Frustration Board Votes Against School Merger
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an Jfranristo JFouhorn University of San Francisco Vol. 99 Issue Twenty FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS April 3, 2003 Senate Splits Grad Event SARA STEELE StaffWriter The commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences graduates was split in two for this spring. The ceremonies will take place at 3 p.m. on Friday May 23, and 3 p.m. on Saturday May 24. Four different meetings were RYAN K1TSON/FOGHORN held to reach this decision, which eventually won the majority of stu dent votes at a special ASUSF meeting Thursday March 27. More than 100 seniors, about a quarter of the graduating class, attended the final meeting on Thursday, March 27. The meeting Expressing was organized and facilitated by Audrey Lui, the ASUSF senior class representative. B.J. Johnson, frustration Dean of Academic Services, Margaret Higgins, Vice President of University Life, and Archie Porter, registrar, answered students' questions. After some debate, students about voted on five options. The first option was for a full graduation cer emony at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 23, with students limited to four tickets per person. The second option was to have two ceremonies on Friday, SALVADOR FLORES HERNANDEZ/FOGHORN one at 3 p.m. and one at 8:30 p.m. Top [Left to right]: Resident minister Mike Daniels, junior Emily Cohen, Mary Snyder and sen This option would limit students to a r ior aarah Silva sing and chant at the peace vigil. Top right: Pro-war/Pro-Bush chalkings covered eight tickets, but only the first cer the quad March 27. emony would have a reception. The w third option was to combine the arts and sciences commencement SARA STEELE John Savard S.J., the executive director of life." affects them. Maybe if this war affected their with the nursing ceremony at 9 '''''StaffWriter University Ministry. Savard read a quotation Walters hoped the vigil would make stu families more or maybe if they were being a.m. on Saturday, but students from Cesar Chavez, and urged the students to dents stop and think about the war. "I feel like drafted they might feel differently, but it would still have been limited to 8 About 25 students braved the cold, lit pray for the people in Iraq. "I'm here to sup this is something where we are getting togeth seems to be just a war that's in another coun tickets. The fourth option, which candles and prayed for the people in Iraq dur port the students, who are showing great er to really reflect on what is really going on try. I don't think people are feeling it." won the vote, was to hold the cere ing the Peace and Justice Coalition's 24-hour heart," Savard said. and realize that this is affecting us and should Junior Emily Cohen said hopefully this mony on Friday and Saturday with peace vigil in Harney Plaza March 27-28. The students then lit candles and ate a be something that we are aware of," said form of protest would reach out to more stu an eight-ticket restriction, but Sophomore Abigail Stepnitz, who helped meal that was provided by a $250 donation Walters, a politics major. "We are trying to dents than some of the other demonstrations. allowing for a reception for both. coordinate the vigil, said the PJC hoped the from the Jesuit community. Although most provide a peaceful presence of people who are "It seems hke a lot of people are getting frus The final option was to move the vigil would make a statement about their passing students only glanced at the protest saying we don't agree with this war and to pro trated with protests because many of them are ceremony to Memorial Gym. opinion towards the war in a less intimidating ers, many signed a letter stating opposition to vide a space for dialogue and a space to be very violent," Cohen said. "This is a very dif Four students voted for option way than other forms of protest. "We are here the war and stopped to talk with the partici together in peace. We want to come together ferent kind of presence and response to the one, none for option two, 18 for to stand in solidarity with the people in Iraq, pants ofthe vigil. Junior Erin Walters said that and try to meditate and pray and reflect on war. It's a vigil; we're not going to be option three, 31 for option four, both the combatants and the civilians," many USF students, like others in America, peace." yelling...and we're not going to try to scream and 13 for option five. Stepnitz said. "We want to voice our opinion do not care about the war because they haven't Other members ofthe vigil were frustrat our point across. It's a different way of show Johnson said under the guide that this war is illegal and unjust. We want to been affected by it. "I feel like in America, ed by the apathy of students on campus. "It's ing our support for peace and our sentiment lines of option four, the fine and make it clear th^t we support the troops; we even though we are directly involved in a war hard to be here and continue to watch the against the war." performing arts majors and the support them and want to bring them home. situation, we aren't directly feeling the effects country say it's okay to be at war," Savard said. social sciences majors will graduate We stand in solidarity with the world." of this war unless you have family in the mili "I think a lot of people would like to just be REACTIONS: PAGE 2 Friday, and the humanities and sci The evening began with a blessing from tary," Walters said. "It doesn't affect our daily students but they can't be because this war ence majors will graduate Saturday. Johnson said all seniors will receive a letter which better explains this process. However restrictions on tickets Board Votes Against School Merger will still be in place, despite student opposition to the idea. About 30 students attended the second meet ing to generate ideas and sugges tions about how the commence KARINA SEATON benefits of this merger would have been But Brewster said even if he wasn't ment ceremonies should be SiaffWriie'r"' potential cost savings and avoiding overlap accepted he'd still want to be involved in USF changed. Most students who ping programs that are similar within both life. "I love USF," he said. " I think it's a great attended this session did not want The Board ofTrustees voted not to com schools. university. Ifl can't work as a dean, maybe I'll the ceremony to be moved to a dif bine the School of Education and the College "Some programming is close enough in look into something else. I love gardening," ferent venue, such as Memorial of Professional Studies into one department. content and intended audience, for example he joked. "Just kidding." Gym. Students discussed either USF will now begin a nationwide search the Organizational Resources and Human Wiser said a benefit of the merger would restricting students to four tickets for a new dean for the School of Education Resources and Organization departments, have been "a bigger college and thus a larger each or splitting the ceremony. said Shannon McMillen-Evans, program might be able to become one program to budget and larger staff to respond to different During the second meeting, assistant of the theology department. College avoid overlapping," Wiser said. situations." Other possible benefits according the senate overruled the student of Professional Studies Dean Larry Brewster No one would have been fired if the to the original task force would have been, vote and voted in favor of a ticket will continue as acting dean of the School of schools had been merged, Wiser said. "cost savings," and greater dialogue between ing system by a seven to three vote Education until a new dean is found for the "Possible cutbacks may [have happened] on the two schools to develop better programs. with two abstaining. Kenny White, 2003-2004 year. an administrative level," he said. " For exam The task force discussed these benefits the vice president of public rela USF had been considering merging the ple, currently there is one dean over each last summer and this semester to see if they tions, said 29 students that he two for the last two years according to Provost school. If the schools [had merged], there were valid. The task force submitted a report approached were in favor of split Jim Weiser. A merger seemed even more like would have [beenjone dean instead of two." to Wiser, who recommended it to Privett. ting the ceremony, and only four ly since Paul Warren, the former dean of the At this time Brewster is dean of both According to the announcement, which was were in favor of a ticketing system. School of Education, retired last July. departments and was appointed after Warren's posted via USF Connect March 31, the Task The senate asked the students who But the idea began long before that. After retirement. Brewster said he wasn't sure if he Force decided to recommend that the schools attended the meeting to vote, and Stephen A. Privett, S.J., was named president would have kept his job had the merger gone not be merged. The Board of Trustees voted six were in favor of split cere of the University, a list of recommendations though.