Friday

February 20, 1998

CSU report is a limited edition

By JENNIFER COLEMAN
HORNET STAFF WRITER

The latest edition of the California State University system's annual report, revived five years ago by former chancellor Barry Munitz, was released recently to campuses, trustees, legislators and alumni associations to the tune of $31,820.

Similar to a corporation's annual report, the four-color publication and accompanying CD-ROM highlight the accomplishments of the CSU system in the last year.

The theme of this year's report, "Teaching Across the Ages," focuses on the role of CSU as a producer of the state's teachers.

"We get a lot of good feedback," said Ken Swisher, media relations manager for the CSU office of public affairs. "It's a really good source for people. It's a good way to capture a year."

The cost of $9.09 per unit is "pretty good," he said, for a production of only 3,500 copies. That price does not reflect staff hours spent designing the project over the last two months.

"Most private and public institutions do an annual report," Swisher said. CSUS University Spokeswoman Ann Reed agreed that the report plays an important role in the university system.

"Certainly it is important to the overall stature of the university to have publications such as this. A report like this can be a resource to other education groups and to parents. It is another tool that is useful for people to see what we've accomplished and where we're going," she said.

Parents of CSU students may or may not see the report, she admitted.

With the limited number of copies, and those going to the board of trustees, campuses and legislators, parents may not be able to find them.

"Some of the people who receive it will have it available for larger groups, as we do," Reed said. "It is available in our office for people to see."

The report touches on CSU programs such as Cornerstones, the California Education Technology Initiative, distance education and the new online application system. But in many cases, the recipients of the public relations package already know, or in some cases, helped to plan or implement these programs.

Swisher insisted, however, that the report was not just a form of preaching to the choir.

"Some of the constituencies, like student reporters, aren't necessarily the 'choir.' Others, who have had very positive attitudes, really like the report," he said. "There is a lot of information that the legislature should know in here."

A brief financial summary is included, listing revenues, liabilities and expenditures for the 23-campus system. Most of the report, however, focuses on the history of CSU, and the evolution of the teaching programs at each university.

A timeline along the bottom of the pages cites dates that the universities opened, along with other historic moments such as "1898 -- U.S. declares war on Spain over Cuba" and "1961 -- first electric toothbrush appears."

Education programs at each campus are touted throughout the majority of the report, including CSUS' Academic Talent Search, a scholarship program for middle school students who can then take advanced summer courses at the university.

This is the second year a CD-ROM has been included in the annual report, a feature Reed says is very popular. The master copy of the CD-ROM was produced at Cal Poly, Pomona, Swisher said.

"People really like the CD and they use it," Reed said. "It's a striking publication."

Swisher said this year's publication is one of the nicest-looking reports he has seen, adding that the office intends to submit it in contests for public relations programs.

"These are national contests," he said. "This could be an award-winner."

CSU at a glance

Degrees, 1996-97
52,213 bachelor's degrees
11,841 master's degrees
35 joint doctoral degrees

Student fees
State University fee $1,584

State Budget, 1996-97
$1.936 billion

Faculty
10,625 full time
7,517 part time

Financial Aid
$864 million went to 156,900 students, averaging $5,506 per student

Ethnicity
7.5 % African American
1.2 % American Indian
15.5% Asian
4.7% Filipino
15.5% Mexican American
5.7% Other Latino
.5% Pacific Islander
49.2% White
14% Unknown

Undergrad profile, fall 1996
Commuters 83%
Dependent on parents 53%
Work 73%; over 30 hrs/wk 33%
Average unit load 12.1
Average time to degree:
_ Freshmen 5.7 years
_ Transfer 3.7 years
Student/faculty ratio 19:1
Mean parental income $51,670
Male 45%; female 55%
Average age 26.2

Source: California State University Annual Report, 1997
"Teaching Across the Ages"

Greek affairs releases grade averages

By SYLVIA RODRIGUEZ
HORNET STAFF WRITER

This may turn into a war of the sexes.

Sorority members are making better grades than their fraternity counterparts, according to a recent grade report compiled by Greek affairs.

In the Greek grade report, which is produced every semester, eight sororities and 12 fraternities were evaluated for their average GPAs. Sororities came out with an overall GPA of 2.58, while fraternities came out with an overall GPA of 2.11.

Both of these were below the CSUS overall undergraduate GPA of 2.663, but there were three Greek organizations that beat the CSUS average: Delta Gamma, a sorority, with a 2.7; Sigma Phi Epsilon, a fraternity, with a 2.705; and Alpha Chi Omega, a sorority, had a 2.67.

