Daily flip Tvojait
University of Southern California
vol. Ixv no. 56	los angeles, California	Wednesday, december 13, 1972
James
R.
Appleton:
Taking a good look at USC
By Andrew Erskine
associate eidtor
His office does not yet look lived in. Neat piles of papers and manila folders adorn the desk and bookcases, but there is a sense of chaos, a sense that things have not yet reached a final resting place.
And the man who now occupies the office, James Appleton. the new vice-president for student affairs—he too appears to be in a state of flux, in the process of getting used to USC.
“I see the first two weeks as a period of assessment.” Appleton said. “Naturally, people want me to act. but I can’t act unless I've assessed the situation.”
Appleton is currently receiving what might be called a total immersion course in life at USC. He has spent several nights in Married Students’ housing both to save time and to get the feel of living here. He has eaten in the dorms, on the Row, at the Soroptimist house on 30th Street.
By the beginning of the Christmas holidays he will have met most of the student affairs staff, many of the university's vice-presidents. and representatives from main campus groups.
Main objectives
Appleton said that one of his main objectives is to “work toward a different mode of operation.”
"One can see himself primarily as a problem-solver.” Appleton said. “Maybe that’s not bad. but I"m not so sure. I'd like to set some objectives in measurable terms, then I’d like to solve them.”
In short, Appleton said, his office would be process-oriented, not problem-oriented.”
•Rather than doing things after the face. I'd like to reestablish the initiative in the student affairs office.” he said, “not in
nomination clear, and 2) that some heterogeneity—racial, sex. and living area—be reached.
Commenting on the corruption in student politics evident last year, Appleton said, “At many universities the question of how students run the government is up for grabs. It seems a bit more disorganized and confused here.
“If students don't see the need for student government, then let's not have it. There is some gain, however, in letting students make their own decisions.”
Appleton added that he would like the opportunity to describe some alternatives to the programming board by the first of the year.
One of Appleton’s duties, of course, will be to implement the two-and-a-half-month-old Report on Student Life. He has had the report for some time now, and. as he puts it. he “could quote verse and page.”
“I think it’s a good stimulus,” he said, “however, it’s very general and inprecise.”
"We can’t jump directly from the report to its application,” he said. “There has got to be precision and a statement of priorities.
"What I want to do is pick and choose short-range goals and priorities and then put some timetables on it.”
When asked whether he thought that money would be a problem in trying to implement the report's proposals. Appleton said. “I’ve not had an opportunity to test that. If you want my opinion, though. I’m not discouraged by the financial considerations." He added, however, that the specific priorities set would greatly affect the amount of financial belt-tightening necessary to make the report's recommendations a reality.
Appleton also expressed con-(Continued on page 9)
James Appleton
my little box, but in concert with involved students.”
Appleton is no newcomer to the joys and sorrows of being a university administrater. He has come here after seven years at Oakland University in Rochester. Mich., where he served as assistant dean and dean of students.
Previous to that, he attended graduate school and worked on the dean of students’ staff at Michigan State.
His undergraduate background was in the field of social sciences and his graduate work was in higher education administration.
Appleton is fairly confident about his abilities as an administrator. “I’d like to think I have some ability to be a tough manager while being sensitive to the human needs of the organization members,” he said.
“I like to assist people in
developing the sense of their own personal worth,” he said.
Appleton is no stranger to California. Although he grew up in Tonawanda. N.Y.. his parents, moved to Palmdale, Calif., when he was a sophomore in college, and he had a chance to view the state on his visits to his family.
“USC is a strong family” Appleton’s first reaction to USC. he said, was “that USC is a stronger family than most, and hence has many of the attendant difficulties and advantages of a tightly-knit family.” He cited petty quarreling as one of the disadvantages of close families, and a greater degree of involvement as one of the advantages.
Appleton stressed, however, that he saw this aspect of student life at USC as a plus.
Appleton is somewhat reluctant to propose cut-and-dried solutions to USC’s present problems.
“I have my opinions about how we might improve things, but these are only mine.” he said. “I'm going to change my values on the basis of what students think, and I would hope that they would also respect my values.” “To talk about concrete solutions now would be to violate the process,” he said. “Decisions must be made after consultation.”
When asked about the recently-nominated programming board, Appleton said, “I support it. but I don’t interfere with it; I don’t know any of the students on the board.”
In most cases, he followed the recommendations of the selection committee and Daniel Nowak, assistant vice-president for student affairs.
He said that his only requirements for the programming board is that: 1) the staff be thorough and the process of