University of South Carolina Libraries
g Monday Volume LXXI, No. 2-4 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Oct.22, 10"70 Money By James Hale Qanwcock Staff Writer The Department of Media Arts is not receiving enough money to obtain its goals, according to Porter McLaurin, department chairman. "I told the students very clearly that we had a problem, and our problem was that we did not have sufficient support to give them absolutely the best program we have to give, but we will give them the best program we can within the means we have," McLaurin said. "We will never have the financial support to give the best program we can possibly give them because we are in a terribly expensive area." Media arts involves courses associated with the technical items of communication. These courses provide training in camera operation, video and audio editing and production, photography and other related subjects. Media arts received a 1976-77 fiscal budget of $205,398 with $23,950 allocated for equipment, according to Chip Gray, director of USC Information Services * The 1977-78 budget was $246,520 total with $36,667 for equipment, Gray said. The 1978-79 budget was $252,304 with $21,317 for equipment. Gray added that the major difference between the 1976-77 and the 1977-78 budgets was a change in the state's accounting system which made each organization responsible for employee benefits instead of the state paying them. The equipment raise in the 197778 budget was because of one-time appropriations for the purchase oi a specific piece of equipment, according to Gray. "A 16mm camera with sounc capability of any decent qualit> costs roughly $10,000." The recorder that goes with "thai camera costs $4,500. Well you car see right away that if we buy thai camera and that recorder, which is actually one beginning of one rig. il doesn't include the tripod,' McLaurin said. "The tripod addf $1,000, and if we include that, yoi take that one chunk that just aboui Sixi By Mark Pie Assistant News I USC Attorney Timothy G. Quin action for the board of trustees in Court Judge Walter J. Bristow to 1 minutes of their executive session "If he has the intention to ap] Carolina Supreme Court before reached," Bristow said. Bristow revealed that he will ] this case because he is leaving f< for the remainder of the year. 'If hf (I J Sir nttnr intention to appeal, South Carolina Supi Judge W Depositions (sworn testimonii Jack Wingale and Leon Cooper, violation of the Freedom of Inforr Cooper and Wingate charged I contractual matters of USC ai revealing them until Sept. 6. A "prior to going into executive s shall vote in public on the questi favorable, the presiding officer s of the executive session." Not I shortage I wipes out our total equipment budget for the year." There has been a disproportionate increase of the department's budget as compared to student enrollment, McLaurin said. Enrollment in Media Arts classes in the fall of 1976 was 366, in 1977 it was 435 and in 1978 it was 482, according to McLaurin. Present fall enrollment is around 560, and until the new budget is approved they are still basing their budget on the 1978-79 figures, he added. In comparison with the 1976-77 budget, the 1978-79 budget there has been a 12.3 percent equipment decrease and a total budget increase of 22.8 percent (including thp stntf* appniintino phnnop "l O There was a fall enrollment increase of 31.7 percent between the two fiscal years. The present fall enrollment increase compared to 1976 would be an increase of about 63.4 percent, according to McLaurin. "Even if the money stays the same, you've got the inflation factor coming up under it in the double digits for the last three - f f m * _ T 1 ! J IJ'i! years, iviCL?auiiii saiu, in aaainun to the devaluation of the dollar. "Basically we are staying in the 550-600 students enrolled in courses ranged in that 4,000 square feet. We have three dark rooms, and we only have a certain amount of equipment. In order to provide students with equipment to use to support their studies and the work they do here we are limited in numbers,'' McLaurin said. ( "We can't accept students, and : we have at least about 85-90 , students who could not get enrolled in a media arts course that they I wanted this fall at registration. We ' opened an additional section of two s classes which reduced that t number considerably by bringing i in part-time faculty member and t putting in an evening section," he > said. "We still turned away k n.nUnkl.. PIC -i I f I }J1 UUdUiy dUUUl iD &IUUCIIU) 1IUII1 ' course enrollments, and part of s those students were media arts 1 majors which causes us a major t concern. iays rema itte E<Htor The Act I in has until Oct. 27 to take session shi a recent ruling by Circuit such actic have the board release the 'formal ac i meeting Sept. 4. concerned peal, it'll go to the South R Mark a final decision can be 27 board i minutes ar probably not preside over Hugh Well: >r Spartanburg and Union "I belies session an ? point that nej/j has the they have I it'll go to the a . 