C.C. reader. ([Middletown, Pa.]) 1973-1982, June 10, 1982, Image 1
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