A BELATED CHRISTMASPRESENT—Well not quite, as students head for the libraries to cram for finals. Students who didn't spend hours with books and papers during Christmas vacation are only now finding out that much of what they learned the past semester has mysteriously vanished from their minds. And now come finals...
Mark Spitz may dive into dentistry at USC
By Julie Fosgate
associate feature editor
The same Mark Spitz who swam his way into the hearts ofm ill ions at the 1972 Olympic Games may soon be working his way into their mouths.
His academic endeavors as an undergraduate at Indiana University were greatly overshadowed by his athletic accomplishments. But the furor over the broken records and seven gold medals gradually subsided
Now Spitz has made another step towards that other career—dentistry. His application to the School of Dentistry here is now in the process of being considered along with those belonging to all the other would-be dentists.
John C. Vinton, director of admissions at the school, said that no decision had been made and the question ofSpitzsacceptance will be answered some time in February, when the school releases its list of entering students.
Applications are reviewed by a committee ol dental faculty and student, representatives. Vinton does not know whether Spitz has applied to other schools.
“His application is being considered on an academic basis, just like everyone else’s,” Vinton said. He said Spitz’s celebrity status was not affecting the committee’s decision in any way.
It is the policy of the school to keep all information regarding admissions confidential and it has been especially conservative in disclosing anything concerning Spitz.
"Information about important individuals who receive a lot of publicity tends to spread like wildfire.” Vinton explained.
He said he was familiar with some ofthe circumstances surrounding Spitz's application and is not sure whether anything will materialize this year. Vinton is not exactly clear what Spitz's goals and intent ions are at this time.
When asked about the possible effects of Spitz’s enrollment on the university. Vinton said. "I suspect that some people will be attracted by it. On. the other hand, others may not.”
One thing is for sure: "Dr.” Spitz would never need to worry about a supply of material for gold fillings.
‘SoCal will be last DT edition of fall semester
Monday’s issue ot SoCul magazine will be the last edi tion ofthe Daily Tm\au lor the fall semester •
Publication will resume Feb. 3. Sherry Stern, a senior in journalism, was nominated last month by the Journalism Council to serve as editor V the paper for the spring semester.	^
University of Southern California
Volume LXVIII, No. 64 Los Angeles, California	Friday January 9, 1976
Overall student grade average 3.06 at university, study shows
By Cathy Taylor
associate news editor
With only two more days of classes, and finals within sight, many students have arranged long nights of study at the library, stocking up on coffee, pencils and No-Doz. The final round of the semiannual battle for an “A” has heard the opening bell.
Students, however, have not been the only ones keeping close watch over their tenuous gl*ip on
their grade-point averages. The university has kept a running record of grades for every department and every course between the early 60s and 1970.
The thread of study was picked up again this fall, and the report shows that for spring semesterof 1975. the university grade-point average has risen to slightly above a “B”.
The report will be ready for distribution by the the
Committee to review distribution of grades
A committee has been established to examine and review grade distribution at the university each semester.
The new body, a subcommission ofthe Academic Standards Commission, received its mandate from that commission after its meeting on Tuesday.
Juanita Mantovani. chairman of the subcommission. said that it would go through the whole report, compiled by the Testing Bureau from grade sheets, and that “after we give the information to the department, we will ask them to respond.”
The mandate of the commission says that once the commission does the follow-up with departments searching appropriate explanations of deviations in the data, it will report twice each year to the Academic Affairs Committee on the data and the findings. The first report will be presented in May. 1976.
John H. Marburger. the chairman of the Academic Affairs
Committee and professor of physics, has just completed a report on grade distribution fol-lowingthespringsemester, 1975.
“Grade studies have never beefi done as a continuing thing,” Marburger said. The gap between this study and the last one. conducted in 1970. was because of difficulty in tryingto organize the Academic Affairs Committee when the President’s Advisory Council was started two years ago, Marburger said.
“The Academic Affairs Committee has been active, for the first time, this fall.” he said.
Marburger said that in the report concerning spring, 1975. he found that grades were generally not grossly inflated, and that he had expected many more instances of no curve at all. since grades have risen sharply all over the country.
"Exceptions also follow a pattern: the professional schools and science and engineering
(continued on page 2)
Academic Affairs Committee of the President’s Advisory Council to departments next week.
The all-university grade-point average, figured from data in the study, hovers at 3.06 for all undergraduate and graduate grades. The average for 100-level courses stands at 2.92. The number drops a bit—to 2.87—for 200-level classes.
Upper level courses show a rise in grade-point averages, with 300-level classes getting a 2.94 and 400-level classes achieving the highest grade average for the undergraduate level with 3.19.
Comparing these data to earlier studies, conducted by the university’s Office of Institutional Studies in the early ’60s, when the Testing Bureau began using computerized grading sheets, an upward trend can be determined in the grade-point average.
For example, in the spring of 1967 the all-university average was 2.91. By spring of 1968 that average had risen to 3.01. One year later, the all-university grade-point average remained at 3.01.
In the spring of 1970, the grade average, accoring to the report, had risen again, to 3.09. (No data are available from the subsequent four years.)
John H. Marburger, chairman ofthe Academic Affairs Committee and Coordinator ofthe latest report, said that while “B” his sort of the average grade, ‘C’ is still the average in courses like chemistry.”
The report points up the variations in percentages for science and nonscience courses clearly.
For example, for 100-level
(continued on page 6)
Federal ruling could threaten construction of Nixon Library
By Justin Fox
staff writer
The construction of the Richard M. Nixon Library on campus may have been threatened by Wednesday's federal court ruling upholding pub-lic access to the millions of documents and White House tapes accumulated while Nixon was president.
"We have to wait to find out if we go ahead with the building or not." said Richard Lewis, assistant vice-president to report on special university projects and tasks. "If Nixon decides to go to the Supreme Court and appeal the federal ruling, the question of the library is still open.
"If he doesn't, then we will have to reassess our position." he said.
The library would house the most important of Nixon's documents, letters and tapes pertaining to his political career. The federal regulation of public access concerns all his presidential material. His documents accumulated before his presidency still belong to h i m.
Lewis stressed that nothing absolute 111 regards to the construction of the library has been provoked by the federal court
ruling, and that any decisions are pending Nixon’s decision on whether to appeal.
So far, the university has not expended any money for the library. Under the Presidential Libraries Act of 1953. the funds for the construction of the library are to come from public subscription.
With the public funds, the university was to buy the land, build the building, and then deed the structure to the federal government. leaving the job of maintaining it in the government's hands. The universitv would
then have the building on its property, but it would be managed by the government.
Lewis admitted that due to the court ruling the construction of the library is a little less certain than it was before.
However, even if Nixon does not decide to appeal the ruling and the former President’s documents are to remain as pub-lic treasures sitting on the shelves in Washington, the matter of the library at the university is still not a closed issue, Lewis said.
(continued on page 3)
Humphrey to speak about Angola crisis
Sen. Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.) will speak in Hancock Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Monday. The topic of his address will be "Crisis: Warfare in Angola."
Humphrey was invited to speak at the university by his regional campaign manager. Joseph Cerrell. an alumnus of the School ot International Relations and president of its support group. He has also been invited to a dinner in his honor by Houston Flournoy, dean ofthe Center of Public Affairs, before his speech.
Humphrey serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his address on Angola will be his only speech in the Los Angeles area before leaving for San Francisco, said Ross N. Berkes. professor of international relations.
Admission is free The speech is open to the public.
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