lost interest during the interview Excellence were established." committee. Each chair has a support base of a $1 process, according to the committee. "It was a very solid financial decision," million endowment, based on matching Anotherproblem was that the chairs could Obear said. grants from private sources and state not be offered tenure at the date of hire, the "The foundation was bait money. We appropriations. report states. wouldn't have gotten those five chairs The endowments are administered by the "Of the candidates we had to look at, without the foundation," Area said. state treasurer and are designed to generate salary wasn't an issue," Obear said. "These folks wouldn't have provided enough income to provide salaries, program Tenure has been a bigger issue, he said. money for scholarships instead of chairs. support and fringe benefits for each chair. The UC Foundation supported five chairs, They got double the money. For $333,000 It was originally thought the endowments not six, as the report indicated, said Ron they get a $1,000,000 chair. People want would provide $100,000 per chair, per year Area, vice chancellor of development. sizzle," Area said. Chancellor Frederick Obear and that this amount would be sufficient to Using UC Foundation money "allowed Alexander Visits UTC Campus Chattanooga College Continues on Course __I___BMH i_tfH By Stacy Badger would be fairly comprehensive and The Student Echo as***- By Candy Corneliussen individual in nature," he said. ^5___^^^M EchoEditor The proposal has been developed by a A UTC committee is in the process of number of people, including all the deans, UT President Lamar Alexander was in forming a new program called "Chattanooga beginning with an invitation from Provost Chattanooga on Wednesday to discuss the College" to help incoming freshmen adapt Sandra Packard last summer, Gaston said. development of UTC's College of Arts and to the university and plan for their future "She [Packard] asked the deans at that Sciences, the proposed ChattanoogaCollege career. point to consider what the real strengths of and to visit a literature class. "I think the goal is to increase the students' UTC are, and to consider then what the real Alexander met with the editorial staff of commitment to academics. It is a way to needs of the university are in terms of doing the Chattanooga News-Free Press have freshmen get more interested in a more effective job educating students," Wednesday morning, and later in the day academics and in a career," said SGA Gaston said. with UTC faculty, to go over plans for president Rick Wood. With this in mind, Gaston explained that development of the college of arts and Dr. Paul Gaston, dean of the college of Dr. Packard wanted to implement a plan sciences. arts and sciences, said the Chattanooga "working from the strengths to meet the Dean Paul Gaston The former governor said the college of College idea is a way for students, primarily needs." arts and sciences could distinguish UTC in undergraduates of the college of arts and The task force, broadly represented by "Even if Chattanooga College were a way similar to UTK as a research and sciences, to plan with a faculty member their professors and one student, Wood, are focused on the college of arts and sciences, science institution, and UT-Memphis as a entire college career in a sensible way. meeting this month to work on the proposal it would in important ways involve every medical university. The Chattanooga College concept of the Chattanooga College. unit in the university, because one of the Plans for Chattanooga College, a program currendy consists of three aspects — a "I'm happy to be an ex-officio member of underlying principles is the link between within the college of arts and sciences freshman year experience course, emphasis the task force. I'm the only one who doesn't students' general education and students' emphasizing experience and advisement, on advisement and a "capstone" course for have a vote," explained Gaston. "My role is majors. However this develops, we would were discussed with Alexander during a seniors. to be as much a facilitator as I can and to expect that link to be very important," said luncheon on campus. 'The freshmen experience program which provide information where it is asked and Gaston. Dr. Ben Gross, chairman oftteClu__nooga is vital to the Chattanooga College is a give what assistance I can." Gaston feels that Chattanooga College College task force, said there is currendy a program that will enable students to make The task force has to iron out details such could be implemented in the fall of 1991. strong national interest in arts and sciences. more successful transition to becoming a as the target date and size of the scope of the "We are now working on the catalog for "Arts and sciences enriches a person college student," Gaston said. plan. next year and it would be, I think, important professionally," he was quoted as saying. "On the other end of the Chattanooga According to Wood, there are questions to give students, especially prospective Alexander also visited Professor Sally College idea, there is the idea of senior year about whether the committee will keep the students the opportunity to know what this is Young's 400-leveI Approach to Literature experience which would be an experience program with thecollegeof arts and sciences about before they come here," said Gaston. course. undertaken within the major and one that or expand it to the whole university. 2 The Student Echo/February 15, 1990 SGA Doles Out Dollars to Student Organizations By Catrenia D. Washington amendment that wiU broaden the scope of In addition, Wood said that there is a Boxing Confederation Commission makes The Student Echo the race relations committee to encompass "possibility" of changing the week for its decision," but it failed. other social issues relevant to the student spring break. A survey was taken during "Since it is very clear that Tyson was "Today is financial day," said Kelly body. Also, an amendment clarifying the the meeting to get an idea as to what week out of shape and 'Buster' put him back in Hudson, SGA treasurer, during the SGA intent and function of the ethics the SGA would like and a survey of the his place,... I don't see any need for this meeting Tuesday. committee passed. entire campus will also be taken. item to be referred to committee. Hail The senate voted on several issues Other amendments that were passed Finally, a bill was passed to sanction •Buster,'" Sen. Boyd Patterson said. pertaining to money. Among the first require senators to serve on at least one James "Buster" Douglas as the new Sen. Greg Goodgame agreed, "You are bills passed was the allocation of funds to standing committee and to hold at least heavyweight champion of the world. not going to change my mind. 'Buster' help pay the costs of bringing Dr. Stephen one meeting per semester for students in A motion was made to move the item Douglas is the new heavyweight Schneider and Cleveland Amory to speak their district. to next week's agenda, "until the American champion of the world," he said.