Miami Hurricane, August 30, 1984

              By MSA GIBBS
News Editor
The University of Miami Board of Trustees recently approved a five-year plan which will reshape the University into a more selective and high-quality private institution.
The Strategic Plan, a product of two years of research, establishes long-term goals and redefines budget priorities. These include imposing more stringent admission standards for entering students and switching to an incentive budgeting system under which most departments will be required to pav their own way.
"The pian is a document reflecting our assessment of strengths and weaknesses, general directions based on our priorities and realities of funding available," said President Fdward T Foote "It is a guide to help us think more clearly about where the University of Miami should be going and how we can help it get there
“Any strategic planning document is simply a snapshot of an evolving process. As the first such snapshot at this university, this document is important but should not be misunderstood," continued Foote. 'What you will read is not precisely what will occur by 198!». The numbers in the plan will obviously change, but the direction of the University is assured."
Among the specific goals and objectives outlined by the plan are:
• A re-examination of the means of instruction and the content of
the curriculum.
•	A reduction in the student-faculty ratio and some reorganization to enhance the academic interplay among schools and departments.
•	The stabilization of undergraduate and graduate enrollment
•	The improvement of opportunities for faculty research by providing financial, laboratory, library and computer support
•	The encouragement of community service programs.
Although the Plan predicts an increase in total undergraduate enrollment due to increased recruiting efforts in the Sunbelt, the University intends to impose stricter admission standards in an attempt to improve the overall quality of the undergraduate population.
Already, UM has seen a positive change in the quality of its freshmen classes — average Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for the 1983 entering class was 1026, more than 40 points higher than those of 1981.
To attract and retain students, the University proposes an increase in University-funded financial support The Department of Student Financial Assistance is currently allocated approximately $35 million for student assistance — $16 million in the form of federal loans, $12 million from state and federal funds and $7 million from the University.
The Plan calls for an overall increase in outside funding By 1989, gift and endowment income should increase by approximately 50 percent, and sponsored grants and contracts by 30 percent
Perhaps the most ambitious part restructure the University's budgeting The new system, based on those versity of Pennsylvania and the Univi require almost all University departmt Schools which generate their ow of Arts and Sciences and the School ( allowed to keep its excess revenue Schools and programs subsidize however, would be forced to break t required to meet their expenses
the University also plans to add ty members to staff new programs a tion.
The two-volume plan marks the planning
"Overall," the plan states, “the I ty of joining the ranks of the most p United States."
"With a thoughtful strategy for University is poised as few are fo Foote. "Not only because of its own s the University has special advantages
of the Strategic flan is prop sv ,tem over a period of five > of Washington University, tf rsity of Southern California, nts to break even financially n revenues, for example, the ( if Business Administration, wc
d by the University's general ven or reduce the amount of
approximately 100 to 125 new ad strengthen the quality of n
UM’s Morton Collectanea one of a Kind
By LOURDES FERNANDE/
Editor in Chief
It is the only one of its kind in the world — and its located at the University of Miami
The Morton Collectanea, the result of 51 years of work, is a botanist's dream. It houses — in two rooms — data collected by Dr Julia Morton and her late husband
They began the collection in 1933 while living in New York. “Because Of the depression, the poor people in rural areas would gather plants for food. There was a tremendous interest in what could be eaten," she said “In Germany, wood sawdust Was being used to make bread So was born the Mortons' information center on edible plants. During World War II. the Mortons went to the Bahamas to research tropical fruit. They later came to Miami for the same reason. However, the hurricane of 1945 tipped over all the fruit trees and the Mortons had to wait until the trees were repositioned
In the meantime, they wrote 50 Tropical Fruits of Nassau and contacted the UM botany department (no longer in existence) Then-President Bowman Ashe asked them to move their files to UM The Mortons agreed — bringing 90 cartons of information with them
The campus, which was then comprised of one permanent building and several wooden shacks, had an arboretum with 600 species. The present arboretum, said Morton, is “virtually abandoned
"Once mollecular biology came to the forefront institutions abandoned botany and zoology and combined them into biology This is unfortunate," she said “The University of Miami should be great for the study of botany, and President Foote recognizes this
Morton said her department h.i several functions, the most important being the creation of the tile-A poster on the wall states all its flDctions: seleciion. acquisition, processing, applu atom, mvi tlon, and communication.
