Lynn Hutton (above), university treasurer, and Barbara Gardner, director of urban affairs, are two of the highest ranking women administrators at the university.
Volume XCIII, Number 63
trojan
University of Southern California
Thursday, April 21, 1983
Faculty senate approves plan to limit professor dismissals
By Maria Anton
Staff Writer
The faculty senate approved in principle Wednesday a plan which recommends that a tenured faculty member should be fired or reassigned only if the university’ gets into a financial crisis.
The one exception to this plan would be the releasing of a tenured faculty member due to the closing of a school or department.
The plan states that a tenured faculty member cannot be fired in favor of a non-tenured faculty member except in "extraordinary circumstances where a serious distortion of the academic program would otherwise result (from the financial crisis)."
But Donald Yett, a professor of economics, said he was not comfortable with a provision that could allow the firing of any tenured faculty member under "extraordinary circumstances." He also wondered aloud whether, under that provision, tenure was even worth earning.
A financial crisis would occur if "the university (could not) balance its budget by any combination of increases in income and reduction of expenditures . . . without seriously jeopardizing the future existence of the university or of key academic units," the plan said.
Before a state of financial crisis can be declared it must be shown that "all reasonable attempts to relieve the crisis by less intrusive alternatives" — such as a freeze on the hiring of staff, encouragement of early retirement or appeals for special fundraisers — have been made, according to the plan.
Also, a Financial Exigency Review Committee,
consisting of two deans, one senior staff member, one student and five faculty members, would have to decide if a state of financial crisis truly existed and report its findings to the university president and the board of trustees, the plan said.
Under the plan, a Financial Emergency' Committee must search for alternatives to the firing of a faculty member and also examine the termination's impact on the students, faculty, college and university.
The plan said that if a faculty member has been fired, he has the right to appeal. Personal bias against a faculty member or violation against an instructor's academic freedom are grounds for appeal, the plan said.
A suggestion was brought up on the floor that perhaps it would be best to require that all assistant professors be fired before even one tenured faculty' member could be. The response to this was that terminating all assistant professors could lead to "academic disaster."
Jerald Jellison, associate professor in psychology, said the plan was an attempt to tell the administration that the faculty wants a voice regarding the possible firing of its tenured colleagues.
The plan was formulated after Cornelius Pings, senior vice president of academic affairs and provost, asked the faculty senate last August for guidelines in case a school or department is closed. The ad hoc committee was formed to consider Pings' request.
It was stressed at the meeting that the university currently was not facing a financial emergency situation, but that the plan was formed at this time so a possible future emergency situation could be looked at objectively.
Cornelius Pings, university provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, formulated the new clause which protects tenured faculty.
Stu-Q members urge new phone system
By Melinda Smolin
Staff Writer
The student community council (Stu-Q) is attempting to pursuade the administration to purchase a new telephone system for university-owned dormitories and apartments because of the problem that some students face when their roommates don't pay their share of the bill.
"One of the largest causes of roommate disputes is phone bills and people not paying their part," said Gator Lawrence, vice president of the student community council.
University women speak out on sexism
By Ellen Plotkin
Assistant Managing Editor
All the pursuits of men are the pursuits of women also, but in all of them a woman is inferior. — Plato.
"I wanted to go to law school and my father said 'no, your husband goes to law school.' "
At the time, Barbara Pearson did not think twice about her father's statement. Now, some 25 years later, Pearson directs the university's affirmative action department. She said that today she would be more aggressive in dealing with her father’s attitude.
After years of volunteer service in Los Angeles, Pearson came to the university "quite by accident" in 1970.
The affirmative action program was instituted here in 1970, and she was made its first director after the Congress passed an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1968 requiring all universities to implement such programs.
This article, the second of a two-part series, profiles four of the highest ranking women within the university's administration.
Pearson, a soft-spoken, gray-haired woman, conducts her business from an office on the third floor of Bovard administration building overlooking E.F. Hutton Park. Various scenic photographs and paintings decorate the walls, and several trinkets are scattered about the three shelves.
She graduated from this university with three degrees: geology, comparative literature and journalism. She never did go to law school.
Pearson said she is content with her position at the university, reasoning that it is better than working as a volunteer. In her job she deals with cases of sexual discrimination and harrassment involving university employees.
"In the past year there have been more sexual harrassment cases," she said. "People are more aware now of their rights.
"I never thought I was paid enough for years," she said, laughing.
When Pearson came to the university, there were three female deans. But compared to Stanford, Yale and Harvard, this university' is ahead in the employment of women and minorities.
Lynn Hutton
But the fact remains that women are sparsely visible in high university administrative positions. Lynn Hutton, university treasurer, is the highest ranking female at this institution.
"As more women obtain the various levels of experience, as
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Lawrence has been in contact with Pacific Telephone about installing a telephone system for university housing.
He expects to receive a concrete proposal regarding a new system when he meets with the representatives from the phone company.
The university currently employs a Centrex system, but it does not include university housing. Under this system all offices have a separate identi-code so the phone company can determine the origin of every long distance call.
The type of system Lawrence is investigating would be similar to the university's Centrex system or to systems that other universities use.
Lawrence said any new system would have to be designed to fit certain specifications and needs. The system w’ould have to provide a way by which students could be billed separately for long distance calls and a method of billing in which students who don't pay could be easily tracked down, he said.
"I'm trying to find out what systems are available. After that I'll let the technical people take over," Lawrence said.
Carol Schmitz, assistant director of residence halls, said that "a lot of students do have problems with phone bills."
However, she added that Lawrence w'ould "very legitimately like to help the students, (but) I'm not sure what he is suggesting can be done."
Centrex systems that are used in student housing are employed by several universities, such as the University of Arkansas, the University of Oklahoma and Texas Tech University.
Texas Tech University switched to the Centrex system in 1974 because the telephone company had difficulty' in collecting payment from students, said Larry Haynes, a Texas Tech spokesman. Since the implementation of the system, collecting from the students has become easier, he said.
At Texas Tech, telephone bills are included as part of a student's monthly room and board payments. Students may dial local and campus calls only. They must dial a designated number before making long distance and collect calls.
If students wish to make regular, direct long-distance calls they must enter into a separate
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