Vol. LXIV, No. 40
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Facilities May Limit Freshmen
FREE PLANTS—Members of the Biology Semester were giving away plants Tuesday. They are from left. Gilbert F. Jones, associate professor of Biology,
Patti Ryan, a senior in French, Peter Wilmarth, a junior with an undeclared major, and Cathy Connolly, a senior in drama. DT photo by Michael Sedano.
BY BOB EVANS
Staff Writer
The university cannot exceed the record size of this year's freshman class because it doesn’t have enough facilities, the executive director of student administrative services says.
“We cannot have a larger freshman class next year because this year we were unable to accommodate them all in such areas as housing,” William C. Himstreet. the director. said in an interview.
“Until we get more housing. we can’t take any more freshmen than we have now.'’
SCIENCE laboratories are also being utilized at their maximum capacities, Him-
Need for Graduate Group Stressed
BY SARAH HECK
Staff Writer
Many people on campus see a need for starting an organization for graduate students, among them are Charles G. Mayo, the dean of the Graduate School, and Lynn Novak, a graduate student in comparative literature.
This need was expressed Tuesday at a cocktail party for all women graduate students. The party was spon-
sored by the Graduate School and the Graduate Women's Caucus. The party was given to get the women together to meet one another and encourage university recognition, said Mayo.
“We honor the Ph.D students every year with a party, and at the beginning of this year we had a party for the new graduate students. So when the Graduate Women's Caucus asked me if the
Graduate School would sponsor a party for the women we thought it would be a good idea,” he said.
HOWEVER, the purpose of the party seemed more than just getting the women together to socialize over cocktails.
A notice about meetings of the Graduate Women’s Caucus was handedoutatthe door. Signs reminding the women of a forthcoming meeting were posted at con-
Process of Need Analysis Helps Determine Student Aid
BY PETER WONG
Managing Kditor
The process is called need analysis—and from it comes the determination of how much financial aid a student will get each year, if he gets any at all.
Because federal and state student-aid programs emphasize financial need more than other factors, it is important to understand the roll of need analysis—and whether students from the middle class are uninentionally excluded from aid.
A CHAPTER IN Student Life and Student Services. 1966-80. a report to the University Planning Com mission in March. 1967. described the reason for need analysis
“Because the majority of undergraduates are financially dependent on their parents, an assessment is made ofthe family’s ability to contribute to the student's education compared to the overall cost of attending a particular institution,” the report said.
“The college or university then attempts to cover all or Dart of the difference bet-
ween costs and family resources by means of a scholarship, a loan, a job. or a combination of these.”
Student Aid Office staff members do the need analyses, with assistance from the College Scholarship Service ofthe College Entr ance Examination Board and the American College Testing Service.
BOTH OF these services are provided nationally. Most students and parents are familiar with them-—overly familiar, because about this time every year, they struggle to complete such forms as the Parents' Confidential Statement and mail them to the processing service.
Why are these national agencies used?
“First, the federal government requires that students applying for financial aid through its programs must have need analysis done under a set of nationally standardized procedures,” Pamela H. Walbom. director of the Student Aid Office, said in an interview in 1972.
“These services satisfy that federal requirement.”
BUT MORE importantly, the services can do a thorough job, W’albom said.
“They do a far more adequate job of financial analysis than we could ever do with the limited number of staff members we have in relationship to the number of students we must serve,” she said.
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spicuous places. Novak, who is involved in the Graduate Women's Caucus, referred to the party as a subtle, soft sell for the caucus. But she added that no strings were attached.
Novak said the caucus would be grateful that, if by getting together and realizing they shared common problems, some women were encouraged to get more involved in the caucus.
Mayo expressed his interest in any form of graduate student organization.
“I D LIKE TO SEE some kind of Graduate School student group, or even a university-wide graduate student organization. I’m for the Graduate Women’s Caucus because it’s a step in this direction.” he said.
“As a dean. I feel the need for a representative advisory group that I can look to for opinions on policy, appointments and the like. I don’t mind criticism. But I like to feel it comes from a representative group,” said Mayo.
street said, and that means fewer natural science and health-sciencemajorscan be enrolled next year.
The size of this fall’s freshman class is estimated at 2,200, the largest in the university’s history.
While the number of freshman applicants declined from last year, the percentage of acceptances increased to about lOO^r.
The goal of the Admissions Office for next fall. Himstreet said, is to maintain the present size ofthe freshman class and increase the number of transfer students.
ALTHOUGH the size of the freshman class can’t be increased, the university is try-ingto increasethe numberof freshman applicants as well as transfer applicants to allow greater selectivity.
“A larger applicant pool gives us a lot more flexibility and leeway in deciding whom to accept,” Himstreet said.
To get more applicants, the Admissions Office’s recruiting program has been expanded, but applicants will be accepted only in schools and departments where they can be accommodated. Himstreet said.
BESIDES enlargement of the applicant pool, the university is also seeking higher-quality applicants and those who can afford to pay their tuition without assistance from the university.
“Contrary to a lot of schools, we don’t just invite all the seniors of a high school to talk to our recruiters,” Himstreet said.
“The top students are personally invited by alumni and through other means sothere is an automatic selection process right off the bat.”
Recruiting efforts aim also attopscorersonthe National Merit Scholarship and the
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HELPING HAND—Walter Whipple (1.) an undergraduate advisor in the Student Aid Office, gives some help to Ed
Washatka, a junior in journalism, with financial-aid applications and statements. DT photo by Tina Pasquinelli.
Wednesday, November 14, 1973