1987-02-26

              The Recor

OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY February 26,1987                          Volume 100                      Number 3

.lorvproftt organization U.S.   POSTAGE

PAID

Pcrmli No. i

Collcgcvillc. Minn

Collegeville, MN

New J-Term set for next year    CSB VP

resigns

By   Bob   McGarry

Faculties of both SJU and CSB voted through a new J-Term proposal last Thurs -day night at the BAC. The proposal goes into effect next January and will change the current J-Term program.

The first . major change that will be implemented is that J-Term will now be for credit. As a result, the minimum number required for graduation will be raised from the current 120 to 124. Credits from J-Term will count toward graduation and in approved courses will count toward depart -mental and core requirements. The number of credits a J-Tcrm course is given will depend on its academic and time com -mitment and can range from zero to four.

The proposal also lowers the required num -ber of J-Terms that students must register for from four to three. It reads, "First-year students must enroll in a January Term course; other students must register for a course, a Supervised Study, or an Indc -pendent Learning Project during two add -itional January Terms."

Another major change will be the addition of the grading system to J-Term. J-Term courses will now be graded on the same system as fall and spring semester courses and J-Term grades will have a bearing on students' grade point averages.

' Eva Hooker, CSC, vice president for academic affairs, says that the effects of the new J-Term on returning students have not

Photo by Paul Jasinski

Tony Sorem, chair of the JEPC, distributed ballots to faculty members who voted last Thursday to adopt a new J-Term program.

yet been determined. "We haven't made the policy yet," Hooker said. She said the increase in credits needed for graduation would definitely not affect returning students. She said, however, she believes returning students will have the opportunity to skip one J-Term. "It is my personal hope that this will happen," Hooker said.

Although not directly stated in the newly passed proposal, it is expected that the academic standards of J-Term will be tight -ened because of the addition of grades and credit to J-Term. Tony Sorem, associate professor of psychology and chair of the Joint Educational Policy Committee, which presented the proposal to the faculties in January, believes student views on J-Term arc going to change. "We introduce credits and now the interpretation changes. I think (J-Tcrm) will become Winter Term.... If you get grades and you get credits, then it is fair that the profs challenge you," Sorem said.

Sorem is also a member "of the January Term Evaluation Committee which studied the effects of the credit/grade option for J-Term offered to CSB students in 1986. He explained that, according to the commit -tee's study, many students currently ~feel that J-Term should be "relaxing" and "interesting but not as demanding as a scm -esLcr   course."   Sorem   thinks   that   these

attitudes have made it difficult for the faculties in the past. "Some profs say, The hell with it, the students don't lake their job seriously, why should I?'" Sorem said.

The new J-Term program should eliminate this problem, Sorem believes, because now faculty will not have to compromise aca -

J-Term

continued on page 6

By   Kelly   Rasmussen

On the morning of Monday, Jan. 26, CSB Vice President of Finance Michael Fritz submitted his resignation to CSB President Colman O'Connell, OSB.

Details of the reasons behind Fritz's resignation remain sketchy. O'Connell confirmed that she accepted Fritz's resignation Jan. 26 and named Miriam Ardolf, OSB, acting vice president of finance that same day.

However, when asked to discuss other aspects of the resignation, O'Connell noted that "matters like this arc very sensitive" and would not comment on any specific reasons for Fritz's resignation. She declined to comment when asked about any current or upcoming criminal investigation.

Although O'Connell sent out a memo to CSB faculty informing them of the resignation, CSB Student Administrative Board (SAB) President Angie Andrist said her office had not received any notification of Fritz's resignation.

Andrist, who is an auditor on CSB's board of trustees, added that part of last Friday's board meeting was closed to her and the other auditors. Although she said that she discussed Fritz's resignation with another auditor, she noted that it was not mentioned during the meeting between the board and the auditors.   "Apparently they talked about

Fritz

continued on page 5

Regents approve new budget amidst protest

Budget highlights meeting      Students fight tuition hike

By   Bob   McGarry

The SJU Board of Regents met last -Friday and approved the proposed 1987-88 budget which includes an eight percent hike in tuition. The Regents also approved the Core Curriculum that was voted through by the faculties last fall and allocated $90,000 for the retention of an architect to begin planning a new student housing complex. The mccLing, originally planned to be closed-door, was open to the public due to the large student turnout protesting the possible tuition raise.

The new budget raises next year's tuition by S495 and also raises both room and board fees by five percent each. Compensation for all returning university personnel, including administration, faculty and staff, is being budgeted for an increase of 5.5 percent. Compensation discussions, however, are still underway and the final amount may vary from the currently-budgeted figure. In all, compensation comprises 51 percent of the total budget.

Hilary Thimmesh, OSB, president of SJU,

Regents

continued on page 6

l'hoto by Mike Kosir

SJU junior, John Murray, addressed the Board of Regents last week as the council considered an eight percent increase in student tuition.

By   l*aul   Soucheray

Some 60-75 students were involved in a protest last Friday concerning the proposed eight percent tuition hike for the 1987- 88 academic year. The protesters began assembling outside Quad 264 at about 11 a.m., many summoned at the request of protesters and many in response to 300 flyers posted all over campus explaining the demon -stration.

Those flyers were put up Thursday night, but were torn down by Friday morning. SJU senate member Dave Creen said there are a lot of questions left unanswered. According to Crccn, the tearing down of the flyers was not a just cjuesiion of illegal placement.

"It's pretty curious how fast they came down. They took every one," Crccn said. "We had the original poster approved, but someone in the higher administration or -dercd Campus Life to tear them all down."

Crccn also had other questions and com -plaints. "I want to know why. the meeting was originally closed  to  the students," he

Protest

continued on page 4