The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 23, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 19, 1997 Page: 1 of 6
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JBRAR^
ambler
The students* voice since 1917
November 19, 1997
Fort Worth, Texas
Vol. 80, No. 23
Law School dedicated
Andrew Smith
Stuff w riter
Texas Wesleyan reached a milestone in its history last Saturday with the
dedication of its School of Law, located in downtown Fort Worth, at 1515
Commerce St.
Established in 1989, the law school was acquired by Texas Wesleyan
University in 1992, and in August 1994 received provisional accreditation by
the American Bar Association.
From 1992 through the summer of 1997 the law school was located in
Irving, Texas, and in August 1997, moved to its new downtown location.
Appearing at the dedication were Congresswoman Kay Granger, a
Texas Wesleyan alumna; Loren Hanson, chairman of the Texas Wesleyan
Board of Trustees, Joe Wilson, bishop of North Texas; Wade McMullen,
president-elect of the Tarrant County Bar Association; and the current Mayor
of Fort Worth, Kenneth Barr.
The Law School is one of several major academic programs added by
Texas Wesleyan in the last five years. Other programs include a master of
business administration degree. Weekend University program and a bachelor
of fine arts degree in musical theater. The addition of the Law School is cru-
cial to Texas Wesleyan's goal of becoming a "New Urban University,"-a
plan promoted by Wesleyan President Jake B. Schrum-
"As a New Urban University we recognize the value to the region of pro-
viding a new venue for legal education. The new location enhances
Wesleyan's commitment to meet the needs of the community it serves," said
Schrum.
The Law School is an important step in completing this plan to meet the
needs of the community as it provides the only evening and part-time pro-
gram in North Texas.
Eldon Mahon, senior U.S. District Court judge, spoke about his high
hopes for the Law School, saying "Thank you for bringing to this area a first
-class law school."
Anyone interested in attending the School of Law may contact the Texas
Wesleyan admissions department, or call the Law School at 212-4000.
President Jake B. Schrum looks on as U.S.
Congresswoman, Kay Granger, cuts the ribbon opening the
new Fort Worth Law School.
\
1
Photo by Jon McKenzie
Shampton hiring prompts
discussion of tenure
Jason Lamers
Staff writer
A controversy has erupted over
whether a professor who was refused
tenure by Dr. Frank Walwer, dean of the
law school, should have received auto-
matic tenure from the university.
Dr. John Shampton, professor
finance and law, said he had defacto
tenure because the law school failed to
notify him of his status in a timely fash-
ion.
When asked what he thought about
Shampton immediately being granted
tenure by the Board of Trustees, Louis
Mclain. dean of the school of business,
said, "He looks like he'll be an outstand-
ing faculty member for us. My question is
on the process."
"The process was not honored as it
should have been," said McLain.
Only the President of the university
and the Trustees have the right to decide
matters of tenure. Jake B. Schrum, pres-
ident of the university, would only con-
firm that the Board of trustees have grant-
ed Shampton tenure.
According to the minutes of a facul-
ty council meeting on September 18,
Shampton was left in defacto tenure by
the law school.
According to the guidelines set by
the American for Association of
University Professors (AAUP), after a
professor has taught in an
institution for seven years,
that professor must be
granted tenure or be fired.
If at the end of the
seventh year, if the profes-
sor has not been granted
tenure or fired, according
to AAUP standards, that professor is
automatically granted tenure by default.
According to Dr. Tom Armstrong,
senior vice president and provost of the
university, Walwer did not recommend
Shampton , for tenure. This would've
been Shampton's eighth year as a profes-
sor at the school of law.
Walwer did not return repeated
phone calls.
Armstrong said,"[Shampton] does
not have the publications in law journals
that are required for recommendation for
tenure at the law school."
Shampton, who according to
Armstrong, is a very highly qualified pro-
fessor who has taught both business and
law classes, asked if he could come teach
_______ at the school of business
When Shampton's
tenure was brought to
McLain, he held a meet-
ing with the business
faculty to discuss the
issue.
——————— McLain said that
although Shampton had a distinguished
record of teaching at the law school, "It
was decided that the school of business
could not make a tenure recommendation
for professor Shampton because the
majority of the school of business did not
knou< professor Shampton."
According to the minutes of the
faculty council meeting, Dr. Reed spoke
"The process was
not honored as it
should have been,"
-Louis McLain
with the AAUP to decide what to do:
"The AAUP suggested a plan that
would afford the least amount of damage
to the candidate and to the tenuring sys-
tem. This plan included no guarantee to
the candidate, but would give the school
of business two years to work with the
candidate. At the end of two years the
school of business, would have knowledge
of the candidate's work and collegiality
and be able to take an informed vote for
tenure."
