- Title
- PCC Courier, May 26, 1978
-
-
- Issue Date
- 26 May 1978
-
-
- Date of Creation
- 26 May 1978
-
-
- Description
- Student newspaper published and edited for the Associated Student Body of Pasadena City College weekly during the college year by the journalism students.
-
-
- Display File Format
- ["application/pdf"]
-
- Repository
- ["Pasadena City College Archives"]
-
PCC Courier, May 26, 1978
Hits:
(0)
























jly sensitive
d.
ss not permit
ents must be
udit a class,
to go into the
Johannsen,
Engineering.
; groups later
ard’s refusal,
meeting with
perintendent,
i go higher up
! at that level,
be a pretty
prevent him
class,” said
)r. Floyd, he
bout the non-
said that he
ation until a
; students to
of the other
; class,
purpose for
sensitize the
ople they will
ter the com-
tsiders were
lass, it would
spective the
! to present,”
down the
situation has
'ot the feeling
we can come
bthing wrong
g, but if we
:ket,” said
that kind of
someone to
ite sheet and
d. But this is
id.
; situation is
are not ac-
r any other
back to what
hat you lear-
les that “He
d ideas about
-e it’s a lear-
l’t think it’s
IS.
; would not be
f the overall
'ould only be
a slap in the
>er spoke on
as to discuss
iety today. “I
IK changing
t.
16 help,” said
VOL. 45, N0.15
PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
MAY 26, 1978
ir
Group Censures Ledbetter
DR. DAVID LEDBETTER
. . . censured
By Glenda Cade
Assistant News Editor
A Faculty Senate committee has
recommended Dr. David Ledbetter,
dean of Instructional Resources, be
censured for unprofessional conduct in
his handling of the school’s use of
videotapes recorded off the air.
His administrative superiors, in¬
sofar as they knew of and condoned his
actions, share the responsibility, and
consequently the censure, the com¬
mittee’s recommendation reads.
Those superiors include Dr. Stanley
Gunstream, vice president for in¬
struction and President E. Howard
Floyd.
Tape Destruction Reviewed
In a report to be presented to the
Faculty Senate Baord at its next June 5
meeting, the committee further called
for the Board of Trustees to adopt rules
to guard against the “repetition of the
destruction of college property” (in
this case, videotapes) without prior
consultation with and consent of the
faculty and trustees.”
The committee was set up to in¬
vestigate the erasure of some 70 tapes
Grant Files Late
Eligibility Disputed
By Joan Bennet
Assistant F eature Editor
Ron Grant, incumbant candidate for
ASB president, was ineligable for this
week’s election, and the elections
commissioner and dean of student
activities did not act on his failure to
comply with election requirement
deadlines.
Grant’s name was rushed onto the
election ballot two days after the May
19 deadline. Due to a work backlog at
the printers, he was allowed to comp-
pete his required forms on Monday
without a delay in printing, according
to Phyllis Jackson, dean of student
activities.
Grant failed to collect some
teachers’ signatures on his blue grade
card which verifies the eligibility of all
candidates, said Dean Jackson. All
students had one month to complete
their “blue card.”
As of 3 p.m. on May 19, Dean
Jackson had not taken action to
disqualify Grant who was at the time
ineligible.
“I wish I could just jump out of the
window,” said Dean Jackson. “I don’t
know what I’m going to do. I would
rather not declare the student
ineligible. Let’s just say two can¬
didates are positive, one is possible.”
Grant seemed surprised to learn that
he was the temporarily ineligible
candidate.
“There wasn’t any harm done,” he
said. “If the teacher wasn’t there on
Friday, what else can be done?” He
refused to comment regarding the
fairness of extending the deadline.
Eliminated one week before the
election because of insufficient units
(10 are required to qualify) was
presidential candidate Michael Tiberi.
He expressed concern over Grant’s
tardy completion of forms.
“Why should they bend the con¬
stitution for other people and not for
me?” he asked. “Jackson told me the
ASB Constitution is a binding law and
if she can’t get around it for me she
shouldn’t gel around it for anybody
else,” Tiberi said.
Dean Jackson said it didn’t matter
the ballot was sent in late. “The
printer was two weeks behind in his
work,” she said. “I feel that if anyone
is interested enough to put in the time
to run for office, I try not to shaft them.
I’m concerned about getting students
in office, not out of office.”
