Maroon

              The Loyola MAROON Volume 70 No. 23 ;  — — — :-v Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 _  April 24,1992 Affirmative action and the Greek system Little progress seen following 1988 plan By Tina Bergeron Associate news editor Greek organizations have one year left to show positive results in recruiting a diverse group of minority students, and this year's membership statistics prove that they still have a long way to go. The 1988 Greek Life Committee's Plan for Affirmative Action required Greek organizations to actively pursue racial integration that would reflect the ethnic diversity of the Loyola student population without the use of quotas. The plan also calls for Greek organizations to make public their non-discriminatory policies. Positive results were expected to be measurable within five years. But with four of the five years gone, current membership statistics provided by members of the Greek organizations show that little progress towards implementing the plan has been made. Comparing the 1992 statistics to those from a 1987 Maroon article, only one traditionally white sorority, Theta Phi Alpha, increased black membership. Theta Phi had no black members in 1987 and now has one. The other traditionally white sororities had no blacks in 1987 and still do not, with the exception of Gamma Phi Beta, which was unchartered at Loyola in 1987 and currently has two black members.Nature's classroom—William Cotton, associate professor of English, moved class outdoors to the Peace Quad on Wednesday to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather. /Photo by Shannon White Loyola staff members anticipate layoffs By Michael Klgin Business manager By semester's end many of Loyola's staff employees will be looking for employment elsewhere —their positions will be eleminated in an attempt to balance next semester's budget. These new layoffs come after Loyola released 17 employees last summer in an attempt to balance the fall 1992 budget The inevitability of layoffs was explained by the Rev. James C. Carter, S J., university president, at a staff meeting on April 14. Cartercited insufficient revenue from sources like tuition, gifts, endowment, and federal sources as reasons for Loyola's budget deficit. Around one-half of a million dollars needs to be cut from next year's budget Carter also said that "the refusal of middle income families to pay rising tuition costs," contributed to this problem. Carter said that the administration will try to make the layoffs in a "Christian fashion." Dr. Norman Roussell, vice president for Administration, said that he doesn't think any other university in the United States has gone to the extent Loyola has for its employees after they have been laid off. The administration will implement a Employee Separation Plan which includes: •Separation pay based on years of service to the university. •Payment of accrued vacation pay, up to a maximum of 20 days. •Regular insurance benefit continuance through July 31,1992. •Full-time employees, who are terminated and currently enrolled in a degree program will receive a tuition remission, along with their spouses and dependent children, depending on their situations. Loyola will also attempt to find other openings for the terminated employees within the university. Even with Loyola's separation plan, some staff employees do not think the administration has done everything it can to receive input from the staff. One staff employee, who asked that her name be withheld, said she was frustrated that neither Carter nor Roussell gave the staff an opportunity to ask questions after the meeting. It has not been disclosed yet from which departments the cuts will come, or how many employees will be let go. However, Carter said during the staff meeting that the cuts will involve those positions not directly affecting Loyola as a teaching institution. "The guidelines have to do with the kind of institution we are," Carter said during the staff meeting. "How much is the position needed for us to be able to do our work as a Catholic institution?" Carter's comments have caused some confusion among the staff. "We don't know what they mean by important jobs, because we feel that all of our jobs are important," Andrea Lee, a secretary in the College of Music, said after the staff meeting. The Department of Public Safety will not face any cuts. Carter said. Since the announcement of the imminent layoffs, many of Loyola's staff have been fearing for their jobs. "This has made the workplace uncomfortable and filled with anxiety," Lee said. While a few staff members have been notified that their jobs are in jeopardy, none have been given their official letter of termination, Roussell said. The master list of those people to be laid off will be given to Carter by the vice presidents of the university by next week, Roussell said. The decision to layoff any staff members at all drew questions from Dr. Earl Richard, professor of religious studies. "Is this where the cuts should come from?" he asked. "Loyola should not just preach justice, they should practice it" Assembly to vote by mail on disclosure of salaries By Chris Raphael News editor Full disclosure of faculty salaries took a step towards realization last Tuesday when the College of Arts and Sciences Assembly recommended that "all faculty members will be furnished [with] detailed current data on salary distribution within the College." The proposal, which had been amended April 9, also asked that salary increments be listed on data provided to the faculty before wage negotiations begin. "We're entitled to information. Lack of information is r.on-power," Dr. Daniel Sheridan, professor of religious studies, said at the meet- Dr. Henry J. Folse, professor of philosophy, also spoke in favor of disclosure Thursday, saying that the faculty should work together to avoid "distrust that certain individuals are cutting private deals with the administration." Lacking a quorum on Tuesday, however, the faculty was unable to decisively vote on the amended proposal, and acted merely as a "committee," Dr. Robert J. Rowland Jr., dean of Arts and Sciences, said. Technically, Rowland said, he could deny the proposal should a final vote occur, but wouldn't do so because he would feel "morally obligated" to accept the decision of the Asscmbly,See Greeks/ page 3 Sce Salaries/page 3 jf Inside this weeek: .s| Where