In just a few days, it will be time to head off to spring break! This long awaited vacation is one that we’ve all been planning for a while, and although some of us are just going home, many of us are off to sunnier, wetter, and wilder places. Although it may be easier said than done, it’s important to remember our sexual health while we’re at the beaches and bars.

An important concern while partying is the large groups of people and alcoholic beverages. These days, it is so easy for drugs to be placed in a person’s drink. Taking advantage of women using “date rape” drugs has become quite common. These drugs include Rohypnol (roofies) and GHB. They can quickly be mixed into any kind of beverage and are colorless and odorless. They usually make the victim drowsy, sick, and sleepy. She usually quickly feels drunk and this can lead to the young woman passing out and never recalling the events of the blackout period. This almost always leads to rape and unprotected sex, which will be followed by many of the emotional and psychological effects of such an incident.

To protect yourself and your friends from being a victim to these drugs, some measures should be taken. Always watch as your drink is being prepared and never leave it unattended. Try to stay within your group of friends, and check on each other periodically to make sure that no one is feeling faint, sick, or needs to go to the hospital. If a you or a friend does get raped, head to the nearest hospital in order to receive the proper medical attention to help prevent pregnancy.

For those of us who choose to have sex throughout the break, it’s important to remember to use a condom, which is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy and the transfer of STDs, such as genital warts, herpes, Chlamydia, and HIV/AIDS, to name a few. The use of condoms is one of the most effective and probably the cheapest way to inhibit the spread of diseases and the possibility of pregnancy. Facilities on campus, such as the Women’s Resource Center and the Health Center provide free condoms for students. It’s important to note that abstinence is 100% effective and the idea of going on spring break should not make you feel the pressure to have sex just because everyone else is doing it.

All in all, don’t forget to be safe and watch out for your friends, as well as for yourself. If you are in a new country, educate yourself about how to stay safe. Women can be easy targets when they are under the influence of alcohol. Very few of us would like to come back from our vacations possibly with some terrible disease or pregnant. The Peer Health Educators are handing out safe sex kits in the Campus Center throughout this week, so drop by to become learn more about the risks and ways to stay safe.

For more information, contact the Women’s Resource Center at ksylvia@umassd.edu or 508-910-4584.

The anniversary of the establishment of the Public Forum policy has come and gone. It hit the two year mark this January. According to the consensus of the students and faculty interviewed, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has experienced an infringement on their freedom of speech for the past two years. The Public Forum policy implemented a zone, which is the only area on campus where demonstrations, protests, and rallies are permitted.

The Public Forum Zone, or better known by students as the free speech zone, is located on “the grassy areas to the south and east, within 75 feet, of the campanile, bounded by the Group I campanile walkway and the Group IV campanile walkway” as stated in the 2005 UMass Dartmouth Campus Policy Statement. The size is roughly one half an acre and is considerably small when compared to the 710 acres UMass Dartmouth’s campus has to offer (UMD web-site).

The way in which the administration went about implementing the policy has been a controversial issue for students and faculty at UMass Dartmouth. The administration sent out an email only to Student Senate and Faculty Senate about a student comment period on the policy. Consequently, the email was sent on December 18 2004 when students were preoccupied with finals and the comment period ended December 31 while students and most of the campus community was away on break. Kim Wilson, the coordinator of UMD Labor Extension Program comments about the method that the administration used to implement this policy. Wilson said, “To put in an unpopular policy you do it when the students are not at school—summer, and in this case, winter intersession.”

The Public Forum policy was put in place on January 17 2005, on Martin Luther King Day. Over the course of the last two years the free speech zone has affected the rights of not only the students, but also the faculty, and staff. The policy has been greeted with several student organizations’ disapproval such as the UMD’s Progressive Alliance and Social Change Society. UMass Dartmouth’s Progressive Alliance was the first group that influenced students to get involved and pressured the administration about the unfairness of the free speech zone.

Adrianne Schaefer, the president of the Social Change Society commented on the free speech zone saying, “College campuses are where a lot of the huge campaigns get started, like Fair Trade and anti-sweat shop movements. And those wouldn’t have happened without free speech. If you confine free speech to an out of reach area it might not make a huge difference this year, but it will have an impact on college activism in the long run.”

Wilson in agreement says, “We feel this is counter productive to the educational process at the university.”

