Daily §§ Trojan
University of Southern California
Vol. LXVLL, No. 34
Los Angeles, California
Friday, November 1, 1974
Committee recommends 5% salary increase for TAs
BY ELLEN NORMAN
Assistant City Editor
A 5% salary increase for teaching assistants retroactive to the beginning ofthe school year, was recommended by the Resource Management and Planning Committee Thursday in a 12-1 vote.
The proposal will now be forwarded to the full session of the President's Advisory Council, which will probably consider the matter at its Nov. 6 meeting.
The council will then make a recommendation to President John R. Hubbbard who will then forward the proposal to the Board ofTrustees.
Cost about $90,000
If implemented, the cost ofthe salary increase to the university will be approximately $90,000. Teaching assistants’ salaries now range from $3,000 to $3,400 for the academic year in addition to tuition remission.
The salary increase was originally proposed by the Graduate Student Compensation Commission, a subcommittee of the
School Committee.
The committee, headed by Harold von Hofe. interim dean of the Graduate School, submitted the proposal to Milton C. Kloetzel, academic vice-president.
5% increase rejected Kloetzel rejected the 5% increase but said he would forward a recommendation for a 15% increase for the 1975-76 academic year to the proper committee.
In a memosenttothe Graduate and Professional School Committee. Kloetzelsaid. “I regret to say that the university is unable to implement the commission’s recommendation that a 5% stipend be provided for all teaching assistants for the 1974-75 academic year. All anticipated income for 1974-75 already has been allocated in the budget for this year as approved by the Board ofTrustees.” Proposal voted on Despite Kloetzel’s rejection, the Resource Management and Planning Committee voted on
Graduate and Professional the proposal. The committee
Trustee pays Nixon support group dues
BY NANCY SHINABARGAR
Staff Writer
Former President Richard M. Nixon and his wife are having their membership dues in a prestigious university organization paid by Justin Dart, vice-president of the Board of Trustees and owner of Dart Industries.
Leonard R. Wines, associate vice-president for university affairs, said that the $1.000-a-year contribution for membership in USC Associates is being paid by Dart, another associate.
Gov. Ronald Reagan and his wife also are having their membership in the Associates paid by the same man who is supporting the Nixons’ membership. Wines said.
The $2,000 Dart award, given each year for innovation in teaching, is another of Dart’s
Med School official dies at 58
Paul R. Saunders, 58. of South Pasadena, associate dean for basic sciences and professor of physiology at the School of Medicine, died suddenly Thursday in San Diego.
Mr. Saunders had been a member of the faculty for 27 years, including five years as a professor and chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. During this period, he was also director of the marine sciences program of the Allan Hancock Foundation. The remainder of his time here was spent at the School of Medicine’s Departments of Pharmacol6gy and Physiology. He was well-known for his research on venomous marine animals.
philanthropies.
The USC Associates consists of about 500 business, civic and social leaders in California. They contribute at least $1,000 in unrestricted donations to the university each year.
“It’s not unusual for a person to make gifts to the university in the name of another person.” Wines said. “They do it to honor the person and his accomplishments.”
Both the Nixons and Reagans have a closer relationship with the university than most other political leaders in the nation, Wines said. Pat Nixon is an alumna of USC. as is one daughter of the Reagans.
While many of the most influential people in Southern California are on the membership roster, the Associates is not organized to influence university policy, Wines said.
“Their purpose is to provide funds to the university to use as the university sees fit. They don’t even participate in the decision where the money goes. They are the top support group, the premiere support group of the university,” he said.
Thirty-eight of the 41 university trustees are members ofthe Associates. In the past five years, nearly all of the trustees elected to the board have been members ofthe Associates.
Nixon and Reagan were asked to join the Associates by a member, Wimes said. All prospective members must either be recommended by another associate. President John R. Hubbard or Chancellor Norman Topping.
A current brochure on the Associates advises prospective members they will be joining “such eminent citizens as the President of the United States and the First Lady ofthe Nation, and the governor of California
(Continued on page
was supposed to vote only on the 15% increase for 1975-76. but one student member moved that the 5% increase be voted on.
The committee, in its almost unanimous decision, said the $90,000 could come from revenues of enrollment increases. It also decided the additional funding should be considered a salary, not a financial grant.
The committee is composed of about 17 faculty, staff and students.
