Borkowski: Strong effort made to protect faculty and staff positions

Robyn Dailey - Business Affairs Beat

The State of North Carolina has asked the university system to sustain a 7.1 percent budget reduction for the coming year.

A portion of this percentage has been set aside for private universities that receive governmental aid, which leaves the University of North Carolina responsible for a 6.5 percent reduction.

This means that Appalachian State University must implement a budget reduction of $5.7 million, according to Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski.

"They have requested that we cut 6.5 percent from our public state funds for next year," he said.

"University officials were informed of the reduction Wednesday of last week," said Borkowski.

"This has been a very, very intense week," he said, " ... We had little advance notice."

The university has been directed by the Education Appropriations Joint Subcommittee co-chairs to submit information on how Appalachian will manage this reduction.

This means reductions in many departments, with an emphasis on travel, equipment purchases, library books and the operating side of the university, said Jane Helm, vice chancellor for business affairs.

"Our strong effort here has been to protect faculty and staff positions," said Borkowski.

"We're also protecting any student workers' positions on campus," said Helm.

In a letter sent to Molly Corbett Broad, president of the University of North Carolina System, Borkowski asked for flexibility within the university to determine exactly where the cuts will be made.

His desire is to be able to control the reductions without outside mandates.

Borkowski went to Chapel Hill Monday night to meet with the other chancellors and the president to discuss the problem.

Borkowski said that the cut will clearly have an impact on the learning environment at Appalachian.

"It's been a very hectic time," said Helm.

The projected personnel cut count is 31, according to the report sent to the president.

There is also a potential 10-person reduction count in the distance-learning faculty positions.

The concern of the administration is that the budget cut will compromise the quality of the learning environment at Appalachian.

There are also concerns that it will slow the Learning Alliance's program outreaches to the western Piedmont and northwestern mountains' community colleges.

Appalachian's leaders wish to be able to independently cope with the reductions and problems presented. It is against the wishes of the university to follow specific guidelines for the cuts.

"No one understands Appalachian in its myriad daily workings better than we do," said Borkowski.

The potential budget reductions presented by the university to the president include temporary wage reductions, travel cuts, dropped maintenance contracts, equipment purchase reductions, library book purchase cuts and faculty and staff reductions.

According to Borkowski, the reduction percentage is not yet set in stone. "We don't know when this is going to be definite."

Professor faces no criminal charges after voting probe

Chris Baucom - Academic Affairs Beat

Appalachian State University will follow suit with Watauga County's District Attorney and will not seek any action against its faculty members accused of requiring students to vote in the recent presidential election.

In an April 6 press release Watauga County District Attorney James T. Rusher stated that his office would not seek criminal prosecution against an undisclosed Appalachian faculty member.

"I have considered to be weighty the fact that academians should be given freedom to promote citizen responsibility, and in this case the particular faculty members thought they were doing commendable things," Rusher stated in a release. "I do not view our community to be menaced ... and, in my opinion, there does not exist sufficient reason to bring a criminal charge."

Bob Shaffer, associate vice chancellor for public affairs, said the university is obviously content with satisfied the decision.

"We are pleased that a thorough investigation turned up no evidence of wrongdoing," Shaffer said.

According to Shaffer, one or more faculty members asked students to vote to gain extra credit for a class. Jason Forbis, a local radio talk show host, found similar facts in his investigation.

Forbis found that at least one faculty member had the requirement to register and vote in Watauga County included in their syllabus.

Forbis was first alerted to the situation when a caller phoned his radio show and expressed concern about the requirement.

The staff of the High Country Hotline, along with Forbis, went through over 100 syllabi from Appalachian State classes. From those, they found three that gave specific reference to voting and one that gave an actual grade value for voting.

The professor who included the voting requirement was teaching a course in the Freshman Seminar department, according to Forbis. The Freshman Seminar department declined comment on the situation.

North Carolina General Statute 163-275(2) states that it is a Class I felony "for any person to give or promise or request or accept at any time, before or after any primary or election, any money, property or other thing of value whatsoever in return for the vote of any elector."

Forbis agrees wholeheartedly with the law and believes that there was a criminal violation. "Every American has just as much right to not vote as to vote," said Forbis.

Forbis was told in his initial investigation that only two students were given exemptions because they approached the professor outside class. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) found in their investigation that all students were given the option of exemption. Forbis believes that in either case it would seem to be in violation of the law.

"My goal was to see that it didn't happen again," Forbis said.

Even with no punitive action taken after the SBI investigation, the university's sigh of relief seems to indicate Forbis' goal has been accomplished.

Elizabeth Frye - Multicultural Beat

Most people who set foot on Appalachian State University's campus soon notice a lack of diversity among those in the Appalachian community. The recently formed Diversity Advisory Council is seeking to promote minority recruitment at Appalachian State University.

