The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, April 13, 1984 Page: 1 of 24
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Committee to begin national search lor new President
by Kathy Lu
A Presidential Search
Committee is now being organized
to find a suitable replacement for
Dr. Norman Hackerman. The
committee will consist of three
members of the Board of
Governors, three faculty members,
two alumni, one graduate student
and one undergraduate.
Ralph O'Connor, a member of
the Board, will chair the
committee. Charles Duncan,
Chairman of the Board, will serve
as an ex officio member of the
committee. The selection of
committee members is now
underway, with each part of the
university selecting its representa-,
tives.
The Faculty Association is
currently in the process of
choosing three representatives to
the committee, one from the
science and engineering schools,
one from the liberal arts,
humanities and professional
schools, and one at-large.
Professor of History Albert Van
Helden stated, "AH members of the
faculty will vote for all three
representatives, first the SE and
liberal arts/humanities members
and then the at-large member from
the remaining nominees." The
two-stage process is expected to be
completed by April 27.
The GSA and SA are
responsible for the selection of the
graduate and undergraduate
student, respectively. Both groups
have already been able to exchange
views with the Board; on April 6,
GSA President Rick Covington
and SA President Tracy Winn m«?t
with O'Connor to discuss the
members and operating proce-
dures of the committee.
At Monday night's SA Senate
meeting in the RMC Grand Hall,
Winn announced plans to begin
the interview process for the
undergraduate representative to
the committee. The interviewing
committee will consist of the
following volunteers: Will Rice
College President Geoff Orsak,
Lovett Senator Cati Moses,
Hanszen Senator Frisk Dahlberg,
Jones Senator Joyce Ivy, and SA
Interior Vice President Andy
Crocker. Winn will be an ex officio
member of the interviewing
committee. According to Winn,
"Mr. O'Connor seems very
receptive; he wants to hear student
input."
When asked about the
seemingly sparse student
representation, Winn replied, "It's
fair: there are a lot of other
problems that the students can't
decide, and the decision needs to
be well-informed. I have
confidence that the faculty
representatives will choose wisely
as well, and their choice will
probably be in harmony with
student views."
The SA will accept names of
interested undergraduates
beginning Monday, April 16,
through Wednesday April 18 at 4
p.m. The list will be kept in the SA
office, and all interested students
are encouraged to apply.
The student representative
position will be a time-consuming
responsibility, so holders of major
student offices should consider
time constraints, but the election
decision remains with the SA
subcommittee. No specific
qualifications were given, but the
see Selection, page 7
S \ 1 /
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Volume 71, Number 28
TtRESHER
Friday, April 13, 1984
INSIDE:
• Don't you know you've got to. . .
Stomp the Froggie! see page 18.
• Churchill play: the Rice Players'
finest hour? see page 13.
• Are you more unique than your
neighbor? Sec the poll on pp. 8-12
SA overturns committee's Campanile election ruling
by Dave Collini
Nearly 100 students attended the
fourth meeting of the 1984-85
Student Association Senate
Monday night. After considerable
discussion from the floor, the
senate voted to approve all of last
week's elections except the election
for editorship of the Campanile.
Will Rice College President
Geoff Orsak's motion to approve
the Campanile election and accept
a recommendation from the SA
Election Committee failed by a
vote of 3-11, with six abstentions.
The senate then voted 14-5 (one
abstention) to re-run the race with
Kristin Merrigan unopposed on
April 17.
The senate's action followed a
meeting of the Election
Committee, which took place
Sunday night, April 8, in the Rice
Memorial Center's Conference
Room. The committee met to
discuss a petition which Pam
Truzinski submitted claiming the
April 3 election was unfair due to
the practices of two college
election chairmen and the
committee. Co-authoring the
petition with Truzinski were Wiess
senior Hal Wiedeman and
graduate student David Tuttle.
The election would have been
resolved in March but for a dispute
concerning campaign petitions, as
illustrated in last week's Thresher.
The purpose of the committee
meeting, according to chairman
Richard Parr, was to determine
whether the election was run fairly.
Truzinski, who collected 338 write-
in votes, petitioned the committee
to the void the election on the
grounds listed in the box at right.
Seven of the election chairmen
attended the Sunday meeting,
along with witnesses, senate
members, media personnel, and
interested spectators.
At the meeting, candidates
Truzinski and Merrigan
participated, but wi^pses and
election chairmen contributed
most of the statements. The first
part of the discussion following the
motion to refuse the petition and
accept the results of the election
centered on the allegation that
Orsak moved the Will Rice ballot
box to preclude campaigning in
the commons. Tuttle, who
campaigned on Truzinski's behalf,
stated that he had set up at a vacant
table in the commons on the
opposite end of the room from the
ballot box Tuesday at lunch, and
that he sat quietly with a stack of
fliers, not accosting potential
voters.
people at Will Rice who have
authority to place the box where
they want to in the commons: the
president, the senator and the
election chairman. I chose to
exercise my right of placement."
Tuttle asked Orsak for the
reason behind the move, at which
Student* at the meeting of the Committee on Elections
Truzinski
"Meanwhile, unbeknownst to
me," said Tuttle, "the election
chairman had measured the
commons, and then moved the
ballot box to the center of the
commons. I consider this counter-
electioneering on Mr. Orsak's
part."