Brian Pastori, a former student of UMD who started the Progressive Alliance, had set up a series of general information meetings to inform students and talk about strategies that could be taken against the administration in February 2005. The student organization also started a campaign to educate the students and faculty about freedoms of speech. Pastori felt very passionate towards the policy. “Not being able to protest and demonstrate in an effective area, a lot of the time is worse, than what people are trying to protest for or against,” he said.

Flyers were posted all over campus promoting their ideas about the free speech zone. One of the flyer’s messages was “Do you know what a free speech zone is? According to our Federal Constitution, the United States is a free speech zone, not selective areas.”

Wilson, who also served as the advisor to the UMD’s Progressive Alliance, comments about the affects of the free speech zone on students saying, “It’s to intimidate students, but faculty and staff are not intimidated.” Under the Public Forum policy, students, faculty and staff who do not follow the rules of the policy will be held accountable. Wilson, whom works closely with many students said, “The students have interpreted this as a possibility of being expelled.”

Wilson has found the policy to be contradicting, as it has not forced all demonstrations to be held within the zone. During October 2006, there was a demonstration outside the zone and they faced no repercussions. The demonstration was a group of faculty and staff members who marched around the Charlton College of Business building to rally for secretaries.

In contrast, Anna Vust, a senior Psychology student who organized the housing rally last April, was forced to stay within the free speech zone. Vust says, “I was warned by Lisa Evaneski, Dean of Student Affairs, to make sure that the housing rally was kept within the free speech zone for my protection.” Vust explains that the rally was not just for the changing housing conditions, but also to show how ridiculous the location of the free speech zone is in relation to the campus.

Schaefer and the Social Change Society were also a part of the housing rally. Schaefer agrees with Vust saying “It was made clear to the students who participated, to the students who saw the rally and to the administration that came that the spot on campus is not an appropriate place to have a Public Forum zone.” As the main area people walk is by Group 1, the Public Forum Zone force the protesters to stand far away from the administration, the very people it’s attempting to reach.

Schaefer also expressed frustration on how the Public Forum Zone is not enforced with everyone. She recalls that on the same day of the housing rally the Campus Activities Board (CAB) was holding a large event outside the campus center. She believes it is unfair that one group had to perform an activity in a confined area, while another group was unrestricted.

Furthermore, this past November there was a Deval Patrick rally that was held outside of the free speech zone. Pam Herzog, a senior Political Science major and the Vice President of the College Democrats participated in the Deval Patrick rally. Herzog says, “It started on the back side of the auditorium, like on the stairs.” Herzog also confirmed that the rally did move down to the back of the Campus Center on the grassy area, and it was not in the free speech zone. However, she didn’t feel that she was breaking the free speech zone policy because she was confident that the sponsor of the rally, the Patrick Campaign, made sure that they could have it where they did.

The two years in review show that the Public Forum policy has disrupted the practices of freedom of speech. However, it seems that there are loopholes of getting around the free speech zone.

The Progressive Alliance has now dissolved, but the Social Change Society is continuing to handle this matter this semester. Schaefer plans to work with the administration to reach a compromise. If this doesn’t work Schaefer says, “We plan to take further steps like contacting the media and taking more active approaches like having a rally around the issue.”

When asked where this rally would be held Schaefer smiles and says, “We could have it in the Public Forum zone. Or we could have it outside the zone to defy the policy and to show we can have a peaceful and safe demonstration that is not confined to the campanile area.”

Chancellor McCormack was unable to be reached for comment.

In an unprecedented show of support for immigrants’ rights, on Sunday afternoon, Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy and Rep. Barney Frank came to New Bedford and spoke out frankly and with outrage against the recent raid on a sweatshop last Tuesday in New Bedford by Homeland Security. The raid separated mothers from their children and left children alone and stranded. Standing on the steps of local parish of many of the detainees Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James, the senators spoke about their meeting with children and family members of some of the 360 women who were detained and deported to Miami and Texas.

Dozens and dozens from the community flooded the church and with donations. From all streets people carrying diapers, cans of food, paper towels, and old clothing lined up to the door of the Church’s basement waiting to drop off their goods.

After about an hour of discussion with a few hundred family members, press, and social workers, Kerry came out and drew thunderous applause as he stressed how this was an issue of morality, not legality. Families are sacred, he said, and the workers should not be punished and parents should not be separated from their children under any circumstances. He mentioned the plight of a 14 year old who was detained, separated from her family, and sent to detention in Miami. These are people with rights, he said, citizens or not.

