The Aquinas 1989-11-15

              Page 3 - THE AQUINAS - November 15, 1989
members do their work at computers,
also. Sowe have to string wiring
across the ceiling."
"This new library would be
more easily expandable in the future,"
Stalker said.
"We're working on the layout
now," Stalker said. "Between
now and January, we're getting a
final floor plan."
The building will consist of
71,000 sq. ft. of space and will accommodate
330,000 volumes. The
current library is only 28,000 sq. ft.
and has around 210,000 volumes,
Stalker said.
The study areas will increase
from 400 to 700 spaces, including
individual study carrels, tables,
lounge seating and the after-hours
study room, which will be monitored
by security after the rest of the
library closes.
The existing library will be put to
another use, Stalker said, but the
University Planning Committee,
which will make the ultimate decision,
has not yet decided.
Fund-raising for the project is
underway, Stalker said, including
the applications for various grants to
help shoulder the cosL
are emphasized in the secondmodel.
"Some people" believe we
should specify a sequence of English,
philosophy, and science
courses for every student,' ,
Conover said•.
In the survey, the faculty is asked
if a permanent committee on education,
a recommendation of Curriculum
'90, should be established.
The committee would review the
general education curriculum of all
departments and makeongoing revisions
if necessary. Hearing depart-
.. mental appeals for exceptions to the
curriculum changes would be another
power of the committee.
The survey will ask if courses
should require students to do more
writing, reading and speaking.
A proposal of Curriculum '90
would label certain courses as writing-
intensive. The permanent education
committee would set academic
standards on courses that
emphasize writing.
If implemented, students would
need to take three writing-intensive
courses in order to graduate.
The survey is to be conducted
afterThanksgiving break and will be
given to all faculty members.
If there is no clear consensus for
changing the current curriculum;
however, Conover does not favor
any alteration.
McInerney hopes to create another
survey for a select group ofstudents.
"The student body senators
will be asked how they want to create
a different survey ofstudent opinion
on curriculum changes," McInerney
said.
TOM CAPPER
Aquinas News Staff
than it was when the library was lust
built," he explained.
It also wasn't constlucted to
handle the computerized card cataloging
recently implemented.
"It wasn't built with wiring in
the walls, which is now necessary,
because we didn't have computers
in 1959," Stalker said.
•'Virtually all of the staff
The $13.3
million
project will
feature an
all':'night
study room.
•
The current library, started in
1959, is inadequate, Stalker said,
because the collection of volumes
that it holds is too small for the
University.
"The studentbody has increased
two-and-a-half to three times larger
Faculty members will be surveyed
by the University Senate to
determine if changes in the current
general education requirements are
necessary.
A major part of the survey questions
whether the University is challenging
its students to reach moral
and educational excellence as defined
in the Curriculum '90 report.
"We want to assess how
people feel and to see where we
should be going with curriculum
study," said Willis Conover, professor
of history and Senate member.
The Curriculum '90 report was
submitted by a committee made up
of elected and appointed faculty
members to design anew curriculum
after extensive research.
The committee was organized in
1987,and it targeted the Fall of 1990
as the date for the new curriculum to
take effect.
However, the committee encountered
anumber~fproblems and
was disbanded earlier this year.
Contained in the survey will be
the University's mission statement
and two proposals developed by the
Curriculum '90 committee.
"The fIrst proposal resembles
the current education structure,"
said John McInerney, professor of
English and Senate chairperson.
"The second proposal requires that
all students take a series of core
courses in certain subjects."
Foundation courses in the humanities,
sciences, and mathematics
REBECCASEVERCOOL
Aquinas News Staff
Fundraising efforts and a layout
for a more modem and spacious
library are now underway.
With the construction of the new
library, the University will become
part of a computer network called
PREPNET. Stalker said this would
link the University to majorlibraries
nationwide, giving students, faculty
and researchers access to their collections.
The new library will be located
closer to the center of campus and
will allow for a larger collection of
volumes and more study space for
students, said John Stalker, director
of the library.
The building's construction is
scheduled to begin next July and
continue for 18 months.
The new library will be constructed
off the Commons between
the Gunster Student Center and
Monroe Avenue, the present site of
basketball courts.
Another benefit of this $13.3
million project is a room that will be
open to students all night for studying.
Library plans underway
With his resignation as Fall Revue
producer, the Rev. Ron McKinney,
S.J. has personally raised the
questionofwhetherornot the annual
event shouldbe continuednext year.
"I wanted the school to be
forced to look at the tradition and
decide if this is something they really
want," McKinney said.
"The Fall Revue has changed
since its beginning. Originally, the
idea was to bring a lot of people
together behind the scenes and on
stage," McKinney said.
"For the last six years, less
peoplehavevolunteered tobepartof
the show, whether auditioning for
acts or the chorus, orevenbehind the
scenes with the stage crew," he
said.
McKinney, who has been the
program's producer for six years,
McKinney resigns from ·Fall Revue Faculty to be surveyed
DENNIS BARLOW . said the decline in interest in Fall Fall Revue. My concern is that it is on curriculum reform
Aquinas News Staff Revue has been directly affected by hurting the other activities, such as
changes in the quality of acts. singers, band, and Campus Minis-
"The better we've gotten with try," he said.
quality, the Jrade-off is that lesser The resignation of McKinney
people go and we have fewer acts. It leaves the function without a leader
used to lie a three and a half hnur and under the jurisdiction ofStudent
show, but now it's down to two and Affairs.
a half hours," McKinney said. "Student Affairs will ulti-
"When I flI'St came here, we mately inherit Fall Revue as a stuwould
have about 50 acts that would dent activity. What I would encouraudition.
A lot would be big acts, age the them to do is to have some
like 30 kids from a dorm. kind of survey to get student opin-
"For the last two years, not one ions, suggestions and see what they
skit of a large number ofpeople in it are willing to do," McKinney
have evenbothered to audition. That said.
says to me, maybe there's no longer "The whole group is going to
an interest for Fall Revue," miss him a lot. He's done such a
McKinney said. terrific job. We can't possibly ex-
He was also concerned with the peet him to put in more time than he
fact that there aremany more activi- has already," said Linda Raciti, a
ties that now compete with Fall junior hospital administration maRevue.
jor, and a member of the Fall Revue
"There are a lot of other con- Chorus.
flicting activities that go on during If Fall Revue is continued, how-ever,
McKinney said that he would
stick to his decision to resign.
"He was a really good motivator.
He was able to pUll all of us
together. He embodied the spirit of
Fall Revue," said Deirdre Redmond,
senior international business
major.
"I think after six years, I'd
have a lot of other things to do. But
I would be more than willing to give
a lot of help to get Qle transition
going," McKinney said.
"Everybody appreciates the
effort he's put in. I can see where
he's coming from though You can
only do something for so long before
you start going a little bonkers. We
can only hope that his successor has
his enthusiasm and spirit," said
Suzanne Whalen, a senior marketing
major and a chorus member.