By Bob Conti
Staff Writer
Minority groups say President Hubbard is covering up the issue of discriminatory admissions practices by saying he can admit normally nonadmissable students.
Randall Craig, a representative from the Associated Black Students of Southern California, said that Hubbard's statement “was merely an attempt to cover up or to water down the issues."
Mercy Marquez, chairman of MECHA, a Chicano student organization, said Hub1-bard was "justifying the practice done."
Hubbard said that the university accepts students "on the basis of past academic performance, scholastic aptitude, test scores and estimated potential success for college."
The "percentage of nonwhite domestic enrollments surpasses both the state college and university system as well as the University of California system," he said.
Hubbard said in a third part of his statement that he, "with the full support of the Board of Trustees, may from time to time
Minority groups accuse Hubbard of covering up
act on admissions ... when, in (Hubbard's) judgment, a decision to admit a given student would be in the best interests of the university and the student in question."
Hubbard also said presidents at other universities do the same thing.
The number of students who receive this help from the president in any given year, is less than 1/10 of 1%," Hubbard said. This comes out to roughly five to eight students each year.
The latter claim, that the president brought in students who may not have met regular admission standards to the university, sparked off the initial response from the groups.
The ABSSC and MEChA, demanded the removal of several university ad-
ministrators, due to alleged involvement in "... immoral and quite possibly illegal practices," (Daily Trojan, April 27).
Both Jay Berger, director of admissions, and James Jones, director of Student Administrative Services, said they had done nothing wrong (Daily Trojan, April 30).
Thomas Nickell, vice-president of university affairs said in a press release today, "I have not engaged in immoral or illegal practices."
Marquez, said the groups are still demanding that the three administrators be removed from their posts.
The minority enrollment at the university should exceed those of other schools because it is situated in "the heart of a
minority community," and "when we see a 36% decrease in black enrollment alone, we know that it is no accident," Craig said.
Currently, there are 1,600 blacks on campus, Craig said. Although figures from other sources place that figure as slightly less.
The problem stems from the admission of a girl who did not meet university standards but was admitted anyway over "minority" students who achieved better scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and received higher grade point averages.
MEChA is concerned with not just this particular case, but with how many times this has happened in the past, Marquez said.
It's loophole the president can use to grant favors to those who can contribute large sums of money, she said.
Marquez said the problem does not just lie with minorities, but with the middle-class as well. "What we'd like to know is, is the president making this * decision on money. Does money talk?
"Apparently, it does," she added.
Council votes against imposing services fee
By Brandon Bailey
Staff Writer
A committee of the President's Advisory Council has unanimously refused to endorse the idea of imposing a special fee to improve services for international students.
Concern about the services currently available for international students has prompted some of them to lobby with the council, the student senate and the university administration for additional funds to improve services.
James Appleton, vice president for student affairs, and a number of international students have been discussing the idea of a special fee, since university funds have not been made available in the operating budget. The fee proposal has not yet been submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval.
The student affairs committee of the council, and Appleton, vice-president for Student Affairs, have been working to secure additional funding from the university's budget officials for the last two years, said Glenn Son-nenberg, chairman of the council's committee.
Sonnenberg said that the committee feels the university has
"reneged on a moral commitment" to provide services for international students. The committee voted Friday to release a statement indicating disapproval of the fee.
The fee probably will be imposed, Sonnenberg said, because of tight funding at the university.
He said the idea is indicative of a university mentality which may lead to students being charged fees for other services as well. The university is not known for its commitment to providing student services, Sonnenberg said.
Over 3,500 foreign students enrolled in the university last fall.
One major concern voiced by Tarek Elmalleh, a student who works as an international peer advocate for the Office of International Students and Scholars, centers on the lack of trained counseling staff available for the university's foreign student population.
Elmalleh, one spokesman for a group of international students, has reported that students who work as international peer advocates are forced to spend too much of their time doing clerical work because of the volume of students who come to the office.
There are currently two staff (continued on page 3)
alaaly trojan
Volume LXXVI, Number 50 University of Southern California Tuesday, May 1, 1979
PROF OPPOSES CHANGE
School will combine classes
By Shari Cookson
Assistant City Editor
In an attempt to compensate for a lack of facilities and faculty, administrators in the School of Business Administration have made a decision that may hurt students, said a senior faculty member in the School of Business, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Administrators have decided to create what the faculty member described as "monster" classes by combining small sections of popular courses.
These large classes will be taught starting next fall by full-time faculty members in Edison Auditorium, which will be refurbished this summer.
The faculty member said research has proven that only some students can do well in large classes.
"Others get totally lost," he said.
The administration decided to combine the sessions quickly and secretively, without consulting faculty, he said.
"It's typical of the high-handed thing going on in this university that shouldn't go on," he said.
Faculty members were informed after the decision was made, in a "you agree, don't you?" manner, said the faculty member.
The administration assumes the "troops" will carry out orders, he said.
"It's unhealthy for the faculty to oppose the
policies the dean imposes," he said.
The faculty member was referring to Roy Her-berger, associate dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration.
Herberger said students should benefit from the new set-up because there will be no more tutorial help available.
But the spokesman said teaching assistants are often an ineffective way of helping students.
"Usually the students who need help most don't seek it until too late in the semester when they are really in trouble," he said.
Herberger said the administration had been considering the change for the past two years and that all department heads supported the decision to combine sections.
But the faculty member said Herberger "lives in a different world" and should have presented the proposal to faculty and students, not just department heads.
"Students pay a lot of money to come to USC but they come expecting to get some individual attention. If they wanted large classes they could have gone to Cal State Fullerton," he said.
Herberger said there are currently too many small sections taught by part-time faculty.
(continued on page 6)
African students talk of politics back home
By Alice Ragenovich
Staff Writer
As far as one student from Rhodesia is concerned, the elections in Rhodesia never took place. "Most of the people in my country are illiterate or semi-illiterate; they didn't know what they were voting for... They were escorted' to the polls by militia and they voted at gunpoint," said Musekiwa Kumbula, a sophomore majoring in public administration.
Tendekayi Muzorewa, head of the United Methodist Church in Rhodesia, was elected last week as the first black prime minister of Rhodesia.
Rhodesia has never had elections where the man on the street could vote. Previously, a person had to have a high school degree and earn a certain income before he could vote.
A new government has also come to power in Uganda. "With Idi Amin gone, depending on the new regime, students will probably go back to Uganda and try to rebuild the country," said Patrick McGowan, associate professor of international relations who specializes in Africa.
"The members of the Patriotic Front in Rhodesia are fighting a war of liberation. They have rejected the elections and will continue to fight because they feel that the whites feel they can remain in control behind the scenes," McGowan said.
Muzorewa is a stooge for Ian Smith, the former prime minister, McGowan said.
Kumbula, who is from Rhodesia and a member of the Patriotic Front, agrees, "With Muzorewa as prime minister, whites will still be in control even though there is an official black leader."
Rhodesia is legally recognized as a colony of the United Kingdom. Thursday Great Britain will elect its new prime minister. If the Conservative Party wins it's likely that Britain will try to reach an agreement with the new Rhodesian government, McGowan said.
(continued on page 6)