Capitol times., May 19, 1983, Image 1

Students protest teacher’s dismissal
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Campus, DER
reach water agreement
By Jim Kushlan
Following the recent discovery
of contaminants in the water
system here, the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental
Resources has agreed to cooperate
with Capitol Campus in monitor
ing our water!
According to Joseph A. Kemp,
Manager, Maintenance and
Utilities Operations at Capitol,
the campus may now choose the
location whenever DER takes a
sample on the premises.
“We’ll take them in the areas
of heavy use,” he says.
DER started monitoring the
water here after the discovery of
the carcinogenic (cancer-causing)
contaminants trichloroethylene
(TCE) and tetrachloroethylene, in
wells at Harrisburg International
Airport. A mixture of water from
Published by students of Penn State University, Capitol Campus
the airport wells supplies Capitol
Campus.
March 2 samplings of the air
port wells by DER, through
which the contaminants were
found resulted in the voluntary
closing of one well with the
highest level of contamination.
A water sample was also taken
on campus that day, and showed
the presence of the contaminants
in our system. Levels here were
well below the DER’s boil-water
level, though.
An inter-office memo from
Associate Provost-Dean Duane R.
Smith said a March 31 sampling
on campus showed only a small
presence of tetrachloroethylene.
Kemp says an April 26 com-
posite sampling of water from all
the airport showed the absence of
contaminants. The closed well re
mains shut down. ,
Please see “WATER,”jtf|ge 3
By Harry Lucas
More than 50 students petition
ed the administration this week in
protest to the dismissal of a
popular engineering professor,
Dr. Chin Young Cha.
Dr. Cha has been teaching at
Capitol Campus since September,
1981, on one-year, renewable con
tracts. Under provisions of the
contract, a teacher’s work is
previewed annually and, based on
performance, is either renewed or
let go.
Students’ concern over Cha’s
nonrenewal was evident in the
petition which, in part, said:
“We feel the decision to
discharge Dr. Cha was made un
fairly and does not accurately
reflect his performance in or out
of the classroom...We urge the
administration to reconsider the
matter and to look at all sides of
the question.”
Thursday, May 19,1983
V 01.17, No, 8
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“Rites of Spring"
May 14 - 22
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Cha said he was surprised to
have received notice of this deci
sion, and was told in January by
Dr. William Welsh, Head of the
Science, Engineering, and
Technology Division, that unless
he improved his work dramatical
ly, they would be forced to con
tinue with the termination
proceedings.
Welsh acknowledged that Cha
has improved his work enough to
merit reconsideration of the ter
mination decision. Welsh further
emphasized that the matter was
not closed. “The faculty and I
have the greatest concern that the
students in the program get the
best quality education they can.
This decision (to release Cha) has
not been made lightly.”
Cha believes “all sides of the
question” were not discussed, and
that his dismissal was based on
“negative” factors of his
teaching, and not the “positive”
efforts he made to the depart-
Cha feels that because his
English is not perfect, the ad-
ministration’s decision was easier
“I am not an English teacher,”
he said, emphasizing that one of
the requirements of attaining his
doctorate degree was passing the
English and German competency
test, and receiving a grade above
the 85 percentile. He further
stated that he has enough
knowledge of English to get ideas
across but he knows his English is
not perfect.
Please see “DISMISSAL,” page 3