The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 24, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 12, 1985 Page: 1 of 12
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SACS team to complete Rice's reaccreditation process
by Katherine Sugg
Seventeen representatives of the
Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools (SACS) are visiting
Rice February 10-13, serving as
^members of a reaffirmation
committee.
This committee, composed of
administrative and academic
faculty members from several
Southern universities such as
Duke and Vanderbilt, will
determine whether SACS should
renew Rice's accreditation.
Rice administrative officials
also hope the committee will
comment on the results oi the
university's recent Self-Study.
The Self-Study is required by
SACS as part of the reaccredita-
tion process.
"Hopefully they will react to the
Self-Study," said Provost William
Gordon, the director of the
Self-Study.
Gordon said that although there
is "no question of whether we will
be accredited," he hopes they will
comment on the Self-Study's
recommendations and approve or
disapprove of the use Rice is
making of its resources.
"Sometimes we are too close to
it all," added Gordon.
While the Student Association
and some standing committees
have started considering Self-
Study proposals, the university
does not plan to enact any of the
policy recommendations until a
new president has assumed office.
Gordon said members of the
Self-Study were aware when the
study began that Rice president
Norman Hackerman was going to
resign in June or July.
Much of the study is therefore
directed towards the new
administration as a sort of
introduction to Rice University.
Candidates for the presidency
have been able to examine the
report and study many of the
priorities and goals of the
university and its community.
Among the more important
recommendations, Gordon gave
two the highest priority: first,
preserving the uniqueness and
quality of the undergraduate
experience; second, enhancing
and expanding selected areas in the
graduate programs.
At the present time, the most
noteworthy action being taken
concerning Sell-Study involves
distribution credits.
Next week, Gordon expects a
composite of lists from the
academic departments to be
published. It will name all the
courses that will be accepted for
distribution credit in each area.
This list will go into effect next
September without threatening
any previously earned credits.
Gordon added that many of the
Self-Study recommendations, like
the distribution credits, are not
new ideas; they have just been
brought to the attention of
everyone by the Sell-Study.
1HRESHER
Volume 72, Number 24
Tuesday, February 12, 1985
INSIDE:
• Royal Shakespeareans
conquer Rice, see page 4
• Rice Owls almost conquer
Texas, see page 10.
• Strange humans conquer
1600 Smith, see pages 6, 7.
Hackerman concerned about tuition hikes, aid cuts
by Tibor Roberts
President Norman Hackerman
has published his fourteenth
annual Report of the President. In
this his last report, Hackerman
cites putting the university on
sounder finacial footing, limiting
increases in tuition costs, and
providing improved campus
facilities as some of the major
accomplishments of his
administration.
One achievement of Hacker-
man's tenure, the report says, is in
the area of financial responsibilty.
When Hackerman took office in
1970, there had been an operating
deficit for every year since 1963.
The deficit for 1970 alone exceeded
$1.8 million.
However, by 1983, the
administration had transformed
this deficit into a $5.6 million
surplus.
In addition, the endowment has
increased substantially, from
$131,221,177 in 1970 to
$483,631,000 on June 30,1984,
during Hackerman's tenure,
despite continually low tuition.
The report also points out that
the ratio of Merit Scholars to the
other students is higher at Rice
than at any other university in the
country. About one in every four
students entering Rice is a Merit
Scholar.
Cited as two of the primary
reasons for this large percentage
IJ11I MJWWIMHI—
_
P. Truzinski
are increases in finacial aid since
1970.
Almost eight million dollars were
given in student aid during 1984,
compared to less that $3 million in
1971.
The report estimates that the
tutition, fees, and room and board
paid by students covers for only
twelve percent what it costs Rice to
educate students.
Although fees have remained
low, tuition and room and board
costs for the next academic year
will increase slightly.
Tuition will increase about $200
per year, and room and board,
about $100.
"1 don't like the idea,"
Hackerman maintained, in
response to the fact that tuition
will now exceed $4000 per year.
While admitting that the
increase is unfortunate, he said he
believed that it is necessary.
Hackerman said tuition
increases have been "just about
what inflation costs."
The higher figures, he concedes,
will look more menacing to
middle-class families, whose
children are ineligible for financial
aid. As a result, some academically
qualified students might opt to go
to less expensive state-supported
universities rather than Rice.
"This is difficult for middle-class
families. 1 understand that. I think
that finance should not be the
determining factor."
He noted that there are
additional problems for families
posed by the lowering of federal
and state financial aid as well.
The Tuition Equalization Grant,
which many Rice students have
benifitted from, is one of several
financial aid programs facing
budget cuts.
Hackerman said he was sure
that the university would respond
to increases in need for financial
aid.
Hackerman believed a definite
strong point of his administration
has been that he resisted
unnecessary campus construction
projects, saying that for ten years
he built little, but when the need
arose, he responded.
New buildings constructed
during Hackerman's tenure
include Herring Hall, the Seely G.
Norman Hackerman
M udd Computer Science
Laboratory, and the soon-to-be-
finished mechanical engineering
lab.
Construction is scheduled to
begin on the Ley Student Center
this May, following Commence-
ment.
The Physical Plant staff is
further credited with major
renovations to the chemistry,
biology, geology and space science
buildings as well as to the
Mechanical Lab and to Razor
Hall.
In addition, Hackerman said the
need for additional student
housing had largely been satisfied.
Saying that "the pressure points
are not residential colleges," he
asserted that the addition of the
Graduate House was a solution to
the residential housing shortage.
He added that problems should
not arise in the future unless the
university increases its enrollment.
Questioned about present needs
for building, he said, "There is
pressing need tor research space
lor biochemistry and chemistr\
and proper space lor Shepherd
School. That is our pressure
points. I'm sure if you were to grab
—P. Truzinski
any faculty member on campus
he'd say we need more space."
The past fourteen years also saw
the reorganization o I the
university's various schools.
The university divided the two
academic schools that existed in
1970 into the George R. Brown
School of Engineering, the Wiess
School of Natural Sciences, the
School of Humanities and the
School of Social Sciences.
The Jesse H. Jones Graduate
School of Administration and the
Shepherd School of Music were
created during Hackerman's
adminst ration.
The report notes that 229 of the
375 full-time faculty members,
fully 67 percent, arrived during
"the Hackerman years."
The report states that Rice is
ranked among universities that
give the most compensation to
their faculty.
According to the 1983-84 survey
of the American Association of
University Professors. Rice ranked
first in average compensation
given to professors: $45.1 10.
Summarizing his feelings.
Hackerman concluded. "1 think
this institution can act as a
template for other universities "
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Havlak, Paul. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 24, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 12, 1985, newspaper, February 12, 1985; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245586/m1/1/: accessed July 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.