Miami Hurricane, September 22, 1978

              School Board Rejects Bid on West Ixih
CINDY S. VOVA
In a unanimous vote Wednesday th» rw.
School Board reeled the Univ^rSL for the purchase of thr West I ah ri._ M ‘ otfrT cloning negotiations for an indrffniJ pen'odtnim^00*' Negotiations, which began earlier 7n.h. T'
were halted because neithe“" e ¿h^ n™Th*
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$72^000^^gUd'h'”r,^“S '^eoMon to rí^UM'»
The room quickly emptied, with the faces of manv
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west Lab Elementary was Hade County * first ex-
^Ír,hU,,Ch0O‘ " w“ built •*" >»M when UM Z-
,UtedU,«.*>. *crcf of '»»O adjacent to the east side of campus. At that time an agreement was signed statins
We«" IV.h XSC,h0°i B°*rd dfc,ded «SSnífK * Ulr Purchase price with deprecia
beaan A si^Ti computwi t*,orf purchase negotiations 18,11 *" f*vor Of UM using such a formula to initiate purchase negotiations was not made
„.,V„M.er.PS‘d(‘n,, Dr.JHenry King Stanford, stated ear-lier in the summer that the University wanted to ac-*?h°° to relocate the art and communications
m"EÍ¡ whlch*"currently located in the shacks behind the Memorial Building.
flKro"11Channfl Six asked Stanford after ‘he. v°*f " had intended to use the West Lab land to build a parking lot. Stanford replied that It was "ri-
diculous" and asked her where she had gotten the informs txm “A West Lab parent," she said
The 1725.000 figure came from an average of Quin-tivin Appraisers value of »440 000 and the School Board's book value of $827.655 plus a ten per rent increase for replacement value The School Board had set a price of SI 3 million plus S200.000 to relocate the facilities This figure included the land, but Stanford said that they probably would have dropped the price for it's value
Stanford said that he had asked the Board of Trustees to consider submitting a higher figure to the School Board.
"My feeling was that this figure ($725.000! would be unacceptable, but the Board (of Trustees) insisted that this was a fair price." Stanford said
When asked where UM would go from here Stanford replied that the University will continue to maintain their current relations with the West Lab School “I can‘t perceive when I’ll come back In front of the School Board. Obviously $725.000 won't swing it. I think its over. We will not be acquiring the property ” Stanford said that the problem of relocating the art and communication departments remains, but that a facilities planning committee is looking into other possible ways of better utilizing existing space.
With Wednesday's decision, the problem of the University having to pay $12.500 in taxes annually for the unused land between Granada Blvd and West lab. which they own, remains
Vice chairman of the Hoard of Trustees. Patrick Cesarano. said that the School Hoard's replacement value for the West Lab facility was only $827,000.
"The difference was not between replacement or book value, but political value," Cesarano concluded.
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Volume 54, Number tight
ricane
Friday, .September 22. I'f78
ritolte 281 HIM
New Committee Plans to Boost Student Retention
YEARBOOK PORTRAITS! |
The retention task force is made up of students, faculty and administrators. The chairmen are Dean Arthur Brown, of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Ronald Newman, of the English Department.	I) r Ronald Nfh'inajl
By AR I RUTTER
Humean, Itala Vantar
Over the past several months UM has. at the request of the Undergraduate Student Body Government (USBG). established a task force for the development of retention programs. What this task force is faced with Is the development of specific recomendations that will be put
Seniors, you're finafly graduating and it's your turn to sit in this chair. If you'll be graduating in December, January, June, or August. Stop by Room 221 in the Student Union and have one of the 1BIS photographer make you beautiful. This is the last week, so stop by today!_^
Frosh Study Examines Attrition
By LORI BARR1ST
Hurricane Staff Wrltar
A Freshman Year Pilot Study is being conducted to determine why 300 students leave the University of Miami after their first semester.
Coordinated by the Dean of Students Office, the program is designed to help freshmen adjust to the University academically as well as socially and personally.
“Three hundred students have been selected by computer to participate in our study.” Maureen Short, Assistant Dean of Students, said.
"One hundred fifty will serve as a control group and we will do nothing with them except lest their satisfaction with UM at the end of the semester. It’s the other 150 we’re concerned with,” Short stated.
One of the highlights of the program is a weekend at the Indies Inn on Duck Key for a Human Potential Seminar Participants have a choice of either Sept 22-24 or Sept 29-Oct.l.
“At the seminar, students will
meet with faculty, administrators and other participants. They will see what workshops we have available and can choose what area they’re most interested in,” Short said.
Programs offered include tutoring. study skills, financial aid, physical fitness and personal well-being, assertiveness training, leadership development and understanding UM subcultures. Groups will meet twice a month to discuss the problems students are having in these areas.
Also available to participants are
early registration in January and social mixers.