Most of the teaching assistants thought they were included in the general 5% raise given to faculty and staff last year. Increase considered salary The committee’s determination that the increase be considered a,salary—not a grant —puts the teaching assistants in the category of university staff.
“I was under the impression we were faculty and staff and included in the 5% raise,” said Bob Kanter, a teaching assistant in biology. “It wasn’t until the first paycheck in September that we found out we weren’t.”
Kanter said he felt the proposal received a favorable reaction at the meeting Thursday that was attended by at least 10 graduate students in addition to the regular committee members.
Good impact “I think the proposal had a good impact,” he said. “I’m hoping President Hubbard will view the proposal favorably.”
Kanter also said that Hubbard has specified faculty and staff salaries as one of his number one priorities.
Kanter said that if the salary increase does not pass, there is a possibility the teaching assistants may strike.
May strike “The possibility is definitely there,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize what it means to us.”
William Wagner, dean of natural sciences and mathematics and a member of the committee. said that the proposal “has some merit.”
In reference to the possibility of a strike, Wagner said. “I’d prefer not to express that opinion.” Proposal may pass Peter Scolney, a teaching assistant in philosophy, said that if the council is composed of the same constituency as the Graduate and Professional School and Resource Management and Planning Committee, the proposal will probably pass the council.
"What’s going to happen if the raise isn’t implemented?” he asked. “There’s definitely a possibility of a strike.”
Author to give reading
John Barth, professor of English and creative writing at Johns Hopkins University.
RICHARD H. PERRY
DT photo by Bob Chawei
Prof sees educators as hesitant to change
BY JOCELYN WARFIELD
“No one talks more about change and does less about it than educators.” Richard Perry, president of the Faculty Senate, told a group of university educators, students and staff members at a Roundtable luncheon Thursday.
Perry’s presentation, “Critics. Crisis, Change and Common Sense,” was the third in a series of five Roundtable luncheons held this semester to highlight the ethical concerns of campus scholars.
“We have to inject common sense when we are considering a change and realize that it is human nature to fear change,” Perry said. “The risks of having to reorganize values makes change a scary thing.”
Perry said that criticism is the chief catalyst of change.
“External and internal criticism and critique motivate change,” he said. “Criticism is what turns a situation into a crisis.”
Perry developed his statement with several examples, among them the slaying of two university students on the Row in September.
“During the 60s, the Kent State shootings were an extreme that brought about a removal of arms on campus,” he said.
“Then, in September, a different kind of shooting caused a radical change in our security posture. We were were faced with a new kind of crisis and criticism, so we instituted a change by increasing security. People even began suggesting armored tanks and armed
will give a free public reading from his latest works at noon today in Bovard Auditorium.
Barth won the National Book Award in fiction in 1972 for his fifth novel, Chimera. His novels,The Floating Opera and Lost inthe Funhovse, were nominated for the same award in 1956 and 1968. respectively.
The reading is sponsored by the English Department and the Campus Speakers’ Committee.
feuardsmen,” he said.
Perry, a professor of physical education, stressed the importance of compromise through creative conflict.
“Quality change results from an active exchange of creative, conflicting ideas,” he said.
“Conflict is not the good guys fighting the bad guys. It is just good, common sense to realize that change is a product obtained from very decent people whose needs and values differ.
“Persons and institutions always have critics who motivate crisis. But it is necessary for each critic to understand that he doesn’t have a corner on the wisdom market. Answers are not always generated from the wonderfulness of our own wisdom.” Perry emphasized the necessity for decision makers to see and consider a crisis from different angles,
“We’re in a weird economic climate at the university,” he said. “The staff and faculty say tuition has to be increased for their survival. Students say they are being ripped off. From the outside, the public views the costs of private education as absurd.
“The crisis resulting from this wide scope of criticism will ultimately result in a decision.” Perry discussed the helplessness people often feel when they think their ideas have not been considered and they are left feeling powerless.
“A person doesn’t have to be comfortable with the decision as long as he’s comfortable with the decision process and feels that he is being heard.” Perry said.
“One also has to feel comfortable with his subordinate in knowing that his boss operates under some premises and ground rules, giving his actions some degree of predictability.”
“The university’s purpose isn’t even clear. What is it all about? Are we dedicated to research, service or our responsibilities to the community? he asked. “We have to decide our objectives before deciding what kind of people we need to fulfill them.” Arnold Dunn, biological sciences professor, will head next week's Roundtable luncheon.