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Volume XCII, Number 60	University of Southern California	Tuesday, December 7, 1982
Zumberge changes university mandates on affirmative action
By George Aguilar
Assistant City Editor
The lonc-awaited university statement on affirmative action, released by President James Zumberge Iasi week, formalizes changes in the last hired, first fired concept and the representation of minorities and women on search and advisory committees.
Zumberge has also re-established an advisor) committee on affirmative action. The committee was disbanded last June and has been reestablished to keep the university informed on changes in federal guidelines pertaining to affirmative action.
The policy statement issued by Zumberge is a formal condensation of university practices.
The statement is also a reiteration of recommendations made by the affirmative action advisory committee, said Barbara Pearson, director of the university's equal employment opportunity/affirmative action office.
Pearson said feedback to the president's policy statement has been favorable. The committee members seemed pleased as well.
'“it's excellent,” she said. “It expanded on what was generally understood. His backing of it has given affirmative action the right emphasis."
Stating that "subtle barriers anchored by the tradition of social, racial and gender-based networks can make progress toward affirmative action goals more difficult." Zumberge outlined the following steps:
—Termination and/or reassignments due to cutbacks or any other reason should be handled with equal care and attention to affirmative action. Futhermore. if layoffs become necessary, it is important that af-firmati\e action gains of the past decade not be lost.
Pearson said this meant that the last hired, first fired concept of employment practices should be re-evaluated in some cases. Sometimes it is the case that minorities are the last ones hired and the first ones fired.
The statement also warns that university departments should make everv effort to keep affirmative action in mind when making decisions u> rcducc taff.
—Search or advisory committees will be used for all professional and management positions reporting to the office of the president. These committees will include women and minorities as members and they will be briefed on their affirmative action responsibilities.
Pearson said this practice is already in existence and the statement merely formalizes it.
—	If search committees are not used, the employment position must be filled through an open recruitment process. Higher university positions will be listed in the Transcript and other publications as a means of attracting qualified minority and women applicants.
(Continued on page 16)
SAS records being stored on microfilm
By Michael Molinski
Staff Writer
Because of the fire at the Student Administrative Services Building last week. man\ lone-overdue administrative tasks are now beine taken care of.
The office of registration and records is transferring records from hard copy to microfilm to ensure their safety in the future, said Robert Morley. associate director of the department.
All degree check cards and grade sheets are now in the process of being put on microfilm. When this is completed, extra copies of the microfilm reels will be stored in a fire-proof safe on campus.
The grade sheets are getting immediate priority and should be on microfilm by the end of the week. Morley said.
Microfilm is both safer and more efficient that the current system of paperwork.
Virtually no student records were destroyed in the fire.
"We don't know of any financial aid records that were destroyed." said Michael Halloran. associate dean of admission and financial aid. “and I am almost certain that no transcripts were lost."
Among the records that were destroyed were off campus work-study contracts. Halloran said. However, these files can be reconstructed from information in other offices.
The admissions files of 10 Ph.D. students were also destroyed, but the fire could have caused much more damage, administrators said.
The cause of the fire is still listed as “suspicious” and is still under investigation by arson detectives, a fire department spokesman said Monday.
The total cost of damages was estimated by the fire department at S250.-
000.	The university, however, has placed the estimate at about S500.000. “and that is a conservative estimate." Halloran saidl
University employees who were put out of work because of the fire are now returning. Many employees have been shifted to other buildings.
Arrangements have been made with the student loans office so work-study students can get emergency loans if necessary. Halloran said.
(Continued on page 7)
Senate
By Cathy Murino
Staff Writer
hears complaints
Creates forum for student objections
Teaching assistants, who play a crucial role in the running of some university departments, are the subject of heated criticism.
Students complain that some TAs are foreigners who either lack knowledge of the English language or have accents so thick it makes their speech unintelligible, said Sharon Dolezal, chairman of the academic affairs research action unit of the Student Senate.
Students who have had problems understanding a TA now have a place to voice their complaints. Due to a senate resolution adopted last month, students are now assured of an investigation into their complaints and if their objections are deemed valid, action will be taken to rectify the situation. The resolution went into effect Wednesday.
If a student is having a problem understanding a TA. he should leave a note in Dolezal's box on the
third floor of the Student Union, or tell one of the other student senators to relay the message to her.
“Students don't feel they get much of a response," Dolezal said in regard to the former system of students filing their complaints with the instructor or dean of the school.
“This new system gives students a place to go,” Dolezal said. “There is no reason to have anyone teaching a class that students do not understand."
In its opening stages. Dolezal said the new system will be applied only to theCollege of Letters. Arts and Sciences, and will be conducted by Irwin Lieb. dean of LAS.
If the system is successful in weeding out the inadequate TAs. it is hoped to be instituted university-wide. she added.
All complaints will be taken immediately to Lieb and analyzed. Dolezal said.
Two weeks after a complaint is filed, the research action unit will review the case aad see what has been done.
The department of mathematics and the school of engineering are often associated with the TA problem.
William Harris, mathematics department chairman, said there is no problem of unintelligible TAs in his department.
"There is no one in this department who doesn't speak fluent English." Harris said. “Some have thick accents, but not so thick as to get in the way of understanding.
“Anyone who says this is a problem is looking for an excuse
(Continued on page 8)
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Staff photo by Robert Heller