Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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f Police Problems Pq9e 2 / 'Blow Out' Should Be Sell-Out p?9e 6 GAMECOCK LXXI, No. 8 University of South Carolina Wednesday, August 5,1981 ^ - _ ______ fe r ^L>m* | jft : Mp ?1 >^"r" *"4^"~"~'"' ^^^^^^T:'--^llg|^fcxJ ;|K ? 9 7'^- -vr :y^=rSi ^Tl H ijifl w*^ ^*>?i TJ^Wi ?n^H9M^HHR8R9HBi|wMMW^n J By LEROY WILLIAMS When three black students enrolled at USC in the fall of 1963, they were entering what they probably perceived as strange, new surroundings. Being me omy DiacKs on a campus or about 7,000 students did pose some alienation, because there were only three black students and no black faculty members to guide and assist them with educational or social problems. Almost 18 years since the first black students came to USC, the black student population at the Columbia campus has swelled markedly. Of the 26,135 students attending USC in the fall of 1980, 3,318 or 12.7 percent were black. ine DiacK iacuuy nas noi grown so quickly, however. There are 19 blacks out of 1,174 instructors and professors at the university, which is 1.6 percent. USC offered a substantia prospective black faculty but i ~ mure prougiuu) iii^uKiuuin ui dire BLACK USC students say they would be more comfortable dealing with a black teacher. "I feel that there is a need for more black professors to act as role models to black students," said journalism student Wilbert Evans. "It signifies that they've made it and we can too." USC President James B. Holderman told the Association of Afro-American Students in November 1979 that the reason USC had so few black teachers was that it couldn't attract them. He said USC offered a "substantial" ? -f numoer ui pusuiuua iu uia^n faculty, but many declined because other more prestigious institutions offered a better salary. Some deans say location and low pay hamper USC's efforts to recruit black faculty, but another reason is a lack of qualified prospects. THERE AREN'T BUT so many black Ph. D s," said Andrew Chishom, special assistant to the president for minority affairs. If you attract a highly qualified, skilled black Ph.D, you have to be prepared to pay wnat ne s worm. Chishom said only 3 percent of the nation's doctoral degree holders - those eligible to teach at the college level - are black. The short supply of black doctoral degree holders is a result of most black college students ending their education with a bachelor's degree, according to Director of Afro-American Studies Willie Harriford. "Most blacks go straight into industry,'* he said. "A black person qualified to teach engineering would probably choose to work at a northern institution for a higher salary and better research opportunities rather than nnmo Qnnth " HarrifnrH icaiH " Thnsp schools are just as eager to hire blacks as Southern schools are," he added. "For some reason, they will only go to a large city or closer to home," said James Hillon, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Business Administration. ACCORDING TO HILTON, there are no blacks among the B.A. school's 113 faculty members. Albert Scroggins, College of Journalism dean, said his school has tried to attract black faculty, but like most schools, they are having little luck. There are no blacks on the journalism I number of positions to many declined because other rfered a better salarv. - Willie Harriford, ?ctor of Afro-American Studies Ichool's 25-member faculty. "There are certain areas of academia where there are very few minority faculty, and ours haDDens to be one of them," Scroggins said. "Whenever we'd advertise an opening, of all the applications, we would receive maybe one or two applications from minorities." Hilton and Scroggins said the lack of potential black teachers becomes evident when one attends a national academic seminar, conference or workshop in a certain field, and virtually no blacks are present. Hilton said his school has offered several A - 11- - - ? ? A. I A C leacning positions 10 oiacits in me pasi iew years. Once, the B.A. school was trying to coax a black accounting professor by offering a salary that was "probably $5,000 more" than normal for that position. The applicant chose to work at the University of Southern California for an even higher salary. USC's administration is now beginning a centralized effort to attract more black faculty. Chishom has plans to establish an office to call if a college or department has a vacancy, he said. "THE OFFICE WILL have the responsibility of identifying areas in the country with a fair representation of black faculty," Chishom said. "It will develop a data bank of minorities interested in working for USC." S?s* More, page 4