The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, February 6, 1987 Page: 1 of 24
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Volume 74, Number 19
JAN AFi
PHRESHER
cffl-s!tudent newspaper for 25,955 days \ February 6, 1987
February 6, 1987
£
Faculty evalu^iS^
teaching, research
by Michele Wucker
The importance of undergrad-
uate teaching at Rice has been' re-
emphasized, according to Provost
Neal Lane.
Some faculty are debating the
relative importance of teaching
and research, especially since the
University Council is in the process
of determining this year's
promotions and tenures.
Members of the Committee for
Undergraduate Teaching voiced
their concern that, in the
process for determining faculty
promotions and tenure, teaching
did not receive strong enough
emphasis in relation to research.
In the decision-making process,
research, teaching, and service to
the university are examined.
In order to insure that
candidates have made significant
contributions in their fields,
experts from outside the university
are asked to comment on the value
of the professor's work. These
opinions are solicited by the
department chairmen and the
Dean.
"What has been done by each
person in all three areas is
considered, but everyone has a
different perception of the
importance of each category," said
Committee Chairman Charles
Stewart.
"My perception has been that
research does get more emphasis,
but some people will tell you that
teaching and research are about
equal," he said.
Dean of Engineering Heliums
feels that research is probably
emphasized more, especially in
attracting new faculty.
According to Dean of Social
Sciences Cooper, research and
teaching are both heavily
see Promotions, page 8
Movie to be filmed on campus
by Mike Raphael
Houston Motion Picture
Entertainment, Inc. will be on
campus Monday to begin shooting
a movie to air on CBS later this
year.
"Sharing Richard," a romantic
comedy, will star Ed Marinaro of
"Hill Street Blues," Eileen
Davidson of "The Young and the
Restless," Hillary Baily Smith of
"As the World Turns," and Nancy
Frangione of "Days of Our Lives."
The comedy is about a plastic
surgeon who is dating three lovely
women. What he doesn't know is
that they all know about each
other and are keeping it a secret
among themselves.
The movie is based on a
screenplay written in reaction to a
cover story in Newsweek magazine
last year, which presented a study
concerning the lack of marriage
partners for college-educated
women over 30.
George Williams of H M PE said
that Rice was selected as a filming
site "because of the architectural
beauty of the campus."
"We don't want to encumberthe
educational process," Williams
said. "The great help of the people
working with us on the campus has
insured that we won't do so."
On Monday, filming will take
place in Anderson Hall in the
morning and in Baker College
around lunch time. This will mean
streets in the area of Baker and
Wiess Colleges will be barricaded
from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The filming will move to
Hamman Hall from 3 p.m. to 8
p.m. Traffic congestion is expected
around parking lot F, and the
Hamman Hall semi-circle will be
barricaded.
Filming is also scheduled on
Wednesday, February 18, at the
gymnasium and the tennis courts
near Wiess College. Traffic
congestion is expected in that area.
Search begins to replace Suitts
by Steve Nations
Tommy Suitts, head basketball
coach at Rice since 1981, agreed to
resign his position in mid-season,
the athletic department announced
at a press conference Friday.
M. Thomas
Senior Scheleen Johnson dances to the Bat Surfers
Safe Rides program approved
by Michele Wucker
Formal approval was given
January 26 to the Safe Rides
program, which will provide
transportation for intoxicated
students.
Arrangements for the service are
proceeding quickly, and the target
date for beginning operation is
February 20, according to RPC
President Mike Leppala.
"Things had been going much
more slowly than I had expected,
but now that we have final
approval, I am thrilled that this is
actually going to happen," he said.
The program has been
organized by Leppala, Scott
Jones, and Cati Moses, a group of
students working through the Rice
Program Council, in conjunction
with the Boy Scouts of America.
"The great thing about this
project is that it has been a student
initiative. We've had a lot of help
from various levels in the
administration and from the Boy
Scouts, but I think that the
students will be the ones who really
run the program," Leppala said.
Student volunteers will operate
the project, tentatively running
between 10:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.
Friday and Saturday nights.
"We decided that 2:30 would be
a good time to end the rides
because the bars close at 2 a.m.,"
said Moses.
