pennState
Harrisburg
CAPITAL TIMES
Vol. 25, No. 10
College seeks to upgrade computer system
John Rudy
Capital Times Staff
Increased access, improved class
room faculty-student interaction, and
standardized hardware and software are
key points of a proposal recently
submitted to Penn State Harrisburg
administrators that could lead to
enhanced computing capabilities both on
and off campus.
If the college’s administration
approves the package, the computer
facilities committee is prepared to
implement the recommendations out
lined in its "Computers in the
Cuniculum" plan.
Bronner recognized on national level
Pat Byers
Capital Times Staff
Penn State Harrisburg professor
Simon Bronner received the 1991
Distinguished Professor Award, making
him the first individual from this
campus to have been so honored.
Bronner was one of only 17 professors
nationwide to have been selected this
year, and one of only 45 professors from
the entire Penn State system to ever
receive the award.
For Bronner, the coordinator of
American studies and professor of
folklore and American studies, the award
culminates a decade of personal
distinction, both on and off the campus.
American Studies Professor Irwin
Richman, a colleague of Bronner’s for
the past 10 years, described Bronner as a
"veritable book machine."
Peter Parisi of the humanities
School addresses sexual harassment issue
TJ. Brightman
Capital Times Staff
They are calling it "a new look at an
old problem," and in the next week,
students, faculty, and staff will receive
an eight-page pamphlet outlining Penn
State Harrisburg's stance on sexual
harassment and what to do if it takes
place.
The pamphlet was designed as part of
an educational campaign to "heighten
awareness and provide clarification of the
laws and policies regarding sexual
harassment," said Penn State President
Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg
One goal of the plan is to make
computer access more equitable across
the entiie student body.
"The ratio of computers to all
students must be brought down,” said
Eton Churchill, assistant professor of
humanities and communications and
chairman of the computer facilities
committee.
"The problem [with computer
availability] is that it is skewed,”
Churchill said. "For example, engineer
ing students have a ratio of about one
computer to every 40 students. That's
pretty good. They have their own
computer lab, which is not unlike the
computer lab on the third floor. But the
Simon Bronner
division described a folklorist friend who
became "depressed about how his own
biography looked puny next to
Bronner's. He couldn't understand how
Simon did it."
Joab Thomas. Each pamphlet contains
the names and phone numbers of persons
appointed as contacts throughout the
Penn State educational system.
"Most people who are guilty of
sexual harassment are not often trying to
be sinister folk, they just don't know
any better," said Donald Holtzman, one
of the contact persons for Penn State
Harrisburg. "It's an educational process,
and one way to deal with sexual
harassment is to let people know what it
is so they will stop doing it."
And just what constitutes sexual
harassment?
rest of the student body has a much
lower level of access and that must be
improved."
Imagine being able to access the
college's computer network or the
library's LIAS information system from
a remote off-campus location, or after
graduation as an alumnus, having the
same access. This connectivity would
be possible if the plan is adopted.
"Extensive connectivity via
computers both on and off campus
would give students - particularly com
muters - round the clock access to the
university's major asset - information,"
the proposal says. "If that connectivity
is maintained after graduation, it could
Bronner has authored 11 books. He
said it takes between one and ten years to
complete a book, depending on data
collection and deadlines.
"Sometimes you just let the work
sit until you can get a grant and finish it
later," he said.
The books Bronner most enjoyed
writing include "Chain Carvers: Old
Men Crafting Meaning," (1985), a book
about elaborate whittling techniques, and
"Piled Higher and Deeper, The Folklore
About Campus Life," (1990), which
details folklore about academic life.
He said that "Chain Carvers" taught
him a lot about working with people.
While "Piled Higher and Deeper" gave
him a chance to "think and talk about
my own experiences."
Other works include studies on folk
art and children's folklore. The children's
manuscript won him the 1990 Inter
national Opie Award for the best
The university defines sexual
harassment as "unwelcome sexual
advances, requests for sexual favors, and
other verbal or physical conduct of a
sexual nature when:
- Submission to such conduct is a
condition for employment, promotion,
grades, or academic status.
- Submission to or rejection of
such conduct is used as the basis for
employment or academic decisions
affecting an individual.
Such conduct has the purpose or
April 5, 1991
contribute to a sense of alumni
belonging - clearly an asset in fund
raising activities.
"One problem is that computers
already in place are underutilized, which
can, in part, be traced to faculty and
student resistance to the computer itself.
More likely, however, is the fact that
faculty and students simply don't know
what's 'out there,' and if they do, they
don't know how to access the resources,"
the proposal says.
"We'd be able to utilize the equip
ment already in use on the campus,"
Churchill said, "but some modifications,
See Computers, page 5
children's folklore book.
For the time being, Bronner has put
away the manuscript and sharpened his
academic leadership skills in order to
help this college "realize its potential."
He said he would like to see the
completion of the library project, for
which he has vigorously campaigned, to
become a "symbol" for the campus. He
would also like to see a research, art and
student center added to the college in the
near future.
Bronner was an integral part of two
intramural basketball championship
teams this year at the college. He said
growing up in New York City taught
him a great deal about the lessons of
sport, such as teamwork and the
individual roles that are played on the
court to benefit the team.
Associate Professor Michael Barton
See Bronner, page 2
effect of interfering reasonably with the
individual's work or academic perfor
mance or creates an offensive, hostile, or
intimidating working or learning
environment.
Peg O'Hara, director of student affairs
and a former contact on sexual
harassment, said that no one reported any
cases of sexual harassment in the 1990-
91 school year. In past years, incidents
have involved male professors who made
inappropriate comments to female
students. These "mild" incidents were
See Harassment, page 3