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Vol. 35, N 0.2
Questions of change upset PSH faculty,
By Chris Brooks
Staff Reporter
Faculty, staff and students
crowded into the Gallery Lounge
last Tuesday to hear Dr. John
Bruhn's proposals of improvement
for Penn State Harrisburg.
Changes in the Commonwealth
Educational System over a five
year period, 1997-2002, will affect
faculty, staff and students.
Discussions on various Penn
State campuses during the 1995-96
school year propose to integrate
schools. Schuylkill campus is one
of the first to agree to work with
Flood of '96 ravages midstate
On Saturday, Jan. 20 the
Susquehanna River raged
over its banks forcing many
midstaters to evacuate.
Later that day, the force
of the icy river tore away two
sections of the historic Walnut
St. Bridge in Harrisburg.
On Jan. 2 6, President
Clinton dedared 67 counties
in the state disaster areas.
By Jan. 28, at least 20
people were dead from the
devastating floodwaters.
PSH develops Honors Program
"Life experiences and involvement in the community are an
important part of an Honors education," Dr. Glen Mazis said.
By Tina Sheare r
Co-editor
Depth, diversity and community
involvement are what the new Penn
State Harrisburg Honors Program offers
Honors Committee
to interested and qualified students.
The program will be offered for the
first time in Fall 1996. The program is
open to students with a minimum 3.2
GPA who are looking for a more
involved, interdisciplinary learning
experience within a community of com
mitted learners.
"The whole idea is really not
about grades as much as attitude and
really wanting to get involved with
your education, interact with other stu
dents, and to get involved with commu-
the Harrisburg campus. Penn
State York could soon follow.
"Librarians would work with
librarians on other campuses,"
Bruhn said. "Student govern
ments would work with other stu-
dent governments."
Other options include expand
ing Penn State schools into four
year colleges.
"We're an opportunity to rein
vent Penn State Harrisburg,"
Bruhn said. "Every aspect of this
college could be changed or modi
fied."
Dr. Louise Hoffman, Professor
e icy, muddy Susquehanna River spilled into the streets of Shipoke
nity and give something back to the
community," Dr. Glen Mazis, professor
of humanities and philosophy and
director of the program.
The Honors program is designed to
offer students a more in depth learn
ing experience based on advance
studies in their major. The program
also focuses the diversity of educa
tion by incorporating interdiscipli
nary topics and seminars.
Candidates will be required to
submit an application with a two
page essay and be prepared to be
interviewed by the Honors
Committee. The Committee will be
choosing approximately 40 students
for the 1996 Fall semester.
g Students must maintain a 3.2 GPA
Xthroughout the program, com
plete Honors 301: "The Role of
Knowledge in Society," a 3-credit
honors thesis, Honors 401:
"Research Studies," at least five
other credits in honors tutorials,
honors courses in the major, college
wide honors seminars of honors sec
tions and file a yearly course of study
plan.
"Honors students are going to be
doing extra work, but the real benefit
for them is more control over their
work, " Mazis said. "They will be able to
break the existing structure to find a
structure that fits them better."
Penn State Harrisburg's Honors
Honors i • 6
staff and students
of Humanities, questioned what
the process would be for redesign
ing the college.
"How will we be involved," she
asked? "Will our program offer
ings change? Will we add faculty?
Will we move to a departmental
structure? Will tenured professors
bump part time professors?"
"The process needs to be
worked out," Bruhn replied.
With finance cuts over the past
few years and an one percent cut
to faculty this year, there will be
no new money for the proposed
plan
e 0•• n
Women's Studies and
International Business
minors added at PSH
By Danielle C. Hollister
Co-editor
Penn State Harrisburg students
can explore new options with their
education this semester.
In addition to the honors program,
the university has added two new
minors to the curriculum offerings.
Students can choose to minor in
Women's Studies or International
Business.
The Women's Studies minor is
being offered as an interdisciplinary,
interdepartmental effort of the
Humanities Division, the School of
Public Affairs, and the Division of
Behavioral Sciences and Education.
Dr. Alison Hirsch, assistant professor
of American studies and history, is
overseeing the minor in the
Humanities Division.
Dr. Tace Hedrick, assistant profes
sor of humanities and comparative
literature, is teaching one of the
women's studies classes this semester
She was unavailable for comment.
Dr. Carol Nechemias, associate pro
fessor of public policy, describes the
women's studies class that she's
teaching this semester
"It's basically looking at gender
issues, events, ideas and meanings
that social institutions have for men
and women," she said. "We are
addressing the question of what are
women's issues? And why are they
called that?"
Dr. John Bruhn
Minors .,. 6
11 4 ' 4
delivers "State-of-the-College" briefing
Penn State President will
visit PSH and community
By An n E. Mease
Staff Reporter
President Graham B. Spanier will visit
the Penn State Harrisburg Campus on
February 29, continuing a two phase year
long tour, taking him to all corners of
Pennsylvania.
Dr. Graham's tour will include all of
the Penn State University's 23 locations, a
number of its 67 extension offices, and
visits to businesses, high schools, and
civic organizations across the common
wealth. This tour is to reintroduce and
dedicate the University to the people it
serves. The visits also give students and
citizens the opportunity to ask questions
and express their views on Penn State's
involvement in government and higher
education in general.
Visits made up to this point have been
to local business people, community
groups, campus faculty and staff, students
and advisory boards, a visit to a local
A
P..
4
high school,
and meetings
with the area
media or a
local newspa
per editorial
board
"Penn State
serves a broad
community
and I am get-
ting out and
meeting that community, " Dr. Spanier
said. "Penn State is a vital resource for
many constituencies throughout the
state. From our continuing education
programs, to our county extension
offices, to our economic development
partnerships with Pennsylvania busi
nesses, we touch a tremendous amount of
lives and provide opportunities and hop
to a vast population."
Dr. Spanier cites examples such as
Penn State's involvement in 4-H, which
reaches more than 150,000 youths in the
state. In 1994, through its Cooperative
Extension Offices, the University had
more than 1.1 million face to face con
tacts with people, and more than 3 mil
lion people in Pennsylvania are served
by programs originated in Penn State's
colleges and specialized units.
Additionally Penn State programs and
services benefit more than 3,000 public,
business and industry organizations
across the state.
Many people are assisting in this
goodwill tour and adding to the success of
the project. Linda Higginson, assistant to
the Vice President for the Commonwealth
February 5, 1996