The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 7, Ed. 1, Friday, March 3, 1989 Page: 1 of 6
six pages : illus. ; page 15 x 12 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Student excels at
advising others
on how to spend
their money.
See page 2
Features Editor
previews options
for spring break.
See page 4
Hardin-Simmons University
Volume 76
Choir leaves on tour
The Hardin-Simmons
University Concert Choir
directed by Dr. Loyd F.
Hawthorne departed March 1
for a weeklong tour of West
Texas and New Mexico.
Choir members will per-
form in churches and high
schools returning to Abilene
on March 8. The choir will be
presented in a concert Tues-
day March 14 at 8 p.m. in
HSU's Woodward-Dellis
Recital Hall.
Dr. John Campbell univer-
sity organist will accompany
the choir.
Selections will include
pieces from such composers
as Handel Brahms
Mendelssohn and more than
a dozen others.
Read initiates award
The Florence Read Endow-
ed Scholarship has been
established at Hardin-
Simmons University.
Dr. David W. Miller assis-
tant vice president for
development said Read of
Big Spring has established
the endowed scholarship
through the donation of a
$50000 gift annuity.
"Recipients must be
academically and morally
deserving of the award"
Miller said. "Selections will
be made by the Financial Aid
Office."
Armstrong lectures
Dr. Virginia Armstrong pro-
fessor of political science
and legal studies coordinator
at Hardin-Simmons Universi-
ty recently presented a series
of lectures at the University of
Texas Law School in Austin.
The lectures dealt with the
Interaction of law philosophy
and theology and were open
to law school students facul-
ty and the public.
Dr. Armstrong was also in-
terviewed on the call-in talk-
show "Christian
Encounters" aired over radio
station KLBJ-AM in Austin
Stanlake reads paper
Dr. Gary Stanlake HSU pro-
fessor of biology has been in-
formed that his paper entitl-
ed "Adaptation of the Cornell
Single Cell Model to Use in
the General Microbiology
Classroom" has been ac-
cepted for oral presentation
at the annual meeting of the
American Society for
Microbiology in New Orleans
La. on May 17.
Tourney starts today
ABILENE (Nl) -The annual
West Texas High School
Speech Tournament will be
held at Hardin-Simmons
University today and tomor-
row. Approximately 50 high
schools from the state and
area are expected.
Dr. Rosanna Herndon head
of the Department of Com-
munication is In charge.
Competition will be held in
Team Debate Lincoln-
Douglas Debate Poetry
Reading Informative Speak-
ing and Persuasive Speaking.
Abilene Texas
School of Business
construction nears
by Mike McGlaun
The official groundbreak-
ing for the Albert W. and Mary
E. Johnson Building for the
School of Business was held
Feb. 17. It marked the move-
ment toward construction of
the facility.
"For the longest time the
School of Business was forc-
ed to meet in scattered
classrooms all over campus"
stated Rick Keith Assistant
Vice President of Develop-
ment. "Since business en-
compasses the majority of
our majors at HSU it seemed
necessary to accomodate
their needs for a meeting
place."
In July of 1987 the Mabee
Foundation of Tulsa
Oklahoma issued a $1 million
dollar challenge grant to
HSU. In order to receive this
grant the university must
have raised an additional $3.5
million dollars required to
finish the $4.5 million dollar
building. This sum was to be
met by the deadline of
January 1 1988.
The main contribution to
this facility was made by
Rupert H. Johnson. Johnson
Smith responds to
by Steven Isaac
Dr. Jesse Fletcher began
the Monday Feb. 27
President-to-presidents
meeting by stating that the
previous meeting as "one of
the most gratifying sessions
I've ever had."
Joined by Dr. Ron Smith
academic vice-president and
provost Fletcher summarized
the issues concerning
'eacher competence and
review which were raised at
the last meeting.
Asked if he perceived the
low number of faculty
members as a crisis Smith
replied it was not a crisis but
certainly a difficult time. He
confirmed that the physics
and computer science depart-
ments would be boosted by
the return of the Helmses.