Print Shop manager Bill Jacot said
that Dean Jackson had misinterpreted
his statement requesting a "three-
week lead time” as being “three weeks
behind time."
"Dean Jackson knows that our
normal delivery time is three weeks. A
student approached me on Monday or
Tuesday and asked us to print the
ballots by Wednesday," said Jacot.
Jacot suggested that the ballots be
taken to the duplicating shop on
campus which specializes in speed
printing.
Elections Commissioner Darlene
Nelson is responsible for accepting
blue cards by the deadline date and
preparing the ballots according to the
ASB Constitution. However, due to
other responsibilities, Ms. Nelson did
not attend school on Friday and was
not available to make co-decisions
with Jackson regarding deadline
violations.
“I wasn’t even here on Friday, I
don’t know what happened. Dean
Jackson told me that Ron’s card was
turned in on time. She did not mention
that it was incomplete."
Ms. Nelson stated she did check all
blue cards and approved the ballot
Monday.
"I think the blame should be on
Jackson, not on the students,” Tiberi
contended. “She has a responsibility to
everybody. Why did she give Grant so
much leeway when I was immediately
kicked out of the race?"
When questioned whether or not the
inability to meet an application
deadline was an indicator of a can¬
didate's competency for office. Dean
Jackson said, "There are always
extenuating circumstances. We are
human beings; we all miss deadlines. I
even miss deadlines. Be it wrong or
not, I will hold to this."
secured from broadcast TV and an
administrative decision to halt further
taping for playback in the classroom.
Originally, the committee was
formed to study the effect a revised
copyright law, effective January 1,
1978, would have on the fair use doc¬
trine, something the faculty says
protects any non-profit educational
institution or teacher who uses
copyrighted material for instructional
purposes.
"I have a responsibility to keep the
district out of trouble,” Dr. Ledbetter
said. “I would like to be able to record
everything off the air and use it, but I
don’t feel that it’s legal. If the Faculty
Senate feels they need to censure me
for that, that’s their preogative. It’s
our feeling that it’s not legal (to record
TV programs without the producer’s
permission).
“I am a strong supporter of
academic freedom. We’re not saying
you can’t talk about a particular topic.
We’re saying these particular
materials are not available because
they’re in violation of the law.”
“We" refers to Dr. Ledbetter, Dr.
Floyd, Dr. Gunstream, "all those in
the administration,” Dr. Ledbetter
said. “We see this (recording
copyrighted material ) as an unethical
thing because you’re depriving the
creator of his just rewards.”
The “we” also refers to an ad¬
ministrative comlmtitee set up in early
1977 to study the new copyright law
and its affect on the school’s videotape
policy.
It included Dr. Ledbetter, Dr.
Harold E. Salisbury, acting chairman
of academic productions, William B.
Shanks, chairman of the Com¬
munication Department, William K.
Grainger, chairman of the college
library, and Robert Fleury, now on
sabbatical but then the Music
Department chairman.
That committee, Dr. Ledbetter said,
discussed with Drs. Gunstream and
Floyd its recommendation to be
"somewhat conservative” with the
videotape situation.
It was Dr Ledbetter's memorandum
of February 10, 1977, however, which
directed that the college’s library of
videotapes recorded off the air be
erased.
“I don't recall that the committee
made any such recommendation (to
erase tapes, etc.) or took any such
action," said Grainger, a member of
the administrative committee. Any
specific decisions concerning
videotapes were “not necessarily a
T rustee Supports
Child Care Center
Role of Blacks on TV
Highlights Media Day
By Mark Watt
Staff Writer
KNBC news reporter and an¬
chorman Furnell Chatman looked into
the young faces of the audience and
gave them a dose of realism.
“Few blacks, if any, have any real
decision-making role in the television
news industry. We may be up front but
that doesn’t really mean we have the
power. Perhaps in a few years the
timing will be better for us.”
Chatman was featured at Harbeson
Hall Thursday, May 18 along with TV
news reporter-anchorman Warren
Wilson, sportscaster Bryant Gumbel
and television actress Wanda Smith.
The panel examined the opportunities
for blacks in the television industry.
The event Media Day was part of
Black Culture Week at PCC, a week
designed to “show non-blacks and
anyone else who’s curious exactly
what black entertainment and culture
is," according to PCC instructor
Marjorie Forsythe who co-chaired
Media Day with instructor Madelyn
Payne.