Barney Frank said “we were notified that a raid would occur in Southeastern Massachusetts” but “notification is not coordination” and he said that “there are 10,000 immigrants in this country. This raid dealt with 300 of them. Do they want to repeat this 3,000 times?” Did the government realize how much effort, heartbreak, and expense that sort of policy would require? Human rights were violated he said, there may have been some citizens in there, but there were families ripped apart, and that was unacceptable. “These are not terrorists” he said, referencing the involvement of Homeland Security. If anyone should be punished, it is the owner of the sweatshop, he said. These workers are fined $20 for going to the bathroom, speaking out, being late, and are not given heat in the winter.

Most of all, he said “Protocol should never get in the way of caring for children.” He was indignant about the fact that it took “action by a Federal judge to stop the deportations and separations.” A civil rights attorney who will lead the investigation on the raid assured the crowd that there would be an extensive hearing and investigation. It would inspect the actions of the sweatshop owners and the treatment of the women in detention, which, a reporter mentioned, included rumors that they were not given access to food, water, fresh air, or ways to relieve themselves.

Kennedy spoke last. “Every day I look out my window and see the harbor where my great grandfathers stepped off the boat from Ireland” said Kennedy, stressing the importance of immigrants to the United States and to our economy. “They came here with values, American values, of hard work and family.” Kennedy then mentioned that if his bill on immigration reform had been passed last year, this event here in New Bedford would not have occurred. “Let’s face it,” he said “these are jobs that Americans won’t take.” His bill would allow immigrants who “play by the rules,” work hard, pay a few fines, to stay and have a fast track to citizenship.

“Do you think the government did this to embarrass Massachusetts?” asked a reporter “I don’t know about that, I’m not here to make that kind of political accusation,” said Kennedy “But I do know that this administration has done a lot to embarrass the entire country. I don’t want to go back to the Senate and hear them talk about the importance of family values while no action is taken here.” The whole situation, he said, was “intolerable, irresponsible, and illogical.” He mentioned the irony that these women were working on a contract for the Pentagon. Before he left, Senator Kennedy pulled out a picture of a two children ages 2 and 4. “I spoke with these children in there,” he said, pointing to the church, “they keep asking where their mother is. They haven’t slept in three nights.”

A garment worker from Boston who came down to support the cause said “I work with all races. Latinos, Portuguese, Irish American, like me. We’re all the same.”

Work is currently being done to reunite mothers with their children.

People interested in helping should see www.miracoalition.org Food, diapers, toiletries, and clothes are needed and can be donated at several churches in the area. “We need cash,” said a local social worker. There are ways to donate online. But all forms of donations can be made on campus as well in the Career Resource Center.

There are 200 part-time lecturers teaching at UMass Dartmouth. Of that number, only about 1/4 were eligible for benefits.

“The eligibility needs to be lowered,” Andrew Nixon of the Fine Arts Department said. “We think it should be three semesters. That’s the eligibility for joining the union. In terms of what needs to be done, higher pay is critical. We get paid a fraction, a little over a half, of full-timers (salaries). It (salary) varies based on what people teach.”

Starting last September, part-time lecturers were eligible for pension and health benefits. The twist is that they have to teach eight of nine consecutive semesters with six or more units per semester.

“There’s no company on Earth that would make you wait four years for medical benefits, but it’s a start,” said Miriam O’Neal, an eighth year part-time lecturer of the English department who has qualified for pension benefits.

Nixon has worked at UMD since 1992. He was also one of the leaders who organized the faculty in achieving benefits and is on the executive board of the UMass Dartmouth Faculty Federation. According to Nixon, part-time faculty who are eligible for benefits achieved a state benefits package.

“We received health care, a choice of plans, retirement benefits, disability insurance, and life insurance,” Nixon said.

English and Women’s Studies teacher Elizabeth Lehr, has worked here since September of 2002. She also works at the University of Maryland on-line. To be eligible for benefits, part-time lecturers have to teach a certain amount of classes and so must find other places to earn a living.

“Part-time lecturers are restricted to teaching three or fewer day classes,” Lehr said. “We have no restrictions on PCE classes. I piece it together by picking up PCE classes and as much day classes as I can get. I also do freelance work as well as other activities.”