Mike Greenwood will be retur-
ning. Smith also said a posi-
tion in Spanish will be filled
as well as other posts.
After revealing that
Charlene Strickland would be
going on sabbatical and that
her post would be filled the
question was raised why the
Helmses' positions were not
filled. Smith replied that they
thought th"y could manage.
"We did but not very well" he
said.
Fletcher added that there
was also an unexpected in-
crease in attendance of
classes normally taught by
the couple.
The question then came up
as to whether the university
Ira Taylor's
by Leigh Ann Whiddon
Dr. Ira Taylor professor of
art at HSU will be presenting
his sculpture 'Mother and
Child' at the "City on a Hill: 20
Years of Artists at Cortona"
exhibition.
This traveling exhibition
will first be shown at the
Georgia Museum of Art in
Athens. It will then be moved
who was a 1922 Simmons Col-
lege graduate (prior to the
school's renaming)pledged
$2.25 million to the Johnson
Building which is to be nam-
ed after his parents Albert W.
and Mary E. Johnson.
The remaining $1.25 million
was raised by HSU trustees
and alumni before the Jan. 1
deadline; it included a
$500000 maintenance and
utility endowment needed to
service the building.
The basic structure of the
Johnson Building will be
much like its predecessor
Mary Frances Hall. This
40000 square-foot three-
story facility will have the
double staircase and stained
glass windows that Mary
Frances Hall contained. On
the first floor there will be
conference areas and dean's
offices with an atriumrecep-
tion area in the middle of the
building. The second floor
will be devoted mostly to
classrooms in addition to
two major lecture halls. The
top floor will contain division
head and faculty offices.
"The person who has kept
this dream alive most is Dr.
was obliged to grant a sab-
batical. Smith answered no
and added that the ad-
ministration tries to give them
after the appropriate dean
assures that the situation can
be handled. In the Helms'
case Smith admitted it
"cratered."
Smith went on to say it was
a one semester result and
they did not expect it to hap-
pen again. Fletcher inter-
jected that "we've been mak-
ing our share of mistakes and
trying to learn."
The request then came for
the evaluation process to be
explained. Smith began by
saying there are standards by
which the faculty are
evaluated. These standards
are in a handbook on ex-
cellence adopted by the facul-
ty. The evaluation itself hap-
pens in various ways Smith
said. Faculty are evaluated by
the students after their first
semester and then every
three years. It can be done
more often or at a dean's re-
quest. "Until three or four years
ago these evaluations were
virtually seen by no one but
the faculty" said Smith.
Changes instituted then now
let the proper supervisor see
the faculty's reviews.
With the suggestion for
more frequent reviews Smith
said it had good and bad
sides. The former was that
students got plenty of oppor
'Mother and Child' in traveling
to Cortona Italy and several
other major Italian cities.
'Mother and Child' is an
abstract carved from Carrara
white marble. The marble
came from the same quarry
the stone used by
Michelangelo. Taylor produc-
ed this piece while in Cor-
tona on sabbatical with the
University of Georgia's art
r r-. -
WrWmWhr l p-" '
vlBn jHl nan? B --
'-
Sign of the times
Construction of the new School
Larry Boyd" Keith stressed
adding "Boyd the former
dean of the School of
Business has continued to
keep this plan in action to its
completion."
Boyd is presently serving
as president of Panhandle
State University in Goodwell
Oklahoma.
club presidents' questions
tunity to comment but often
the process becomes routine.
Smith then added that if a
faculty member is being con-
sidered for promotion or
tenure they are evaluated
that semester also.
The question then came up
about what if a majority of
students did not like
something. Would the dean
know?
Smith said the faculty
member should see the pro-
blem first. Then the dean
should be maae aware of it
along with any explanations
He said that they want faculty
to know what students think
but that does not guarantee
change.
Smith defended the open-
ended form of the evaluations
because it prevented faculty
members from being graded
against one another.