“I think it’s important for black
Continued on Page Eight
By Arthur Wood
Staff Writer
Trustee Walter Shatford voiced
strong support of a campus child care
center at last week’s Board of Trustees
meeting.
Refusing to vote in favor of a motion
to approve PCC’s affirmative action
plan, Shatford pointed out that it
contained no mention of a child care
center.
Also voting against the motion was
trustee Roger Gertmenian, claiming it
increased state interference with local
schools while offering less financial
support.
"Since 1974, I've seen the State
declining in the level of support given
local community colleges and in¬
creasing in the usurpation of control.
They are increasing guidelines about
social activities without providing the
dollars needed to put these things into
effect," Gertmenian said.
A motion to reconsider the Board’s
position was carried after Trustee
Warren L. Weber pointed out a child
care center could be added to the plan
at a later time.
On the second vote, only Gertmenian
dissented from approving the af¬
firmative action plan.
Board President Charles F. Briscoe
requested information about the state-
funded child care center in Alhambra.
“It would be worthwhile to find out
what Alhambra’s doing so we could
have some basis for comparison,” he
said.
The Board is waiting for results of
needs-assessment surveys being
conducted by the ASB Child
Development Committee.
Valerie Martin, co-chairperson of
the committee, said she was surprised
by Briscoe's interest in investigating
the child care center subject further.
She declined to comment on whether
she thought it signified support from
Briscoe.
committee decision,” he said.
As far as the Faculty Senate com¬
mittee is concerned, Dr. Ledbetter
failed to consult any faculty members
who utilized the videotape service. It
further contends his action was taken
without “competent legal advice.”
By causing the destruction of tape
recordings used by faculty for
classroom instruction the way he did.
Dr. Ledbetter “acted in a hasty and
irresponsible manner,” the committee
concluded.
"No teaching material, whether
written or recorded, that is used for
teaching should be destroyed without
consulting the faculty," Dr. Stephen
Reichert, professor of social sciences
and a member of the Senate com¬
mittee said.
.“This isn’t a question of getting his
(Dr. Ledbetter) scalp,” Dr. Reichert
said. “It's on the issue.”
“I feel we did consult with some
faculty— those who were using it
(television recording and distribution
system),” Dr. Ledbetter responded.
“We did consult with chairmen who
were responsible to those depart¬
ments, the chairmen on the com¬
mittee.”
Dr. Ledbetter further contended he
“had enough information to justify the
decision. I don’t think any amount of
consulting would change the basis for
that decision.”
The Los Angeles Community College
District, Coast Community College
District, and to the L A. County
Superintendent of Schools office were
consulted before the decision, he said.
The County Superintendent had
consulted County Counsel, and they
concluded using the tapes was illegal,
he added.
That, apparently, is the closest PCC
came to seeking legal advice before
changing its videotape policy last year
and destroying numerous tapes.
However. Dr. Floyd has since
submitted several questions to County
Counsel for an opinion on what can and
cannot be recorded. County Counsel is
working with the Federal Com¬
munications Commission and has
promised an opinion in the near future.
“We're glad Dr. Floyd did go to
County Counsel," Dr. Reichert said.
“It would have been nice if he had done
it a year ago."
Last Chance Friday
Final Drop Date June 2
The last chance for students to drop classes or withdraw
from college is Friday, June 2, 1978.
Classes dropped before that date will be recorded as a
“W.”
Only those “W’s” received after the third week of school
appear on the student’s permanent record. However, if a
student’s total of withdrawal units is more than half the total
number of units taken since September of last year, that
student will be placed on progress probation.
If a student is on progress probation for two consecutive
semesters, he or she will be placed on progress
disqualification, and dropped from college the following
semester.
Disqualified students may reapply for admission after a
wait of one semester or more, providing they show such
positive evidence of a real desire to succeed.
>ol
гг,
MacDonald’s may be the king of the fast-food chains,
but PCC’s king of the fast-food eaters was determined last
week,
About 20 students representing various campus clubs
and organizations gathered in the Free Speech Area to
participate in the annual “Hamburger Eating Contest,”
sponsored by the Junior Executives.
A member of the football team went up the middle of his
burger as a Plant Club member attacked the lettuce of her
hamburger. But Ray Torres, cross country runner, looked
more like a sprinter as he inhaled his burger in a record time
of
31/г
minutes.
As Torres was awarded the $50 first prize, there was a
tear in his eye ... it must have been the onions.
Photos by Mariska Leyssius