9 the board i rente LsOUft ... admitted I been taker falter J. Bristow the "xS ? minutes, 1 es) have been taken for before the who filed the suit of the determine nation Act on Sept. 12. "I feel tl the board with discussing wait for d thletic positions and not basic argii ccording to the FOI act, wasn't " ession, the public agency procedure on and when such vote is Wingate hall announce the purpose mittee Th best program poss hurts Mec3 ' ** s fMifgSEi *? * ' _*, ?.!? A shortage of funding for equipment repair. Susan Dugan, media arts graduate assistant, has been appointed by President James Holderman to organize questions related to problems in USC's school of media arts. Dugan's appointment was a result of a student question and answer session with the president in which several questions were asked concerning funding, physical space and the amount of equipment available to the Media Arts program, she said. One of the problems media arts has is space, according to Dugan. Between one and two classrooms are available to the school, located in sections of the lower floors of the law center. This SDace is shared among not only media arts, but Audio Services, Instruction Services Center and Audio and Video Services Library, Dugan said. David Rinker, systems vice president of Facilities Planning, infor boa continues, "any formal action taken ir ill thereafter be ratified in public sessi >n becoming effective. As used in tion' means a recorded vote committir to a specific course of action." ley Dennis, board chairman, stated a meeting that the board should not id the motion was passed unanimously s and William Brockington. re the board has the right to have an d I believe those minutes are sacred, they pertain to a lawsuit filed in a co to be made available," Wingate said. t i~ i.:?i ?i ?? TIP saiu iic itxia ?ny ivmu ui ap[/ciii uy uo ig tactic." There is no merit for appe admitted there was an executive sessic here was a press release stating an i, according to Wingate. has ordered that all tape recordings m ive session of the Sept. 4 meeting, alo etters, memoranda and documents, 1 court for review. The presiding judg which items are pertinent to the case. iat we're ready to go to trial now but lue process," Wingate said. He also iment by the board would be that the final and positive," because c s hadn't been acted upon. attended the Intercollegiate Activi ursday during which a decision wa: ible lia Arts pr j|g!?jggjHWB& rBrP^^ ' mUMmm!^ WfcxJ^P^MKBa < ? the Department of Media Arts h said the university is planning to i build an Arts Center which would c ease the space problem. This long t range project will house all or parts of media arts, theatre and t speech, music and art schools, according to Rinker. Although the s state has allocated $250,000 for ? initial planning this fiscal year, the ? plans are not yet certain and a site has not yet been selected, Rinker I added. Construction will probably f begin spring of 1981 and last from a 24 to 30 months. c Dugan said she is aware of the f university's plans for an art center t but that present media arts r students will not benefit from it. r Students are seeking short range tl solutions to some of tne problems, r ^ 1 I J rnu^ 4^ ^ sue saiu. mere seeuiii w ue p suitable space available at the tJ university, but for some reason that space has not been made available to media arts, she added, r a Lack of enough good equipment f, rd's decis i executive construct Williams-Brice ion prior to on the USC football intrj this item, airplane. kg the body "I was present at the t the Sept. violated the law in that tl reveal the into executive session," V except for come out of this meeting they would be in violat i executive anything." but to the ^positions this week \ urt of law, < ? , But this on aiTec'ause dropped under action had COUrtS W'U haV ade during ng with all t)e brought ? e will then members, the represent of the Senate Education we have to House Education Comm added the of Education, according ir decision "If after depositions ai contractual left field and we have r then of course it could be ities Com- one will not be dropped u s made to have to throw it out." ogram |1S||Bl it* $$$& .< A ' * & ^^2vi mmmmmmwmwMrn&mtmmS. JMmR as caused difficulties with s also a student concern, ac ording to Dugan. Students often tad trouble getting the necessary equipment needed to complete heir assignments, she added. Clayton Owen, media arts itudent said, "Many times an issignment will be due in a week, md you won't be able to get the equipment until the last minute. >rofessors seem to realize the >roblem and will help you if you ire caught in bind." Dugan said students are also concerned with the umber of acuity members at the college. In he summer of 1977 Don Gillis, nedia arts department head, etired, and McLaurin, then with he school of pduratinn tMr?hincr nedia arts classes, filled his position. Dugan adds, however, hat no one was hired to fill AcLaurin's position. McLaurin said, "The Departnent of Media Arts, in terms of issigned faculty, has as many acuity as it has ever had before." ion Stadium additions, to put a dome amural field, and to nurchase an meeting, and again I think they hey did not explain why they went Vingate said. "If something should that they had made a decision on, ion. I don't think they voted on vill be taken from all of the board ie(case) will not be any condition. The ^ J. J-l~ SJ. -i- ' t: iu uirvu) u uui Jack O. Wingate ative of Gov. Riley, the chairman i Committee, the chairman of the ittee and the State Superintendent to Wingate. re taken, if we see that we're out in 10 basis for continuing the action, dropped," Wingate said. "But this nder any condition. The courts will