Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Green Str By John Van Dalen Gamecock Staff Writer The perennial issue of closing Green Street has again been revived by the Student Govern ment Association (SGA) at USC with hopes this time for at least a one month trial closing of the thoroughfare. Columbia City Council action was expected last March, but nothing was forthcoming. SGA President, Leigh Leventis plus other administration an4 student delegates attended a council meeting on July 10 to present their case for the closing, but were informed after a two and one-half hour wait that two council members were not present and the hearing would have to be postponed. Leventis and Harold Brunton, vice president for business af fairs, last June had filed letters to each member of City Council and ZIP KLEEN 1320 Main Street 1 Hour Cleaning 4 Hour Laundry Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6:00 Sat. 7:30-4:00 plant., ain and p1. The Green House 2612 RimUasD 1/2 siseo $9 -' mewr $2.99 as (depe. 1213 Beviseu' Up eet Decisio "The stretch from Sumter to Pi closed..." to the city manager requesting a hearing but there was little response, according to Leventis. A call to City Manager Gray Olive revealed that the Green Street delegation was on the agenda for a hearing on Wed nesday, July 10, thus giving the group a week to prepare their case, Leventis said. A new hearing is scheduled for July 17 at which time it is hoped the trial closing will be approved. "I'm optimistic about the trial closing," Leventis said. "But I'm tired of getting the run around MOW Fe to ~en ,ouse itsie, rft t suppiIes. Devine St. 256-4474 w *1.99 msma $s.99 his and peb%es eNs4asy *59 *13;s id 6s.99 aibvSp.vnwer masVaa n Near ckens is the crucial area to be from City Council. I don't know why we're getting this kind of treatment." The entire argument is con troversial, with effective positions advocated on both sides. Opponents, such as merchants, property owners, and some students, feel the street is an essential artery as the only thruway between Assembly and Harden Streets connecting Five Points. Their position is sometimes moderated, though, when the idea of closing the street only from Sumter to Pickens is presented. The stretch from Sumter to Pickens is the crucial area to be closed, according to proponents of the plan, and this is what the SGA hopes tU be able to ac complish. According to Leventis, ap proximately 13,000 cars a day use the street and 74 to 76 percent of this traffic is USC students. When this many cars per day travel the street, the argument for closing a portion of it is considerably strengthened because 15 to 24,000 students cross Green each day during regular semesters. Additional arguments in favor of closing that will be presented by the student-administration delegation include not only congestion and student safety factors, but favorable reactions to the closing from 30 merchants in the Five Points area. Also, the prospectsaregood for the general improvement of the appearance of the Green Street area if a permanent closing Is approved and a pedestrian mail created. MAKING BAE] UNMAKING 'l for confidential on abortion re control, and ver ,CalliH< 777-4 * Law Fa Tenure Cc Continued from' Page D is constantly seeking to improve this form. He stated that in addition to the student evaluations, the Law Center also sends three members of the tenured faculty into two suc cessive classes of the professors and they report back. Other factors such as the number of students enrolling in a class and verbal comments by the students are also taken into consideration. However, the item of evaluation is only one of a number of factors in determining tenure, according to Foster. The Law Center follows the University Faculty Manual's guidelines in this matter. Other factors such as per tinent publications, papers presented, relevant experience elsewhere, experience at USC, student advisement, par ticipation in professional societies, and relevant public service are but a few of the guidelines established by this manual. Dean Foster expressed concern over the confusion surrounding this issue, which he feels is partly due to ambiguous publicity. Refuting certain rumors that the accreditation for the law school here is provisional, Foster states, "We have been accredited since 1925. We have inspections every seven years - we just had an inspection in 1973 and we are fully accredited." Regarding certain comments about the method of voting on tenure and renewal, the Dean explained that decisions are made over a series of three or four meetings. Tk ballots are cast secretly and results are announced after each one. Only the tenured faculty members vote, with the ex ception of the Dean. Foster also further explained that any un tenured member's status is probationary. Their contracts are reviewed yearly to determine reappointment or one year notice of nonrenewal. Dean Foster articulated his objectives for the Law Center by stating, "I want this to be the very finest state law school in the country. The only way to ac complish that Is by the most careful selection of those who will be here forever when they HIEM ISN'T information ferral, birth iereal diseae atline 256 cu1ty nflict acquire tenure. In 1971 we hired eleven new faculty members. Of those eleven, six have been promoted and have tenure. One went elsewhere, another has resigned who did not receive tenure, and three have been given notice of nonretention." Dean Foster admits that he is striving toward a very high standard of excellence because he feels this is the only way to improve the quality of a law school - "by gleaning those you select for permanent positions of tenure." However, the decisions have left a number of students angry and unhappy, specially regarding the weight of the students' opinions in such mat ters. One student, Jay Bender, feels that the evaluation forms should be professionally drafted. Moreover, he feels that the students should be informed of the motives when they are asked to evaluate professors. Like Mason, he feels that after the evaluations are drafted, the students should participate in the discussion that occurs prior to the formal decision. "However, the decisions have left a number of students angry and unhappy." When questioned on the matter of a student vote in such decisions, Bender responded, "Included in the right to discuss the merits of each decision should be the right to cast a vote on the decision. That is, a proportional membership of the body making the tenure and promotional decision." But, Bender added, "Obviously we can't have every student voting on tenure. I think that some method must be devised to choose student representatives to sit in." While Dean Foster feels that student interest in the current issue is a "healthy sign," he rejects the proposal of a student vote. He feels that the line must be drawn somewhere and it is drawn at those who are most qualified. Although both the students and the faculty stipulate that they have the best interests of the Law Center In mind, there still remains student anger at the lack of voice in matters such as this. Mason feels that the faculty is not receptive to student In formation, and summed the situation up as follows, "I feel that I have been hurt because a number of these people have helped me significantly In my education and would have helped me inthe future asanatorney. I feel that the standards for determining tenure are vague, and have been arbitrarily applied in this instance.'