- Title
- PCC Courier, February 16, 1979
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- Date of Creation
- 16 February 1979
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- Description
- Student newspaper published and edited for the Associated Student Body of Pasadena City College weekly during the college year by the journalism students.
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PCC Courier, February 16, 1979
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Meyers Speaks of Pride
Before Inauguration Day
A little less than a week before his formal inauguration, Dr.
Richard S. Meyers spoke of pride. “My first impression of the
college, and one that remains with me, is that of the tremendous
pride in the institution expressed by everyone in connection with
it.
“This college has so much tradition behind it,” said Dr.
Meyers. “I think it’s fabulous.”
The inauguration of Dr. Meyers, as the seventh superin¬
tendent-president of the college, will be held Thursday, Feb. 22,
in Sexson Auditorium at 11 a.m. Instructors, staff, students and
community members are invited to attend the ceremony.
Charles F. Briscoe, the president of the PCC Board of
Trustees, will install him. Music for the ceremony will be
provided by the Lancer band, and the college’s concert choir.
Also, violin students representing the Pasadena Suzuki Music
Association will perform.
The invocation will be given by Dr. Frank L. Dickey, Jr.,
professor of philosophy at Cerro Coso Community College in
Ridgecrest. The benediction will be given by the Rev. Frank
Eldridge, the campus chaplain.
After the inauguration, a reception will be held by the
mirror pools, which will last, according to Dr. Meyers, “until
the food runs out.” Everyone is also invited to the reception.
Dr. Meyers, who began his official term as president on
November 1, said of himself and his wife, Yasuko, “We feel as if
we’ve always belonged here.
“I’m looking forward to the inauguration,” said Dr. Meyers.
“This is the most exciting, and uplifting experience of my life.”
In the future, Dr. Meyers said that he would like to take
some classes as a student. “I feel that one of the best ways to get
close to the students, is to become one.
“I’m looking at an administrative reorganization, right
now,” he said, explaining that the reorganization is based on
philosophical grounds, rather than budgetary.
“Even if we were rolling in money,” said Dr. Meyers, “I
would still try to streamline the administration.”
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Meyers was the President of
Cerro Coso Community College for three years. Before that he
was the founding dean of instruction at that institution.
He served as media coordinator at Grossmont College in El
Cajon from 1968-72. He was also an instrumental music teacher
for the Inglewood Unified School District in 1967-68. He taught in
the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District from 1962-64.
From 1964-67, Dr. Meyers taught high school music,
English, tennis, and photography in Japan. That is where he met
his wife.
Dr. Meyers, a native of Chicago, has two daughters, who
will both be participating in the inauguration as Suzuki violin
players. — Tom Pfeiffer
Superintendent-President Richard S. Meyers
prepares for inauguration day.
Eigibility Increase
for Basic Grants
VOL. 46, NO. 18
PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY 16, 1979
Vote 5-1 for Approval
Trustees Pass Budget Guidelines
By Steve McManus
Staff Writer
The Board of Trustees voted 5-1 to
approve the eight budgetary
guidelines presented to them February
1 by Superintendent-President Dick
Meyers.
Even though one of the guidelines
calls for one six-week summer session
(the same as last year), several board
members expressed doubt that any
summer school plan would be af¬
fordable.
More detailed information on the
exact costs of summer school are
forthcoming from the administration.
The purpose of the guidelines is to
aid the administration in constructing
a preliminary budget.
Budget and finance were the main
topics of the February 8 special
meeting held in the board chambers.
Trustee Robert Spare was still
recuperating from surgery and was
absent.
In voicing the dissenting view
Trustee Roger Gertmenian argued
that the school might be able to save
about 10 percent of the budget (roughly
two or three million dollars) by placing
“faculty, classified and administrative
personnel in a limited or no-contract
basis’’ during summer.
“If that 10 percent— and there are
several ifs here— if that’s the dif¬
ference between making it through the
school year in 1979 and ’80, and having
a summer school. I would opt for the
former rather than the latter." he said.
Trustee Richard Green suggested
the possibility of having “outside
organizations’’ come in and run a
tuition summer school.
He cited two other districts in which
this plan has been successful. The two
major differences are that first, the
contracting organization supplies its
own administration, and second, they
pay the bills and collect the tuition
money.
Dr Green added that normally such
organizations retain the school’s
current staff rather than bringing in
their own.
Trustee Walter Shatford felt that “if
you’re going to spend $10 to match $1 of
classroom instruction, I would be the
first one to say absolutely not ” But if
costs approached “a normal ratio of
one to one, then a much better case can
be made for summer session.”
The budgetary guidelines are not
policy statements. They simply
represent assumptions that Dr.
Meyers stated ‘“must be made so that
we may move ahead and meet
deadlines which are coming up very
quickly.”
Budgets have a flexible nature, Dr.
Meyers explained, and are not “im¬
movable objects."
“As income changes, as we know
more from the state, our budget can
change, but we need to start
somewhere,” he said.
All the board members were
dissatisfied with the scant amount of
information on community college
funding coming from the governor and
the state legislature.
