Before discussing the long range planning document, the General Faculty (GF) approved nominations to faculty committees, heard a tribute to retiring faculty and a memorial minute for Barbara Calmer, former professor of Physical Education.
The General Faculty Planning Committee also proposed that Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Clayton Koppes and Dean of the Conservatory Karen Wolff be added to the voting members of the Committee. The proposal passed.
Secretary of the College Bob Haslun said the change was needed to replace the Provost position on the committee. Haslun said that when President Nancy Dye eliminated the provost position the Planning Committee lost a voting member.
The GF also left several organizational charters and the fall athletic schedules on the table, thus approving them.
Koppes gave a tribute to eight retiring faculty in the college. Between then they accumulated 266 years of service to the college.
Wolff gave a tribute to one retiring Conservatory faculty member.
Men's Swimming Coach Dick Michaels read the memorial minute for Calmer.
According to President Nancy Dye and Dean of the Conservatory Karen Wolff, a settlement was reached between Professor of Trumpet Byron Pearson, the College and Wolff last week. Pearson and his wife, Anne, filed a suit against the College and Wolff on Jan.20, alleging that both defendants unlawfully violated due process and tenure rights as well as alleging the College of age-based discrimination. The suit asked for an excess of $25,000 from the College and Wolff.
Wolff said that Pearson will not return in next year. She would not comment on the specifics of the settlement reached between both parties.
The suit states that Pearson has been replaced by younger person and the he is "a member of the age protected class under Ohio law." The suit claims that the defendant's actions were in violation of a contract between Pearson and the College.
The case also charges that in April, the College and Wolff "removed Pearson from active teaching of students in his trumpet studio without cause." Additionally, the suit states that Wolff undermined "Pearson's relationship with his students, and interfered with and removed him from his teaching without academic due process."
Allan Spear OC'58 will speak at Commencement on Monday, April 26. Spear has led a long and distinguished career as an academic and politician. Currently, he serves as the President of the Minnesota State Senate.
After receiving his Master's and Doctorate from Yale University, Spear went on to teach history classes at the University of Minnesota. In 1973, he joined the Minnesota State Senate, where he chaired the Committee on Judiciary, and currently chairs the Committee on Crime Prevention.
Spear has published many articles in many professional journals, including the American Historical Review and the Journal of American History. He is the author of a book called Black Chicago, 1890-1920: The Making of a Negro Ghetto.
The Women's Resource Center (WRC) will open its doors next year on the first floor of Biggs Commons. The WRC was envisioned by students and faculty and led to the creation of an Experimental College (ExCo) class to give students academic credit for the work they put into the project.
The group of students contacted faculty and campus organizations for input on the resources the WRC would offer, as well as other small colleges with similar facilities, including Wesleyan, Brown, Pomona and Kenyon.
The ExCo class also did a survey to solicit concerns and advice from the Oberlin community. The overwhelming concensus of the survey respondents was that the WRC should be open to both men and women, and high levels of enthusiasm registered for services like health information, self-defence classes, discussion groups, and workshops.
Bill Stackman, Associate Dean of Student Life and Services, was the faculty sponsor for the ExCo.
The Office of Security is still in the process of hiring an Assistant Director, a position which Director of Security Keith James said he has needed ever since he came last July.
The search committee has whittled down the original candidate pool of xxx to two final candidates who are now visiting campus. One candidate visited last week and the second in visiting today.
According to Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk the two final candidates are women. She said the third final candidate dropped out of the search.
The assistant director will be responsible for managing the daily functions of the security office, as well as overseeing some special projects like a parking task force.
"I should have had this person my first semester here. It was tough to do two jobs," James said.
James said he hopes to have the new assistant director in office by mid to early June.
As of Thursday this year's senior gift fund has amassed $4,000, though the goal was to raise $11,000.
Though a few more donations may come in over the weekend, the fundraising is close to finished.
About 36 seniors have donated money. Though some members of the staff and faculty and a few other students have contributed, most of the donations have come from seniors.
The money will go to the Lorain County Scholarship fund, which was established by last year's senior gift. The scholarship money is awarded to an entering first-year from Lorain County. The scholarship fund needs an additional $11,000 to become endowed.
The average senior gift is $3,000 to $4,000. Last year's senior class amassed the second largest senior gift ever, raising about $13,000.
Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 25, May 23, 1997
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