Toni and Anne 's Father
Officially Takes Office
By Tom Pfeiffer
Staff Writer
Dr. Richard S. Meyers was in¬
augurated yesterday as the seventh
superintendent-president of PCC, But
the spotlight was nearly stolen by his
two daughters whose musical vir¬
tuosity left the packed Sexson
Auditorium thrilled.
His daughters, Anne, 8, and Toni, 6,
performed in the ceremony as part of
the Suzuki Violin Players.
Dr. Meyers who began his official
term November 1. was installed by
Charles F. Briscoe, Pasadena Area
Community College District Board of
Trustees President.
In his inauguration speech, Dr.
Meyers expressed pride in his
daughters, saying, “any fame I may
have in life may be in being known as
their father.’’
Dr. Meyers spoke of his hopes that all
connected with the college will “work
together to create new, and better
horizons.”
“This working together is a major
goal of mine,” said Dr. Meyers.
His thoughts focused on some signifi¬
cant developments, which he felt were
“now taking place, making for a better
society." These thoughts included con¬
cerns with international developments,
and the community college develop¬
ment.
Dr. Meyers said, the role of educa¬
tion, to bring about a “concentrated ap¬
proach to global understandings,” was
obvious.
Of the community college move¬
ment, Dr. Meyers said, “In California
we have a system of comprehensive,
tuition-free, locally governed colleges,
which by their very success, have now
become a model for the rest of the
Country and the world.
“Taking students who could succeed
in any prestigious university, taking
students who would not be readily ac¬
cepted at other colleges, and taking
students from youthful ages to senior
adults, the community college has
become the true melting pot of
America."
Dr. Meyers said he felt the com¬
munity colleges, as they have
developed, have become this century's
most democratizing element.
He felt that mutual cooperation,
working together, would be the rule of
the future.
“The rugged individualist theory that
made this country a leader and served
a very important place in our shaping
of America, is slowly giving way, by
necessity, to a system whereby con¬
sensus, group harmony, and concern
for the common good, is leading to
greater cooperation.
"Let us increasingly work towards
our forming a more perfect union, as
the Constitution clearly states, and let
us rededicate ourselves to the ideals of
■team! hard work, commonality and
most of all. brotherhood."
Dr. Meyers said PCC has played an
important role in developing the entire
community into one of “the leading
communities within our state and coun¬
try.
“The leadership that PCC has shown will
continue. The preoccupation with ex¬
cellence will continue, the dedication to
community will continue.”
Also participating in the ceremony
were the Lancer band, the college’s con¬
cert choir and violin students
representing the Pasadena Suzuki Music
Association.
Solar Eclipse Monday;
Please View With Caution
By Terry Robertson
Staff Writer
A solar eclipse will be visible to
everyone in the U.S. Monday at
sunrise.
If you miss it—the next total eclipse
won’t be visible in the U.S. until the
year 2017.
Resdients in the northwestern part of
the United States will be in the path of
totality.
An eclipse is created when the moon
passes directiv between the sun and
earth, casting its shadow onto the
earth.
Those within the path of the shadow
will observe a dark blot on one side of
the sun. Over the next hour or so. as the
moon covers the sun. the blot will grow
until 99 percent of the sun is covered.
After approximately two minutes of
total darkness, nature’s greatest show
The invocation was given by Dr.
Frank L. Dickey, professor of
philosophy at Cerro Coso Community
College in Ridgecrest. The benediction
was given by the Rev. Frank Eldridge,
the campus chaplain.
Dr. Meyers' appointment to the
presidency of PCC was announced last
October following a lengthy nation¬
wide search.
Prior to his appointment, he was presi¬
dent of Cerro Coso Community College
for three years. Before that Dr. Meyers
was the founding dean of instruction at
that institution.
He served as media coordinator at
Grossmont College in El Cajon from
1968-72. instrumental music teacher for
the Inglewood Unified School District
in 1967-68. He was an instrumental
music teacher in the Palos Verdes
Peninsula Unified School District from
1962-64.
He was a high school teacher of
music. English, tennis and photography
in Japan from 1964-67. Meyers, a native
Continued on Page Three
-Courier photos by S.K.
Board of T rustees Act
Faculty, Students React
By Steve McManus
Staff Writer
At its regularly scheduled meeting,
February 15, the Board of Trustees
voted to establish a community
curriculum advisory committee.
Sabbaticals Altered To
Ease Budget Crunch
ends as sunlighl reappears on the trail¬
ing edge of the moon.
The period of totality is the only safe
time to look up. Reflected light is equal
to that of a full moon. Viewing partial
phases, an hour before and after the
total eclipse can cause eye damage. To
avoid possible eye damage the eclipse
must be viewed indirectly. A
homemade projector is recommended.
To make one. remove flaps from one
side of a medium-sized cardboard box.
Cut a one inch hole in the middle of one
end. Tape a piece of aluminum foil over
the hole and poke a small hole in the
foil with a needle. Fasten white paper
on the side of the box opposite the hole.
The hole acts as a lens to focus the im¬
age of the sun on the paper screen. By
looking at the screen you can safely
watch the eclipse.
By Sharon Stafford
Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the first infor¬
mation concerning budget cuts in other
community colleges. Part two will
follow when other information is made
available.
A survey of local area community
colleges indicates that all are experien¬
cing post Proposition 13 money
problems, but PCC is the only one con¬
sidering eliminating or modifying
faculty sabbaticals on order to ease the
budget crunch.
Sabbaticals are “not an issue at all."
said Norm Schnieder. Los Angeles
Community College District Public In¬
formation Officer. The areas of budget
reduction is “totally up in the air” and
dependent upon decisions to be made
by the Board of Trustees," Schnieder
said.
However, like PCC. individual com¬
munity colleges have already begun
trimming their budgets.
