University of Southern California
Volume LXVIV, Number 10	___________________________Los Angeles, California ____________________________________Tuesday, July 20, 1976
Science class size among major problems facing new LAS dean
By Don La Plante
Editor
“The problems of LAS are no secret.”
The reorientation of student interest toward the prehealth sciences in the past six years has caused a dislocation of enrollment and is one of the most serious problems, said John H. Marburger, interim dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
A professor of physics, Marburger assumed his new duties earlier this month following his return from a trip to Europe to attend scientific meetings. He replaces John E. Cantelon, who had been scheduled to become the Bicentennial Professor of Religion, but later took a position as provost of Central Michigan University.
Marburger said enrollment in science classes is at about capacity and that new laboratory space is a major need for the college.
“With the enrollment in-
creases, we are pressed against the ceiling, we have to use our resources as effeciently as possible to keep the quality of education propped up,” he said.
Although Marburger is in an interim position, pending the appointment of a provost who will redefine a number of positions at the university, he said his actions will not be affected.
“The interim position doesn’t change my operation at all. I’ll act in the same way as if I planned to be here 15 years. I think I am more conscious, though, of trying to establish procedures that will help carry the college through the transition period. I’m look for ways to make the college more stable,” Marburger said.
He said the college must be viewed as the core of the university both financially and intellectually.
“The financial health of the university depends on the college. Given the certainty we will be competing with the state uni-
Naber, Furniss win Olympic gold medals
MONTREAL—John Naber and Bruce Furniss both broke their own world records in winning gold medals in Olympic competition Monday evening.
Naber shattered the world record he had set on Sunday by .7 of a second in the 100 meter backstroke. The USC star swam the event in 55.49. Peter Rocca of Stanford finished second in 56.34 and Roiand Mathies of East Germany finished third in 57.22. After the race, Mathies announced his retirement at the end of the games.
Just 20 minutes after his win in the backstoke, Naber came back to win the silver medal in finishing second to his USC teammate Bruco Furniss in the 200 meter freestyle. Furniss trimmed .32 of a second off his record of
1:50.61. to take the gold medal. Jim Montgomery made it a United States sweep in the event with a 1:50.58 for the bronze medal.
Naber swam the 200 meters in 1:50.50. also under the previous world record.
Summer Trojan correspondent Andy Strenk reported that Naber destroyed the field in the 100 meter backstoke.
“He swam an amazing 100. There was no way anyone was going to catch him. There was space between Naber’s feet and Rocca’s head. That’s fantastic for a 100 meter race.”
In the 200 meter freestyle, Strenk said it was not clear until the last 15 meters that the event would be a U.S. sweep. The race
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versities for students in the next decade it is essential that the college offer an attractive product,” he said.
“We won’t be able to survive if we aren’t good enough for them to spend their money here. The resources of the university have to be distributed in such a way that the college will continue to improve.”
Marburger stressed that he expected the college to benefit from financial decisions in the future and that the new buildings needed by the college will be constructed as soon as possible. He said that several structures would be built, with the top priority on new laboratory space. He also noted that Founders Hall needed a major renovation.
In the academic area, Marburger emphasized the need for senior faculty members to become involved with undergraduates and the need for what he termed “ honest grading.”
“Senior faculty have to understand that freshman instruction is an important part of their responsibility. Students have to be exposed to excellent instruction at the beginningoftheir careers. In fact, it’s more important to come in contact with excellence at the beginning to establish high intellectual standards,” he said.
Marburger defined honest grading as having grades mean something so that students know if they have mastered the subject.
“If I’m not learning from a course what I need to learn, I want to know about it. I don’t want a grade that will get me a job in which I wilf fail. That’s happening now. I want the university to tell me if I’m doing a good job or a bad job,” he said.
Marburger said his job was to rovide the resources and facilitate good new programs, and let bad programs die, but that the responsibility lor the quality of education was ultimately with the faculty.
JOHN MARBURGER
Bill before House to tighten loan program
A major bill to crackdown on abuses in the Guaranteed Student Loan program will go before the House of Representatives later this month.
The authority for the loan program would have expired on June 30, but Congress extended the program in its present structure until Oct. 1.
The bill, approved by the House Education and Labor Committee in early June, is designed to lower the default rate on student loans and curb the practice of students who have loans filing for bankruptcy.
An amendment to the bill by John N. Erlenborn (R.-111.) would prohibit a borrower from declaring bankruptcy for five years after leaving school, unless the studentcould prove a hardship.
The second major amendment by Erlenborn would allow for private credit agencies to assist government agencies in collecting on defaulted loans.
The bill would allow loans to freshmen to exceed $1,500 only if
paid ininstallments. However, it is almost impossible for freshmen to receive loans of more than $1,500 in California. The maximum for a graduate student would be raised to $15,000 from $10,000. That is for the entire college career. An undergraduate would be allowed to borrow up to $7,500.
The program would be tightened to require a student borrower to keep the loan holder informed of his current address and would require the borrower to contact the loan holderwithin four months of leaving school to set up terms for repayment.
A number of members of the House of Representatives, including James G. O'Hara (D.-Mlch.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, said they will oppose the bankruptcy section of the bill on the floor.
The Senate is scheduled to debate a similar bill on the Guaranteed Student Loans on Aug. 3 and 4.
JUST SITTING BACK—Everyone looks relaxed in this picture	meditation and the canine friend seems equally intent on	the gentlemen will have to return to the books, but the dog can
taken in Alumni Park. The gentleman seems intent on his	resting for a while and taking a nap in the shade. After a rest,	spend the rest of his day in the park.
Summer
Trojan