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» Students' evaluative surveys to be partially funded by serve (the] faculty members who wish to improve their teaching. I would strongly urge that all faculty cooperate.” Applause, applause Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Claude Welch concurred with Peradotto’s views, noting that “in these days of shifting enrollments and concern over retention, careful attention. to effective teaching becomes all the more important. I applaud the Student Association.” by Robert G. Basil Contributing Editor exact amount of monetary support from the University. SCATE has not beat published since 1976 due to SA’s inability to foot the bill. The SCATE is back after a three year snooze. The Student Course and Teacher Evaluations book will be compiled and published in time for Spring Registration, with the UB Administration footing an as yet unspecified part of the S10.000 bill, according to Student Assbciation (SA) Director of Academic Affairs Judiann Carmack. University Administration had declined to help out because it believed the survey to be sloppily tabulated, and open to fallacious interpretation. In previous years the classroom questionnaires were lengthy and often confusing. A great deal of students lost interest in SCATE, and failed to submit surveys for tabulation. SCATE also suffered from imprecise gathering apd computation methods; t]ie results dbtained from individual classes often did not match up with data which found their way into the SCATE books. Although Carmack ultimately envisions a SCATE publication in which the results of all the course evaluations will be printed, a professor’s cooperation is voluntary under the present plan. Instructors can prevent the publication of the survey. Professors, who will be given the results of the SCATE survey before its publication under the new plan, would have access to computer programs for analysis of the questionnaire data. For example, if a high percentage of students rated an upper level course as being \too rigorous.” a professor could check the statistics to see whether the class was composed of an inordinate amount of students lacking necessary prerequesites. Once SCATE gets underway, it may run into problems immediately, according to student observers. Since the survey is scheduled to be distributed between October 8—12 (so it can be published in time for Spring pre-registration)—questions on the form relating to grading and course organization will have to be omitted. Because of the early distribution date, many professors might disallow publication of surveys regarding their courses, fearing that they might not validly assess the class material and its presentation after just a month of classes. In favor of partially funding the SCATE book on a one-time basis is Vice President for Academic affairs Ronald F. Bunn, who voiced his conditional support at a meeting yesterday between student and Judiann Carmack SA Director of Academic Affairs >n leaders. into'three parts. The first contains questions centering on -basic, nonevaluative information like class size and book expenses, while the second two aim at assessing the instructor and the classroom rapport he generates. In the past,JJunn— next to UB President Robert L. Ketter, the ultimate authority over the debate— has expressed little enthusiasm for the re-establishment of SCATE, according to statements he made last fall in The Spectrum. Other top Administration SCATE is a published handbook detailing students’ views towards courses they have taken and the instructors who have taught them. a In plate of SCATE, many departments resorted, on an individual basis, to their own evaluation processes. These evaluations ranged from paragraphs written about English Department courses to specific multiple choice questionnaires distributed by History Department instructors. While these results are available for student perusal, they are not published campus wide. SCATE is designed to “help students in their selection of courses and instructors and to help teachers improve their instruction . . . pointing out [their] weaknesses,” according to Carmack. Imprecise tabulation Before the decides how Not for tenure officials, however, have vehemently endorsed the new survey in memos they released late this summer. much it will support the SCATE book, said Carmack, it wants to get some idea of what percentage of the faculty will participate in it. Another meeting between Carmack and the Administration Friday will nail down the “SCATE is not meant to be used,” Carmack said, “for [professional] tenure or advancement procedures unless the instructor so chooses.” Dean of Undergraduate Education John Peradotto noted in his memo, “[SCATE’s] primary purpose is to assist students . . . and The newly arranged survey is organized Ketter speech touches problems but hits optimistic note research mission will depend almost exclusively upon the initiative and industry of individual faculty members.” Another area cited as a major aspect of University functions involved the public service mission—also mentioned in the context of '‘new attitudes on campus.” Ketter said, ”... there is an increased appreciation now of the fact that the extension of our programs into the community in forms designed to accommodate public need is a critical prerequisite to our claim for public funding.” by Elena Cacava* News Editor Ketter’s State of the University address is his second annual comment on UB’s recent past and near future, its problems and progress. But the real emphasis Sunday was on numbers —enrollments and dollars, and activity channelled toward those ends. “AH institutions,” he said, “have been affected by inflation and by the spectre of declining enrollments, or in some instances, an actual decline or failure to meet budgeted targets.” However, he stressed that UB is not unique among educational institutions in this financial predicament. Realization of these “trends,” according to Ketter, has spawned new attitudes here in teaching, research and service missions. Citing a “new and more mature” outlook, Ketter spoke of an increase! willingness on the part of a larger number of faculty to accept responsibility for seeking, outside funds for research. Awards from external agencies, he said, have increased 12 percent to a total of 477 orover $26.5 million. Maturation .. . can at times be difficult and even painful. We are either strengthened in the process, by becoming able to deal effectively and creatively with reality, or we become weakened by it and retreat from responsibility ... At this University there has been no retreat. New post It was added, however, that “we have considerable strides to make for a University of our size and stature. There is still a great need for activity among a more varied faculty base.” Ketter explained that a recent University decision to find a head for the Research Office should, among other things, underlie {he importance of this activity. That route was opted for above another to merge the Research Office with that of the Graduate Dean. The search to fill the research post is now being organized. But Ketter pointed out that “the progress the institution will make in fulfilling its President’s 1979 State of the University address His hair characteristically ruffled and his plaid jacket providing a jolt of familiarity to “UB” people (and casualty to outsiders). University President Robert L. Ketter Sunday spoke on the state of this institution, emphasizing its public service mission, research and teaching. Equal opportunity Thus, acknowledging the service obligation held by a “major public university,” Ketter cited past fulfillments of — . —continued on page 14— Test results deemed ‘invalid, ’ Buffalo area nurses shocked by Jon-Michaei Glionna Feature Editor ■ - Shocked and embittered Buffalo area nursing candidates arc considering an Albany protest over the possibility of a re-test of the national nursing certification exam. The New York . State Education Department announced over the weekend that it would reject the results of the nationwide exam for registered nurses administered this summer. As many as 12,000 state applicants are affected by the alleged cheating scandal —in which copies of the test were supposedly sold beforehand. guidelines of a temporary, permit won’t receive any pay raise until they successfully complete the \nursing boards,” which won’t be offered again until February. “I lost two days pay in taking the exams this summer and I’ll lose another two days when I have to take the re-test this winter,” said nurse Kathy Barrick. Won’t study it’s invalid,” she added. The investigation into the scandal began in mid-July when the State received letters from nursing candidates in several cities saying that copies of the entire test had been available for $200 to $3,000. The nursing candidates have expressed sqme well-founded fears of the consequences of the projected re-test. “I’m concerned - at how this whole situation will affect my job at the hospital,” said a concerned Buffalo General nurscLynne Brocklehurst, who took the July test. Nurses now working under the Many area candidates participated in a five-week review course offered at D’Youville College prior to this summer’s initial exam. “That course alone cast about $130. 1 really can’t afford to take it again,” Barrick said. “I cried myself to sleep the night I found out,” confessed former UB nursing student Tina Motyka, who is helping to organize a future student protest at State Education Board offices in Albany. “A lot of time and effort went into the taking of that test to have someone tell me However, many fear that being out of touch with an academic environment for so long will force candidates to either strengthen or completely abandon prior study hard for the second test,” predicted one nurse, adding “I don’t think I wl tio currently works at —continued on pag* 2— Inside: Rally reminder— P: 4 / Barring further notice—P. 5 / 4-page special section on Love Canal—P. 9