Rob O'Neil, spokesman for Los
Angeles City College, said the school is
running on about 87 percent of last
year's budget and that trimming has
already begun in the “area of supplies.
"For instance," said O'Neil, “if a
typewriter goes we're just not replac¬
ing it."
LACC has also cut four assistant
deans, four coordinators, two coun¬
selors. and hourly instructors from
their staff.
L.A. Valley College is. also suffering
from the effect to Proposition 13. es¬
pecially in its non-credit class
program. Enrollment has dropped
from 8.490 in the fall 77 semester to
5.437 for the fall 78 semester. There
have been drastic cutbacks, according
to Austin Conover, public information
director, in the other areas of com¬
munity services, also. This includes
theater productions, music and lec¬
tures. Community service ' funds also
“finance keeping the library open on
Sundays."
Conover also expressed concern for
the college's senior citizen programs.
LA VC has had a 40 percent increase in
student enrollment since 1976 of people
who are 60 years old and over.
Another school feeling the budget
squeeze, but in a different area, is L.A.
Harbor College. Spokesman Ralph
Oliver said their greatest loss has been
in technical (such as data processing!
and clerical people.
"We are losing competent experien¬
ced people because of no salary
raises." said Oliver. "Private indusrty
continues to get our employees."
Oliver said other cuts have been in
the areas of equipment and supplies,
campus cultural events and student
work-study programs.
West Los Angeles College has also
cut its community services programs,
says spokesman Ralph Immei.
Programs that were once "self-
supporting" must now be charged for,
he said.
An issue which all area community
colleges, including PCC. is concerned
about is whether there will be summer
school this year. All of the spokesmen
questioned in the L.A. district ex¬
pressed optimism and said there will
be at least a "skeleton" program,
dependent on decisions bv the Board of
Trustees. PCC is also waiting a deci¬
sion by its Board of Trustees on the fate
of a summer program.
passed a revised version of the retire¬
ment incentive program, and adopted a
new policy on tne selection of the com¬
mencement speaker.
The question of summer school was
held over until next meeting as the
board dealt with an agenda that was as
full as their chambers.
The stated mission of the curriculum
advisory committee is “to study
Pasadena City College curriculum in
the light of the purpose and functions of
the college and to recommend
curriculum priorities to the (Board of
Trustees).”
Les Wilbur, community college
consultant for the Los Angeles County
Superintendent of Schools, will act as
advisor to the committee.
In all, there will be 17 voting mem¬
bers (two chosen by each of the
trustees plus three more appointed bv
the superintendent-president) and two
non-voting members (Wilbur and an ex-
officio representative of the adminstra-
tion also appointed by the
superintendent-president ) .
Originally the committee's report
was to be due within a year, but board
members wanted it within six months.
They plan to have the committee for¬
med by the next board meeting.
There was much criticism of the plan
because it did not include any current
faculty or student members. Trustees
Walter Shatford and Richard Green
both voted against the proposal as
faculty and student members of the
audience and ASB President Derek
Coleman voiced objection to the make¬
up of the committee.
“I would object very strongly to any
special interests being represented by
this committee," Trustee Robert Spare
responded. “The students will have in¬
put into this committee, but the pur¬
pose of the committee is to reflect
community interests, not the stu¬
dents. The students would have an axe
to grind on this committee ."
The retirement incentive program
has been pushed for by Superintendent-
President Richard Meyers since he
came to PCC some months ago.
The purpose of the program is to en¬
courage those who are eligible for
retirement to do so. At the same time
these employees can help the college at
peak periods (such as counselors at
registration) or by applying their
specialties to other areas such as
research and development projects.
Swift passage of the program was ac¬
complished for two reasons. First, as
an inducement to lower the number of
“pink slips" that may have to be sent
out in March.
Secondly, the administration wanted
the plan passed before retirement con¬
sultant Gil Bishop came to campus
Wednesday and Thursday.
The board passed the revised version
of the program pursuant io executive
session by a 4-0 vote (Trustees Roger
Gertmenian and Robert Spare
abstained. Trustee David Hannah was
absent) even though it had not been
brought before the Faculty Senate
Board for final approval.
To allow the faculty a chance to ad¬
dress the issue again, the board agreed
to have it on the agenda for the next
meeting.
Several points relating to the way the
issue was dealt with remain unsettled.
A flyer about the retirement incentive
program was sent out this week by the
PCC chapter of the California Teachers
Association
It suggested that "the lack of general
knowledge of the program during the
planning phase, the lack of faculty in¬
put. the failure to communicate td
department chairmen that the program
was pending, the failure of (Dean of
Personnel Services .John) Madden to
advise early retirees of the program
and that they would be waiving rights
to it. the haste with which it was
passed" could be construed as more
than "a problem in communications."
possibly a "breach of ethics as well as
a derelcition of duty."
Madden declared on Wednesday,
however, that any staff member who
had turned in a retirement notice this
year prior to February 15 may still sub¬
mit a proposal for tiie retirement in¬
centive program unless such retire¬
ment has already become effective.
The board also passed a new policy
for the selection of the commencement
speaker
Suggestions shall be solicited by a
committee of four people— the
sophomore class president, one faculty
Continued on Page Three
— Courier photo by Aline Carroll
INAUGURATION DAY — Dr. Richard Meyers was formally inaugurated as the seventh Superintendent-President of
Pasadena City College yesterday. (Photos from left) Dr. Meyers gave his inaugural address to a packed crowd in Sexson
auditorium. Congressman John Rousselot congratulates Dr. Meyers following the ceremony. Charles Briscoe, president
of the Pasadena Area Community College Board of T rustees administers the oath of office. Anne Meyers, the president’s
8-year-old daughter performed a violin solo.