Application, according to Morton, is solving problems for people She not only t< < - letters In>m all over the world, hat also dozens of phone calls a day - many from hospitals and clinics treating sonu one who has eaten ,i poisonous plant.
One clinic in Iran had no milk for children in the area and wrote ask ing for the Chinese recipe for soc bean milk
Economic botany covers all the uses of plants — and everything man needs can bo obtained from plants, said Morton
“Many people think of botany as just the study of flowers.” she said. “But man must first understand the structure of plants in order to be able to understand how man can utilize and produce it on a large scale."
Please turn to puge 3/MORTON
University's lirst efforts at strateg
Iniversitv is confident of its capahil restigious private universities in th
progress over the coming years, th extraordinary development, sai trengths. hut because of its locatioi and obligations.
Freshmen to be given netc exam
In the past, the College I reel ademic Skills Test was of no cern to students in private ins tions in the state of Florida. Thi longer is the case.
Beginning this fall, all tlnivi; of Miami students who will cessfully complete 56 credits are receiving financial aid ! Florida must register to take CLAST in the spring
Failure to take the CLAST result in the termination of tin dent’s need-based Florida fino aid..
“The test was originally d* i because community coHeg» graduating students who hack it in four-year in stit it I said Rod Gil Testing Center
According to t/jiJia, the * x. designed to test a student's n n skills, knowledge that <
Miami Hurn<:urw/MAf\ fl\ APPLI h \ » f
President’s House
The President's House, owned by the University of Miami, is on Old Cutler Road. The Model T car is President Edward T. Foote's, and can often be seen around campus. Pictures of the inside on page 2A
Financial aid offices on the move
By FRANK KATZ
Stuff Writer
One year ago, Ernest Smith was the chief officer of student assistance for the State of Florida, having been in that position since 1974, and had worked in Tallahassee for 13 years.
He is now the director of the Student Financial Assistance Office at the University of Miami. In July of 1983 he was approached by UM administrators who were interested in his filling the position.
"I was asked by Jim Ashe (associate provost for Honors and Privileged Studies| to come here, look things over and file a report." Smith said. "My observation was that the University was on the verge of making it or failure."
With the assurances of President Edward T. Foote and his administration that the University would give him its full support and would implement his major proposals. Smith moved to Miami in January.
"It’s always difficult when you
have to pull up roots and move after 13 years but I found the Miami position an exciting challenge."
Smith said that he had kept close tabs on the University from his former post because he felt it was one of the most interesting institutions in the state. "At the time. I was observing UM with an outsider's per spective,” he said. "When the job presented itself, I saw an extraordinary opportunity to be a part of an up and coming class organization
"I was excited at the prospect of being a part of that organization."
Under Smith, the Financial Assistance Office processed freshman applications for aid for the fall semester in record time. "We expect to enroll 1,700 freshman this fall semester, up 20 percent from last year, and we made announcements in March as to how much money they would be eligible for."
Smith was quick to share the credit with his staff and with his predecessor Ronald Hammond whom Smith said "did an excellent job laying the foundations for me ”
However, one foundation Smith is not pleased with is the current
site of the offices. The relocation ol the offices is one of his primary objectives, he said, because the current location not only keeps students geographically isolated, hut "attitudinally and philosophically as well,
"We need to move our offices out of this bunker we are situated in." he said.
According to Smith, the University has adopted a plan that will result in the realization of his proposal. “The president and provost have committed to us that they will move us," he said
Currently, the offices are located on the outer fringes of the campus, scattered through four floors in three buildings
Centraliz.ing the offices will make them much more accessible to students. Smith said, but the eventual development of the Student Assistance Management computer system will prove even more beneficial. SAM is currently operating at only a fraction of its potential. Smith said.
