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University of Southern California
Vol. LXVI, No. 95	Los Angeles, California	Thursday, March 21, 1974
Center to fight hiring program to besought
Funding for a counseling center that would challenge the policies and practices of the university’s Affirmative Action Program will be proposed soon to the Student Programming Board.
The proposal for $2,670 will be offered by Hunt Braly. a freshman in political science.
The center will be sponsored by the Coalition for Academic Freedom, which has opposed the Affirmative Action Program on the grounds that it permits intervention of the federal government in personnel policies.
Under the program, institutions that receive federal funds—including USC—must establish guidelines to ensure that women and members of minority groups are not discriminated against in admissions, employment. promotion or compensation.
Coalition representatives, however, say the guidelines are discrimination in reverse and bar qualified candidates for employment.
Braly said that the proposed Center for Academic Nondiscrimination would:
•	Provide a means by which students or faculty members who believe they have been treated unfairly by the university on the basis of race, sex, religion or national origin can act.
•	Provide counseling and legal services in such matters, and to file complaints as needed with appropriate university offices, federal agencies, or the courts.
•	Resist attempts by the federal government to impose what the coalition believes are discriminatory standards in admissions, employment, promotion and compensation.
•	Provide information-
“We want a place where students and faculty members can come and get help without having to pay expensive legal fees,” he said.
The proposal is expected to be studied by a board panel this week and may be considered by the full board as early as next week.
Progrsm board to study budget
Budget requests will make up much of the agenda for today’s Programming Board meeting at 9 p.m. in Student Union 311.
An appeal by the Graduate Students Association for another decision on their budget will be discussed. The association had requested $6,400 for the balance of the semester.
At last Thursday’s meeting, board members turned down the request and approved $615 for the association. Arturo Abarca.
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chairman ofthe board, said that the major reason for the board’s refusal of the high figure was ‘’because they had included a huge cocktail party and unnecessary publicity in the first request.”
Abarca said that in the past Charles Mayo, dean of the Graduate School, had found funding for the party. “The association requested $5,000 for the party and an additional few hundred dollars for publicity and invitations,” Abarca explained.
Other matters to be discussed by the board will include the appointment of members to the Emergency Loan Committee and the formation of a Social and Cultural Programs Council.
New plan may increase availability of loan funds
TENURE POLICY—John Russell, professor of astronomy, discussed the university tenure policy at the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday. He is a member of the ad hoc committee set up to examine proposals to give fixed-term contracts instead of tenure. DT photo by Marc Groothaert.
BY ALIX RILEY
Staff \V riter
The university has the opportunity to increase the number of federally insured loans available to students by acting as a lending institution, but whether such a program will be implemented remains uncertain.
A Chicago corporation has offered to provide institution-wide financing and loan servicing to a number of selected colleges and universities across the country.
Under this plan, the corporation would lend money to the university, and the university would lend to its students.
Colin MacLeod, director of financial services, said the federal government has approved the university as an institutional lender, but that there are currently no plans for a lending program.
“We’re been exploring a number of possibilities,” he said. “We do not have any specific plans to work through any specific organizations.”
He said the university sought to become a lending institution because “if we do want to move in that direction, we will have that step behind us.”
The loan plan was designed to offset the 40% drop in bank loans to students from 1972 to 1973 and the effects of this drop on lower and middle income families.
Rising costs and demands on banks have made them uncertain sources of funds. If the university became a source for loans, the student would go directly to the school, rather than checking with various banks.
Opponents of the program have raised objections to it on the basis that its administration would be too costly and would create too much paperwork.
Other potential problems cited are the creation of bad relationships with local banks and
the possibility of hostility toward the lending institution, affecting the university’s fundraising programs.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, in its Feb. 19 issue, reported that nine private eastern institutions had recommended that private colleges and universities become more directly and fully involved in the federally guaranteed student loan program.
A report by the institutions said that because of rising costs, schools were incapable of increasing their scholarship funds, and therefore had to ask students to rely on loans for financial aid.
The schools could help students to obtain loans by getting involved in the management and administration of the federal program, said the report.
A total of 100 colleges and universities are now eligible lenders.
MacLeod said the university has been studyingthe possibility of implementing a loan program, but no conclusions have been reached.
"It’s one of those things we are simply exploring.” he said. ‘'What we do depends on how the federal programs go. We want to keep a number of alternatives open.”
Senate to examine new semester plan
The Executive Board of the Faculty Senate announced plans to
investigate adoption of a new academic calendar-called the 4-1-4 plan at a meeting on Wednesday.
The plan would change the beginning of the semester to early September, with classes ending before Christmas. The spring semester would begin a month after the fall semester ended and last through May.
The board will discuss the plan and will consider student housing problems that would be caused as a result of a month’s vacation period. A recommendation is expected next week.
Food service employees and athletic programming would also be affected.
The cost of the changeover will be among the topics explored.
Among the other committees reporting to the senate was the Academic Policy and Procedure Committee, which discussed the use of the university’s name in campaigning for political office.
The University Administration Committee also gave a report on its progress.
Although no formal announcement has been made of the creation of the new position of academic coordinator and assistant to the vice-president for academic administration and research, Richard Lewis was introduced as the expected appointee.
Lewis said his aim will be to bring the academic and intellectual achievements to the attention of both the university and the outside community.
“We are going to be frank and honest about USC,” he said.
As partof his program, Lewis plans to set up a storage system to keep information on what is happening in the academic community.
Lewis said he plans to expose the university to the local community first, then stretch his efforts to the regional and national levels.
SOUNDS OF SPRING—The USC Wind Orchestra helps set the mood for the upcoming spring season. The orchestra, conducted by William A. Schaefer, performed Wednesday at noon near the steps of the Ad-
ministration building. Among the selections played were works by Aaron Copland and George Frederic Handel. DT photo by Andy Rovins.