The minutes go on to say, "This
AAUP recommendation was ignored
when the candidate was given tenure into
the university."
Reed said he did not know why the
two year plan'was ignored by the Board
members.
Shampton said, "I definitely had
defacto tenure." If that is true, Shampton
had already received tenure by the AAUP
which would mean that this two year plan
should, have never come up.
"I was not going to do that," said
Shampton.
■f..i vj't;
Go international
Students involved in the International Program
participate in an international day on
Ihursday, Nov. 13. The activity is a chance for
students of different backgrounds to take the
opportunity to learn about other nations tradi-
tions. Students present dances, songs, and food
of their culture in authentic costume. Many
nations were represented (from left) Sahal-
Saudi Arabia. Yutaka-Sakaya, Vaishali Dave-
India. Ariunjargal-Mongolia, Sang-kyong Cho -
Korea, ,lun-ho Seofig - Korea. Hasannab
Madili. The day is a good opportunity for
Wesleyan students to meet the international
students and learn a little bit about their tradi-
tions and customs. , -
Hale
V
proposes
new math
requirement
Amber Causey
Staff writer
Dr. Benjamin Hale, mass communication depart-
ment chairman, has proposed that students should
have the choice of taking three hours of college alge-
bra, psychology statistics, philosophy logic or busi-
ness administration statistics.
His Oct. 30 suggestion for changing the "mathe-
matical, statistical and analytic skills" general
requirement for Wesleyan will be considered for the
next university catalog, in Fall 1998.
Hale said the General Educational Curriculum
Committee (GECC) is looking at the proposal right
now.
"They (GECC) have already talked about it
some, and they have informally decided that it is real-
ly an issue that Accrediting Association requires or
doesn't require," Hale said.
The committee asked Provost Tom Armstrong,
who is an inspector on the visiting teams for the
Accrediting Association at other schools, to explain
his view on the proposal and what the requirements of
Student Activities Committee actually mean.
"It is my expectation that on the basis of that,
GECC will make some decision or reach a conclusion
either accepting this proposal or substituting modifi-
cations of some kind. If that happens, then it still has
to go to the Academic Affairs Committee which is
chaired by the provost and has larger representation
including the deans of the different schools on it.
They would have to approve it before and then it
would go into the next catalog," said Hale.
Hale said the soonest he could know if the pro-
posal is officially approved could be in two weeks,
but could be a lot longer.
Hale said when he made the proposal, he showed
it to a number of people, other department chairs and
deans from other schools to get a feel for their reac-
tion. He also collected a number of letters of support
from other department chairs, so that the proposal
would seem more than just something coming from
mass communication or the School of Business
because he said that the mathematics requirement is a
concern that covers the whole campus.
"Everyone (students) will benefit by having more
choices to make or being able to meet this particular
requirement in the core curriculum in ways that are'
more appropriate to their particular study," Hale said.
Sabra Swairn, a senior sociology major who will
graduate in December, said she had taken four reme-
dial algebra classes at TCJC and finally passed the.
last class. When she came here, she then took inter-
mediate algebra^ and passed with a D. She said she
took college algebra twice and finally passed it.
"If I didn't have to take all those algebra classes,
• I would have graduated a semester earlier. Because I
had to go through all of that, 1 think everybody
[should go] through it. If they change it, I will be
mad," Swaim said.
Dr. Louis McLain, dean of school of business,
said, "Dr. Hale's proposal recognizes that the SAC's
criteria related to natural sciences/mathematics
requirements are not narrowly but broadly focused. I
look forward to exploring with my colleagues on the
faculty and on the Dean's Council the merits of
allowing students greater flexibility on meeting the
general core Mathematical, Statistical and Analytical
Skills requirement."
Strasburger resigns
Jason Umers
Staff writer
Erich Strasburger, director of computing and
telecommunications, will bcr leaving the university at
the end of the semester.
Early in Octobcr, Strasburger announced he was
resigning effective in December, said Dr. Tom
Armstrong, provost and senior vice president.
Armstrong said Strasburger is continuing his job
as of right now and is working on a project with the
deans to renovate the computer labs.
When asked why he was leaving, Strasburger
would not comment. He also would not comment on
if he had a job offer somewhere else.
Armstrong said that as yet no replacement for
Strasburger has been found.
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Wood, Allison E. The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 23, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 19, 1997, newspaper, November 19, 1997; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth287697/m1/1/?rotate=180: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Wesleyan University.