"Our biggest challenge is to get all 150 students to participate. Many students hesitate because it's a new thing. However, since freshmen seem particularly open to getting involved in things, we hope this attitude will carry over to our program." Short stated.
At the end of the semester all 300 students will be surveyed as to their satisfaction with the University, and a comparison will be made between the two groups. If the program is a success, plans will be
made to make it available to all students in the fall of 1979.
Also being considered for next year is a one credit orientation course for freshmen. The class would acquaint students with the University and its programs, study skills and career choices.
"One of the reasons why students leave UM is because they live so far away and there really hasn't been a concerted effort to help them feel comfortable here, we will try to be more effective at making It more pleasurable," Short said.
Dr. Newman, who has recently replaced Dr. Eugene Clasby as co-chairman of the retention task force, stated that "It is hard to isolate the exact causes of attrition. However, one clear and major problem is apathy and aloofness on the part of students, faculty and other-University staff. What must be done to alleviate these problems is to help students feel more comfortable. which, in turn will create a better academic atmosphere, as well as improve student-faculty relations.”
Programs that might help achieve this might cost the University money, but Dr. Newman said that it is necessary to spend money In order to get some of the committee's proposals under way.
There are things that can be done by students and faculty to lessen apathy on campus. These, according to Dr. Newman, can be as simple as having a beer at the Rat with students. or students visiting their professors during office hours to discuss class problems.
The aspect stressed by Newman was student development. Ways that this could be achieved are still in the planning stages, but Newman Is hopeful that they can be Implemented in the near future.
Another major problem that Dr. Newman touched on was that of academic advising. Many times students are ill advised on what they should be taking. This in effect might cause problems later on in the student's academic life. According to Dr. Newman, studies are presently under way to see where the problems are and how they can be corrected.
While most of the problems and plans that were discussed by Dr. Newman are only in the planning stages, a point was made that the Retention T ask Force is an action-oriented committee and has only been in service since early spring of ’78.
So far. there have been a few programs that have had an impact on the UM community. These include a We Care About U Week’, and the improving of the summer orientation program.
There have not. as yet. been any studies made to see the effect of the Retention Task Force s ideas. In addition. there has not been any word as to whether or not the Task Force will have any effect in causing a roll-back in tuition in the spring of 1979.
Facilities Study Could Result in	IP
By BILL KACZARABA
Hurrtcan« Staff Wrltar
"Taking a hard look at the future" is the theme behind the new UM facility planning study currently being conducted through the Office of Administration and Finance.
On the Insi
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The end reault of the atudy could be a "new U."
Headed up by University Space Analyst John McClellen, the study was mandated by the Board of Trustees In April, with the final recommendations due in November. The atudy began with the framework provided by a "Master Plan” of the University conducted by a consultant group in 1967.
The purpose of the new investigation, McClellen said, “is to help improve the main campus. We are not even going to touch upon the Medical Center or the Virginia Key facility. What we want to determine is how to see the facilities we have most effectively and what new facilities we foresee the need for."
As a direct result of the study, six new buildings are scheduled for construction within the next two to three years. They are: a school of business administration, a new physics facility and planetarium and major additions to the varsity athletic facility (the Hecht Athletic Center), the Lane Sports Center, Richter Library and utility building #3 Some of the projects are already underway.
The study itself la being broken down into four specific areas. They
“The basic layout of the University of Miami makes it ini|M>s.sible I«» give accurate directions to places on campus. The new lv-appro\ed signage system will sol\c this problem.”
— Peter Zorn, Chairman UM Graphics Department
are: academic, instructional space, housing and campus peautiftcation.
The main goal of the academic area it “to consolidate schools and departments in one part of the main campus."
“What we want is for each department or school to have it’s own building and not be spread out all over the campus. This is for both convenience and efficiency,” McClellan said.
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Another academic objective is “to provide adequate space for the schools and departments and room for growth, if justified."
"Departments need adequate room to function to their potential. This is something we are continually keeping in mind." McClellen said.
A second area being studied is the actual use of instructional space. Computer studies are being conducted on-campus to determine if
the use of classrooms and labs can be improved through better scheduling and by meeting national
norms.
Of interest to the resident student would be the housing study which is trying to determine what renovations will be required and when and the best long-range use of the present facilities and land.
“We’ve already determined that most of the residence halls and dormitories need new roofs. There’s some substanial cost already.
"Wnat’s tricky about this area is that we have tu decide the best way to meet our responsibilities to the student to provide cn-campus housing while at the same time, determine how the space can be best utilized "
The most progress made to date has been in the area of campus beautification where students and faculty alike are joining forces to help improve UM’s asthetic appeal.
“Professor Gary Greenan Is teaching a course in landscape architecture in which his students are being given a project to landscape the campus. We will look at those.
"Art Professor Pete Zorn and his students have developed a new system of campus signs which will make It a lot easier to get around campus. This program has already been ap^oved by Dr. Stanford.”^