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Volume XCVII, Number 38	University of Southern California	Thursday, October 25, 1984
Services and programs: use and satisfaction levels, USC compared with four-year colleges
The 10 most highly rated services and programs at USC
	use	4-Yr Colleges	Difference
Orientation	4.04	3.78	.26
College mass transit	3.96	3.58	.38
Honors programs	3.93	3.86	.07
Intramural-Recreation programs and services	3.88	3.96	-.08
Personal counseling	3.88	3.93	-.05
Student health service	3.87	3.46	.41
Student employment service	3.82	3.84	-.02
Cultural programs	3.79	3.84	-.05
Career planning	3.73	3.71	.02
Academic advising	3.69	3.72	-.03
Satisfaction with the university environment The 10 most highly rated aspects of USC’s environment
Satisfaction average
Variety of courses offered	USC Colleges		Difference
by this college	4.16	3.55	.61
This college In general	4.01	3.93	.08
Course content in your major field	3.97	3.83	.14
Academic calendar for this college	3.94	3.73	.21
Instruction in your major field	3.91	3.85	.06
Class size relative to the			
type of course	3.86	4.10	-.24
Attitude of the faculty			
toward students	3.85	4.02	-.17
Out-of-class availability of			
your instructors	3.81	3.90	-.09
College catalog			
admissions publications	3.81	3.84	-.03
General condition of buildings			
and grounds	3.76	3.71	.05
Factors influencing students' choice of USC The 10 most highly rated factors
Freshmen Fall 1983
Undergrads Spring 1984
(Undergrads Spring 1984) Percent Noting Reason as Very Important
1	1	Good academic reputation	67
2	2	Graduates get good jobs	64
3	3	Graduates go to top grad schools	37
5	4	Financial aid offered	35
4	5	Good reputation for social activities	23
6	6	Special educational programs	21
-	7	Recommended by a former USC student	19
-	8	Good athletic reputation	19
8	9	Recommended by relatives	17
7	10	Wanted to live near home	17
-	11	Parents attended USC	8
9	12	Recruited by a USC representative	6
( - indicates the item was not included in the survey in 1983.)
Student survey results show mixed opinions of programs
By Karen Castro
Assistant Qty Editor
University students are satisfied with the orientation program and student health services, but are critical of parking and the library, according to a survey conducted by the American College Testing program.
The university orientation program received the highest ratings of satisfaction from the survey group. On a scale of 1 through 5, with 5 meaning "very satisfied," freshmen participating in the survey gave the program an average rating of 4.24, with 43 percent of them rating it a 5. The program rated above the national average.
Parking received the lowest rating, 2.75, lower than the average of 2.87. Upperclassmen, who tend to live off campus, were more dissatisfied than underclassmen, with an average rating of 3.03 from freshmen and 2.51 from seniors.
Library services, while rating 3.45, fell below the national average of 3.84.
A total of 1,525 students responded to the undergraduate student opinion survey — a 48 percent response rate — from a stratified random sample representing 20 percent of the entire undergraduate population in spring 1984.
Over 83 percent of survey takers were between 18 and 22 years old, 12.8 percent were 23 to 29, and 2.9 percent were 30 or older. Asian students were slightly over-represented, while blacks, international students and Hispanics were slighdy under-represented. The male / female ratio of the respondents was the same as the actual student body.
A positive finding from the survey — said Kristine Dillon, assistant vice president for student affairs, who prepared the survey results — is that most students are quite satisfied with the diversity of course offerings and are generally pleased with
Lawyers debate role of religion in political decisions, campaigns
By Craig Hotti
Staff Writer
Two lawyers, supporting the two major political parties, agreed in a Wednesday debate that religion is a force in political decision making, but disagreed on whether religious beliefs should be a factor in political campaigns.
Terry Friedman, executive director of a Los Angeles law firm, arguing the Mondale / Ferraro stance, said religion should not be a test for political office because it would "tear down the wall which separates church and state."
But Howard Schaefer, treasurer of the California Republican Party and a university alumnus, argued candidates need a moral background to make decisions once thev are in office, and that
voters should know about a candidate's religious beliefs.
"The Republican Party does support the constitutional provision which prescribes that there should not be a religious test for holding public office," Schaefer said. "However, we do believe that every voter should seek to identify with a candidate who has a moral background."
He said that once a candidate is in office, he is under pressure, often tired, and cannot always make a logical decision. He said this is where a "gut moral feeling" takes over. Therefore, religion, which is almost always the background for morality, should be taken into consideration during a campaign, he argued.
"In my opinion, the real issue of this campaign is what are the moral views of the candidates,"
academics and teaching at the university, although class size seemed to be a problem.
Financial aid was the service area comparing least favorably in the ratings. The students most satisfied with the program were freshmen and sophomores, who only rated a "neutral" satisfaction. Dillon said it is apparent that satisfaction levels are somewhat associated with the aid awarded.
ACT officials said averages at this university that differ more than two-tenths of a rating point from the national average "warrant attention or acknowledgment by the university."
Schaefer said. "A person's religious views (do) give us some kind of an understanding of the candidate."
Friedman, however, argued, "I think (religion) promotes an ethical conduct in office . . . but I do not believe religion should be a litmus test for the holding of office. It would be impossible to apply such a test."
He added that he thinks religion and politics have been mixed more this year than ever before — which he thinks is "improper.” He blamed this trend on the conservative movement in this country.
Schaefer said that throughout history many religious leaders have voiced their opinions about public policy.
"The slavery issue was origin-(Continued on page 6)
Almost 50 percent of the respondents felt that entering students should go through an orientation program. Their assessment rated this university's program superior to others. Fewer than 12 percent of respondents felt the orientation program was not important.
Peggy Kravitz, director of orientation programs, was "very pleased" about the high ratings.
"It will give us energy and enthusiasm to provide more services and more attention to the program," she said.
Approximately 2,600 students participated in the orientation (Continued on page 3)
Taper Hall bomb threat disrupts classes, midterms
ADAM KRAJCHIR DAILY TROJAN
A security officer directs someone away from Taper Hall after a bomb threat forced evacuation of the entire building Wednesday morning.
By Frances Hong
Staff Writer
Classes and midterms were interrupted Wednesday when a morning bomb threat forced security to evacuate students and faculty members from the Taper Hall of Humanities.
University Security officers sealed off the area around the building while officers from the Los Angeles Police Department performed a precautionary check in the building at 10 a.m. Nothing was found.
Sgt. David Ritch of University Security said a man called his station around 9:30 a.m. and told security, "There's a bomb in Taper Hall and if you want to save your people, you better get them out."
"Normally, we just inform the people in the particular building that's being threatened and give them the option to stay or leave. But the caller claimed to be from an Armenian organization (thought responsible for several explosions around the world) so we reviewed the tape of the call and decided to perform a complete evacuation," Ritch said.
Students evacuated from the building appeared very nonchalant.
"It was really dumb. Students were standing at the door after being told to evacuate, and seemed to be waiting to be blown up," said one student.
Another student, Gene Edwards, said, "I was in class and security told us to please evacuate the building immediately and it was quite shocking. Everyone was really calm, though, and thought it was just a routine fire alarm."
He added that security did a good job and that the matter was carried out swiftly.
One student was taking a midterm when another student burst into his classroom and said there was a bomb threat.
(Continued on page 2)