Oct. 8, 1986
Provost Evaluates Her First Two Years
By Jan Travers
Dr. Ruth Leventhal became
provost and dean at Penn State,
Harrisburg on July 1, 1984. In
April of the same year, Tony
Perry, a former Capital Times
reporter, interviewed her about
hei plans for the school upon
assuming office three months
later. In an attempt to see how
she has measured up, we asked
her to reflect on changes made
during her short tenure as
provost
Q. In 1984 you stated
concern with the low
percentage of minorities
and women faculty and
students. How have you
addressed this?
Ruth Leventhal: First, we laid
the groundwork for our future,
including identifying the cause
of the problem. Dealing with
the low percentage of blacks, we
hired a minority recruiter, Kevin
Brown, and an assistant graduate
recruiter. The Black Cultural
Arts Center has been
refurbished, we’ve expanded
Black History Month, and we’ve
tried to develop a stronger
supportive environment. In
addition, Frank Swetz was
appointed to head a task force on
international students.
Retention wise, we have
created a conducive environment
to attracting the serious black
student. We are making
headway, with the number of
“Illiteracy Subverts the Free Choice of Work’ ’
By Denise Reinas
What would you do if you
suddenly became illiterate? Let’s
say you were injured in an
accident and when you recovered
you realized you could no longer
read or write. How would this
affect your job, your family life,
or your schooling?
Many people in the United
States are illiterate. “There are
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minorities going up, but the
percentage is not reflecting the
increase because of the overall
rise in general enrollment
For women, an office for non
traditional students has been
created, under the direction of
Dave Doaty, in an attempt to
address their particular needs. In
addition, Kay Towns has many
projects in operation.
Q. Does this study of
non-traditional students
include the possibility of
a child play center on
campus?
RL. We have been studying
this for a' year and a half,
including the cost, interest, etc.
I also included it in the planning
request for strategic funds. But is
it an expensive venture for a
relatively small student
segment, especially with the
liability insurance crisis going
on now. However, in renovating
the meeting house in the
Heights, the plans included
changes needed by government
regulation in the event this goes
through. We are looking into
the possibility of finding a
private benefactor to sponsor it.
In an attempt to assist people
who need this service now, we
have a list of reliable area child
centers available through Kay
Towns, PROBE.
Q. You wanted to “build
a real campus feeling”
through campus
beautification. How have
you approached this?
over 20 million adult
Americans-one in five-who are
unable to read a street sign, find
a name and number in a
telephone book, or complete a
written job application. Twenty
million more are marginally
literate since they read at less
than an Bth grade level,” Said
Nan Cavenaugh, the executive
director of the Central
Pennsylvania Literacy Council,
Inc. The Pennsylvania
Department of Education
estimates that there are 10,000
Capital Times
RL. We stretch every dollar so
it does the maximum good. For
instance, the bushes planted
along the Fruehauf border will
not only make the campus look
nice, but will provide a barrier
between the two properties.
Also, trees and flowers have
been planted with the land
around the dorms, admissions,
and continuing education being
improved.
Beginning this year, the goal
will be on inner beautification,
including coat racks in
classrooms, a better system for
classroom repairs and relocating
the blackboard into the center of
the forward walls to form one
big board
Q. It was your concern
in 1984 that not enough
was being done to include
commuters in campus
activities. How have you
dealt with this?
RL. First, I met with
commuter students to discuss
their needs. This led to a
Commuter News Letter through
Dave Doaty’s office. Then the
Cultural Affairs Committee was
charged to tailor programs to
attract both on-campus residents
and commuters. This is why
many programs are now held
during the dav.
Q. You want to establish
the capital college as a
adults in Harrisburg City alone
who could derive advantage horn
tutoring and literacy programs.
Literacy expert, Carmen St.
John Hunter said, “What is
needed more than literacy
projects are programs oriented
toward the specific needs of a
community, programs that spark
a desire for literacy.” In 1983
President Reagan announced the
Initiative on Adult Literacy.