Gertmenian deplored the fact that
“the community colleges do not have
the lobbies and the lobbyists up (in
Sacramento) that the other branches
of higher education have.
By Tom Pfeiffer
Staff Writer
Help is on the way for students of
middle income families, in the form of
increased eligibility for Basic
Educational Opportunity Grants.
“The Middle Income Student
Assistance Act of 1978 will make
families of students in the $15-25.000 a
year income range eligible for basic
grants," said Gene Miller, of the
financial assistance office in D205.
“Other changes in the program that
would benefit self-supporting students
have been delayed for a year, but will
take effect beginning July 1,” said
Mrs. Miller.
The basic Educational Opportunity
Grant Program (BEOG) is designed to
supplement family incomes in paying
for the higher education. It is based on
the gross family income, with
allowable deductions. These deduc¬
tions include a basic living allowance,
and an asset reserve. The asset
reserve, which is set aside to be used
for retirement, is currently $17,000, but
in the modified program will be in¬
creased to $25,000.
“Currently 20 percent of the net
discretionary income is expected to be
contributed toward education,” said
Miller. “Under the new program,
families will be expected to contribute
about half as much toward their
children’s higher education.”
Work-Study Program Offers
Financial Aid to PCC Students
The college work-study program is
one financial aid program offered at
PCC. It provides jobs for students who
need financial aid and who must earn
part of their educational expenses.
The financial aid officer determines
which applicants are eligible based on
parents’ income, assets, number of
children they are supporting in school
and the income contribution a student
is able to make towards their
education.
According to Paul Swain, assistant
coordinator for scholarships and
financial aids, “If a student doesn't
have a source of income, the work-
study program enables them to con¬
tribute towards their education.”
Sw:aim feels the work-study program
has enhanced the credibility of the
financial aid program.
“It's good public relations.
Previously, some members of the
faculty thought financial aid gave
Educational Systems Needed for Yanbu Complex
Royal Commission Observes Programs
By Laura Carlos
News Editor
Members of Saudi Arabia’s Royal
Commission, along with two
representatives of the Ralph M.
Parsons Co., were at PCC last week
visiting the building and construction
vocational programs offered at the
college.
The Royal Commission is now in the
process of carrying out the first phase
of an educational program. The
program is in conjunction with the
construction of an industrial complex
called the “Yanbu Industrial Com¬
plex.” in Saudi Arabia. The Com¬
mission was here visiting the different
departments because they were in-
ваивмя
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The Royal Commission visits PCC campus.
terested in planning something similar
in terms of educational systems.
“They were looking at educational
facilities, what we have done in terms
of education and other student
programs," said Dr. Irvin Lewis, dean
of student personnel services.
The group (Royal Commission) was
especially formed by the Saudi
Arabian government to work as a
corporate group and implement the
necessary installations for the
operation of this industrial complex.
This particular program in the
“Yanbu Industrial Complex.” includes
the development of educational
facilities. It is estimated that the total
program will consist of 41 elementary,
eight intermediate, and four secon¬
dary schools as well as man power
training institutes.
Incorporated also in the project are
plans for the development and training
of Saudi Arabian nationals in technical
skills to help run the city once it begins
in operation. “They are interested in
sending people here for vocational
training to help run the city once it
begins in operation,” said Mrs.
Mildred Warlow, vice president of
administrative services.
Dr. Abdulla Abdul Jawad, in charge
of the educational and training portion
of the project, and his assistant Mah
moud Al-Sheikh, along with Parsons'
representative in Saudi Arabia Dr.
Lowell Jackson and Baschar Hraki,
Parsons' representative in Pasadena
were escorted to various vocational
departments mainly related with the
building and construction courses.
“They were impressed with the ex¬
tensive vocational program,” said
Wardlow'.
Other visitations included the
college library, gymnasium, swim¬
ming pool and Life Science Building.
Parsons, a multi-national entity,
formulated the entire master plan for
this industrial complex. Now the
company is involved in the
management and implementation of
the project.
The purpose of the project is mainly
to convert the undeveloped regions of
the country to industrial use. Saudi
Arabia at present is just selling crude
oil, and the country is now interested in
building industrial plants for the
fabrication of materials and supplies
related to this kind of industry.
Petrochemical plants, including crude
oil terminals will be constructed to
transfer oil to the diverse parts of the
country.
“We want to diversify and spread
the construction of oil,” said com¬
mission representative Mahmoud Al-
Sheikh. This would also promote the
further development of national
technical capability.
“It would be the most logical thing
for an oil producing country to build oil
developing industries. It will, said
Baschar Hraki, senior engineer of
Parsons Co., be one step forward for
them to be self independent and
develop additional infrastructure."
The city of Yanbu, located on the
western part of the country was
selected for the construction of this
industrial complex.
Overall plans for the construction of
a community complex are also in¬
cluded in the project to provide
workers and their families the
necessary facilities that are essential
lor the de\eiopment of a community.