The question of whether
these evaluations were suc-
cessful at weeding out those
who do not perform that well
was then raised. Smith said
they are "As good as any us-
ed." But he added that he had
"never never" gotten a facul-
ty member to leave on the
basis of a student evaluation.
"That would break the
system" he said.
He said that first they try to
help the questioned faculty
member. If that does not
work "we go to other
methods" he said without
elaboration.
"There is no formal system
department.
The artists represented in
the exhibit are all profes-
sional and have been to Cor-
tona with the University of
Georgia's program. Taylor
commented "To be selected
from a group of artists as
large as this is a real honor...
these kinds of things don't
come too often."
March 3 1989
of Business will soon begin. (Photo by Patrick O'Donnell)
Keith stated HSU will be
receiving bids for the con-
struction of the Johnson
Building through the end of
this summer. Construction
should start at the beginning
of fall semester 1989. Tittle
Luther and Loving who were
architects for the new
Logsdon School of Theology
of peer evaluation. It occurs
all the time informally" said
Smith. He said the deans
keep him informed based on
all sources of information.
There is a formal review
when promotion or tenure is
being considered. A facutly
member has to be recom-
mended by their superior and
then goes through a Faculty
Development Committee
review. Smith stressed that
tenure was not granted
automatically. It had to be ap-
proved by the committee
Smith and the Board of
Trustees.
In reference to those who
are "dying on the vine" Smith
said there are incentives to
"reward those breaking their
necks for the students." He
mentioned that salaries are
based on merit.
A formal evaluation does
not work where there are
many departments of two
teachers said Smith. He men-
tioned that it had been sug-
gested that the dean bo in-
cluded in such instances. Yet
Smith said he was ambivalent
about a formal system.
"I won't say publicly or
privately that we have
anybody who can't teach. I
have a perception of who are
best and who are poorest"
said Smith to a blunt ques-
tion. He added that he also
tries to determine if there are
misconceptions such as in
grades.
Complaints in that area are
Printmaking and sculpting
are Taylor's two major fields
although sculpting is his
favorite. He stated "There's
something about art when
you're working with It that
makes you feel alive and I feel
alive carving stone."
Taylor spent seven weeks
carving in Cortona. In that
time he completed five works
Number 7
are also architects for the
Johnson Building.
Prominent persons who
participated in the ground-
breaking included Dr. Jesse
Fletcher HSU president; Dr.
Elwin Skiles Mr. Rupert
Johnson Dr. Ron Presley Mr.
Wilton Davis and Mr. Robert
Hitt.
weak. He said the university
is too easy in the area of
grades. HSU's average GPA is
a low B; according to Smith
that is wrong because only 30
percent of grades should be
A's and B's.
Fletcher then added "We
do respond to praticular com-
plaints. It's a rare month
when we don't have one of
these individual studies go-
ing on." Smith said "Of
course we don't talk about
it."
He said he did not find
number-wise many justified
complaints except in special
circumstances. The ad-
ministration does not report
back to the complainant said
Smith. "It's counter-
productive and it's just not
done" he said. "In a sense
you have to believe we're
responding."
When a specific instance of
reprisal by a faculty member
because of a complaint was
mentioned both Fletcher and
Smith expressed interest in
knowing more details. Smith
said that kind of affair was
something he could get "ex-
cited" over.
In closing remarks Flet-
cher said "They're people out
there. But anytime you run in-
to something patently unfair
pull us in."
Smith said it had been a
very negative session. He
pointed out that the university
has many people on the "cut-
ting edge" of their fields.
art exhibit
and started seven others. Cor-
tona is a small town which
was build during the Ren-
naissance; the atmosphere of
the town is still very laid-back.
Taylor said "In that at-
mosphere you can produce
three or four times what you
could normally... here in that
same length of time I would
be very luck to do one (work)."
HNBHffliraimaHiais
KEjnmssnHroiua
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 7, Ed. 1, Friday, March 3, 1989, newspaper, March 3, 1989; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth96465/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.