"Appalachian has maintained and increased enrollment, as well as increasing the quality of students we are accepting, over the past decade," said Paul N. Hiatt, an associate director in the Office of Admissions and member of the Diversity Advisory Council.

"The highest percentage of change of high school students graduating in North Carolina is in minority populations. Our two goals are to accommodate more of the graduating minority students and to become more diverse as a campus."

According to admissions instructional-assistant Jennifer A. Ruggieri and member of the Diversity Advisory Council, the mission statement of the council reads: "Appalachian State University is committed to the enhancement of an ethnically, racially and culturally diverse population.

"The Diversity Advisory Council will serve in an advisory capacity, offering positive and realistic counsel regarding the enrollment and recruitment of a more diverse student population."

As of March 21, 309 African Americans, 149 Asian or Pacific-Islanders, 78 Hispanic-Americans, 45 American Indian/Alaskan Natives, 19 Mexican-Americans, 15 Cuban-Americans, 13 Puerto-Rican Americans who live in the Commonwealth, and 11 Puerto-Rican Americans who live on the Mainland had applied to Appalachian as incoming freshmen or transfer students.

Therefore, 639 total applications from minority students have been received since March 21.

Hiatt said, "We hope to be able to convert a large percentage of those who apply to those who enroll."

Some activities sponsored by various groups across campus are used to attract minority students to Appalachian State. For example, the campus holds Multicultural Weekend, Migrant Worker Weekend and Black Awareness Weekend each year. Person-to-person contacts are done and ethnic students can apply for the Diversity Scholarship.

The Diversity Advisory Council spoke of wanting to offer more diversity scholarships. Tracey L. Wright, director of Multicultural Student Development and member of the Diversity Advisory Council, said, "We cannot get minority students to come here if they cannot afford to."

The students on the council are in favor of bringing in more minority staff and faculty as well as more minority students.

Sophomore Tish Ratliff suggested that parents of ethnic students would feel more comfortable about sending their children to Appalachian if they saw a higher number of minority staff.

Freshman Kristina Stoeppler echoed Ratliff's comment and said, "It would help the Boone community to bring in minority staff and their families."

The Diversity Advisory Council is working on improving admissions publications to highlight the benefits of coming to Appalachian State University for minority students. A separate brochure on multicultural life is being considered, and a better representation of minority students in pictures should soon be seen in information packets.

The Diversity Advisory Council will meet again at the beginning of the Fall 2001 semester, and hopes to continue progress in finding better ways to attract minority students to Appalachian State University.

Ruggieri said, "This is an action committee. We really want to make the necessary changes."

John T. Bennett Editor-in-Chief

Student Government Association President Ryan Bolick broke his month-long silence regarding a controversial resolution of support passed by the SGA Senate earlier this month by stating he will neither endorse nor veto the bill.

"I am a staunch supporter of being held accountable for the actions that you've made," Bolick said. "The reason I cannot give my endorsement to it is because I am absolutely, positively against it."

"Based on the work that was put into it along with the votes that were cast in favor of it in the (Senate), I did not feel it would be fair for me to veto it based on a personal bias against the bill," Bolick said.

The resolution adds the Appalachian State SGA to a list of student governmental bodies across the nation calling for national lawmakers to repeal Section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The federal stature currently prohibits any student with a drug conviction who has failed to successfully complete a rehabilitation program from gaining federal financial aid.

According to SGA constitutional guidelines, Bolick has 10 school days to take action on any piece of legislation passed by the Senate. During that interim the president can sign or veto a bill.

In cases such as this where the president opts to take neither action within the 10-day interim, the bill automatically passes.

Bolick said his decision not to endorse the resolution was a combination of personal beliefs and extensive research he conducted on Section 484.

"I believe politics belongs in Washington, not in Boone," Bolick said. "I'm trying to weigh out, objectively, all the factors that are weighing in and trying to represent the whole student body."

The SGA president said he considered vetoing the bill, but chose this course of action because it was merely a resolution of support.

"In the long run, this will have absolutely no effect on the student body whatsoever," Bolick said. "Had this been a piece (of legislation) ... an adverse affect on the student body, regardless of what the Senate voted, I would have vetoed it without a second thought."

The resolution failed to pass the body in late March but a slightly revamped version passed the Senate by an almost two-to-one margin in mid-April.

Supporters of the resolution were concerned Bolick's personal opinions would lead him to kill the bill during the 10-day moratorium.

"We put in a lot of work on this bill and it terrified us to think that it could die in the hands of one person, so we're very pleased with his decision," said SGA Senator Ian Mance.

Another supporter of the resolution echoed Mance's sentiments but voiced his dissatisfaction with the lack of a presidential endorsement despite research conducted by members of SGA revealing significant student support of the repeal.

