The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 29, Ed. 1 Friday, May 15, 1987 Page: 6 of 12
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6 Friday, May 15, 1987 THRESHER News
Top stories recap 1986-87
Ups and downs of the past year are summarized
IT!
-M. Gladu Joe Martin
1. The coherent minor
The "two worlds" of academia — the
sciences and the liberal arts — were
supposed to meet under the coherent minor
plan, a curriculum plan which aimed to
make Rice students better educated about
the^j/orld" outside their majors. Under the
plan, liberal-arts majors would complete a
three-course minor in a science, and science
majors would do the same in a liberal art.
And everyone would take "foundation
courses" in his or her non-major field.
That was the plan, at least.
But the coherent minor committee's first
proposal, released in November, drew
unexpected controversy. More than a
hundred students and faculty attended a
December forum at the Chemistry Lecture
Hall to question the committee and criticize
the proposal. They complained that the
proposal was too restrictive, difficult to
implement, and contained poorly
constructed minors.
"M any of you were at the forum," Provost
Neal Lane later told the faculty. "Others
were more fortunate."
Citing arguments voiced by students and
faculty, the committee changed its position
for the final proposal in April. The new
version recommended that the coherent
minor begin a five-year "trial period" in the
fall of 1988, during which the minor would
be optional. The foundation courses,
however, would remain required.
After further but less passionate
argument, the faculty approved the new
proposal.
2. Teaching, research, and Dr.
Joseph Martin
The color pamphlet Rice sends to
prospective students promisesat if they come
to Rice, they will have professors "who
combine enthusiasm for teaching with
abilities'for research," and the university has
long boasted that outstanding teaching is
prized here.
That's what made it so surprising that
Assistant Biology Professor Joseph Martin
was denied tenure.
Martin has received about as much
teaching recognition as Rice has to offer:
he's won the Nicholas Salgo Award for
Excellence in Teaching and the Phi Beta
Kappa award for Outstanding Teaching by
an assistant professor, and he has just
received a 1987 George R. Brown teaching
award. Martin's student evaluations rank
him higher thaiiany other professor in his
department ancramong the top teachers in
the university.
After the Biology Department refused to
recommend him for tenure, 420 students
signed a petition on Martin's behalf. The
petitions were sent to the Committee on
Promotions and Tenure.
Then 175 students peacefully marched
from the Anderson Biological Laboratories
to President Rupp's office, to deliver letters
urging the university to recognize good
teaching in the tenure process.
But when the Board of Governors
announced tenure decisions on March 27,
Martin's name was not included,
presumably because he had not completed
sufficient research.
In response to the controversy, the
Promotions and Tenure Committee
declared in an April 3 letter to the Thresher
editor that teaching is "very important" in
the tenure process.
MeanwJjile, Martin has announced that
he will leave Rice next year, taking his
award-winning teaching to another
university.
3. The drinking age and Proctor
Holt
Administrators who deal with aiscipline
are never popular with students, but Proctor
Edward Holt had an especially rough time
this year as the Texas drinking age changed
from 19 to 21 in September.
Trouble came early in the year: a
September Thresher article on the effects of
the drinking law quoted two underage
students, John Kitses and Shawn Green,
saying the drinking age wasn't stopping
them from drinking on campus.
Holt, using a clause of the judicial code
called "independent action," punished the
students himself without allowing the case to
go through the University Court. Holt's use
of the clause caused the Student Association
to censure him.
The Proctor didn't improve his popularity
with students when, at a fall faculty
discussion of the academic calendar, he
suggested that Rice eliminate spring break
since he saw "no need for everyon^to'goof
off for a week." . '
In the spring, Lovett College members
violated the alcohol policy, but because the
complaint was registered in the Lovett court,
Holt allowed the college court to try the case
and approved its verdict.
Dry college nights, declining attendance
at Willy's Pub and TG's, and a water-
chugging requirement for underage
chuggers at Beer-Bike were other changes
because of the^rinking age.
But is Rice's alcohol consumption really
down? The Rice Program Council reports
that the 750 students at Rondelet drank
$8000 worth of alcohol.
4. Rice football
New football coach Jerry Berndt had just
finished winning four Ivy League
championships for the University of
Pennsylvania and everyone wondered what
he'd do with a Rice team that hasn't had a
winning season since 1963.
Berndt led the Owls to a 4-7 record —
nothing to brag about, but as many wins as
Berndt's predecessor Watson Brown
gathered in two seasons. The year included
an upset of Air Force and narrow losses to
Baylor and Texas.
Though it's too early to tell whether
Berndt is engineering a turn-around, his
recruits for this year look promising: the 30-
member freshman class includes the Los
Angeles player of the year.
The National Collegiate Athletic
Association's ban on Southern Methodist
University for paying its players certainly
didn't hurt Rice's recruiting. Rice, the only
Southwest Conference team in Texas not
under investigation for athletic violations,
may have struck the recruits as the only
school in the state sure to be safe from
suspensions.
Ticket sales, though, don't seem to be
going very well. The Athletic Department
has announced that it will give coupons for a
free hot dog and soft drink at every game to
anyone who buys a 1987 season ticket by
August 31?
5. Marketing Rice
"I could tell you that it was a
good place, but I couldn't tell you why,"said
Kent Dove about his impression of Rice
before he came here in September to become
Vice President of External Affairs.
"I want to make Rice a household word,"
announced William F. Noblitt after he was
hired in March to head Rice's public and
media affairs as Director of University
Relations.
" The new positions are meant to spearhead
what Dove calls "a new phase in Rice's
public-relations programs."
Dove, whose staff may soon include
professional marketing strategists, says an
improved university image will help to
recruit students and faculty as well as aid in
fundraising.
6. Student volunteers
On Valentine's Day, 500 Rice
students, faculty and staff travelled around
Houston to volunteer at organizations
around the city. The Rice Student Volunteer
Program (RSVP) coordinated "Outreach
Day," matching students to volunteer
programs.
Volunteers helped or were given
orientation classes at the Red Cross, the
Houston Area Urban Heague, thfc Crisis
Intervention Center, and Citizens for
Animal Protection.
RSVP's work earned Rice a favorable
mention in Time magazine and a feature in
the Houston Chronicle.
7. Tuition increase
In January, President Rupp announced
Rice's largest tuition increase since the
university began charging tuition in 1965.
Tuition will go up $500 for the 1987-88
school year, bringing the total to $4900 —
nearly twice the 1978 tuition. The increase is
the ninth in as many years.
Rupp announced the increase briefly at
the end of a faculty meeting, and some
student senators were infuriated that Rupp
didn't first explain to students the reasons
for the increase.
Of course, Rice isn't raising its tuition just
for grins: the university's liability insurance
will cost about $500,000 more next year, and
the ailing Texas economy "has had its
contribution," Rupp said.
8. Election Scandal
A February campaign for University
Court Chairman became more ridiculous
and harder to understand than the new
federal financial aid laws.
Four students ran for the position: Greg
Heath, Frisk Dahlberg, Andy Karsner, and
Todd Torczon. The last three are the
characters of our story.
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Wucker, Michele. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 29, Ed. 1 Friday, May 15, 1987, newspaper, May 15, 1987; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245666/m1/6/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.