C.C. I'4l'o • er
Volume 16, No. 5
Over 400 To Graduate
Approximately 420 Capitol Campus
Seniors are slated to receive Bachelor's
Degrees at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 19
at the Founders Hall Auditorium, Her
shey, Pennsylvania.
The Honorable Roy Wilkinson, Jr.,
retired justice of the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania, will give the address at
the Penn State Capitol Campus spring
commencement ceremony, to be held at
10:30 a.m.
Recipient of the distinguished alumnus
award from Penn State in 1971, Mr.
Wilkinson previously was the Univer
sity's legal counsel. Long active in civic
and humanitarian concerns, Mr.
Wilkinson is a 1936 graduate of Penn
State. He graduated cum laude from the
University of Pennsylvania Law School,
where he distinguished himself as editor
of the law review.
Pennsylvania's governor in 1970,
Raymond P. Shaffer, selected Mr.
Wilkinson to serve on the Commonwealth
Court, then being created to assist the
state's Superior and Supreme courts. In
1980, Governor Dick Thornburgh ap
pointed him to the state's Supreme Court,
filling the vacancy created by the
retirement of Cheif Justice Michael J
Eagen
Former Governor Shaffer said, "Roy
Wilkinson is a truly outstanding human
being. He has brought, and brings, in
telligence and integrity to his every
Computer Option Concerns
Students in the Computer Option have two major concerns. One concern is the
lack of variety or the small number of courses being offered; the other is the ap
parent lack of communication between the Business Division and the Math Science
Division.
Bonnie Myers is one student who points out that there are not enough courses be
ing offered. Bonnie is double optioning (fulfilling the necessary requirements in
two options -- Accounting and Computer Applications), and she indicates that there
are not enough Computer Application courses for her to take. She has completed
the requirements for the Accounting Option, and even with taking all the Computer
Application courses available, Bonnie will still be looking for two or three courses
to complete the required 72 credits. She does not feel that she should have to take
Humanities or other such courses to fill the requirement as she took a full year of
similar courses at her previous school.
Jane Neidinger also feels that more courses should be offered. She points out
that University Park has much more diversification in course offerings. This feel
ing of insufficient courses is shared by students at other commonwealth campuses.
In a January 28, 1982 letter to Gayle Yaverbaum, Instructor (Finance and Com
puter Applications), Frank E. Cable, of the Computer Science Department, Col
lege ofScience, University Park, writes that
There are two common rejoinders to this recommendation (that AS
graduates can transfer to Capitol Campus to earn their BS in Computer
Science). One is that there are not "enough" new courses in computer
studies for them to take.
Similarly, John R. Lippert, Assistant Procfessor of Computer Science at the
Schuylkill Campus, points out in his letter dated February 15, 1982 that
when it comes to course offerings, I feel that for any institution to attract
graduates from associate degree programs in Computer Science, that in
stitution must offer advance course in application areas. (Mr. Lippert is
referring to) courses in areas such as advanced systems analysis and
design, data base theory and applications, management information
science, teleprocessing, etc. (He further urges) the Capitol Campus to ex
pand its course offerings...and to keep the course content as application
oriented as possible.
Roberta Bronson, Past SGA President
By Darlene Lahr
The Computer Facilities Committee, in their Position Paper dated May 18, 1982 in
dicates
Given the ever increasing use of microcomputers in the small business
environment, there appears to be a need...for the establishment of a
microcomuter laboratory with the availability of 10 microprocessors of
the APPLE or TRS-80 variety. Two suggested courses are: (1) a Data
Base design and Management course...and (2) a microcomputer systems
architecture course....
Mike Riotto would like to see other languages such as PL/1 and RPG. He in
dicates that some employers have expressed a desire for someone who knows
PL/1. Steve Ritter points out that in many help wanted ads employers are looking
for RPG competence.
In response to these concerns for more courses, comments such as getting more
breadth and a more rounded education are offered. Dr. Harold Gilmore, Head of
the Business Division, is quick to point out that the University is not a vocational
school. Frank E. Cable defending the criticism of not "enough" new courses writes
that the 22 credits of computer studies that ( the AS graduates) took as
part of their...program is sufficiently close to the 27-30 credits of a typical
BS program as the threaten to become top-heavy with many more. Addi
tionally, the most frequent criticism (heard) about the quality of our AS
graduates is that they are lacking in liberal arts, social sciences, com
munications, general business and management credits.
While Mrs. Yaverbaum states that it would be nice to offer some additional
courses such as Data Base Management, a Seminar addressing current topics, and
perhaps Data Communications, she is quick to point out that more languages
should not be offered. Mrs. Yaverbaum states that if a student has had Assembler
and two languages (i.e., FORTRAN and COBOL), he should be able to pick up a
manual on any other language, and after several hours of study, he should be able
to program in that language. When asked about the possibility of a course covering
Data Communications, Dr. John Redington, Assistant Professor (Marketing and
Computer Applications), states that the theory would not provide sufficient
material for a three credit course, while the applications are too rapidly changing.
He does feel, though, that the subject of Data Communications could be covered in
a seminar-type course.
June 10, 1982
undertaking and to every aspect of his
outstanding career, as a lawyer, an
original judge on the Commonwealth
court and justice of the Supreme Court. I
am proud that we are friends."
For 24 years, Mr. Wilkinson, in law
partnership with John D. Love in
Bellefonte, provided legal counsel to
Penn State. The first president of the
Pennsylvania Council on Crime and
Deliquency, he has served on many
committees—and the board of governors—
of the state bar association. For 16 years,
he was a member of the Pennsylvania
State Board of Law Examiners. He also
has served on the state's crime and
education television commissions and
was the first chairman of the state's
Horse Racing Commission.
Wr. Wilkinson holds honorary degrees
from Susquehanna University, Dickinson
School of Law and Lebanon Valley
College. He and his wife reside in State
College.
Capitol Campus Commencement day
schedule is as follows:
9:00 - Graduating students meet in
Camelot Room.
10:00 - Faculty and Staff meet in
Conference Room.
10:30 - Ceremony begins in main
auditorium.
During the ceremony, several students
are scheduled to receive various
leadership and achievement awards.
Continued page 12, Computer