Colleen Avedikian of the Sociology department also finds other means to gain more money.

“I teach at Roger Williams University. I have been there for five years, but their contracts are semester to semester. I didn’t get a contract last semester at all. They paid me, though,” said Avedikian.

Although part-time lecturers now receive health care, those eligible had to wait until November to see any actual benefits.

Nixon said, “In September, we were considered to be new employees of the new contract. We, part-time faculty, are covered by the same contract as full-time faculty. It was still a three month waiting period.”

“We finished up negotiations for the 2004 contract and that’s when we finally got them (benefits),” Lehr said. “The contract runs from 2004 - 2007, but we weren’t done with the negotiations until 2005. (We) got approval by the legislature and funding in April 2006. The university didn’t comply with the contract until September 2006. We are going to start negotiating the next contract soon.”

More should still be done, according to those asked.

“I think benefits should be offered sooner. Our salaries should be prorated for the work we do based on other instructors’ salaries,” O’Neal said.

“I would like to see more full-time lecturer positions offered to part-time lecturers,” Avedikian said.

“I think that this nation funds health insurance through employers. Therefore, all lecturers should qualify for all health care benefits when they are employed,” said Lehr. “The other issue is that the university contributes nothing towards retirement for non-benefited lecturers, and that includes the fact that they are not contributing to social security. I think the university should contribute to everyone’s retirement somehow through social security or retirement. Un-benefited part-time lecturers do not receive any retirement contributions by the university, and I think that should change.

This is an important issue. According to the Faculty Federation, there are over 200 part-time faculty members who teach about 1/3 of undergraduate courses. That’s a lot considering only about 44 part-time faculty have benefits. The rest, who are un-eligible for benefits, usually have the same workload as full-time faculty.

“One thing I would like to stress is as faculty, part-time lecturers are fully qualified to teach their classes, particularly in scholarship and university service and work in their professions just as other faculty do so they should be treated just as well as other faculty,” Lehr said.

Benefits gained allows for a more comfortable working environment, but different departments treat part-time lecturers differently.

“I think part-time faculty who have benefits are happier in their jobs and they have gotten some respect from the university,” Nixon said.

“The chair of the Sociology department at the time, Larry Miller, was very good to me,” Avedikian said. “He provided me with office space, he shared his office with me, computer access, a telephone. It really made me feel like I was part of the department. Comparatively speaking, UMass Dartmouth has treated me better as a part-timer than anywhere else.”

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Do you have what it takes to be a student leader?

Letter from Chris McCrimmons

Listen up UMass! It’s time for YOU to take the reins of Student Leadership! Student elections are right around the corner, so here is your call to arms!

You may ask yourself, what does it mean to be a Student Leader? Is a student leader someone who fights for what they believe in OR someone who finds out what others believe in and will fight for them? There are many different kinds of leadership, and in many cases the leadership is top-down. For example, the military and many corporate institutions are run down the line. Someone at the top makes the decisions for someone at the bottom. I believe this kind of leadership to be the antithesis to Student Leadership.

As the President of the Student Senate for the 2006-2007 year, I’ve had the opportunity to see various types of leadership at work. When I began my term I had the goal of an all-inclusive leadership. When I think of a leader, a Student Leader, and more specifically a Student Senator, I think of someone who will represent the almost 9,000 students on this campus. If you feel that you are someone who cares about the student body and your University, then you should feel obliged to ensure that UMass students have the representation they deserve.

As I ponder my impending graduation, I feel that something needs to be done NOW to secure tomorrow. If you are unhappy with the current state of YOUR representation on campus then TAKE ACTION! Starting Monday, March 26, Election Packets for Student Senate, Class Officers and the Student Trustee will be available from the Student Senate office or the Office of Student Affairs, both located upstairs in the Campus Center around the corner from SAIL. Please take a packet, I implore you. Someone needs to make sure that the Student Senate is truly an organization that represents the interests of ALL students. Remember, Student Senate is defined by those on the board. And no one is guaranteed a continuing seat. That means every single representative seat is up for grabs, including the Executive Board! I’ve seen students at this school mobilize for what they believe in before and I hope that come election time, I’ll see it again. Get out there and run, campaign, VOTE!! Put your faith in the students and the students will put their faith in you! UMD has a RIGHT to a Senate that they believe in. Make it happen!