Orsak replied, "There are three
Wiess election chairman Don
Mango asked if Orsak violated a
rule. Tuttle replied, "In my
opinion, yes."
Orsak then told the committee
that he chose originally not to eject
Tuttle, despite a Will Rice rule that
such campaigning must take place
see SA, page 6
Board promotes 21
Rice's Board of Governors last
week revealed this year's list of
promotions for faculty members.
Acting on President Norman
Hackerman's recommendations
and the approval of the Academic
Affairs Committee, the Board
awarded new ranks to 21
instructors.
Promoted to the rank of full
professor were Drs. J.R. Barker of
the department of health and
physical education, John Bryant of
economics, James Copeland of
linguistics, Terrence Doody of
English, Arthur Few of space
physics and astronomy, Thomas
HaskeH of history, Edward Holt of
civil engineering, and Mary Norris
Tipton of the Shepherd School of
Music.
Two members of the Shepherd
School faculty, Ralph Fliegel and
Shirley Trepel, gained the rank of
full professor without tenure.
Five associate professors were
granted tenure at their present
position, those being Faye Briggs
of electrical engineering, Marcia
Citron of the Shepherd School,
Mark Kulstad of philosophy,
George Smith of art and art
history, and Peter Waldman of the
Rice School of Architecture.
Two assistant professors,
Richard Stoll of political science
and Julie Taylor of anthropology,
will become associate professors
with tenure. Four others, George
Bennett (biochemistry), Susan
Berget (geochemistry), J. Bart
Sinclair (electrical engineering)
and R. Bruce Weisman (chemistry)
will be associate professors
without tenure.
The new ranks and salaries for
the 21 professors will take effect
July 1, 1984, the beginning of the
next fiscal year.
The following is the text of the petition which Pam Truzinski
presented to the SA Committee on Elections. It is intended merely
for the reader's reference and does not represent a sympathetic
view on the part of the staff of the Thresher. The reader should
decide on each point's validity or lack thereof
PettttOB to void the Campanile editorial election
of April 3,19S4
In the interest of the students of Rice University and their goals as
expressed in the Preamble of the Student Association Constitution,
specifically, to provide channels of communication and cooperation, to
enhance the value of the undergraduate experience and to foster the
recognition of rights and responsibilities of students, we the undersigned do
protest the conduction of the election for Campanile editor on April 3,
1984, for the following reasons:
1. 'Mal-feasance by election officials.
a. The polling place at Wiess College did not open until 11:40, 10
minutes after 11:30 when, according to the Election Committee by-laws, the
polls should have been opened.
b. Arbitrary enforcement of the "50 feet limit." At no time, in any
college, was a 50-foot limit defined by any standard method of
measurement, thus providing confusion. Campaigners were asked to vacate
in a capricious and arbitrary fashion.
c. Security of the ballot box.
i. At Wiess College, the top of the ballot box was left open during
the election, thus providing ample opportunity for fraud through
substitution. Such fraud is virtually undetectable and, therefore, the
existence of opportunity is sufficient grounds to void the election.
il At Will Rice College, the ballot box was left unattended
election officials. (Photograph attached.)
2. Interference by election officials with the electoral process.
a. At Will Rice College, David Tuttle, who was campaigning on
behalf of Pam Truzinski, asked college President Geoff Orsak whether or
not he was 50 feet away from the ballot box; Orsak said that he was. A few
minutes later, Orsak returned saying that the ballot box had been moved to
the center of the commons and, therefore, Tuttle was within 50 feet. A tape
measure was used to determine that the placement of the ballot box in the
center of the commons extended the 50-foot radius to all of the edges of the
commons; thus Tuttle was forced to move.
b. At Wiess College the election official Donald F. Mango said to
Harold F. Wiedeman, m response to a query regarding the regulation
requiring the candidates to campaign at least 50 feet from the ballot box,
that he would move the box on an intermittent basis in order to include the
entire commons.
3. Non-feasance by the election committee.
By-law Article B-l, section 3d states, ". . .insure adequate
promulgation of its rules and regulations, of the Constitution and By-Laws
of the Student Association, of all deadlines and other dates concerning an
election, and of any other materials pertinent to an election."
The resolution detailing the repeal of the 3-day rule (Election Rule
21) was not posted in any conspicuous place, much less in the Thresher. The
mere mention of the resolution in the S A minutes is not sufficient publicity.
4. Mal-feasance by the Senate of the Student Association.
Article B-l, section 3b of the By-Laws of the Student Association
constitution specifically states, "All such temporary changes must be
announced at least two weeks before the election they are to affect,"
The Senate, on March 29, voted to suspend the Election Rule 21
which requires the ballot to be posted 3 days prior to an election and is,
therefore, culpable.
Therefore, we the undersigned have read and have considered each of the
complaints enumerated in the 2-page text and photograph entitled,
"Petition to Void the Campanile Editorial election of April 3,1984." Each
complaint is independent and is sufficient grounds to "void" the election.
(63 Signatures and a photograph follow.)
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Mitchell, Mark M. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, April 13, 1984, newspaper, April 13, 1984; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245560/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.