"As far as the higher GPAs for sororities, I think there are more rewards for girls and academic scholarships are given more often in sororities," said Michelle Smith, president of the Panhellenic Council and a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

She pointed out that the Panhellenic Council requires a minimum 2.0 GPA and weekly study groups for members in all sororities.

Chi Delta, a sorority that raised its GPA from a 2.528 in the spring 1997 semester to a 2.608 in the fall 1997 semester, has five members who are part of Order of Omega, according to Brandi Brown, president of the sorority.

Order of Omega consists of the top 5 percent of Greeks and is based on academic standing and extracurricular activity.

"Chi Delta has the highest percentage of people in Order of Omega at Sac State," said Brown. "We have a special committee (which consists of two elected members from the sorority) who checks our GPAs. The highest GPA gets a free bid to a formal at the end of the semester. It usually costs around $100," said Brown.

Punishment for the first offense of falling below the 2.0 mark is suspension from a social function. If a member remains below the mark for longer than a semester, her membership is revoked until the required GPA is met, according to Brown.

Of the 12 CSUS fraternities, only three raised their average GPAs from the spring to the fall semester in 1997. Lambda Chi Alpha went from a 2.3 to a 2.486.

Jeff Stelling, president of Chi Alpha, said that his fraternity requires a minimum 2.25 GPA. Anyone who falls below this mark is required to participate in two-hour study groups once a week, and have grade reports completed by their teachers for one semester.

"Personally, I feel that we've done better because people in the fraternity have been more concerned with their grades," said Stelling. "They know that school comes first and they are in college to graduate and get a degree."

At the other end of the scale, there were four fraternities -- Kappa Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Delta Chi and Phi Delta Theta -- that had GPAs below a 2.0, grounds for academic probation for individual students.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Chi were below a 2.0 GPA in spring 1997 and fall 1997. The other two fraternities fell below the mark during the fall 1997 semester.

Despite these low averages, the fraternities are not required by CSUS to keep their grades up.

The only standard set by the university is for Greek members to be enrolled in at least 6.5 units. Greek officers must not fall below a 2.0 GPA or be on academic or social probation.

"There is not a minimum standard for overall Greek organizations' GPAs. They are just like any other student organization, none of which have grade standards," said Scott Siegel, program adviser for Greek affairs.

Siegel prints the grade reports using information from the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and CSUS Admissions and Records. The reports are used as an academic tool to help chapters respond to and meet the academic expectations of their national departments.

Sigma Phi Epsilon goes number one in Greek grades

Almost two years ago, Sigma Phi Epsilon was close to falling below a 2.0 GPA. But now, with a 2.705 GPA for the fall 1997 semester, the CSUS fraternity is ranked No. 1 among 12 fraternities, according to a recent Greek grade report.

The report is produced each semester by Scott Siegel, Greek Affairs program adviser, with the assistance of the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and the office of Admissions and Records. It lists and compares the average GPAs for 20 CSUS sororities and fraternities.

With the goal of stressing academic excellence above all else, Sigma Phi Epsilon conducted a major cleansing during the spring 1997 semester and started anew with only 10 members.

"The alumni board got permission to expel 20 brothers who were not making positive contributions, were not meeting the grade requirements and were participating in negative activity, like hazing," said John Jaquish, president of SigEp.

The mass expulsion occurred after the fraternity was reviewed by SigEp's national headquarters in spring 1996. Jaquish said that semester was the organization's breaking point.

The national headquarters, which monitors the 300 chapters of SigEp, put the CSUS chapter on notice to close after finding that members were not maintaining the minimum 2.5 GPA.

According to Mark Hodge, a SigEp member and former member of ASI, the chapter had only a 2.1 GPA during the spring 1996 semester.

"It was OK with the university, but headquarters is very strict," said Hodge. "We still had one of the top GPAs at CSUS. But that didn't matter because our headquarters is so strict."

Between the spring 1996 and spring 1997 semesters, a sense of apathy and discontent settled over the fraternity and membership fell from about 50 brothers to about 20, according to Jaquish.

Although the reformation was slow and difficult, the fraternity eventually pulled a 2.3 GPA during spring 1997 and from there it continued to climb the ladder of academic improvement.

To keep up the GPA, the fraternity requires that individual members, whether established or new, have a minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA in college. If applying right out of high school, members are required to have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. The organization also looks for future brothers who have been involved in athletics or in leadership positions.

Members can study at the fraternity house in a special study room with chairs, a table and a computer.

According to Jaquish, SigEp members follow strict rules to maintain the organization's GPA and must suffer penalties for falling below the minimum. The first time a member's GPA falls below a 2.7, he is put on probation. If it happens again, he is expelled and may not reapply until his GPA meets the minimum standards.