Christopher McCrimmons

Student Senate President

Arts & Sciences Representative

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Taking the technical out of technical writing

Joining the Society for Technical Communication

By Emily Sirois

Even though it seems like the spring semester has just begun, many of you may already have graduation on your minds. Or maybe you are interested in finding a job, networking with professionals and learning about the appropriate ways for writing cover letters and resumes. Well, by joining a professional international organization like the Society for Technical Communication, you will be able to achieve all of these goals.

Have you ever read a manual for your TV, microwave or computer, and thought, “Wow, I could do a much better job writing this,” then technical communication may be for you. Technical communication involves putting sophisticated information into easily understandable language. Technical writers prepare operating and maintenance manuals, catalogs, parts lists, assembly instructions, sales promotion materials and project proposals.

Not only can you find out more information about technical writing through joining the Society for Technical Communication, but you can also help to shape one of the newest organizations at UMass Dartmouth—the UMD student chapter of the Society for Technical Communication.

The Society for Technical Communication’s mission involves advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication, as well as providing opportunities for ongoing learning and professional networking for its members. Some of the society’s goals include enhancing professionalism, providing information through publications, reporting on new communication technologies, methods and applications and providing recognition and awards to its members.

Why should you join the Society for Technical Communication?

* It will introduce you to technical writing. Even if technical writing is new to you or you don’t think you are interested in technical writing, you may be surprised. The Society for Technical Communication will introduce you to what technical writing involves and the techniques and tools of the trade that technical writers and editors, web designers, information architects, content designers, etc., use in their profession.

* It will help you become a better writer. The Society can help you become a better writer by giving you tips on improving your resumes and cover letters. If you don’t feel that you have enough to put on your resume due to lack of experience, you can learn how to write a functional resume, which makes up for your lack of real world experience. Being a member of an organization like the Society for Technical Communication will also look great on your resume.

* It will provide you with avenues for finding jobs and internships. Once you become a member of the Society for Technical Communication, you will be able to access member forums, job boards and several online publications for help with your job and internship searches. You may also wish to join the TECHWR-L listserv at http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/index.php3, where professionals in the technical writing field post information about jobs and various aspects of technical communication. .

* Technical writing can help you find financial support if you are involved in the creative writing genres. As a struggling novelist or poet, you’re probably not making much, if any, money. Technical writing can become that outlet for making money while you are attempting to get your other work published.

* Technical writing can also provide a viable outlet if you are interested in web authoring. Many technical writers write documentation for software products. By having a knowledge of web authoring and how the World Wide Web works, you will be able to apply your web writing skills to technical communication. As a member of the Society for Technical Communication, you may also participate in seminars and educational forums about using web tools.

As a member of the student chapter of the Society for Technical Communication at UMass Dartmouth, which will soon be established, you will have access to all of the many benefits the Society has to offer. Some of the many activities and programs that you will have the opportunity to participate in include workshops on software and careers in the field, special interest groups, conferences and other social events.

For more information about the UMass Dartmouth student chapter of the Society for Technical Communication, please contact Emily Sirois at emilysirois@comcast.net, or Professor Stan Harrison, the chapter advisor, at sharrison@umassd.edu.

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THIS WEEK IN UMASSD HISTORY

Sunset Room p.m. to close in September Rat will stay open, 20-year-old law forces shutdown

By Larry Aronson and Jim Durning
Friday, March 16, 1979

The Sunset Room p.m. bar and lounge will stop serving alcohol in September according to plans which will financially align campus operations with the 20-year-old drinking age taking affect April 16.

The Rat will lose an estimated $1500 in the future because of the drinking age increase. Campus Center Director Richard Waring believes the loss of 1700 eligible drinkers will force the closing of one operation on campus in any case.

The Sunset p.m. will close and become a non-alcoholic programming room, according to plans approved by the Board of Governors on Tuesday night. The Rathskellar will remain on an operating schedule similar to this year.

Waring said the reasons for the change were that Sunset was more difficult to secure against minors trying to enter and the preservation of the Rathskellar.

“The Rat is an institution,” claimed Waring. “There are four doors in the Sunset and only two in the Rat. It is much easier to protect.” The Sunset a.m. will continue to serve beer and wine to patrons but only after their age is proved by positive identification. The bar and lounge will be roped off.

“It would be confusing to keep the bar open,” said Waring. “The traffic there would be hard to control.”

