The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 22, 1979, Image 1
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^^
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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
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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