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Volume XCIII, Number 62
University of Southern California
Wednesday, April 20, 1983
The top administrative quartet of, from top left to right, President James Zumberge; Roger Olson, senior vice president of university relations; Cornelius Pings, senior vice president of academic affairs and provost; and Jon Strauss, senior vice president of administration, demonstrate that women hold very few position of power at the university.
Women still not visible in university power structure
By Ellen Plotkin
Assistant Managing Editor
On paper it looks fairly impressive, even encouraging. But when the raw figures are broken down, women still hold very few positions of power at the university.
In effect, the university hierarchy has worn a three-piece suit since 1880.
The recent appointment of Roger Olson as senior vice president of university relations, one of the most powerful positions on campus, upheld the university's 100-year tradition of having a male-dominated power structure.
This is the first in a two-part series.
But this did not surprise Barbara Gardner, director of urban affairs, who has been at the university for 14 years.
Whenever a new position opens on campus, Gardner said, she thinks, "Maybe now, maybe now. (But) it's another white male.''
Although 1982-83 university affirmative action statistics showr that since 1970 the total number of university female employees has increased by more than 10 percent, women are not being placed in higher positions, Gardner said.
For example, in 1971, women made up 12 1/2 percent of the assistant professorships at the university. After nine years that figure has doubled. But during that same period the number of women holding tenured faculty positions decreased from 8 to 6 percent.
''It may be because assistant professoring is a relatively low paying job," said Gardner who has
been at the university since 1969. "Assistant professoring is becoming more and more of a woman's job, like school teaching."
Women also make up 84 percent of the secretarial and clerical positions at the university, according to the 1981 university affirmative action report.
While there is no standard definition for senior administrators at this university, it is generally agreed that they are the ones who make the daily executive decisions that affect the entire univer-isty. Lynn Hutton, university treasurer — and the highest ranking female — ventured that the true power positions on campus include: president, the three senior vice presidents, the vice presidents and possibly the deans and herself.
Only one woman on campus can be included in this list — dean of the college of continuing education. There is one other female dean, although her job is largely ceremonial as dean of women.
Another indicator of who the top decision-mak-ers at this university are can be found by examining the representation in presidential staff meetings — university President James Zumberge; Jon Strauss, senior vice president of administration; Cornelius Pings, senior vice president of academic affairs and provost; and Roger Olson, senior vice president of university relations.
Eleven years ago these meetings were also attended entirely by men.
There are no statistics indicating the fluctuations of men and women in power positions (president, senior vice presidents and vice presi-
(Continued on page 3)
Promised aid cited in applicant trend
By Laura Castaneda
Assistant City Editor
Officials in the office of admissions are crediting the university's promise to meet the demonstrated financial aid need of every incoming student for the 7 percent jump in applications over last year.
“The message has been, 'don't let the cost of an institution inhibit you,' " said Ed Wall, dean of admissions and financial aid. "If you're admitted and you have need, we'll meet that need."
The university's financial aid promise is one of the tactics that the administration is employing in the battle that all colleges are currently fighting over who can attract potential students.
A recent survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that student applications to private U.S. colleges and universities are up about 4 percent, while public institutions have experienced a drop of about 1 percent.
Wall said that fewer students are applying because application and educational costs have risen and because demographics are changing.
He said that there are fewer people between the ages of 18 and 20 than in previous years, and that students, for economic reasons, are being more selective about where they apply.
"They're not scattering their shots as wildly,” Wall said. •"The same person who applied to five or six different colleges years ago would now apply to only two or three."
To help encourage more students to apply, the office of admissions has been stressing the university's financial aid policy in its literature. The office has also held forums involving students and staff members, and receptions throughout the country including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York.
The results have been positive. In an effort to obtain a 2,750 member freshman class, admissions has already accepted 4,500 applicants to help fill the 6,400 openings — and the final deadline is still one week away.
Wall explained that so many students are admitted because so many eventually decide not to attend. "The class we admit is different than the class we get," he said.
Other offices and organizations are also helping the university recruit more students.
Freshman Friends, for example, is a volunteer, letter-writing program that is in its third year at the university.
Co-sponsored by the admissions office and the office of orientation programs, Freshman Friends helps contact
3,000	to 5,000 recently admitted students.
Any currently enrolled student can volunteer to write to these people, and the letters often help convince them to attend.
"The program was started as a means to provide outreach
and let them know there is someone on campus they can have contact with," said Susan Pedersen, . an admissions officer.
The Norman Topping Student Aid Fund, along with the student senate, recently sponsored a College Event Day for high school students.
Recipients of the Norman Topping Scholarship, along with student senators, professors, finacial aid and admission officers, hosted and provided information to about 80 local high school students and their counselors.
The hosts will also be conducting follow-up phone calls to these students in an effort to get them to attend the university.
"We feel very strongly that (Continued on page 8)
Leaders to speak at retreat
By Jeffrey Tylicki
Staff Writer
The outgoing and incoming presidents of the student senate will attend the university Board of Trustees' retreat next week, representing the first time in several years that students have presented student concerns at the annual meeting of the university's governing board.
At university President James Zumberge's invitation, student senate president Dan Dunmoyer and newly elected president Bill Lilia will attend the conference, to be held at a lodge at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in the Monterey Bay area.
"We will be speaking on behalf of over 13,000 students at a crucial time in the university's history," Dunmoyer said. "It's an awesome responsibility for us and a good sign for the students."
Although neither of them will have an actual vote on any of the issues to be discussed, Dunmoyer said that one of his and Lilia's major contributions will be to present the student perspective at sessions on academic planning.
"Dr. (Cornelius) Pings (senior vice president for academic affairs and provost) will be making the actual presentations to the trustees," Dunmoyer said. "We will be there as think tanks for them."
Lilia and Dunmoyer said they think they will add perspective to the meeting and answer questions from a student's point of view.
"We can offer some specifics the board is looking for that might help them in planning for broader goals and objectives," Lilia said.
The student leaders said two burning issues they plan to hit upon at the conference are the condition of campus libraries (Continued on page 8)