Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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University of South Carolina MONHAV MAPPW 1 ~1 OOH^ Vol.96,No.68 www.dailygamecock.com IVIVJINL/Ml, IVIMlxon ± I , Z.UUO Sincel908 USC might charge by credit hour • Officials looking at 2 options for tuition system BY ALEXIS STRATTON THEHAMECOCK Some USC students might soon have to start paying tuition based on the number of credit hours they are taking. University officials hope to make a decision within the next few weeks on whether to switch to a credit-hour-based tuition sys tem, Chief Financial Officer Rick Kelly said. “We are gathering all the data, looking at it, analyzing it to be sure if we can employ it at a point where it meets students’ needs for graduation and remains cost neutral for the students,” Kelly said. The university is examining two options for a new tuition sys tem: one that charges solely by credit hours and another, called a bracketing system, that charges per credit hour above or below a certain number. John Olsgaard, associate provost, said USC is considering the change for various reasons, “If there is a per-credit-hour charge, it is much simpler to assign the tuition that is being generated back to the place generating it.” JOHN OLSGAARD ASSOCIATE PROVOST such as easier accounting. “If there is a per-credit-hour charge, it is much simpler to as sign the tuition that is being gen erated back to the place generat ing it,” Olsgaard said. For example, if a student took three credit hours in the School of Music, the tuition for those hours would go back to that school. Another reason for the possible change is to discourage students from “shopping” for classes. “There is the perception that some students shop courses,” Olsgaard said. “In other words, they sign up for more courses than they need to take; they intend to take 15 hours, then drop six they don’t like. From a scheduling point of view, there are lots of seats that suddenly become open that aren’t available to anybody else.” Kelly said this practice creates a distorted view of how many courses or sections the universi ty needs to provide and prevents some students from taking the courses they really want. “Because they’ve signed up for a course, we’ve filled that seat, and other people may have been turned away,” Kelly said. “Courses may be full-, we may have had to create new sections, and it gives us a.distorted view of what (or) how many courses we need to provide in a certain area.”, Carlene Jones, director of re ceivables and collections at the University of Alabama, said that university’s system, which is a form of the bracketing system, prevents such actions. For undergraduate students, the University of Alabama charges a flat rate for 12 to 18 cred it hours, or 9 to 15 credit hours for ♦ HOURS, SEE PAGE 2 » Students hold vigil for peace rnv iv Di mvmvasAi'i rvnv/ i nt onivir\ War protesters gather on the Horseshoe Sunday night in a candlelight vigil for peace. The vigil was part of a worldwide event coordinated by Moveon.org, the Win Without War Coalition, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and religious organizations. BY SCOTT LINDLAW THE ASSOCIATED press LAJES, AZORES ISLANDS - Poised for war with Iraq, President Bush and three allied leaders set a one-day deadline Sunday for the United Nations to demand immediate disarmament of Saddam Hussein. “Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world,” Bush said af ter a hurriedly called Atlantic is land summit to discuss efforts to disarm a government long be lieved to maintain weapons of mass destruction. “Now we make a final appeal to make a strong, unified message on behalf of the international com munity,” added British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who joined Bush and the leaders of Spain and Portugal for a few short hours of summitry. They gathered at a time when more than 250,000 troops, a naval armada and an estimated 1,000 combat aircraft are positioned in the Persian Gulf area, an American-led force ready to strike if and when the president gives the word. One administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bush plans to ad dress the nation shortly after the diplomatic window closes Monday - possibly as early as Monday night. Bush urged other nations to support “the immediate and un ♦ DEADLINE, SEE PAGE 5 Index Comics and Crossword 9 Classifieds 12 Horoscopes 9 Letters to the Editor 6 Online Poll 6 $ Police Report 5 Weather TODAY TOMORROW High 72 Low 57 High 75 Low 55 In This Issue ♦ NEWS Doctors say a mysterious virus could be a new strain of the flu. Page 3 ♦ THE MIX Strange bedfellows Elton John and Billy Joel perform at the Carolina Center. Page 7 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Patrick Augus tine discusses why the U.S. needs China’s help. Page 6 ♦ SPORTS: The women’s basketball team will play Chattanooga in the NCAA Tournament. Page 10 USC drowning in maintenance costs BY KEVIN FELLNER THE GAMECOCK While the January flooding of the Jones Physical Science Center has been quelled, the fi asco reminded the administra tion that some facilities at USC are in critical need of repair. “When the water chiller burst on the top, we had to take mon ey out of other places to go in there and put that building back online,” said the university’s chief financial officer, Rick Kelly. The problem with the Jones Center illustrates USC’s rising deferred maintenance costs. These costs are the result of post poned maintenance projects that have built up over time because funds have been redirected into “more urgent projects,” Kelly said. USC needs roughly $154 million to cover deferred main tenance costs, of which $25 mil ♦ MAINTENANCE, SEE PAGE 2 Donehue cancels bid for SG office BY COREY GARRIOTT THE GAMECOCK Wes Donehue pulled out of the race for Student Government president March 7 because of dis ciplinary incidents with the USC Judicial Affairs Office involving other SG representatives. “I can’t run for president be cause I’m not in good standing,” said Wes Donehue, a second year graduate student in theater and speech. Article V, Section 1, Part 1 of the USC SG Constitution requires all elected student representa tives to “remain in good standing in their respective college,” S which means that they must not be on disciplinary probation. Donehue is on — probation, said Kendall Robin son, chairwoman Donehue of USC’s chapter of the College Republicans, “meaning that if somebody else files a complaint against him, he could be kicked out (of the university) for good.” Robinson said Donehue’s pro bation won’t end for a year. Seeing that he could not serve ♦ DONEHUE, SEE PAGE 4 ‘Charlie Mac’ class to return BY WENDY JEFFCOAT THE GAMECOCK Charlie McAlexander, the voice of the Gamecocks and award-winning sports broad caster, will once again lead his popular sports broadcasting class in May for USC’s College of Mass Communication and Information Studies. This will be the fifth year McAlexander, better known as Charlie Mac, has presented the class during Maymester at USC. He says he has had some positive feedback about the class. “The majority of students re ally, really seem to enjoy it,” McAlexander said. “They’ll be entertained for three weeks. It’ll be something different every time.” ♦ CLASS, SEE PAGE 2 unarne MCAiexanaer, Known as me voice or tne uamecocKS, exposes students to the world of sports broadcasting during a Maymester class offered to students of all majors.