December 12,1985 Rage Two University Senate recommends a change in semester length by Sob Roth Collegian Staff Writer Recently, the University Senate in a 105-19 vote, recommended a change from the current 15-week schedule to one which would last 14 weeks. The proposal, if accepted, would mean that students would not begin classes until after Labor Day, however classes would end roughly the same date as the cur rent schedule. Classes would start earlier in the day, and be extended five minutes so that the sufficient Student injured in Gorge fall continued from page 1 It took about three hours to retrieve Avampado from the Gorge using volunteer firemen from Brookside and Belle Valley and a Stokes basket. In an-article on Nov. 20, Erie Daily Times reported “Brookside Fire Chief Blaine Fasette said some 30 volunteers helped in the rescue operation, which was hampered by darkness, the rain-swollen creek and slippery terrain.” The Times also quoted the Fire Student both major and minor by Pat Schlipf Collegian Staff Writer The Student Standards Board is a group of students that settles and judges on-campus student problems. Problems that arise between students and the Univer sity concerning student rules are settled at hearings held by this board. Members of the board have to be on-campus residents with at least 3rd semester standing. Members are people recommend ed by faculty and staff and are ap pointed by the President of the University. Five available board members Don't look now, puzzle page 5 amount of student hours could be completed. It is important to note that the senate can only propose the 14-week alteration and the final decision rests with the university president who will consider the proposal early next year. Also, if the schedule is adopted, the earliest it would be implemented would be the 1987-88 school year. The schedule change has been proposed in an effort to better ac commodate students who may be required by their employers to Chief. “The water in the creek was running too high to bring him out along the creek bed and that the darkness made us decide to go up the slope to the cemetery. The students were climbing the steepest section of the Gorge known as “Devil’s Backbone,” Fasette said. Campus security reported, “you could hear rocks falling from cliffs into the water, it was unsafe conditions for climbing.” There have been a number of Standards Board reviews make up a session. In case of bias or prejudice, an SSB member can ask to be execused from the hear ing, or if neccessary, the accused can contest the presense of a board member. However, the ex emption must be reviewed by the board. Dohn Harshbarger, Dean of Student Affairs, and P. J. Brown, Asst. Dean of Students review the penalty or disciplinary sanction set by the board. However, they do not deal with suspension cases. Most penalties consist of proba tion. Brown said, “I don't think as many students appeal to their sanctions as should.” The charg ed have a conference with the Resident Advisor or the Assistant Dean of Students. The student has three replies: (1) guilty as charged and accepts the sanction, (2) not guilty, or (3) guilty with admit tance to a lesser sanction. Both (2) and (3) require a trial hearing. Penalties follow in this order: disciplinary action, probation, suspension, and dismissal. “Alcohol is usually a major charge, but noise and visitation problems arise frequently,” Brown said. Trials are held in the library conference or seminar room. work through Labor Day weekend, and so that certain faculty members will not miss the first week of classes because of national meetings commonly held at this time. Dean of Academic Affairs, John Burke, expressed his con cern over the added pressure a 14-week schedule might exert on the entire Penn State system and more specifically students, “The concern I have is that will students be able to complete a 14-week full-time load as they now dt? in 15 accidents over the years in the Gorge involving climbers. The most serious, said Lt. Jim Steiner of the Belle Valley Department, was about ten years ago when so meone sustained critical back injuries. Avampado will not be returning to Behrend next semester, accor ding to his roommate, Jim Fraps, first semester, Business. He must keep all of his weight off of his feet for eight weeks and then con tinue to rehabilitate. offenses These trials usually take one day. The student charged has the choice of whether they want the trial to be open or closed. If the student gives no answer, the trial will be closed. These hearings are only open to campus faculty, staff, and students, if the trial is declared open. The time between the appeal and the hearing is about five days and hearings usually take place in the evening. Students who disagree with the SSB, can take it to the University Appeals Board. The UAB consists of two faculty members, one ad misistrator, and two students from main campus. If the student still persists after this, then it is taken straight to the University President. The SSB deals with on-campus residents only. Off-campus students are dealt with by the University Hearing Board, which is basically the same. City police charges do come straight back to Behrend. You can be charged by both city police and Penn State. PSU charges the student based on the evidence supplied by the police report. In the fall semester of ‘B5 the board will have had a total of four meetings. . weeks? It will certainly put some extra pressure on them.” He also stated that certain facilities, such as the computer room, while operating at near peak level now, would be even further taxed by a 14-week schedule. There is also the ques tion of whether there are enough classrooms to allow for a school day which would be longer and also would have shorter noon and dinner breaks. Naturally there is a cost consideration here too as university offices, libraries, and Schedule adjustment period slated A Schedule Adjustment Period will be in effect from Dec. 9-19 in the Reed Union Building T.V. Lounge. Terminal operators will be available from 8:30-11:55 a.m. and 1:00-4:30 p.m. The schedule adjusting will be based on semester stan ding. During first two days upperclassmen will have an opportunity at the terminals. This adjustment period is just like a free drop/add period for all ad vanced registered students. NOTE: any student who is returning and who is presently registered for Fall ’B5 is expected to register for Spring semester at this time, (these students have received letters notifying them that they are not advanced registered). Students must be prepared with a list of courses and options in case some courses are closed. A counselor’s signature is not required unless you are a DUS student. Students may return as often as they wish to adjust their schedule. The primary purpose of this period is to allow students to adjust their schedules before the holidays, so they will not have to wait for the ac tual drop/add period in January. (Only 5 of the 10 drop/add days ini January are free). The Student Affairs Office stresses that students should not be adjusting their schedule for convenience but only to ad just their schedule for necessity. For example students should consider carefully before dropping and important class that is at and inconve nient time, because alternate sections are not guaranteed to students. Robert Schenker, Records and Scheduling Officer, commented, “I have presented the results of the advanced registration to each one of the academic divisions so that they may make adjustment to the spring schedule to satisfy needs of the students.” Schenker added that all popular classes such as Film 180 will not be made available, but the most critical subjects that are required for the students academic progress will have added sections. An updated list of closed courses will be posted. A special phone number only for commuters will be utilized in schedule adjustments, however if the number is abused by residence hall students, it will be disconnected. Divisions may merge continued from page 1 not an effort to save money, or to omit majors. It will actually strengthen the current divisions.” There has been an informal consultation with faculty and the Senate Council. A formal consultation was also held in which Lilley appointed an ad-hock subcommittee to help organize the change. Senior faculty members A. Daniel Frankforter and Roger Sweeting are co-chairmen of the subcommittee. There will be no extra stress put on either the Humanities or Social Sciences Divisions. “It will be equally balanced between the humanities and social sciences,” Lilley said. There will be three colleges under the three unit system: The Colleges of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Engineer ing. There will be no effect on the actual majors. “The degrees that the students attain will still be the same and so will ther majors ” Frankforter said. “It will simply enable the College of Business and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences be independent of each other,” he continued. It is not yet known whether the proposal will pass. Adding-a new school may add a new;dimension to Behrend. news food services would have to open earlier and possibly remain open later. Two subcommittees are work ing on the proposal, the Ad ministrative Committee for Undergraduate Studies, and the Administrative Committee for Academic Services. It is clear that if a 14-week or similar schedule alteration would be accepted, while not having any immediate effect, the change could result in some important long-range im plications for a continuing Penn State student. by Karen Pastorik Collegian Staff Writer
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