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RECEIVED VOLUME 33,NUMBER 2 COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO OcTOBER 4 , 1999 CAMPUS VITALITY SPORTS T akin' a snap at the Bears' College: A retrospective Keanu on DVD? Excellent! quarlcrbacks PAGE3 INSIDE PAGE 19 U-Pass finally arrives at Columbia After a year-long battle between students and administrators, the CTA's U-Pass program is up and running JAMES BOOZER dents, who attend a college or uni­ Editor-in-Chief versity in Chicago and the sur­ rounding suburbs, with unlimited Nearly two years after the rides on a ll CTA trains and buses. Chicago Transit Authority {CTA) Students pay a flat fee ranging unveiled the U-Pass, a new transit from $60 to $70 [ the fee based on card for college students, and after the school you attend] per term as numerous protests by students, a part of their regular activity fee. Columbia has decided to join other If they choose, students could use colleges and universities around their student aid funds to pay for Chicago in accepting the CTA's U­ the pass. Pass program. The program, according to the "It was overwhelming that the CTA, is customized to fit the needs students wanted the U-Pass," said of each school, regardless of size. Art Burton, director of minority In an interview with the Chronicle affairs at Columbia. Burton was last spring, the director of the U­ appointed by Jean Lightfoot Lee, Pass program, Calvin Peete said Columbia's Dean of Students to that U-Pass fees are based on oversee the U-Pass program for the enrollment information that col­ college. leges submit to the Illinois Board University Pass or U-Pass, is a of Higher Education. program that the CTA describes as The CTA charges 50 cents per "a unique solution to common full -time student per semester day school transportation problems," according to that information. The like limited on-campus parking, fee averages out to about $60 per traffic congestion, gas and parking semester for each students, accord­ Santi Vltayaudom shows off his U-Pass. The pass cost Columbia students expenses. ing to Peete. $65. The goal of the program is to R. Michael DeSalle, Columbia's provide over I 00,000 full-time stu- SEE U-PASS, PAGE 2 Committee begins search for Duff's successor JOTHAM SEDERSTROM "We'll be talking to people through­ Campus Editor out the country, but won't be able to share that until a decision is made," Due to Columbia President John B. Duff's announce­ Taylor said. ment to retire at the end of this academic year, a commit­ According to Bert Gall,Columbia's tee and search firm have convened in hopes of seeking a Provost and Executive Vice President, successor. this is only the second occasion in 30 As provided for in Columbia's by-laws, a twelve-mem­ years where a search committee has ber search committee has begun listening to the concerns been necessary. The last time was in of facul ty and staff. The firm Educational Management 1992 when Duff replaced Mike Network was hired in late July to assist. In September, Alexandroff, who had been president Mary~Elizabe t h Taylor, a consultant with EMN, listened of Columbia since the early 1960s. to the concerns of Columbia's faculty and administrators, Previously, Duff was the commis­ and will return to speak with students later this month. sioner of the public library system "This is a process entirely driven by the search com­ while the Harold Washington building mittee," Taylor said. "The committee is making all the was under construction, but he has decisions." been involved in higher education According to Taylor, the search will be nationwide. since 1960 when he taught history at Advertisements have been posted, letters have been pre­ Seton Hall University in New Jersey. pared and information has been placed on Columbia's Since his role as president, Duff has Web site in hopes of recruiting someone by February. helped double the board of trustees "We're just getting started," said A lton Harris, from 20 members when he arrived, to Chairman of the Board of Trustees. "We're working now approximately 45 today. In addition, to develop a profile of the characteristics that we're Columbia has acquired eight new looking for in a new president." buildings under his administration and Roe HART/CHRONICLE A written profile will be distributed throughout the enrollment has skyrocketed. -- -- - -- ---- community and nationwide shortly after the firm's sec­ "I hope that I'll be remembered for ,_I---------= J=-0;:,.:-H-"N_.;::B~. _D_ U_F_F ____j ond campus visit. Afterward with the