"I was disheartened he didn't endorse it because I see him as being a figurehead to represent what the students want, not only to the administration, but to the Board of Trustees and to the (UNC-System) Board of Governors," said Dustin Bayard, SGA Senator and vice president of the Appalachian State chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

"I was hoping he would endorse it, but due to a moral conflict on the issue I understand him not signing it. ... I'm very pleased with that decision and him not vetoing it," Bayard said.

SGA Senator Marsha Moore, who voted against the legislation on both occasions, said she agrees with Bolick's decision not to sign the bill, but would have supported the outgoing president had he opted to give it his stamp of approval.

"I think Ryan's doing the right thing," Moore said, "He's done a lot of research on this matter and I think he's setting everything aside in his decision."

L. Nicole Tallent SGA Beat

The recently passed Student Government Association (SGA) Senate bill which adds Appalachian's name to a list of universities supporting the repeal of 1998 federal amendments to Section 484 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) becomes official today.

The Student Government Association vote, which occurred April 10, resulted in an overwhelming 39 senators in favor of the bill, while 18 senators voted against it.

This vote was the second which pertained to repealing amendments made to the HEA. The first vote, on March 20, did not pass, with 24 senators voting against the bill.

When the bill was first defeated, co-authors and senators Ryan Eller, Ian Mance and Paul Funderburk conducted more extensive research in hopes of convincing more senators and their constituents of the importance of passing the bill.

Senators and constituents seemed to be convinced, as many votes were changed.

According to Mance, there were a number of different reasons that SGA members changed their votes.

"The first time, many senators had concerns about the research we had done. We did a lot of additional research for the second bill, which addressed the concerns many senators had."

Mance also said that a "campus-wide informational campaign" was implemented which targeted students in dorms through Resident Student Association. Through this campaign, students were able to address their concerns with the resolution of support by speaking directly with senators and representatives of the bill.

"The campaign was successful, and I think that a number of senators realized that they had not adequately represented their constituents the first time around," Mance said.

Mance maintains that approximately 85 percent of the second bill was new material, and that the only thing that remained the same was the original intent of the bill.

"The second piece of legislation included new statistics about problems with the lack of available drug treatment and the number of students who have been affected by the HEA provision," stated Mance.

And it was because of the new additions to the bill that many senators, such as Matthew Clites, changed their votes.

Clites said, "Upon further investigation, all of my proponent constituents felt very strongly about the bill, whereas those opposed were only mildly so. I decided also that the bill had many revisions which strengthened both its wording and logic."

In addition, Senator Rachel Bowling also voted in favor of the resolution of support, changing her previous vote.

However, despite the fact that she voted for the bill, she said, "I am not in favor of this bill personally, and I have very mixed feelings about the issue."

Bowling's constituents, the Chinese Club and B-GLAAD, were polled "and the results were that most students were in favor of (supporting) the repeal of Section 484."

Bowling also said, "I am tired of SGA being accused of not accurately voting for the constituents that it represents."

"The second bill had better research and was clearly and carefully written by the authors. That is why I changed my vote," she said.

However, despite the number of senators who changed their votes, some votes remained the same. According to Senator Marsha Moore, representing Newland Hall, "My constituents did not change their minds. We took votes at the meetings we had, and at both times the majority was against passing the bill."

Also, Moore said that while her constituents did not have any specific complaints about the resolution of support, "they did have problems with it in general. Different people felt differently about the bill, and the majority of my constituents were simply not in favor of it."

In addition, during the bill's debate, Senator John Grimes communicated his disapproval of the resolution of support. Grimes called the validity of the Web survey (conducted by the authors of the bill) into question.

Grimes also stated that rehabilitation, which is part of the 1998 federal amendments to Section 484, is not widely supported by many Americans. "Even State Farm Insurance, a leading American company, does not endorse rehabilitation. This is not sound legislation," he said.

However, according to Cary Harris, an SGA cabinet member last year and senator last semester, "Students overwhelmingly approved of the bill and had an active voice in passing the bill. I am surprised by the number of senators who voted against their constituents' wishes, and voted instead for their own personal opinions."

Eller, co-author of the bill, discussed the importance of the resolution of support as well. "There is a lot of discussion about whether this is an SGA issue. It affects the students, and so it is an SGA issue," said Eller.

Senator Dustin Bayard also added, "We (SGA) must come out and fight for what we believe in. If we don't, no one else will."

The campus chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also supported the bill. According to Mance, who is also co-president of the ACLU, the ACLU states, "We (the ACLU) are pleased that Appalachian State University has united to take a stand against this horribly discriminatory and racist law.

"The ACLU is proud to see Appalachian State's name alongside such schools as Yale and Dartmouth on the growing list of schools who are sending Washington a message: this law cannot stand."

While the bill was passed at the SGA meeting, it could have been vetoed by SGA President Ryan Bolick within 10 school days of the vote. However, Bolick let the veto period run out, and the vote is official today.