The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 1979 Page: 5 of 8
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The University has to be run by its President
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Q: A perennial interest—and they've
done this at many universities,
including some state universities—is
placing a student representative on the
Board of Governors. At some
universities there is a voting student, at
some merely a non-voting member.
How do you feel about placing a student
on the Board?
A: It has gotten to be quite a burden
to the Board to keep up with the
magnitude of what Mr. Brown has
given. So there are responsibilities
towards continuing the financial side
which would j ake it very difficult for a
student to participate in the Board. It is
a subject that we've discussed before,
but we don't in any way1 want to
interfere at all in the way that Dr.
Hackerman has handled the University,
and to imply that the Board would be
making decisions that a student would
participate in seems to me might create
an atmosphere which would be harmful
to the relationship between the
president and the University itself.
We're very cautious on this point.
Q: What is the financial condition of
the university?
A: We're maintaining our balance, we
are very cautiously not going to run a
deficit; we're putting as much into
building maintenance and improvements
as we possibly can; the burden of
providing equal athletic facilities for
our women has been a load for us the
last two years. "You've seen what we've
done in the gymnasium and the new
dressing room for the football field and
yet there were some recent
interpretations on football facilities—
football for women—and we've got a
problem there. So that problem is not
over with. Still our basic budget is in
balance The yield on the endowment
funds under the management of Fayez
Sarofim's firm has been excellent.
We've been doing better than any other
fund of that type that I have seen. I saw
a study recently where Rice was classed
by the amount of earnings from the
endowment among the top two or three
in the country, so Fayez has done a fine
job. We are studying very carefully right
now the utilization of some of the lands
we have over in Louisiana to go into
a more extensive wood business where
we would grow the trees over a period of
time. It looks like we could increase the
revenues of the school by actually
getting into a commercial venture. The
only problem when you do that is that
that type of activity is a taxable type of
operation and we'll have to carefully
study it. I don't like the idea of taking
any endowment funds and going into a
commercial venture and we'll have to
study it from that standpoint as well;
but I think that within our financial
resources, including the annual
campaign for giving, we're going to be
able to continue to grow and develop in
the future, although perhaps not as
rapidly as we would like.
Q: The impression, of course, is that
with Houston booming like it is, Rice
has the chance to continue some of the
expansions made in the sixties and to
start new growth for the future. After
all, this is one of the few areas of the
country not suffering severe economic
problems, and perhaps we should view
this time as Rice's chance to really take a
substantial step ahead.
A: That's right: we haven't felt the
turndown like other parts of the country
have. On the other hand, the sources of
revenue for Rice are the endowment
and our giving program and properties
that we acquired over the years, such as
the Rincon oil and gas field. We have to
recognize that this represents a
limitation. Our job, it seems to me, is to
enhance the income picture in every
possible way and only move the
university within its abilit'es to support
such moves financially.
Q: You mentioned athletics. What
does the Board feel about Rice's
position within the Southwest
Conference—are there any plans afoot
to pull out of it?
A: None at all. We'd like to see a more
successful season, of course. However, I
think we are emphasizing athletics to
about the maximum extent. Football
obviously has brought in funds that
support other sports, and so to maintain
the other activities football is a
necessary part of the program. And
maybe we'll find a couple of Earl
Campbells or something.
Q: How do you feel about the tenure
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system? As you know, it's coming under
question in some parts of the country.
A: All tenure decisions are made at
the administrative level through Dr.
Hackerman. Some of the opposition I
have heard recently on tenure is coming
from the young PhD's who are finding it
difficult to get a job. It does appear to
me that this is an important part of the
way a faculty looks at their role. Faculty
don't come out as well economically as
they might in business, and to fool with
tenure at this time would probably be a
mistake. At the same time if we find
some inefficiency retarding a bright
young teacher coming up the line I don't
like to retard their progress. There are
always two sides to these questions.
Q: I wondered how you felt
about separate college endowments,
and how the Board felt about the
colleges; it's my impression that the
colleges could do more than they do
now.
A: We're concerned with any activity
which would take away from our ability
to bring money into the main funds that
support salaries and excellence. But
within limits, this type of activity
(college endowments) can be done. I
would like to see the major capital
improvements continue to emanate
from within the central financing of the
whole University, and certainly I would
discourage any activity that would take
away from our own fund-raising
activities.
Q: Have you had a chance to speak
with Dr. Carrington (the Librarian)
about an endowment fund drive for
Fondren Library that has been
discussed for several years now?
A: Not directly I haven't, but we have
discussed it at the board level quite
extensively and we're concerned about
the library. We did increase in this year's
budget the amount of money available
for the library. We recognize that there
are some additional needs there that
have got to be met. We did have one
donor who was very interested in that
particular part of the university life and
we're hopeful that there will be some
additional help coming from that
source.
Q: The plan that was proposed,
though, was to create a separate
endowment fund.
A: We have not done that yet. I am—
unless one or more donors came
forward and specifically wanted to do
that—I am concerned that it might
interfere with our total financial
situation. But, we recognize the the need
and we are doing some discussion with
potential donors at the present time.
Q: As I understand it that program
was put forward and approved several
years before but has been tied up
administratively at a variety of levels.
A: But we have increased the amount
of support for the library. I think the
fact we are doing this has been helpful to
us in the overall drive. People are
interested in that library—the library is
used by many people who aren't
students.
Q: So at any rate the Board hasn't
taken a position yet on this endowment
fund for the library.
A: Until we see endowment funds
available I don't think we will make a
move in that direction.
Q: So you won't go out and ask the
development office to seek such funds?
A: Well, we're doing it directly, too,
and if we find those kind of funds then
certainly we'd be enthusiastic about it.,
But that's the way you can do this job
without interfering with the overall
fund raising.
Q: One of the Brotzen Committee
Report recommendations was to
increase the tuition $500 per year. Have
you discussed that?
A: Not yet. We'll discuss the report at
the next board meeting. I would be
hesitant to push the tuition thing very
hard; we don't want to affect the kind of
students we have coming in.
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The Rice Thresher, August 16, 1979, page 5
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Muller, Matthew. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 67, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 1979, newspaper, August 16, 1979; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245408/m1/5/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.