"If members are not getting the grades they're supposed to get, they need to worry about their grades and not the chapter," said Jaquish.

In exchange for meeting the requirements, members are offered a chance to blend in with a group with which they feel comfortable.

"This was the only fraternity I came to because, at the time, I knew that anywhere I went, it would be a bunch of guys I didn't know," said Brad Robinson, a criminal justice major. "This fraternity has made me a better person, scholastically as well as individually."

Perimeter road project's 'safety' issue questioned

The ongoing war over CSUS' perimeter road continues as each side debates the university's spending approximately $7.6 million on the road-safety project.

According to biology professor Robert Metcalf the Perimeter Road Safety Improvements Project is as much a safety hazard as it is a safety solution.

The pedestrian path between the Union and the old engineering building is a prime spot for potential accidents, Metcalf said. He said he has witnessed delivery trucks driving dangerously close to pedestrians.

"You talk about safety," Metcalf said. "You're co-mingling vehicles and pedestrians."

Metcalf disagrees with perimeter road proponents, who say safety concerns were the driving force behind the project's approval.

"They say it's about safety. Of course that's bogus," he said. "They did not even collect the safety data until August of 1996."

Public Safety Investigator John Hamrick confirmed that CSUS Facilities Management did not request safety information from the Office of Public Safety until 1996.

It was only in retrospect that administrators started to "wring their hands" over safety issues, Metcalf said.

Howard Harris, associate vice president for facilities management, defended the road's safety designation. He cited a video made in 1987 that, according to Harris, demonstrates through accident scenarios -- as well as examples of traffic and congestion -- the project is safety related. There are no accident statistics, however, in the video.

According to Scott Plotkin, the chief consultant to the Senate Education Committee, the choice of project was simply a matter of timing.

"The perimeter road is one of the projects that made it to the top of the list," said Plotkin.

In fact, according to Plotkin, the road project was the only project completed.

Also instrumental in the decision to construct the road was the fact that both Department of Finance officials and the legislative analyst -- whom Plotkin calls the government's "fiscal watchdogs" -- signed off on the project.

And when both agencies sign off, said Plotkin, "you have to take the money and run."

Plotkin, who graduated from CSUS in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in business administration, described the project as a "beautiful landing at the wrong airport."

Opponents are trying "to stick their finger in Gerth's eye," he said. "In other words, get a life."

But Metcalf counters that if there are so many benefits to the construction of the road, why hasn't the project been showcased?

He cited the recent "hoopla" over the Founders' rose garden.

"Let's talk about how it's wisely using the tax payers' money."

University spokeswoman Ann Reed said she knew of no plans for a groundbreaking ceremony on the road.

To spread information on the project, Metcalf has designed his own Web site (www.csusroad.com).

"It's something I've paid for, but I think it's worth it," the professor said. "There is no (convenient) place for students or faculty to find out about this project on campus. They have to go to Facilities Management to look at blueprints."

Metcalf wants to halt construction of a plaza set for construction on the current site of the Science Building's loading dock.

Plotkin, however, said discussion on the topic is closed.

"Everything happens in phases as the money becomes available," Senate consultant Plotkin said. "Things happen when they're supposed to happen."

Illegal flier postings result in fines of up to $100

Illegal publicity and postings are rampant at the beginning of every semester as clubs and organizations advertise themselves and their upcoming events.

Colorful posters and fliers line the campus and are posted on walls, newspaper stands, kiosks, trees, bathroom stalls, light posts and windows. Many of these seemingly harmless postings could end up costing the organizations up to $100 in fines.

"Some of the fliers destroy university property, like when fliers are stapled into plaster walls," said Scott Siegel, program adviser for Greek affairs. "The university views this destruction as vandalism."

According to Lou Camera, director of student activities, about 12 groups have been reprimanded for illegal postings this semester. The university is fining the organizations to pay for the removal of the postings and to repair damages.

"We have been approaching those who have been stapling fliers to classroom walls and the trellises outside the Library," said Camera.

Camera uses the newly remodeled Lassen Hall as a prime example of the damage illegal postings can cause.

"One group came in and stapled to the walls, destroying the plaster," said Camera. "There are costs involved in removing these postings and the university has to bear that cost."

According to Siegel, an organization's first illegal posting leads to a meeting with a program adviser, a warning from the university, and a mandatory review of posting policies. A second offense leads to a one-month loss of posting privileges for the offending organization, and the third offense is cause for revoking posting privileges for a whole semester.

