dkj% trojan
Volume XCIV, Number 17	University of Southern California	Wednesday, September 28, 1983
Drama school finds classroom space with aid of administration
By Jeffrey Tylicki
Assistant Qty Editor
The crunch for classroom space within the division of drama, in part due to increasing enrollment, has been temporarily eased due to improved relations between the division and the administration, department officials said.
"The administration has been very responsive to the needs of the department," said Karen Schmidt, manager of the division of drama.
This is a far cry from the situation last spring, when the drama faculty recommended that no new students be admitted to the program this fall unless additional classroom space could be found. Schmidt said now that
Taper Hall and the Performing Arts Annex, located on Figueroa a few blocks north of campus.
Classes held at PAA are still a problem for some drama students, Schmidt said, because of some schedules that require students to take a class at the annex one hour, then get to another class on the main campus the next hour.
There are no current plans for a drama building, she said, because, "there just isn't any room (on campus)."
"We have presented our problems to the administration and are letting them make the decisions," Schmidt explained. "We have not made any requests for any specific buildings and ... are not trying to glom on
'We have not made any requests for any specific buildings and ... are not trying to glom on to anyone else's territory.'
with many of last semester's problems ironed out, an estimated 105 freshmen and transfer students have been admitted to the program this year.
Among the problems last year were classes that met in different rooms each day due to lack of space and the disruption of non-drama courses by rehearsing drama students.
"The administration has been scheduling drama classes in close proximity to each other," Schmidt said. "By doing that, fewer classes are disrupted."
Members of the drama faculty have long maintained that because of the nature of their studies, drama students need to be noisier in their classes than other students.
"We really appreciated the university faculty's patience in putting up with these situations," Schmidt said. "They have been very understanding."
Drama classes are currently held in three theatres on campus, Von Kleinsmid Center,
to anyone else's territory."
When asked if the drama division had any designs on the buildings that will be vacated by the cinema school when the new cinema center is completed, Schmidt said it was all in the hands of the administration.
"Those old bungalows may just fall down when the cinema people take their equipment out," she laughed.
Schmidt attributed the rising enrollment in the drama division to the director, Duncan Ross. She said enrollment figures within the discipline have tripled since Ross came to the university four years ago. Last year, 300 students nationwide auditioned for the 30 freshmen spaces in the division's bachelor of fine arts program.
"Many students come here to study the Duncan Ross method of acting, which is only taught at this university," she said.
The division of drama, through Ross, is currently reporting directly to the Provost
Cornelius Pings because of the unsure future of the school of performing arts, which houses the school of music, division of TV-cinema, and the division of drama.
The interim dean of performing arts left the university last year and the postion was not filled. Janet Zhaudhri, assistant provost, said the search for the deanship has been stopped.
Zhaudhri said the division of TV-cinema was given tentative approval for status as the school of TV-cinema pending action by the board of trustees next month. She said Pings has asked the division of drama to put together a proposal for becoming an independent school, like music and cinema.
"Dr. Pings has expressed personal support for the drama school to eventually become independent, but he has some reservations in the areas of support and location," Zhaudhri said.
The division of drama is the smallest unit within the school of performing arts, and Zhaudhri speculated it would be two or three years before it could possibly be able to operate as an independent school.
MICHELE DURANT/DAILY TROJAN New life added to the rubble of University Ave. with the planting of trees.
University Advisory Council increases faculty memberships
By Joann Gekko
Staff Writer
The 16-member University Advisory Council, in its second trial year, has increased its faculty membership in order to provide President James Zumberge with a wider range of faculty opinion.
But the increase in faculty members has not come without a cost — a corresponding reduction in administrative staff membership accompanied the move and a returning council member is concerned.
"I don't know if it is a good thing," said Margaret Harring-
ton, president of the Staff Assembly, about the decrease in administrative staff membership. "There are some real trade-offs."
There were only three faculty members on the 17-member advisory committee chosen by Zumberge last year. This year, that number increased to seven faculty members, while the total coundl membership decreased by one.
"The advantages of having the administration on the council is that those people are in the position to implement the council's advice," Harrington said.
"We'll have to give this model a chance to see how it balances out."
Another council member does not foresee any problems resulting from Zumberge's decision to invite more faculty members to join the advisory council.
"I anticipate no problems from the large number of faculty," said George Abdo, executive assistant to the president and a council member. "Last year, President Zumberge benefited from faculty imput. He has benefitted from numerous (Continued on page 8)
MICHELE DURANT/DAILY TROJAN
Record Retreat is only one of the stores in University Village that has picked up business with the start of the new semester.
UV sales increase as new year begins
By Carmen Chandler
Assistant Qty Editor
While most of the university reluctantly returned to campus this month, merchants in University Village let out a mild sigh of relief for the coming of September, which has historically been the village's most profitable month.
Most of the businesses in the village rely on university students, faculty and staff for about 30 percent of their trade. For other businesses the percentage is much higher.
"Ninety percent of our business comes from students," said Terri Ford, a customer clerk with the Phone Center Store. She pointed out that most of the transactions occur during the first two weeks of school.
. "I can't say that every single student shops here, but a lot of them do," said Connie Cashin, University Village's marketing director.
Though the surge of returning students in September is welcomed, most of the village does not rely solely on the university community during the fall and spring semesters for survival.
"We're always real busy at this time of the year — September is one of our busiest times — but we're pretty busy all year round," Cashin said.
(Continued on page 2)