November 20, 1975
Prof Fights Retirement
By Gerry Achenbach
Staff Writer
“Management is through
faculty meetings and if these
meetings are disrupted to
the extent that normal
business cannot be con
ducted through what I
consider irrational behavior
then I look at it as a
disruption of the entire
program,” said Stevens.
Also, “The fact that he is so
disruptive and the fact that
his staying on here has
caused such a controversy...
does not allow anything else
to get done that has to get
done.”
Stevens says Klain dis
rupted faculty meetings by
“screaming and yelling”
when points were brought up
to be discussed.
Klain denied any dis
ruption of faculty meetings
but did admit to protesting
the hiring of a replacement
for himself at the April 10,
1975, Regional Planning
faculty meeting.
Klain stated “At the
meeting Ferguson (Dr. Frank
Ferguson, chairman of the
Regional Planning Program)
ran through even against my
protests... a resolution that
they are going to hire Dr.
Post. I was screaming, I was
crying. And no one sup
ported me.”
Dr. Fred J. Post, who
would have been hired for
the position now held by
Klain, refused the position
according to Klain, “because
he didn’t want to get into
trouble; he didn’t want to
get involved in it (the
controversy surrounding
Students in the Regional
Planning program may be
the innocent victims of a
controversy over which they
have no control, according
to Richard Stevens, a
graduate of the program and
a “special faculty appoint
ment” teaching a course in
the program.
The controversy surrounds
Ambrose Klain, associate
professor of urban and
regional planning, who is
protesting the University’s
mandatory retirement clause
in the faculty policy manual
which states “Retirement is
mandatory on the July 1
following the 65th birthday
except for special exten
sions approved by the
President and the Board of
Trustees.”
As of July 1, 1975, Klain
reached retirement age and
is serving under a one-year
extension granted by Presi
dent Oswald which will
expire July 1, 1976. At that
time Klain will have to retire
according to University
policy unless granted ano
ther one-year extension or
unless a change is made in
the University’s retirement
policy which Klain says is
discriminatory and prejudi
cial.
Stevens, who taught a
course last year at Capitol
and is a former student of
Klain says the future of the
Regional Planning Program
is at stake due to the
“disruptive and irrational
behavior” by Klain during
faculty meetings.
C.C. Reader
Klain.)"
Stevens also claimed
Klain attempted to gain
student support for his
cause through intimidation.
He said he could “pull out
names of people who have
gone to see the Dean” about
intimidation by Klain.
Klain, who has an above
average rating as a professor
as shown by student
evaluations, denies any
intimidation.
At a special Regional
Planning Program meeting
open only to students and
instituted by Pamela Wev
and Anthony Kadyewski,
both students in the
Regional Planning Program,
a resolution was introduced
protesting Klain’s extension
after this year. Other
students at the meeting
refused to vote on the
resolution.
Klain said, in reference to
the resolution, “I will
recommend to my friends
that if there is a resolution
against me we should bust
the meeting.” He felt he was
justified in this because he
was not permitted to attend
the meeting and defend
himself.
Klain does not feel that
the Regional Planning Pro
gram is being held up or
disrupted by his case. He
does object to more techni
cal orientation in the
program and feels that this
is a basic problem with the
program and not his case,
though he admits his case
"may have precipitated it.”
The Office of Student
jfjsrjk jfcig) Adairs requests that stu
\ **£ dents stay away from the
—=2?L construction site for the
multipurpose building.
Penn State In Hbg.?
By John L. Leierzapf ~
Staff Writer
Last year, during late
October and early Novem
ber, a rumor was going
around hinting at the
possibility that the Capitol
Campus administration was
thinking about changing the
name of this campus to Penn
State in Harrisburg or even
Penn State Institute of
Technology.
This year, the rumor has
returned, which makes us
wonder: is it a rumor or is
there something to it?
Last week this reporter
talked with Dr. Robert E.
McDermott, campus pro
vost, to find out.
According to McDermott
there was some truth to
it—last year. McDermott
said Capitol Campus is a
unique upper-level insti
tution within the Unversity
system. This campus offers
courses that University Park
and other commonwealth
campuses do not.
Because Capitol is so
unlike other commonwealth
campuses, McDermott said
a change of name was
considered to emphasize we
are not just an extension of
Penn State University per se,
but rather, Penn State in
Harrisburg, able to offer a
unique program of courses
to fit the needs of students
who wish to complete two
years of education for a
degree, to work on an
dr
simply to continue their
education.
The name change is nc
longer under consideration
due to a lack of interest in
and support for such a
change. However, the
obvious suggestion is that at
least the spelling of Capitol
be amended to CAPITAL.
After all, there is only one
Capitol, and it’s in Washing
ton, D.C.
P.S.E.A. Elects
New Officers
The Capitol Campus Stu
dent P.S.E.A. (Pennsylvania
State Education Associa
tion) held new elections for
the 1975—76 school year.
The results are:
President— Dan Kelly
Vlce President— Terry Bechtel
Secretary— Cynthia Carter
Treasurer— Leslie Gunn
Advisor— Dr. Roy Allison
The next meeting will be
held on Tuesday, November
25. Juniors will meet iri
W—239 at 1:30 p.m. and
seniors will meet in the
Gallery Lounge at 7:30 p.m.
All members are asked to
attend. The meeting is open
to any new members.
Upcoming plans include a
tour of the state Capitol
building and of P.S.E.A.
office in Harrisburg the first
week of December. There
will also be a talk with Miss
Lucy Valero, Director of
Student P.S.E.A. Associa-
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