“SAM is the only on-line system on campus, but since no other department here is on-line,” said
‘When the job presented itself, I ~.i\v an extraordinary
opportunity to bu i part of an up and coming class organization.
Ernest Smith
Smith, "it's like the guy sitting in his office with a telephone, but no one else has one. so he can’t talk to anyone "
The University has recently approved the I.ong Range Information Systems Plan, which will computerize the entire University Work will begin soon on the $14 million system and LRISP should be fully functional by 1991
Inside
Honors Proram
The Honors Program grows in leap and bounds; this fall first Honors Residential College will open at UM. /PAGE
nternationals
International students make up a substantial proportion of j student body. Special services and clubs are available to hem. /PAGE 8A
Organizations
" Whether you like sports, academics, or the social life, there is an organization (mavbe two or three) for you. /PAGES 13-I4A
For your information
What every freshman should know: two columns written for
the freshman — in Opinion. /PAGE 16A
New food service serves UM
By LISA GIBBS
News Editor
In the fall. University of Miami students will see quite a few changes in the campus cafeterias. The Marriott Corporation has become the new food service for the University, and plans several renovations for the '»II.
Among the changes is a complete renovation of the 730 Cafeteria, located outside Mahoney/Pearson Residence Halls.	,
The whole dining area will be redone “in keeping with South Florida decor." according to Lee Champagne, district manager of the food services program.
Carpeting and new furniture will be installed. Champagne also hopes to redesign the serving areas.
For the other University cafeterias, a series of small changes will be put into effect which will update their styles, including new signs, menu boards and new tablecloths for some of the cafeterias
“We're going to try to improve the appearances of all the cafeterias," said Champagne.
A committee chose Marriott out of five food service
should hav
The CL/ al parts: essa) and computa! tics, informa bra).
"The gene faculty here i not going lit I
acquin TT is di
•d in high i idi d inti
it." h
Nevertheless, Be-vimck . caution students not to t.tk lightly
According to Bcsvinick. versity will offer a serie lures and or seminars to i Cl.AST material He has i respective departments to rate into their curriculum ' that students will see CLAST
irged
inco
nut
in
rpo-
erul
thi
programs which bid for the University's patronage.
“It's not which food is better, but how the food is served and prepared that makes the difference.” said Undergraduate Student Body Government President Scott Kornspan "We felt that Marriott was most qualified to do it."	,
In addition to serving educational institutions such as Georgetown and American Universities, Marriott serves hotels, airlines, businesses and hospitals. UM is the company's first account in Miami
Marriott replaces SAGA, which had been UM's food service for eight years, and will continue to carry on a few SAGA traditions, such as steak night. But the overall program will be different.
“We're coming in with new menus and with new ideas," said Champagne. "Things have to change or else everybody gets bored."
Meal plans, however, will remain the same and costs for the upcoming year will remain constant also.
"We’ve a lot of work to do in the next two months," said Champagne. "We've a lot of changes to make, plans to carry out. Everybody’s going to see a difference in August."
Gillis said he plans to develop an optional pre-CLAST test to be taken prior to the actual test
Besvinick said students will he given ample notification of test dates and "there will be an announcement in early September directed to students who will be taking the CLAST in the spring."
Any student who expects to complete 56 or more credits this fall must take the CLAST in the spring According to Besvinick. if a student fails one of the four parts of the test they "can go forward and receive financial aid for their next 36 credits as long as they successfully retake that part before completing the 36 credits."
Students who fail two or more parts of the test will be allowed to retake the CLAST and must repay the $13 test fee.
Any student who has any questions regarding the CLAST’ should contact their advisors.
"The University will do everything it can to publicize it |the CLAST|, but the ultimate responsibility rests with the student," Besvinick said^
"I don’t Know how one can be educated who doesn't know the rudiments," said Besvinick. who has mixed feelings regarding CLAST. "From an intellectual point of view the test is a good thing,” he said, “but from a sociological point of view I have some reservations."
I niversity <»!
Minim*
Volume 61 Number 1
M A11. AW V
Summer 1984
Strategic Plan to Reshape Un