Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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Students more conservative during presidential election year sued across campus. I was amused (by the debates), said senior Cecile Kittock, saying there was no debate on the issues. The whole thing was a personality expose. Sophomore Cindy Davis agreed that the debates had a humorous vein running through them. Nonetheless, the political fervor continued. Debates between U.S. Vice President George Bush shakes hands with local residents and Tech students after speaking on campus during his election cam- paign. Bush and other Republicans discussed some of the issues of the platform. House candidates Larry Combest and Don Richards evoked similar reactions from students. Throughout the campaign, to the apparent surprise of many and perhaps to the chagrin of some, the Tech campus emerged as being largely conservative. Said Davis, I feel like such a hippie because everyone else is so conservative. Everyone was Re- publican in this election except me and Sid and Eric! Ardis agreed that Tech students were conservative and said they are becoming more and more so. A lot of things they heard as they were growing up didn ' t make sense, and now they ' re changing their outlooks and ways of think- ing, he said. Even after the election was over, there were signs that the debate over the issues would continue. Conservative or liberal, the trend toward involvement may extend into the next election. — Jane Quinn President Reagan won re-election with the biggest electoral vote in the nation ' s history. He won 49 states with 49 percent of the total vote. President and Mrs. Reagan celebrate the victory on election night, November 6, 1984. Electiona — 23

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Bush visits the Tech campus during campaign Heated debates For the most part in Campaign ' 84, the Tech campus was exube- rent with cheers. But some students and faculty slipped off with their tails between their legs as President Reagan won the most passionate election in the past few years. The American nation seemed to come alive with involvement in the 1984 election. Voters, as well as avid campaigners, made their voices heard in a high turnout. The obvious concern of the American people about this election brought the candidates to their toes. The active participation of Amer- ican citizens was not limited to the older generation. American college students came forth with a zeal not seen since the ' 60s. Brian Hennessy, an active mem- ber of the Young Democrats at Tech, said students came forward because of the tremendous stake they had in the outcome. This one shapes America for years to come , ' ' he said. The biggest effect of this election, Hennessy said, will be on the Sup- reme Court. The man elected to serve this term in the White House has the possibility of appointing several justices in the next four years. The involvement in the campaign by college students seems to be a tide, said Albert H. Ardis, a volun- teer at the Lubbock Republican headquarters. Ardis said he was amazed at the students ' level of dedication. Their involvement was a complete turn- around since the early ' 70s, he said. Several students from Tech traveled to Dallas in July for the Re- publican National Convention. Spencer Hayes, a junior who attended the convention, said some of the students in Dallas painted signs, blew up balloons and helped out at rallies. They expected yell- ing, he said. Hayes said he thought most of the students went to the convention because they believe in what ' s | going on in Reagan ' s administration. There ' s a positive change on the en- tire attitude of the country. He said he thought most of the student involvement in national campaigns was a result of the bandwagon effect which in this election was to the advantage of the Republicans. Ardis said many Tech students, whether Republican or Democratic, were active even in the local and state elections. Many of them, he said, had registered to vote in Lub- bock rather than in their home- towns. This tells me they are really | interested in their local and state leaders, he said. The sudden flux of student inter- est in politics absolutely! affected the outcome of the elec- tion, Ardis said. The students not only counted for their own votes, he said, but they influenced a certain amount of the votes of their friends and relatives. Throughout the campaign sea- son, the presentation of the candi- dates by the media kept students buzzing about the election. Time af- ter time debate was stirred as the media poured out ever-changing accounts of the candidates ' actions and policies. Following the tenden- cy of some candidates to sling mud, the voters themselves became hos- tile toward one another in many in- stances. The University Daily was full of letters to the editor addres- sing the political issues that gave the election its breath. After two televised debates be- I tween Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale , debates over who won en- s 22 — Elections

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Heated debates between staff and admin istrators make headlines Controversy on tenure The 1984-85 school year was barely getting started when a heated debate over faculty tenure sparked into a flame between faculty mem- bers and administration officials. The debate made the headlines almost every morning of the first month of school and left many in- coming freshmen running to their dictionaries in hope of learning what tenure meant. Tenure is a system set up to en- sure that experienced faculty mem- bers gain job security without fear of dismissal at the discretion of their superiors. Faculty members usually must serve for a period of several years to be eligible for tenure, and once a faculty member becomes te- nured, he can be terminated only under specific circumstances that usually involve lengthy proceed- ings. The controversy began in 1982 with a series of proposals for revis- ing the university ' s tenure policy. In April 1984, a revised proposal final- ly was released after long hours of work and discussion by university FYesident Lauro Cavazos and an ad hoc committee. The reasons for revision of the old policy included facts and statistics that showed that under the old poli- cy, nine out of 61 departments at the university were 100 percent te- nured. Reports also showed admin- istrators that three of the seven col- leges in the university were more than 90 percent tenured, putting the overall tenure figure at 58 percent. In the June 29 issue of The Uni- versity Daily, Cavazos stated that the design of the proposed tenure policy was intended to prevent Tech from becoming over-tenured. According to Cavazos, a high num- ber of the tenured faculty would cause the university a loss of creativity as well as preventing the school from being flexible. Cavazos also was quoted by re- porters as saying, Tf we don ' t hire another person in the next seven years, and if we were to have all people in tenure tracks approved, we ' d be 76 percent tenured in less than seven years. Upon the release of the April proposal, temperatures began ris- ing, and two very different and yet well-defined positions on the tenure issue arose. The controversy was so intense that the Board of Regents tabled the proposal at its May meeting, leaving the policy open for discussion and revision by administrators during the summer months. As soon as the fall semester started, the tenure issue again stir- red controversy between adminis- trators and faculty. The faculty ' s primary objection to the tenure poll- ing faculty members, 596 responded to the ballot put out by the senate. Of the respondents, 524 dis- approved of the proposed policy and only 53 approved of the docu- ment. Nineteen faculty members ab- stained. The great majority of faculty feel this document will not help us make Tech the best possible univer- sity. said Ernest Sullivan, vice president of the Faculty Senate. This proposal would make it har- der for us to do our jobs. It would compromise our ability to do our research and to teach what we think is right. cy concerned the lack of a prob- ationary period in which a faculty member would have a specific amount of time to prove himself worthy of tenure. Faculty members also contended that the renewable term contracts would restrict facul- ty recruitment. September 28 was the day the Board of Regents was scheduled to decide once and for all on the tenure proposal. In a last-minute effort to sway the board, the Faculty Senate conducted a faculty vote that showed that the majority of the fac- ulty opposed the administration ' s tenure proposal. Of 802 eligible vot- Some Tech students also got in- volved in the controversy over te- nure. One student ' s response to the question was one of disappointment in the faculty for their childish atti- tude toward the situation. The stu- dent, u ho preferred to remain anonymous, said it disturbed him to see the faculty so up in arms over an administrati e decision v hich is in the best interest of the universi- ty. He went on to say, In public elementary, junior high, and high school there is no tenure because they must maintain a standard of quality education for the youth of Q 24 — Tenure Policy