University of Southern California
Volume LXXII, Number 4 Los Angeles, California	Thursday,	September	22, 1977
Brown considers increasing limit on new state scholarship awards
New California state scholarship awards could increase by $500 if Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. signs a bill by Sept. 24.
The measure would raise the maximum California state scholarship level to $3,200 and the College Opportunity Grant to $4,200.
Known as Assembly Bill 528, it would help new 1978-79 students meet the costs of a col-
lege education, which has risen 65% over the last eight years at both public and private institutions.
The bill, if approved by Brown, will not effect current state scholarhsip and opportunity grant recipients. The legislation would take effect in September 1978 and will benefit only newly entered college students.
Administrators cite need for larger state awards
By David Hall
Surr Writer -
Solving the annual problem of meeting rising tuition costs has been placed in the hands of Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. and the university’s Resource Management and Planning committee.
Assembly Bill 528 needs only Brown’s signature to raise the maximum California State Scholarship award from $2,700 to $3,200, but the more immediate issue concerns university scholarship funds, which appear to be insufficient.
“We give as much aid as we can, but the state scholarships don’t keep pace with the rising tuition,” said Linda Berkshire, director of resource development and student aid programs. “The state money has remained at $2,700 for two years now, despite a substantial increase in tuition during that time. The university just doesn’t have the funds to meet the rising costs.”
Because there isn’t enough money in the university’s scholarship pool to cover the $1,140 that remains after the state’s $2,700, Bill Dauster, believes the attempt to improve aid will have to come through the Resource Management and Planning Committee, headed by Dean Robert Biller.
(continued on page 2)
Currently, $2,700 is the maximum amount awarded for a state scholarship and $3,600 is the maximum for the College Opportunity Grant.
The bill, introduced by Legislator John Knox, was supported by Frank Lanterman, a member of the legislature and a USC alumnus, and by the Assn. of Independent California Colleges and Universities. The bill was written with the help of state scholarship and opportunity grant recipients, who wrote letters of support last spring.
To further assure passage of the bill, award winners have been asked by James L. Jones, executive director of Student Administrative Services here, to show their support for the bill.
The bill primarily will affect only private institutions, as most public colleges maximum scholarship awards fall greatly below the $4,200 limit.
Betsy Bildsoe, administrative assistant for the association, believes passage of the bill will be necessary if many private colleges are to continue to operate.
“The bill is a necessary adjustment for inflationary reasons,” she said. “It will make it possible for many students to go to the colleges of their choice rather to one they could afford.”
NO STRIKE FORESEEN
Food workers ask new contract
By Marc Corman
StafT Writer
Food service employees are underpaid, but the university can’t afford to meet their wage increase demands, said Guy Hubbard, executive director of auxiliary services.
The union representing the employees is negotiating a new contract with the university to replace the one that expired in July.
The issue is money. A strike, however, is desired by neither party and negotiations are continuing on a day-to-day basis.
“We’re dealing with an issue that affects both students and workers. If they go on strike, the students are going to be complaining,” said Gus Frias, chairman of MECHA, which is involved in the negotiations as a voice for the workers, many of whom are Chicano and speak little English.
“We’re fighting for a better wage and a better economic way of living," Frias said.
The union representing the full-time food service workers is Local 11 of the Hotel and Restaurant and Bartenders Union ofthe AFL-CIO.
The union represents such food service employees as bus
boys, line servers, cooks and cashiers. It does not represent student employees.
The union is asking for an 80 cents-per-hour increase for each year of a three-year contract.
Hubbard could not cite an exact figure for the university’s most recent offer. Frias said the figure was 10 cents per hour.
While the sides are far apart, neither Frias nor Hubbard believes a strike is imminent.
“I like our employees. We hear them,” Hubbard said. “They need the money. They’re tremendous workers. They work hard and they need more money. But the money isn’t there to meet their demands.” (continued on page 6)
OPEN WIDE — Darrin Lowe has his teeth checked by Bea Gandora, a
dental student, in the mobile van located at the corner of University Avenue and Childs Way, across from Tommy Trojan. The free dental screenings will be offered again today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. DT photo by Renee Cottrell.
Quality of new students rises despite U.S. trend
While the average student’s performance continues to deteriorate on a nationwide scale, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of freshmen and transfer students entering the university gradually are increasing.
In a two-year study conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board, the panel concluded that less emphasis on reading and writing in America’s high schools, too much television watching, more one-parent families and political upheavals probably account for the continuing decline in SAT scores of college-bound high school seniors.
Last year approximately 7,700 high school seniors applied for admission to the university, said Conrad Wedberg Jr., director of university relations.
“This year we had more than 9,100 applicants, and as a result, we were able to be more selective in our admissions,” said Wedberg.
“Our increase for the average score of students attending the university is simply the result of our being able to be more selective, so naturally the average student’s score would be higher,” he said.
Wedberg believes the increase in the number of applicants is a reflection of recruiting activities the university has engaged in during the past year.
“We added four more assistant directors of admissions, and, as a result, we were able to visit more high schools and therefore get the word out about USC on a much larger scale,” Wedberg said.
The national decline in SAT scores began in 1963. the panel said, citing a lowering of educational standards in the last 10 years.
The panel noted, however, that from 1975 to 1977 the average score on the portion of the test measuring verbal scores dropped 5 points, and the mathematical section dropped 2 points, compared to drops over the preceeding two years of 11 and 9 points.
The panel partially attributed the lowering of education standards during the 1960s to a desire to decrease the high-school dropout rate and to ensure that a large percentage of young people had the opportunity to attend college.
STUDENT BODY RIGHT — Miss Universe, Janelle Commissiong of Trinidad-Tobago, visits the football practice field Wednesday and takes advantage of the opportunity, showing several Trojans how the game should be played. DT photo by Doug Gray.