One student will stay in the RPC
office and act as dispatcher, and
one male and one female student
will drive the car. The volunteers
will be coordinated by chairmen
from each college.
"The college chairmen will make
sure that there are volunteers the
weekends their college is
responsible, and make sure the
radios and the RPC office are
secure," Leppala explained.
Students who are involved in the
program will undergo a structured
training program lasting no more
than an hour. Training will include
operating procedure, dealing with
unconscious or violent people,
elementary first aid, and a
presentation by a health care
professional on alcohol and
substance abuse. Additional
training classes will be conducted
as new volunteers are added to the
program.
see Program, page 6
"This was a situation that
Tommy and I came to a mutual
agreement on," said athletic
director Jerry Berndt at the
conference. Suitts, who did not
attend the conference, told
reporters in his office: "The
agreement was mutual oncefcJerry
suggested it."
Suitts has been replaced on an
interim basis by Greg Walcavich, a
Rice assistant coach since 1983 and
the assistant head coach since
1985. A search committee has been
formed to find a permanent
replacement.
The committee is chaired by
Bobby May, the associate athletic
director. Commitee members
include Jim Castaneda, the faculty
athletic representative; Rod
Crowell, a member of the Owl
club; Martha Hawthorne,
women's assistant athletic
director; Bill Mathias, an alumnus;
Ivan Petit, one of the first players
recruited by Tommy Suitts; Ron
Sass, professor of biology; and
Gene Schwinger, representing the
R Association and a member of the
1950-54 basketball teams.
At least two coaches have
already expressed interest in the
job. DePauw coach Mike Steele
and Houston women's coach Greg
Williams reportedly would like the
job, and Houston Baptist coach
Tommy Jones is rumored to be
interested also. The DePauw
Tigers under Steele are 16-2 on the
season and are currently ranked
number two in Division III.
Williams played at Rice from
1965-69, and was an assistant
coach here later. The possibility of
Walcavich winning the job has not
been ruled out either, but he hasn't
Petitions due next week
formally expressed interest in the
job.
Berndt said that he hopes to
have a successor chosen by the
time the Southwest Conference
Tournament begins or shortly
thereafter. The tournament this
year will be in Dallas, March 6-8.
"I really believe .that our men's
basketball program has to be
competitive in the Southwest
Conference," said Berndt. The new
coach must know the special place
which Rice has in the
a t h le t ic / a ca d em ic arena,
according to Berndt. "We are
going to make our basketball
program very successful," he
added.
Suitts' contract expires June 30,
and it will be honored.
Suitts came to Rice in 1979 as an
assitant to Mike Shuler, now the
head coach of the Portland
Trailblazers of th' National
Basketball Association. Shuler left
two years later to take a NBA
coaching job, and Suitts was
named head coach.
Suitts' first team, which featured
SWC player of the year Ricky
Pierce compiled a 15-15 record and
won the Rainbow Classic
tournament in Hawaii.
Rice dropped to 8-20 the next
year, but improved to 13-17 in
1983-84 and won two games in the
SWC tournament before losing to
a strong University of Houston
team by only three points.
The Owls posted record of 11 -16
and 9-19 the past two years. As of
last Friday the Owls were 7-12
overall and 1-7 in the conference.
"I've never quit anything,"
Suitts said in his office after the
press conference, reiterating that it
was not his idea to resign.
see Suitts. page 19
Elections for campus-wide
positions will be February 24;
petitions and election statements
are due next week. The following
positions will be up for grabs:
Student Association Presi-
dent, Internal Vice President,
External Vice President,
Secretary, and Treasurer.
Rice Program Council
President, Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer.
Honor Council Sophomore,
Junior, Senior, and first-year
Graduate representatives.
Thresher editor, Campanile
editor, Campanile business
manager.
University Court Chairman,
two University Council
representatives.
For details on how to enter a
race, see page 2.
INSIDE:
• Why Sammy can't write, p. 2
• Everyone wants to see
Jimmy, p. 5
• Billy hired for PR, p. 5
• Tommy, the play, p. 12
• Tommy, the ex-coach, p. 19
• Tub o' potholes, p. 9
• Baseball season, p. 16
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Greene, Spencer. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, February 6, 1987, newspaper, February 6, 1987; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245655/m1/1/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.