Since then many programs have
been developed. ‘The programs
that succeed are those that
approach people around what
deeply concerns them, and that
allow them to use their own
Common Cause Wants to Limit
Campaign Contributions
By Jean Meitz
On Thursday, September 18,
Thomas DeWall addressed the
members and guests of Delta Tau
Kappa in the BCAC Lounge.
DeWall is executive director of
Common Cause/Pennsylvania,
which is a national citizen’s
lobby working for openness and
accountability in government at
all levels. Statewide, the affiliate
focuses on campaign finance
reform, open meetings
legislation, ethics laws,
disclosure of lobbyists’
cultural center in this
area?
RL. This is an area I take a
personal interest in. A lot of
education is outside of the
classroom. The arts are very
important to economic
development. We must make the
Harrisburg area a place where
people want to live. Our
programs at Penn State are
geared to get people in touch
with the arts. Only then will
community see us as a major
university.
Q. How have you
increased outreach to the
community?
RL. In addition to the cultural
program, we have enlarged our
continuing education, and we
give credit/non-credit classes
throughout the region.
Personally, I speak to as many
area clubs and organizations as
possible. Also, we have enlarged
our Community Relations
Office, increasing our news
coverage. The board of advisors
was expanded to 36 members,
consisting of outstanding
community leaders. This helps
increase our visibility. From
October through December we
will be conducting “Inter-View
breaks”. This includes bringing
community leaders to the
campus to show them our
programs.
experience to improve their
communities,” Hunter said.
People must decide on their own
that they want to learn to read
and write and through such
programs this can be possible.
The factors which influence
literacy are the home, the
educational institution, and the
Erson himself. Some people
tm to read with little or no
formal instruction unlike others,
who to them reading is a slow
and toiling process.
Those who are illiterate
sometimes get cheated or
discriminated against by the
general public. “Illiteracy
expenses, and other government
reform issues.
DeWall gave a brief history of
Common Cause from its
founding at the national level in
1970 as well as the start of the
state chapter in 1974.
Campaign financing and ethics
legislation are issues of concern
both at the national and state
levels. The recent passage of the
Sunshine Law in Pennsylvania
is the result of nine years of
constant effort by Common
Cause as well as other civic
minded groups.
The current issue that Common
Q. You wanted
continuing growth in
educational programs. Has
this been achieved?
RL. We have developed a
carefully targeted program for
improvement of all areas in our
strategic plans. It is our plan to
make this a nationally
competitive institution.
Q. It appears that
everything you set out to
do in 1984 has been
accomplished, is this
true?
RL. If I agreed with that, my
job here would be through.
There is still a lot to be done.
We want to continue to bring
increasing resources to a school
which both needs it and deserves
it. We want to see the
institution increase their
successes, especially with
women and minorities. The
promotion and tenure policies
must be refined. We must
improve the feeling of
community on the campus. We
hear concerns long after we
should. Students many times
feel they don’t know enough to
question policy.
Q. Your advice to the
student?
RL. If you have a problem or
concern go to the administration
for answers. Don’t be shy.
subverts the free choice of work,
for example. If you couldn’t read
and write, the range of jobs open
to you would be limited to the
most degrading and exhausting
forms of menial labour,” said
Arthur Gillette, author of Youth
and Literacy.
There are many programs
available to help the illiterate
and there are people willing to
put forth the time. If those who
are illiterate could recognize that
they would benefit by involving
themselves in literacy programs
and then seek help, then
discrimination might no longer
take place.
Cause is actively supporting is
campaign financing. DeWall had
three charts showing where
candidates for governor and the
Supreme Court of Pa get their
campaign money. These charts
show the tremendous growth of
contributions over $250 each
that comes from PAC’s
(political activists committees).
Common Cause is trying to
change this, according to
DeWall, so that candidates will
no longer be financially
obligated to pressure groups.
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