Behrend collegian. (Erie, Pa.) 1971-1988, May 13, 1976, Image 1

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Volume XXIX No. 22
The Psychology of Baseball?
Students .lo Roberts. Pamela Gilmore. R.A. Tauson. and Larry
Swarksi are joined by Baseball Coach Clarence Stoner in a
Psychology experiment entitled "Reaction Time - and Depth Per
ception on Baseball Players". The paper for the experiment was
one of four presented by Behrend students at the May l North
western Pennsylvania Psychological Association Undergraduate
Conference held at Mercyhurst College. Other-papers submitted
were: "The Motivational Differences Between Professional and
Volunteer Firefighters" by Mike Woods. "A Test of the Two Factor
Theory of Retroactive Inhibition" by Harold George. and "The
Perceived Heaviness as a Function of Lever Length" by .Joseph
(;ra nda !ski and Betsy Quirk.
The end of a fair year gig
Woodsy and
In his four years here at
Behrend. Mike Woods has seen
many sides of the college with his
vast and varied experiences. In
fact. 'Woodsy' has - alinost
become an institution himself.
Upon his graduation this month.
he will leave Behrendea for a life
in the real world. Here, before he
departs, is a personal interview
with out outgoing SGA President:
Q. Looking back, how do you
view your last four years as a
gehrendite?
A. I think I'd have to divide my
four years into• two different
segments to talk about it. In my
first two years I had a very
academic orientation and that's
where I was excelling at the time.
But at that time also. I was in
volved with a lot of research
here. Although for the first two
years I was really into keeping up
with what was going on, I just
didn't have time to get involved in
it. By the end of my second year. I
decided to dive into it head on,
and I did. By the end of last year I
was into so many things, and with
SGA I didn't have time for an
thing but that, and my academica
suffered a little bit. They suffered
like a sonofabitch this year. I'd
have to look at this year as being
the greatest learning experience
I've had in college. I think I've
gained a lot of respect for
University politics for the
potential power that this Student
Government has, and for a lot of
the student body that was really
helpful.
Q. What are some of your
fondest memories?
A. I could go on with that for
about a month, I suppose. I think I
could sum it up by saying a few
things. A hell of a lot of really
good people, a few good parties,
some pretty excellent ad
ministrators, and probably most
of all some really dedicated
people in SGA. I suppose I spent
some time bitching about this
place, but most of the things I'll
remember are the good things,
and there've been a lot of them.
Q. What kinds of improvement.
in your opinion, are needed most
a t Behrend?
A. Two things are needed most.
I suppose: the first-one being a
mandatory activities fee because
which would afford the SUB a
great deal more funds to work
with. That way we'd be able to
provide more and better en
tertainment that would involve all
of 'the Behrend- community, and
Published by the Students of the Behrend College of the Pennsylvania State University
Behrend split
not just a few select people. It's
not that the SUB doesn't do a good
job. they do an excellent job. It's
just that it is difficult to work
within the financial status' that
they're plagued with. Behrend
has a real need for more ex
pansive programming, social and
cultural.
Probably the second most
important thing we need to do is
to beef up the upper division
enrollment_ We have plenty of
fine freshmen and sophomores,
but most of our upper-division
courses are under-enrolled. By
doing this we can maximize the
use of our existing facilites and
perhaps use some of those funds
to expand as an institution.
Let me conclude this by saying
that there are many areas which
need attention by the Student
Government Association, faculty,
and administrators in the coming
years. But I think these two areas
which I have indicated are
crucial to the growth. of Behrend
College.
Q. Geeeeee Mike. what are you
going to do once you get out of
here?
A. That's a real good question.
I'm trying to find a job right now,
but it seems that the only thing a
degree qualifies you for is to go on
and get another degree. This has
been such a busy term for SGA
that I just haven't had the time I
needed to try to find a job. I'm
planning to work for_ this next
year in order to make enough
money to start law school next
year. but right now, the prognosis
is "shaky".
Q. How the hell did you develop
your taste for Mitch Miller tunes?
A. Well, as you might
remember, .I had a beard at the
beginning of this year, and a
bunch of people in my dorm
commented on my resemblance
to Mitch Miller_ I would like to go
on record ads stating that I
believe my musical tastes to be
quite diversified, but I absolutely
cannot stand Mitch Miller. One
night a bunch of fellows thought it
would be an amusing gesture to
present me with a Mitch, Miller
album, complete with ten sing
along songsheets which may have
been where anyone has heard
Mitch Miller this year. And how
the hell did you find out I had a
Mitch Miller album?
Q. Do you have anything you'd
like to add? -
A. I just have one little thing I'd
like to say. I'd just like to thank
Station Road, Erie, Pa. 16510
Next year's
Faculty changes
By Colleen Gallagher
Collegian Staff Writer
At least four faculty members
have been denied assignments
for Fall term, and although the
Administration is not at liberty to
divulge their names, Messers.
Hovanyecz, Kovach, Rossi, and
Yena have each confirmed they
will not be returning to Behrend.