The Sunset p.m. will be open until the end of the semester according to Waring, who adds, “if we can keep up the security.” After September, the room will become a “juice bar,” serving ice cream and hot dogs.

The room will also serve as a programming room, hosting coffeehouses twice a week, films, “dry” discos and rock ‘n’ roll nights.

The Sunset Rooms East and West house 135 people, while the Rathskellar holds 185. The security concerns would have been ignored last year, but the Sunset Room’s popularity has doubled this year.

Waring said the Rathskellar may undergo some decorative changes so the atmosphere will be more relaxing and less functional. The “laid-back” atmosphere was a major drawing point of the Sunset p.m.

The BOG will meet on March 27 in the Sunset Room to consider the Juice Bar concept.

In other business, the BOG voted to lift the 10 p.m. curfew on guests on April 16. Students and their guests will be able to enter the bars without going to the Campus Center office because guest passes will be available at the door.

Guests will be asked to provide positive proof of their age to be admitted.

New smoking restrictions forced

By Sean McFadden
Thursday, March 24, 1988

On Monday, a restricted smoking policy went into effect at this university. According to a memo recently sent to students from Executive Vice President William Wild, the policy has been introduced “to comply with state laws and, more importantly, to promote a healthy environment.”

The policy is intended for “any person who smokes or has in his or her possession any lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or other tobacco product.”

Joyce Ames, chairperson of SMU’s Health Office and a member of the Occupational Health and Safety Sub-Committee that generated the policy, says, “I don’t think smokers will be particularly happy, but it’s not an aesthetic thing. We’re trying to provide a healthier work environment.”

According to the policy, smoking has been prohibited from the following areas (unless designated otherwise): any room in which a meeting is in progress, classrooms, elevators, corridors, stairwells, reception areas, restrooms, any work area including private offices and state vehicles in which any occupant is a non-smoker.

At least twelve areas of the university will be affected by this new policy.

Smoking areas have been designated for most of these regions. As indicated in the pamphlet sent to students, the only places where a suitable smoking area has not yet been found are for the Violette Building and the Textile Building.

All areas will be reevaluated before classes resume in September, and appropriate changes will be made.

John Williams, a student representative who served on the sub-committee, feels that the policy is “a positive move to remove the amount of smoke around campus; it’s not restricting students from smoking.”

However, he feels the amount of on-campus smoking “has been greatly reduced over the past few years without any policies [being imposed]. But it had to be done to comply with state law.”

The memo sent to students states, “According to a December 1986 report from the U.S. Surgeon General, environmental tobacco smoke — smoke breathed in from a lit cigarette and from a smoker’s exhalations — is the cause of an estimated 2,400 lung cancer deaths per year among non-smokers.” It also states that “over 400 communities, the federal government and 41 states have adopted non-smoking or restricted smoking policies.”

“I’m concerned about this enforcement of this policy...if it’s something students will actually take advantage of,” says Williams.

“I haven’t seen any blatant disrespect for it so far, but it’s still early,” he continues.

Joyce Ames doesn’t anticipate any problems between smokers and non-smokers. “I don’t expect it to come to fisticuffs,” she says. “We hope everyone will cooperate so we’ll have as much compliance and as little conflict as possible.”

UMass North Dartmouth: President, Trustees, consider plan to join new five-university system

By Kenneth J. Souza
Friday, March 22, 1991

Governor William Weld’s recent proposal to replace the Board of Regents with an education secretariat that would have unlimited authority to set statewide tuition levels, close campuses and merge programs has created serious concern over equitable funding for the five state universities in Massachusetts.

In response to this, University President John Brazil and the SMU Board of Trustees have consented to the creation of a new centralized University of Massachusetts (UMass) system into which SMU and the University of Lowell will be included.

At press time, President Brazil was scheduled to meet with Weld and the Board of Regents to finalize a package that could create a new five-campus university system if certain stipulations were met.

Unlike the original merger proposal of 1988, whereby SMU would have been integrated into the UMass hierarchy without retaining any independence, the new plan calls for local autonomy on each campus, strong leadership from the individual trustee boards, equal representation for each university and the rejection of campus specialization.