The community complex has been
planned for a population of 150,000. The
first phase of the project will be ter¬
minated in eight years. However, it is
estimated the entire project will be
completed in 30 years. The cost of this
industrial complex is estimated at $50
billion.
The Royal Commission is scheduled
to visit other educational and
vocational training schools in the Los
Angeles area.
“They were impressed and
pleased,” Hraki said, “No doubt their
visit will be beneficial lor both Saudi
Arabia, the city of Los Angeles and the
Pasadena Community College in
particular.”
money away and the work-study
students really didn’t have any skills.
Now that some of the students work
directly under members of the faculty,
they see the effectiveness of the
program, "Swaim said.
Not all students eligible for financial
aid are considered for the work-study
program. However, there are many
other sources of aid available. The
most common applied for is the basic
grant. Nineteen hundred students are
receiving the basic grant compared to
1200 receiving all other grants com¬
bined.
Overall, the number of students
applying for financial aid has declined
since it reached its height in the
academic year ’76-’77.
“ One reason is students think
proposition 13 cut back on the
available funds. Consequently the
number of students applying is not as
great as in the past.” Swaim said.
Swaim added, “Proposition 13 didn't
have any effect on the financial aid
program because it is federally fun¬
ded.”
“I don’t think any student
deliberately falsifies financial aid
applications. The abuse that arises
comes from students not reading
forms properly and accidentally
putting their monthly income figures
where the yearly income figures
should go,” Swaim said.
ine expected nurnoer oi applicants,
under the new program is expected to
double, but. conceivably, it could
quadruple.
“Approximately 2.000 students are
now receiving grants,” said Mrs.
Miller. She also estimated that about
the same amount are currently eligible
for the grant, but have not applied.
“Based on the demographic study
performed two years ago. I estimate
there are 4,000 sudents, in the $12-
25,000 income range, who are currently
not in the grant program,” said Miller.
“It would be easy for us to have 8,000
BEOG applicants,” she said.
“Presently we would not be able to
handle such a load.”
Hatcher
Leads Bach
Festival
The old stone edifaee refused to
succumb to the presently popular
neon-lit and aluminum styled struc¬
tures which neighbored it.
Inside, the massive stones
weathered by time, the overuse of a
dark-colored wood and the soft lighting
evoked a warm and secure feeling. No
sense was to be neglected and robust
organ Sounds began to fill the air.
Like the building itself, the music
remained undaunted. Its endurance
proved its superiority.
The place was the First
Congregational Church of Los Angeles.
The occasion was Los Angeles’ 42nd
Bach Festival. The conjoining of place
and (music) piece was the work of a
middle-aged, medium built, ordinary
man. seemingly the 8’5” office em¬
ployee type.
However, this was but an avocation
for this man.
William B. Hatcher is principally
employed as PCC’s chorale, music and
voice instructor. His direction of L.A. ’s
Bach Festival was coincidental,
having resulted from his role as the
church's music director.
Hatcher’s undoubtedly insatiable
desire to be involved with music ex¬
plains his concurrent role as lecturer
and director of the chamber singers at
California State University of Los
Angeles as well.
Even as visiting associate professor
of music at the University of
Washington in Seattle in 1976, William
Hatcher could not resist involvement
with chorale groups as he directed an
elite 150-voice Seattle Symphony
Chorale which performed with the
Seattle Symphony iself. Similarly, he
conducted the select 90-voice
Pasadena Chorale for seven years
which also performed with the local
symphony, the Pasadena Symphony.
His life is neither fantasy nor fugue.
It is simply a strong constitution which
yields a harvest, much like Bach or the
First Congregational Church.
Cancellation of Classes
Causes Book Price Rise
By Paul Meyer
Staff Writer
The policy of cancelling classes
which fail to have enrollments of a
minumn of 20 persons, burdens the
bookstore and students with unan¬
ticipated costs.
A1 Depont, manager of the PCC
bookstore, said he expected higher
costs this semester incurred by the
bookstore. He explained that the
freight charges for those books or¬
dered. and delivered, yet unused
because of cancellations, are borne
entirely by his operation. Fur¬
thermore, an excess supply
necessitates the return of some books
to the publisher, adding a return
freight cost to the bookstore red ink.
Other losses include the manpower
employed to stock books, which two
weeks from now, will need to be
returned to storage because of can¬
cellations.
Depont indicated that his balance
sheet is more solvent than what one
might imagine. This is due to the
recently organized California
Association of Bookstores, which
cooperatively publishes lists of text¬
books used by its members. A com¬
puter printout indexes each school by
its starting date, textbook needs,
location and phone number. If a
sudden shortage of an edition
develops, Depont would contact a local
community college carrying the same
and purchase their excess. In com¬
parison with ordering from New York
publishing houses, where deliveries
range from one month to three, this
system offers overnight delivery at
substantially lower costs.
Depont stated that periodically
students suffered losses on their
purchases when they marked in books
used in classes later cancelled. Un¬
fortunately, the bookstore has to
consider a book used even if only a
name w'as written inside. When
students try to obtain a full refund they
learn that their early purchasing and
preparedness has cost them a 25
percent reduction in the refund.