,,.
)
Volume 2, Issue 6 &..;~----------
© MetroPress October 10, 1979
CCHE votes·for 8 program merger by Frank Mullen
The Colorado Commission on Higher Education voted Oct. 5 to • - accept a compromise solution and recommend the merger of eight "duplicative" Auraria programs between the University of Colorado at Denver and Metropolitan State College - ~ut to continue the degree-grantmg > programs at both institutions. Meeting at Rangley, Colorado, the CCHE commissioners voted to approve the merger of the departments - including equcation, ethnic studies, foreign languages, philosophy, physics, and urban studies - into a single baccalaurate degree program for each of the areas. The merged departments would have one chairperson, a single curriculum, and be open to students from both UCD and MSC. The students would earn their degrees from the institution where they registered. At a meeting Sept. 7, the CCHE staff recommended the eight programs be consolidated and transferred to one or the other of the institutions, but the plan met with the disfavor of the governing boards of MSC and UCD and the Deans of both institutions. The Deans, the Regents, ~n~ th~ T1:11stces araucd the Aurana institutions
both need the disputed programs and supported the "single department" merger plan. Under the current plan the department chairmen would be appoiilted by a joint action of the MSC and UCD executive officers. by Lou Chapman The faculty members of the merged departments would retain The Auraria Board is seeking their rights at their institution of more direct input from Auraria origin. Administrative support, students and has requested that such as secretarial services, tele- the three student governments phone, and operating expenses, decide how to best lobby the will be assigned to one or the Board. other of the institutions, according During their meeting Oct. 8, to the CCHE staff report. several Board members admitted The CCHE is due to make their ignorance of the structure of inrecommendations to the dividual student governments and legislature on the status of Auraria how students from the three in January. On Oct. 22, the CCHE schools jointly form bodies such will conduct hearings for students, as the Student Advisory Council faculty and staff at Auraria. On (SAC) and the Student Services Oct. 23, the CCHE will meet sep- Policy Council, both. of which afarately with the MSC and UCD fect Board decisons. governing boards. The Auraria Board is influential "We were very pleased with the in decisions regarding all phases of response of the Commission,'' the consolidation between MSC Consortium President John Mar- and UCD. Recently, they have revel said. "The CCHE was very re- ceived flak from student governsponsive to our recommen- ment leaders for being "unrespondations.'' sive" to students. Marvel said the Trustees of the "Perhaps there should be more Consortium (the board governing effort on the part of the ~oard to MSC) is committed to ''maximum listen to the consumer, the resource sharing" with the under- student," Michael Knipps, UCD standing the institutions will .re- student government chairperson, main individual entities.
Board asks for input told the Board. "I think what we can.do here," responded Dean Puake, chairman of the Auraria Board, "is to clarify the · avenues of approach that are available." Some Board members, including Larry Hamilton, Gladys Foster, and Jerry Wartgow, said they were willing to accept direct information from any student on the Auraria campus. Others, following the lead of Board member Harold Wilson, refused to be so accessible: ''I think the students should work through government channels ... I don't want phone calls from 1 000 students about a particular issue," Wilson said. Wartgow said certain changes in inter-governmental structure might help. "I think there are some structural things, some organizational things we can do to improve (the situati~n)," Wartgow said. "I understand the frustration of trying to deal with this and I'm sympathetic to it.''