Despite CSUS' brochure, "Publicity and Posting Policy," which is available in the student activities office, many organization leaders are unaware of the university's regulations.

International Business Organization is one of the campus clubs that has fliers illegally posted on windows and newspaper stands.

"I don't know the policies, but the university probably has them posted somewhere," said Amanda Reeve, 21, president of the International Business Organization. "I assumed everyone in IBO posted where they're supposed to. I always post on the kiosks."

Reeve, who was unaware of her organization's illegal postings, said she will review and announce campus regulations to other organization members. But she is also frustrated with the limited space of the kiosks for posting fliers.

"When we post on the kiosk they're up for one day and then they always get taken down," Reeve said. "Sometimes groups will take up too much space. At the beginning of the semester, one fraternity took up an entire side of a kiosk."

According to CSUS regulations, only two posters or fliers per organization may be posted on a kiosk or board. Other rules prohibit posting anything on glass entryways, bus shelters, windows, interior walls, light posts, trees, doors, building exteriors, automobiles, department bulletin boards and the railings of the Library ramp.

POLICE LOG

THURSDAY, FEB. 5
BURGLARY: A Hewlett Packard calculator, wallet, checkbook and cash were taken in the men's locker room in the Physical Education building.
AUTO BURGLARY: A ski jacket and outfit valued at $300 were taken from a 1992 white Mustang parked in the Residential Hall parking lot east of Jenkins Hall.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT: Two cars were involved in an accident on University Drive at College Town Drive, when one of the cars failed to yield to the car already in the intersection. No one was injured.
THREAT TO LIFE/PROPERTY: A Nissan, Chevy, Hyundai and Dodge were damaged when a tree in Lot 1 fell north of the Student Health Center.
CITIZEN'S ASSIST: A yellow Mazda got stuck up on the curb next to Information Booth 1 near the main entrance.

FRIDAY, FEB. 6
There were two incidents involving keys locked inside vehicles.
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE: Three men were reported lighting firecrackers behind Sierra Hall. They were last seen fleeing in the direction of Sutter Hall.
BURGLARY: Staff from the Hornet newspaper reported hearing a suspicious noise from the back office. When the area was checked there was a CPU missing.
CITIZEN'S ASSIST: A woman in the Social Science building was taken to the Student Health Center after hurting her ankle.
AUTO BURGLARY: A car's right side window was pried open in the Public Safety lot. A parking decal and umbrella were missing.
PETTY THEFT: A backpack was taken from the Hornet Bookstore, containing a jacket, two computer science textbooks, and a Texas Instruments Calculator. The value was estimated at $380.
AUTO BURGLARY: A car window was smashed in the residential parking lot near Sierra Hall. Two Sony speakers were taken.

SATURDAY, FEB. 7
DISTURBING THE PEACE: Several students were milling around the dorm area causing a disturbance and making noise. They were advised to keep it down.
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE: Two men were casing the area around the residential parking lot and dorms. They were last seen darting behind the Dining Commons and were unable to be located.
AUTO BURGLARY: A North Face ski jacket valued at $180 was taken from a Chevy pick-up when the cab window was knocked out in the residence hall parking lot.
GRAND THEFT: A purse was taken from the Speech/Drama building. There was a power outage. The woman left her purse on a chair in order to help, and when she returned, her purse containing a cell phone, driver's license, calculator, checks, and cash was gone.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8
No reportable activity.

MONDAY, FEB. 9
There were two incidents involving keys locked inside vehicles.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT: A white Toyota Camry and red Acura Integra were involved in a minor fender-bender on the sixth floor of the parking structure. There were no injuries reported and the two parties exchanged insurance information.
DISTURBING THE PEACE: Four or five rollerbladers were reported causing a disturbance in the Quad area in front of the Library.
WELFARE CHECK: A woman was taken to Sutter General Hospital after having a seizure in the Math/History building.
HIT/RUN: A 1993 green Ford Thunderbird was hit in the public safety parking lot. Damage was reported to the rear driver's side.
SECURITY CHECK: A person in Temporary Building FF near Lot 4 called to report banging noises and shouting people outside. The area was checked and found to be secure.

TUESDAY, FEB. 10
There were four incidents involving keys locked inside vehicles.
VEHICLE THEFT: A blue 1996 Toyota Celica was stolen from the residence parking lot. The CHP recovered the car later in the day. It was slightly stripped.
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE: A man was acting suspiciously and looking into Hondas in Lot 8.
BURGLARY: Clothes and a pager valued at $89 were taken when a locker was pried open in the Physical Education building.
STALLED VEHICLE: A car blocking traffic was pushed out of the roadway.

Correction