“The proposal is to create a separate university sector and a new university system, and where all five campuses work together so that they can use their political and institutional strength to make the whole [system] better,” President Brazil said of the plan. “There are things that were discussed in the past that have raised some concern for us and we’re very interested in finding answers before we decide for or against the [proposal]. These items include the insurance of each campus mission, maintaining strong campus leadership, maintaining equitable funding and making sure the needs of the Regents are met.”

Student Trustee Steven A Baddour, who originally opposed the 1988 merger with UMass, supports the new university system. “I think it’s a great idea... It will only benefit the students here at SMU.”

Baddour continued, “When the Board of Trustees brought up [the new proposal], I emphasized the students’ former concerns so the Board decided that if the UMass system was to be pushed and SMU was to jump on the bandwagon, certain stipulations would have to be met.”

“Based on what’s been told to me so far, I think it’s a good idea in regards to the status of the university,” Student Senate President Peter Pacheco agreed. “I think a [few] issues should be [kept in mind], though. One is the relationship SMU might have with other state organizations and especially state colleges and community colleges. Also, [our] potential for keeping a sense of identity down the road...we have to be careful that we’re not looked down upon at the peon campus of the university system. We have to make sure we don’t get stepped on.”

Benefits of the proposed UMass system include a built-in board comprised of five university presidents and at least one trustee from each campus, though details are still pending. Funding for the state universities would then be determined through a combination of the general UMass Board of Trustees and the lay board governing higher education, whether that be the existing Board of Regents or Weld’s newly-appointed board.

In light of the dwindling support to higher education throughout the past year, each of the five Massachusetts university campuses: UMass Boston, UMass Amherst, UMass Worcester, the University of Lowell and SMU have found it increasingly difficult to gain a strong legislative voice in terms of vital funding. Under the new system, the five campuses will be speaking with one voice, which will dramatically increase their financial potential.

“The Board of Trustees, along with President Brazil, [has been] pushing to get SMU out of that [education] secretariat so that we can work alone within the university system,” explained Baddour. “Right now we have five universities in Massachusetts, which are all fighting for money. If we join forces under the UMass umbrella, we’ll have five universities fighting together against the governor and secretariat, while working together to bring money to the university system.”

A potential problem could also arise if SMU doesn’t join the ranks of UMass. According to Baddour, plans have been discussed to change SMU into a state college due to its lack of graduate programs. “If we remain out of the university system,” Baddour says, “we could become a college...which some legislators are in favor of because they feel SMU doesn’t offer enough graduate programs and we’re not a [bona fide] university.”

Though many argue against their personal attachment to SMU, the potential for added prestige and financial support under the UMass proposal is quite high. “Many students are not going to like the idea because of the memories they have of 1988. They’ve grown attached to SMU,” Pacheco said. “They’ve grown attached to the way things are and they aren’t receptive to change.”

“We have an excellent university here, but people don’t know about us because we’re stigmatized with [whether] we’re Southeastern Massachusetts University or Southeastern Massachusetts College,” Baddour said. “By combining with the UMass system, we can alleviate that problem.”

“With so many professors and programs [here at SMU], we can’t get the attention we deserve because we don’t have the name behind us,” Baddour continued. “[Whether we want to admit it or not], UMass has a better name for itself... It’s been around longer and it’s the flagship institution of the state.”

Brazil concurred, saying, “State and community colleges are important, but we’re a little different breed and we need some recognition for that. I hope students will understand that we’re not just jumping at something here... It’s an idea that’s conceptually attractive, but there are still many details we have to work out. We’re not going to buy into this until we’re satisfied.”

Many of the pertinent details depend upon the outcome of Brazil’s meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon (March 21). Another potential snag in the proposal hinges on Weld’s overall education reorganization plan.

A source disclosed that in a recent meeting with the governor, Weld’s prior plans to institute a sliding scale tuition, to convert all state grants into low-interest loans, to merge or close three to five colleges and to disband the lay board presiding over higher education (i.e. Board of Regents) have all been shelved. Though the fate of the existing Board of Regents still looks grim, chances are that Weld will agree to appoint his own board as a replacement.

President Brazil likened the increased potential of each UMass campus to a “boat rising with the tide.”

When asked about the anticipated reaction of SMU students to the proposal, Baddour said, “I don’t think students will be too upset. When they first gear, their initial knee-jerk reaction might be ‘Oh, God, we’re losing SMU!’ But students who come here do so because it’s a great institution. I believe it will be even greater as UMass Dartmouth.”