Maroon

              The Maroon ESTABLISHED 1923 VOL. 74 NO. 3 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1995 Loyola University, New Orleans Administrators examine 75 percent freshman retention rate By NEAL FALGOUST Contributing writer A study done over the summer shows that approximately one quarter of incoming freshman drop out before completing 12 months of school at Loyola. The deans from all the colleges of the university are currently conducting further studies and developing a database to provide information on why so many students are dropping out. The study will focus on the incoming freshman classes of 1989 to 1994. The Rev. Bernard Knoth. S.J, university president, said, "We don't yet know all the different pieces that go into this report." Concerning how the studies will be conducted, Daniel Sheridan, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, added, "We are taking on the mainframe and extracting every possible variable we can find." Administrators will be assessing students' academic background and regional background to find out, statistically, why certain students are more likely to drop out than others. Sheridan said that once that group with the highest dropout rate is found the university will stop recruiting those students. "One way to do it is to not recruit them in the first place because there are some 3,800 institutes of higher education," he said. "And for each one of those there is a certain type of student that fits best." "We need students who will succeed at a place like Loyola," he said. According to the Dean of Arts and Sciences, Robert Rowland, preliminary studies so far have shown many reasons for students leaving the university, none of which were any surprise. He said many freshmen are simply not ready for college life, especially in a city with so many distractions. He also commented that they leave because they discover that the university does not offer the programs which they want to study. Currently, Rowland is asking the chairpersons of each department to find out on a case-by-case basis why some students who pre-registered in the spring did not return this fall. He said that the best the university could hope for in the immediate future is about an 80 percent retention. One long term goal is for 60 percent of incoming freshmen to graduate in four years, and for 80 percent to graduate within six years. "Already nearly 80 percent of those that return for their sophomore year continue on to graduate," Rowland added. Knoth said, "If the young people we are attracting are in fact coming here because they are attracted here for positive reasons, and if as an institution we are doing all the things we should be doing to provide a quality Jesuit education, I would like the retention rate to be in the upper nineties." Rowland said he is confident in the job the university is doing to keep students here. As to whether the dropout rate puts a flaw in Knoth's "gem," he said, "No, you can have a gem on which all the facets are not fully polished, but it is still a gem." Candidates focus on casinos, crime at forum By DOMINIC MASSA Staff writer Six weeks and counting. That's how much time the hopefuls for Louisiana's highest office have to convince the state's voters that they are the right person for the job. In the Oct. 21 primary, Louisianians entering the voting booth will have 17 candidates to choose from, pending any more withdrawals from the pack. Among the eight major candidates, voters may select from a former governor, the state treasurer, the lieutenant governor, two U.S. Congressmen, a state representative, state senator and a Baton Rouge lawyer. Of the 17, four gubernatorial candidates met at a Tuesday forum, sponsored by the Kenner Professional Women's Association, to try to entice close to 400 people in attendance to jump on their bandwagon. Only State Treasurer Mary Landrieu, Baton Rouge lawyer Phil Preis, Lt. Gov. Melinda Schwegmann and Delgado Community College professor Anne Thompson made the lunchtime forum. The candidates fielded questions from a sixmember panel of reporters from around the state. The notable absence of several of the other major candidates was pointed out by at least one candidate in attendance. "I think we have a set a record in political debate today," said Phil Preis, a Democrat making his first run for political office. "We have more people on the panel than we do candidates. I hope on election day you remember that," he said. Preis, a political newcomer, emphasized his distance from the political process and the corruption which has become rampant in state government. By TAMMY KLIBERT "If you think the people with the political background and IS years experience are the people who can resolve the state's problems, I'm not your guy," he said. Legalized gambling, and the allegations that have recently surfaced concerning legislators' involvement in the industry also became a hot topic at Tuesday's forum, which took place at the Pontchartrain Center, just feet away from the Treasure Chest gambling riverboat docked at Lake Pontchartrain. All four of the candidates said they supported local option voting on gambling issues, giving residents a chance to vote on gambling in their community. Preis said though local option votes may kill the gambling revenues generated, the state can make up the difference Mary Landrieu displays her "blueprint" for revitalizing Louisiana at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. Matching funds increase endowment of Freeport chair By ALLISON TEMPLET Contributing writer Although Loyola's search for a qualified candidate to fill the position of environmental communications chair continues, it recently received matching funds from the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund totaling $400,000 in permanent endowment for the new chair. The environmental communications chair was created over a year ago by a $600,000 gift from Freeport-McMoßan to integrate environmental science and communications. In a press release, Loyola's president, the Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., stated, "The environmental communications curriculum will make a significant contribution to improving quality and clarity in the reporting of environmental issues and developments." Although the chair was created over a year ago, it has not been filled due to the lack of qualified candidates for the position. However, according to William Hammel, communications department chairman, two candidates are being considered. One of these potential hirees was interviewed yesterday, while the other is expected in two weeks. Hammel also said that, although they both appear to be strong candidates, he could not give a prediction on any possible outcomes. "If we like them and they like us, the process could be fairly quick," he said. He added that with no guarantees, the search could be extended even further. Since accusations have arisen that Freeport-McMoßan has damaged the environment, some in the Loyola community have questioned whether the university should accept money from such an organization. There are fears that there may be a conflict of interest between Freeport-McMoßan and its funding of an environmental chair. Hammel said that there would be no conflict of interest since the company will have absolutely no control over the operations of the environmental communications chair. Wolf to stay under student control By ANGELA DRISCOLL Contributing writer The 1995-96 Wolf will stay a studentrun publication despite discussion of a possible move to the office of Student Affairs or University Publications. Communications faculty decided at a departmental meeting on Sept. 7 that the yearbook would remain in the department. Leslie Parr, communications professor and yearbook adviser, said that the Wo// was kept in the department because students showed interest in working on it. This year, senior Elena Volpert and sophomore John St. Pierre, both communications majors, will co-edit the yearbook. Parr said that the new year looks very promising because the editors seem very enthusiastic. Volpert said that the students are bestequipped to run the yearbook. "1 don't think anyone else can do justice to the yearbook but the students," said Volpert. "It's for them." St. Pierre shares these sentiments about the yearbook staying in student hands. 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