The Vista April 16, 1987

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Artist overcomes Movie 'raises' James signs handicap...page 5 madness...page 4 3 grapplers...page 7

THE April 16, 1987 Vol. 85, No. 49

VISTA

Thursday Edition

Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma

Phone messaging system to cost $191,000 By Linda Jones and Shannon Blockcolski Centel Business Systems has been awarded a $191,000 bid for a voice messaging center for CSU. "Although the bids were opened a month ago, we waited until the March Board of Regents meeting to recommend them," Dr. Larry Williams, vice president of adminstration, said. "Frankly, we were pleasantly surprised. This is a superior system to what we anticipated." According to Williams, the low bid was made possible through the efforts of Centel and the makers of the system, Rolm Manufacturing of California. "It will be financed through Auxiliary Enterprises," Williams said.

Students will be able to sign a separate contract with housing if they want to use the messaging system, Robert Fields, director of Auxiliary Enterprises, said. "We don't know exactly how much it will cost. I estimate it will be $6 to $10 a month," Fields said. The system, Williams said, will allow the voice messaging service to be expanded to both the dormitory and faculty office telephones. An additional bid of $15,000 was awarded to Voice-Tech Inc. for a microprocessor-controlled automated attendant system to handle incoming calls. When installed, it will allow callers using digital telephones to dial an extension directly.

"The automated attendant will allow us to handle the increased volume of calls when the dormitory telephones come on line without adding additional operators," Williams said. "In addition, the attendant will permit single digit dialing, such as at enrollment time. "We can program the automated attendant to direct the caller to high use areas, such as sectioning and the registrar's office, by dialing one digit." Voice messaging is a service allowing each telephone to be programmed with a personal greeting when the user is unable to answer. The caller may leave a message or ask to be connected with an operator for further help. All calls are confidential,

Williams said, and may be accessed only with a personal code. Once received, they may be erased or forwarded. The phone messaging service is the latest component of a multiphase program that began with installation of the Rolm system in 1984. Telephones are currently being installed in all dormitory rooms, with completion expected before the beginning of the fall semester, Williams said. Students with personal computers living in the dormitory also will have access to the university mainframe computers once the installation is complete. Long distance service for students will be available through a personal access number. Billing of the service will be to the user's

number, not to the dormitory extension. "We expect this to end many of the problems students have with telephone service, including high deposit and installation fees, and disagreements with roommates over long distance charges," Williams said. "We plan to have the telephones and the complete system installed during the summer so that we can work the bugs out before the students move in for the fall term. "We hope this modernization of the telephone system and additional, convenient access to the mainframe computers will further enhance dormitory living on the campus," Williams said.

Professors, students disagree on mid-term grade proposal By Kathy Fletcher Student Writer A proposal passed by the Faculty Senate recommending midterm reports, beside D and F grades, be abolished has generated mixed opinions. "I never pick up my mid-term grades for fear they will jinx me. It's a superstition of mine," journalism major Pat Hammert said. According to a Faculty Senate study, 85 percent of the students share Hammert's habit of not picking up mid-term grades. Lynette Wert, creative studies instructor, said, "I am greatly in favor of the proposal in terms of paperwork. It is an immense amount of paperwork to process mid-terms." Dr. Doug Allen, chairman of the Faculty Senate academic affairs committee, said, "We wanted to be fair and give these students accurate feedback con-

cerning their classroom performance." Feedback is not enough, according to student Laura Hughes. "If students are making D's and F's, they know it, so you are going to have to do more then that to alert them. Maybe mid-terms shouldn't be sent out at all." Gene Hellstern, professor of history and geography, said although he doesn't mind preparing them, he feels mid-terms are not a true indication of grades, because often there has not been a second test given before midterms. There are some who advocate no change, such as student Yvonna Hill, who said, "I think it is a waste of time to send only D's and F's, because most students know when they are flunking. If they are sent to the parents then they will think that the student is flunking everything." Hank Mooney, journalism in-

structor, said he feels student opinion should be taken into account. "Whatever students want is what we should do," Mooney said. "From the schools standpoint, mailing mid-term grades is costly. I don't think faculty members are considering this." Allen, on the other hand, said the cost of processing all grades for students to pick up is more costly to the school then the current proposal. "Only 15 percent of the students pick up grades," Allen said. "Justification of this costwise is not there. "There are roughly 13,400 students at CSU. If we assume that five percent make a D or an F, which is, I am told, a conservative estimate. That would be 670 students. This adds up to less than $200 a semester." The proposal is awaiting action on the administrative level.

Justices to celebrate law day on campus From Staff Reports Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices Marlan P. Opala and Hardy Summers will speak Wednesday in celebration of Law Day. Sponsored by the CSU Political Science Department and the Pre Law Club, Opala's speech will be held 8:40 a.m. in the Liberal Arts Auditorium, and Summers' talk

will follow at 9:50. A reception for the justices will be at 10:40 a.m. in the Faculty Reception Room, second floor of the Liberal Arts Building. Opala has served on the Oklahoma Supreme Court since 1978, and has been Administrative Director of the State Courts and Supreme Court Commissioner. He is an adjunct pro-

fessor at the three state law schools and conducts lectures at national judicial and legal educational programs. Summers is the newest member of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, appointed in 1985. He is a former District Court for the 15th Judicial District and was elected President of the Oklahoma Judicial Conference in 1984.

Dr. Clyde Jacob, vice president of academic affairs

sets up for a serve during practice for the Bee Well faculty, staff volleyball tournament, to be held at 2 p.m. Friday in Wantland Hall.


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