details and charac­ bringing the college more into the mainstream of higher- suggested he stay while the accreditation process was teristics of Columbia's new president agreed upon, the education," Duff said. under way. search fmn, according to Taylor, will enter a quiet phase Although he is under contract for another four years as "Columbia has been very fortunate to have him," of actively recruiting potential successors. a consultant overseeing alumni visitation, Duff has plans Harris said. "He's led the school through a very ambi- Under Columbia's by-laws, the board of trustees will to, "rest awhile and see what happens." Initially he nominate at least two people for the position. planned on retiring last year, but the board of trustees SEE SEARCH, PAGE 2 EJ CAMPUS NEWS COLUMBIA (HROHICL£ P-FAC experiences progress:_ EDITOR-IN-cHIEF despite weak health beneftt&.!{Y I ~HRISTO-PHER RICH ~ JOTHAM SEDERSTROM IBUSINESS/ADVERTISING Campus Editor I MANAGER I B ILLY O'KEEFE Columbia's Part-Time Faculty Union (P-FAC), after negotiating VIEWPOINTS/ with the administration, signed a three-year contract in September NEW MEDIA EDITOR which affected the job security and benefits of nearly 400 teachers Ii who participated in the bargaining unit. JOTHAM S EDERSTROM Although, "Things are going so much more smoothly than CAMPUS EDITOR expected," according to Jack Behrend, a member of P-FAC's I steering committee, the group has ran into a snag with the carrier ! JILL L OPRESTI providing its health benefits. The issue, he says, will likely be a VITALITY EDITOR negotiating poi nt for the next contract. "I can't say we've had great success with them," said Behrend BENJAMIN TRECROCI of the Anne-Arbor, Michigan-based agency. "The real problem is SPORTS EDITOR findong an onsurance carrier that will cover part-time faculty." Sonce early September various members of P-FAC have KIMBERLY BREHM AssiTANT EDITOR approached the carrier with questions concerning their benefits. '---cmi:y;,;p;:es;;m;ea·ab.iiUi:'ilihi~(j"()fcoTwnb ia~5-filciiJiY:rrierribe~i5.-·-' Phone calls regarding whether pre-existing conditions are covered During the 1999 spring semester there were approximately 279 full­ in the benefits, have yet to be returned. GRAHAM COUCH time faculty members, according to records. "In the negotiating process they sent us material and returned our AssiSTANT EDITOR While there were nearly 975 part-time faculty, representing. phone calls," Behrend said." approximately 70 percent of all credit hours, their salary has only The health insurance agency will be discussed further after an MIKE O'BRIEN reflected about I 0 percent of Columbia's budget, according to election in November determines who the seven members of P­ AssiSTANT EDITOR Behrend. FAC's steering committee will be. The committee, according to The contract promises a salary hike of $2,000 to $3,000, up from BRIAN CAMPBELL Behrend, will establish policy for the union. $1,482. The raise is being determined by a "seven-step ladder" CONTRIBlJTING EDITOR "It's our goal to get through the year without one grievance," based on the total credit hours and years a part-time teacher has Behrend said. "We 're trying to get people to talk to each other taught at Columbia. A teacher with at least one-and-a-half years and ROBERT HART before problems get serious." nine credit hours under the belt, for example, will receive $2,000, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Like any productive union, P-FAC is currently recruiting. "We're the minimum wage for a part-timer. looking for new blood," said Behrend who stipulates there are "I think in the long run the new contract will improve the part­ DONNIE SEALS JR. approximately 400 people participating in the bargaining unit and time staff to be more of an investment to the school," said Pete AsSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY 300 active members-paying dues of $60 per semester. The union is Insley, a part-time science and math teacher. "It's better for the stu­ EDITOR searching for more people to act as representatives for each of dents." Columbia's academic departments. For every I 0 members in a Students will benefit because now, more than ever, faculty mem­ AMY AZZARITO department there is one representative. bers will look forward to teaching and will less likely leave COPY CHIEF "Right now," said Joe Liacona, President of P-FAC, "we're just Columbia for higher paying institutions, according to Behrend who learning how to live with the contract." noted the pay raises would not affect student tuition.