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Vol. 29, No. 51 Wednesday, 24 January 1979 State University of New York at Buffalo Carnegie chaos? by Joel DiMarco O'fv Editor Mayor Griffin shunts power study Peradotto urges delaying of Springer report until 1980 Probably the single most continuous struggle in American history, outside of slavery and civil rights, has been the perpetual feud between those advocating private ownership of businesses providing public services and those favoring government ownership. And one of the major examples of this struggle, in this century, has been the battle for public power. Well, public power has now become a local issue as well, due to Buffalo Mayor Janies Griffin’s refusal to spend $100,000 authorized by the Common Council to finance a study of a city take-over of the gas and electric utilities. Griffin maintains Struggle over public / private ownership by Daniel S. Parker and Jay Rosen “It looks as if the consensus is against delay,” Peradotto said. “If that’s what they decide I’m prepared to stand by it as long as they know I’m not going to take the responsibility for the chaos if and when it results.” Reaction was cool to Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) Dean John Peradotto's urgings that the long-debated Springer report be shelved until 1980 because of logistical snarlings. University President Robert L. Ketter, after receiving Peradotto’s recommendation for delay, heard Student Association (SA) Director of Student Affairs Scott Jiusfo’s warnings that the imposition of The Dean said two encouraging developments came out of Monday’s meeting; both of which could make implementing Springer easier. Ketter made clear Monday that a “grandfather clause” allowing current students to escape fromlhe increased course loads that new degree requirements will create, should be uniformly applied throughout the undergraduate program. Secondly, several units - in an apparent response to pressure in the press and within the Administration - rushed in their fall listings to Peradotto, making his data-collecting job easier. renewed -continued on page 2 Politics have entered But chaos is still what SA’s Jiuslo expects if Springer is implemented next fall. Jiusto said Ketter’s altitude showed slight change through the Cabinet meeting. “Some doubt was established in his mind,” the SA official explained. Hard proof will now be required to convince the right people,- Jiusto felt. “Because the issue has become a clouded one. now that politics have entered, we have to illustrate in very clear terms what a grievous mistake they are preparing to make,” he said. Pannill can afford to, remain neutral on the Springer issue since implementation is not likely to affect curricula in his division. However. Bunn’s advisors have been actively urging ./or a -fall implementation. Keller told The S/m tnnii he had not seen any n .. . . , . . . , of the departmental plans to comply with the The President doubted that a year s Carnegie unit. But the President doubted that a delay would ease any of the logistical year’s delay would ease any of the logistical w | sJnnV kiuiui if \ problems. “I don’t knowif anything will be different problems. I don t know if anything in , 980 ;’ h e said will be different in 1980, \ he said. by Thomas Brom Pacific Mews Service And from the darkness Cleveland’s bankers shook their heads in disbelief last month when Mayor Dennis Kucinich refused to avoid default on SI5.5 million in loans by selling the Municipal Light & Power plant to a competing utijity. Why would Kucinich put the financial future of Cleveland in jeopardy to defend a city-owned electric company that has operated in the red since 1970? Data is crucial Bunn confirmed that he is conntitted to implementing the Springer report “as soon as possible - this fall or next fall.” Bunn fell that the push by Peradotto and Assistant Dean Kunz — the two men with the major responsibility for smoothing the massive change — the Carnegie Unit would create chaos of unknown dimension. came a Jiusto and Peradotto agreed that the burden of proof was clearly placed on Monday’s supporters of the delay; a task both men conceded would be difficult. tiny voice; was not a “sudden reversal” of policy. “Until the departments file their reports, not nuch can happen,” Bunn said. “That data is important^’ let there be light University President Robert L. Ketter instructed Vice President for Academic Affairs Ronald F. Bunn and Vice President for Health Sciences F. Carter Pannill to prepare a recommendation by Thursday on whether to delay. Bunn’s assistant Thomas Craine stated, “I want to be convinced that it cannot be implemented in the fall.” The answer goes beyond issues of dollars and cents to the heart of the mayor’s urban populist program, based largely on public control of the city’s utilities, ports and basic infrastructure. That in Cleveland ’ The Springer report calls for the introduction of the Carnegie Unit, i.e., one credit per contact hour, as an academic base. Departments have prepared fall listings under the assumption that the Springer report would be put into effect next year. “We’re all reasonable people who have to look at this in an objective way,” Craine continued. “Walt (Kunz] and Jack (Peradotto] have some genuine concerns. These questions have to be raised, examined and responded to.” —continued on page 2— We would like to extend our regrets for erroneous Monday’s front page story entitled “English Department faces faculty, pay cut*’’ contained many serious errors of fact and inference — errors which have caused considerable confusion and anxiety in and out of the department. Most serious was The - Spectrum's suggestion that Dean George Levine’s plans to incorporate Evening Division courses into regular English faculty loads meant an “increase in allo’cations” from the University. This is incorrect. The plan will increase the department’s enrollment by about 230 FTE’s and thereby hike the students/faculty ratio commensurately. That ratio, currently 13:1 in English, is being pushed upward by Vice President for Academic Affairs Ronald Bunn to 15:1. The new plan will raise the ratio to about 14:1 - not to 25; 1 as The Spectrum claimed. We incorrectly reported that Levine announced the threat of 39 faculty cuts, 10 in English. Bunn has asked Levine to prepare no final determination of which areas would assume the cuts, or if they will be needed. The number 39 refers to how many faculty positions would have to be cut were Arts and Letters to increase their ratio to 15:1 and fail to increase enrollment at all. Conversely, the Faculty would have to, attract 582 additional FTE’s for it not to take any faculty cuts and reach the 15:1 mark. Our article failed to make this clear. there are no requirements set. Plans for -the department to increase sections of English composition are dependent on whatever General Education program emerges. They are not certain, as The Spectrum reported. Dean Levine was not present at the department's Executive Committee meeting last Monday as we reported. There were also strong objections to our characterization of the meeting as “angry.” Disappointment and dejection were in evidence, given the nature of the news, but the great majority of observers thought the meeting was generally calm. The Spectrum would like to sincerely apologize for these serious errors, especially to Dean Levine and department Chairman Gale Carrithers. We deeply regret any embarassment or dismay the unfortunate article may have caused. The article suggests that Levine told the meeting that the university is facing 80 to 90 faculty cuts next year. There is again nothing certain about such figures and they may be more accurately portrayed as “worst fears.” ’ coverage The Spectrum the General Education program is still in the planning stages and Inskk: New UB lots?—f. 4 / SASU probes tuition hike—P. 6 / 'Fascination' national section—Pp. 9-11