Composition of the faculty is
determined by "a very complex,
structured, review system," says
Dr. Thomas Fox, Dean of
Faculty, "and in no way is this the
result of arbitrary decision
making." A faculty member
without academic tenure can
have his position terminated if 1)
typical class size in his depart
ment is below the University
decreed minimum 2) goals
which the College has set for a
certain department warrant a
change in the size or type of
faculty: or 3) the faculty member
is found deficient in one or more
everybody that's made my job
easier to do and a pleasure to
work at. Everybody at this
college has made my four years
here probably - the most
memorable four years of my life,
and it's interviews like this that
make me realize that the end is
here. And it's a startling
realization_
Editor-in-Chief
Dan McKay
smiles as he gladly awaits
summer vacation, during which
he plans to recuperate from the
insomnia and. nervous tension
developed during long.
frustrating hours in service to the
Collegian.
The people who made t► paper. possible
- (The Collegian staff) decided to come out from behind their bylines for a group photo. Front row -
Mary Jo Santilli, Colleen Gallagher. Kathy Weiser, Gail Peck, Second Row - Amy Snyder. Betsy
Choder. Janet Mazur. Ron Wayne. Michele Crotty. Third Row - Dan Haley, Brad Phillips, Lynn
Boone. Tom Armstrong.
of the criteria established to
control the quality of the faculty.
None of those confirmed to be
leaving has a doctorate degree,
and part of the development
occurring at Behrend includes
raising the present faculty's
qualifications. Replacements are
being recruited on the un
derstanding that, if they have not
attained a Ph.D., they are ex
pected to work toward one.
This is but one area in which a
faculty member must display
achievement. The four criteria
for promotion and tenure are 1)
teaching ability and ef
fectiveness, 2) research com
petence, 3) scholarship and
mastery of subject matter, and 4)
service to University and the
public. Those without tenure are
reviewed for these qualities for
seven years by peers within their
department, committees within
their college, and a committee of
the University. After this
probabionary period, the can
didate becomes eligible for
tenure.
It is inappropliate to expect
replacements for every one of
those leaving, Dean Fox ssays,
because "we're not really
replacing: we're moving
positions around." Certain areas,
such as the language department,
are going to remain primarily
"service departments," offering
mostly basic level courses. For
this reason, along with the
comparatively small number of
students electing language
courses, Mr. Joseph Hovanycz
will not be replaced. New faculty
members are being sought
mainly for those departments
which need additional faculty to
either become or grow further as
degree programs which can be
completed here.
This is in accordance with the
mandate Behrend received from
the Board of Trustees of the
University to develop into a full
four-year institution, Dean Fox
maintains. The choice of which
academic areas to develop is
being based on several factors.
English, for instance, has become
a degree program here due • to
"the broad. nature of the subject
and present faculty capability."
The Chemistry Department, on
the other hand, does not offer a
degree here because of the
financial .commitment necessary
to provide the adequate facilities.
Urban and environmental
problems of the Erie - area are
better studied here, for instance,
than in State College; therefore,
Behrend's location also influences
which areas are expanded. Says
Fox, "We don't want to expand
Thursday, May 13, 1976
programs which don't have either
strong student interest or the
potential to develop it."
The Economics Department
offers a major at Behrend, and
two instructors are reportedly
being sought to replace Mr.
Dennis Kovach. Kovach feels the
faculty reductions are "a little bit
selective" and suggests the move
against him was more for per
sonal rather -than professional
reasons. He claims his
evaluations by students have
been consistently high, and his
lower reveiw process rating was
more or less an administration
"excuse" to oust him. Kovach
also questions the ad
ministration's ability to find the
replacements, since, when they
sought a single addition to the
department last year. they were
unsuccessful.
Mr. Dennis Yenna, Instructor in
Political Science, approves of the
direction Behrend is taking, and
believes the impetus for changes
is coming essentially from the
faculty itself. "It's perfectly
legitimate to want to raise the
standards of the faculty. At the
college level, a Ph.D. is the
norm," he asserts. "Unless an
instructor has some overriding
qualifications, it's not
unreasonable for him to be ex
pected to continue his education."
Dr. Fred Crawford, Assistant
Professor of English, is con
cerned with the College's ability
to retain professors of high
academic caliber if they are
required to continually teach
mostly beginning level courses.
Since Behrend is at present
primarily a two-year institution.
this is often the case. Dean Fox
insists however, that if a
department is to develop, it must
begin by acquiring the competent
staff. Fox also believes that
professors of high quality are
essential at the basic levels to
foster student interest in the area.
"Any faculty member who cannot
teach at every level is not an
asset" to the department, says
Fox. Another impediment to
upgrading the faculty which Dr.
Crawford forsees is the poor
library facilities. Behrend is not
going to attract a quality faculty,
Crawford feels, if its library is
little more than a "reading
room."
Fox concedes that Behrend's
physical limitations comprise the
biggest restraint on the speed of
its growth as a full-fledged
college. At its current size,
Behrend is not in a position to
offer more than 18 to 20 degree
programs, says Fox; it presently
offers ten.