The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 29, Ed. 1, Friday, January 18, 2002 Page: 1 of 8
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Dvtimist
Sports
ACU basketball teams
will play A&M-
Kingsville Saturday at
Moody Coliseum
Page 4
A&E
Taking a look at the
Christmas holidays'
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Volume 90 Number 29 Abilene Christian University Department or Journalism ami lass Communication www.acu.eduoptimist
ITEC Department being cut
One department one major
and one piogram have now
been cut as a result of the first
phase or the university's fund-
ing reallocation and more cuts
and additions are on the hori-
zon. The Department of Indus-
trial Technology will close. Its
students will be able to finish
their degrees in progress if
they complete the require
ments In n timely fashion
administrators have said. The
department will accept no
new majors but will continue
to function as it has for at least
one more year and phase out
after that.
Students may no longer
choose to major in French
but cunent students may fin-
ish their degrees and the first
two years of French will still be
offered for students who take
the classes for foreign lan-
guage requirements.
As previously reported ACU
will discontinue the sign lan-
guage program after next year.
"Our resources are not
unlimited" Dr. Roycc Money
university president said in a
letter to the faculty. "We are un-
able to fund everything that we
might deem to be important."
Dr. Dwayne Vanltheencn
provost said in an e-mail
"Reallocation enables the uni-
versity to hire additional fac-
ulty in programs that are
growing need additional fac-
ulty and may need to have a
lower student-faculty ratio."
In his letter Money listed
some goals for reallocation:
fund multicultural enrich-
ment reduce student-faculty
Way high work
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BRADY LANE
A welder works on a beam about 40 feet in the air as construction continues on the Williams Performing
Arts Center. Students returning to campus after the holidays saw walls that didn't exist before the break.
Please see the related story on Page 8.
ratios in the College of Busi-
ness Administration improve
the levels of faculty and staff
salaries complete Williams
Center for Performing Arts
and provide for rising technol-
ogy costs.
TUltion rising at a higher
rate than in the last five years
Is another expected effect of
reallocation.
Also ACU will reduce its
number of faculty members
by eight to 10 and number of
staff members by 30-35 by
June 12005.
About six faculty positions
and 20 staff positions will be
eliminated as of June 1. Some
of those positions were vacant.
In addition to front-page
coverage about the realloca-
tion readers may find more
stories on Page 5.
Faculty reacts
to effects of
reallocation
Jessica Smith
Editor in Chief
The faculty members of the
Department of Industrial
Technology can't say they sup-
port the university's decision
to cut their department but
they do talk about helping
their current majors graduate
and finishing in good form.
The faculty with Dr.
Dwayne VanRheenen provost
and Dr. Colleen Durrington
dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences met with students
on the last day of the fall
semester to explain the deci-
sion. ITEC faculty had known
about the department's possi-
ble closure since Oct. 5 said
Dr. Jim Cooke chair of the
department but he said they
chose not to talk about it at
the administration's request
so students would not hear
about the decision second- or
third-hand.
"Certainly the faculty and
staff are opposed to the deci-
sion" Cooke said. "While we
don't understand we serve at
the pleasure of the university."
Dr. Roycc Money universi-
ty president said smaller
departments like ITEC
which has 75 majors have
budgets that are under more
constant supervision than
larger departments.
"It might have been a sur-
prise for the students but
ITEC has been struggling with
their sire and they're in a rap-
Please see ITEC Page 8
Language cuts
announced
Administrators
plan more change
within month
Jessica Smith
Editor in Chief
Programs in foreign lan-
guage and communication
were among other realloca-
tion changes announced in
December.
The French major and sign
language program will be
phased out of the curriculum.
Dr. Royce Money university
president said these cuts
along with the Industrial
Technology Department al-
most complete the first phase
of reallocation.
Other cuts may be
announced at the end of
January said Dr. Colleen Durr-
ington dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences.
Durrington said that while
no final decisions have been
made the Family and
Consumer Sciences is one
department that may face
restructuring or shuffling.
"We are looking at some of
the programs in Family and
Consumer Sciences" she said.
"We're not ready to make any
announcement."
Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen
provost said in an e-mail that
the university is considering
ways to strengthen the area of
family throughout the cur-
riculum. "Courses in this area are
scattered throughout the uni-
versity willi most in the FCS
Department" VanRheenen
said. "Specifically how that
plays out remains to be seen."
Dr. Marianna Itasco pro-
fessor and chair of the
Department of ramify and
Consumer Sciences was
unavailable for comment.
Although many final deci-
sions must still be made
administrators have devel-
oped plans for the cuts that
have been announced.
Seven students arc currenUy
majoring in French and
Money said ACU needed to
evaluate the program.
"From a cost and feasibility
standpoint is this something
Please see CUTS Page 8
University to observe
MLK Day Monday
Jennifer McMlchael
Page Editor
For the first time at ACU stu-
dents will have Martin Luther
King Day off on Monday.
Plans for the day range
from camping trips to sleep-
ins to catching up on study
time Though students dif-
fered on the best way to spend
a holiday they seemed to
agree on one thing: taking a
break and honoring a pioneer
in civil rights both are good
things.
Dr. Tom Winter associate
provost said the process to
approve the school holiday
had been ongoing.
"1 he Faculty Senate recom
mended it to Dr. VanRheenen
to take to the President's
Cabinet for them to discuss
about a year ago" Winter said.
"They determined that this
year would be a good year to
start having Martin Luther
King Day as an official school
holiday"
In years past the number
of school days in the spring
and fall semesters has been
out of balance with the fall
semester having fewer days of
school because of 1 hanks
giving break.
That Imbalance gave the
President's Cabinet the flexi-
Please' see MLK Page 3
Holiday schedule
Because of the
Martin Luther King
holiday the university
will observe Monday
the Optimist will not
have a regular Wed-
nesday edition.
Sources may not be
available over the
long weekend and
Optimist staff mem-
bers like to take a
vacation occasionally
too.
The next paper will
be published Friday
and will return to its
biweekly schedule
after that.
Mattis named new dean
Paul A. Anthony
A&E Editor
Dr. Charles Mattis was cho-
sen to replace Dr. Mark Davis
as dean of the First-Year
Program over Christmas break
as Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen
provost lauded Mattis' abili-
ties to lead and his concern
for incoming students.
"The leview committee
was impicsscd by Charles'
vision for the program" Van
Rheenen said in announcing
Mattis' appointment. He
added the committee was also
impressed by Mattis' "com-
passion for students and for
student grow III."
Mattis who was associate
professor of biology has been
director of University
Seminars on the University
Seminar Council and worked
with Davis on Passport and
Welcome Week in the past.
Ive always
had interest in
first-year stu-
dents" Mattis
said. "I think it's
important to
help them tran-
sition to the
university."
Mattis said he endured an
interview process that includ-
ed no less than six separate
interviews an "extensive"
written application and a pub-
lic presentation. He assumed
his role Jan. 2.
"I'm really looking forward
to the opportunity" he said. "1
Mauls
knew I'd be overloaded and I
certainly am." Among the
things Mattis now oversees
are Passport Welcome Week
University Seminar peer lead-
ers and advising.
Although the semester is
less than a week old Mattis
said he has already begun his
job by helping organize the
Tirst-Vear Program and work-
ing with staff members on job
descriptions. One of the first
things he did was oversee
Welcome Weekend a smaller
version of Passport and
Welcome Week that is held
every January.
Although only about 70
students attended Welcome
Please see MATTIS Page 3
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 29, Ed. 1, Friday, January 18, 2002, newspaper, January 18, 2002; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101747/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.