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              The Maroon Loyola University New Orleans VOL. 79, NO. 03 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2000 MAROON.LOYNO.EDU Faculty forms Loyola AAUP chapter By Fatima Harris Staff writer The newest organization on campus is not another sorority, club or sport for students, but a professional organization for faculty. The American Association of University Professors promises to give faculty on campus an organized voice to better deal with issues relating to tenure, salary compression and other issues that affect professors. Gary Herbert, philosophy professor and AAUP chapter president, cites Catherine Wessinger, religious studies chairwoman, as the organizer of the Loyola chapter. Wessinger solicited Richardson for the lectures and welcomed support from other staff members. "We want to create an active AAUP chapter because nothing ever changes unless people get together and make it happen." Wessinger said. "We have regional and executive meetings to bring faculty from the different schools together," he said. The chapter chose officers last spring. They are: Herbert, president; Eric Gorham, associate political science professor, vice president; Steve Scariano. associate math and computer sciences professor, treasurer; Marcus Smith, associate English professor, secretary; and Catherine Wessinger. religious studies chairwoman, membership coordinator. There are currently 30 members in the organization, but Wessinger hopes to recruit new faculty with activities such as a membership drive. Herbert has not yet sel a date for the first meeting, but looks forward to this year with enthusiasm for the newly formed chapter. Last spring, James T. Richardson, professor of sociology at the University of Nevada and president of the AAUP. came to Loyola for the Biever Lecture Series. Richardson spoke about the media's influence on the Waco standoff and spoke a second time to Loyola faculty and administrators entitled 'Creative Approaches to Faculty/salary Issues.' Richardson also gave a public lecture entitled 'Post-tenure Review." His visit encouraged a small number of faculty members to form a chapter of AAUP at Loyola. Wessinger said that the AAUP's purpose includes giving faculty a unified organization. Unlike those at most universities, Loyola's faculty does not belong to a union. "The faculty here are not unionized, but other Jesuit campuses are unionized, so AAUP. as an organization, works for better work conditions. ... The AAUP is not a union, hut performs some of the same functions of a union." she said. Benefits faculty will receive by joining the AAUP include the support of the national office, located in Washington D.C., on issues the chapter may want to take up with administration. "There is a repository of experience in D.C.," Wessinger said. One issue Wessinger and Herbert agreed was important was salary compression. "There are serious inequalities. The longer you are here the less money you receive. ... It is unrewarded past merit," Wessinger said. Herbert said he thinks that compression is a growing phenomenon at Loyola. "Salary compression seems like it's worse SHOE IN FOR VICTORY STAFF PHOTO BY MICHELLE CORNEJO Bryan Farrar, biology freshman, Albert Dip, business freshman and Mike Founlain, psychology/pre-med sophomore, revel in their victory at the Loyola Olympics on Monday. Law professor believes big tobacco settlement skewed Philip Watson Staff writer Dane Ciolino, associate law school professor, has tiled a lawsuit in East Baton Rouge Parish Parish courts. He claims it is in the name of ethical lawyers everywhere. Ciolino. who teaches legal ethics, is intricately involved in the $4.6 billion settlement the state of Louisiana received from major tobacco companies in the country. He says the attorneys are being paid too much. In 1998 a group of private attorneys, hired by Attorney General Richard leyoub, petitioned to sue the major tobacco companies. The state won the case and the tobacco companies were forced to pay damages to more CIOLINO Involved in lawsuit against Louisiana lawyers than 40 states, including Louisiana. The attorneys involved in the case were awarded their fees — a total of $575 million. The award was not a portion of the settlement for the state, but was paid by the tobacco companies in addition to the state money. It was determined by a three-panel arbitration of tobacco representatives, plaintiff representatives and a member agreed upon by all parties. According to the Master Settlement Agreement, a settlement passed down in a U.S. federal court, the companies were obliged to pay all government entities, including the attorney general's office that hired the private attorneys, all expenses related to litigation. Ciolino came out in defense of Louisiana. He said that the fee paid to the attorneys was too large. Along with the New Orleans law firm of Schonekas, Evans & McGoey, Ciolino filed a lawsuit on behalf of Frederick Swaim, law school professor, and Robert Marrero. Ciolino filed the lawsuit in East Baton Rouge Parish against the attorneys, claiming that the fees they received were too large and that they violated the Louisiana Code of Professional Conduct. In an article that appeared in The Times-Picayune on April 8, Ciolino said the fee payment and agreement offended him. "They [the attorneys) weren't just looking for the best deal for the state, but also themselves, or so we allege," Ciolino said in the article. He said out that the conflict of interest — the fact that the same people the attorneys attacked would U.S. News & World Report ranks Loyola seventh Jennifer Kloete Contributing writer America's Best Colleges, published by U.S. News and World Report, ranked Loyola seventh out of 123 in the regional category of southern universities. Loyola received the same ranking last year. Students interviewed said they were happy about the rating. "I think it's a great thing for Loyola," said communications sophomore Dave Breen. "It gives me a sense of pride because it's rated a lot higher than many of my friends' schools in the north." Greg Wilson, computer science freshman, said he felt similarly about Loyola's listing. "It makes me assured that I made the right choice in what college I chose," he said. Loyola, along with the other colleges in its category, was judged by its scores in categories such as academic reputation, freshman retention rate, student-to-faculty ratio, students selectivity and graduation rate. Schools that ranked above Loyola in this category include University of Richmond, James Madison University, Rollins College, Stetson University, Samford University. Mary Washington College and The Citadel. In addition to its overall ranking in its division, Loyola placed twelfth in the Best Values ranking among southern universities. According to Kristine David, director of Public Affairs, many people look at college rankings when choosing a college. "Millions of people see that Loyola is in the top ten regional schools," she said. "This definitely ads to our publicity on a national basis," said David. Lizabeth Deckert. international business sophomore, said that Loyola's ranking might help her in the future. "It's great that a prestigious magazine has given Loyola a high rating ... the better Loyola's reputation, the better the name looks on our resume for jobs in the future," she said The Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., university president, was quoted in a September I article in The Times- Picayune as saying he was satisfied with ranking. "In the very competitive market today, we are pleased to have maintained our seventh-place ranking. The rankings affirm our continuing commitment to provide our students with a superior education in the Jesuit tradition," he said. See AAUP, Page 3 See LAWYER Page 5 SHI LIFE & TIMES jFREDDIE OMAR AND HIS BAND PUMP THE LATIN RYTHMN ■ Pg. 11 NEXT WEEK: Up close and personal with Ryan Holmes, SGA president * The ups ancl downs ~~~ • Column: married life, - http://,maroon.loyno.edli love and cabana boys