Suffolk University - Beacon Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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THE SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP •J i For seven years, the Student Government President, WSUB WSFR Station Managers, New Direction Coordinators and many other highly responsible leaders of organizations were granted service scholarships, as compen- sation for the incredible time and effort that each job requires. This year, with the University ' s estab- lishing a position of Financial Aid Director (previously financial aid came under the responsibilities of the Dean of Students), and for the purpose of filing for addi- tional Federally funded aid, the need for the service scholarship was questioned. Service scholarships are monies given to qualified stu- dents who fill a job, which re- quires certain skills, and which would ordinarily require profes- sional people. Under the auspices of the Dean of Students, D. Brad- ley Sullivan, the service schol- arship had always been assumed to accompany the key leadership positions. But no official certifica- tion between the two had ever been established by the adminis- tration. With no concern for the students, the Board of Trustees, at a closed-door meeting held in mid-1977, discontinued all ser- vice scholarships and requested that such effected position be fil- led with financially needy indi- viduals. Because of University commitments to the already elected or appointed people for the positions, it was not possible to cut-off fundings for the 1977- 78 year. As the academic year began, Student Activities Director, Bon- nie Betters-Reed, began a cam- paign — along with the leaders of the effected organizations — to find other avenues to fund these positions. The first attempt came in early February (1978) when S.G.A. President, John C. Bartley, presented an appeal from his group to the board of trustees. The appeal was not granted a hearing. Shortly following this de- feat, a five-and-one-half page proposal was delivered in person to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees by Betters-Reed, for his comments. This request asked that the positions (sixteen in all) be funded as part-time jobs through the Student Activities of- fice. First comments by the Ad- ministration were that they could not afford the $30,000. asked to pay for these jobs. The amount which was in their budget was $10,000. — $12,000. (an amount which would apply to five of the sixteen positions), though they did realize that to hire profes- sionals would be much more of an expense for the University. In March (1978) a decision came from the Administration that flatly refused the proposal and any other alternatives of- fered by Betters-Reed and her group. The effect of this action will devastate any future Ac- tivities ' programs, and this leaves the students to suffer. No indi- vidual can possibly hold down a part-time job (for living expenses) and be expected to produce the leadership position efficiently. There is a strong possibility that there will be no newspaper, no yearbook, no special functions, in the Suffolk community ' s future. 21

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)FF OUR CAF! Suffolk Low School, in its at- tempt for accreditation by the American Bar Association and to gain membership in the American Association of Law Schools, claimed its two-year-old decision by the Board of Trustees for full occupation of the Donahue Build- ing. Lost to the undergraduates of Suffolk University was their social gathering place, the cafeteria. Not only would this small trace of a campus be eliminated, but no other pros- pects, after plans for a new Ridgeway Building (which would have housed a cafeteria) were de- feated in early 1977, seemed de- cided upon for the near future. After what appeared to be a conspiracy between SGA Presi- dent, John C. Bartley and admin- istration officials, as press and students were kept in the dark concerning future space, the an- nouncement for the possible purchase of a new building in the Beacon Hill area was made at an assembly held in the Auditorium on October 20, 1 977. To a capac- ity audience, Suffolk University President, Thomas A. Fulham; SGA President, John C. Bartley; and Senior Class President, James Mallozzi announced that a course of action was being taken, but things still appeared to be hushed where the students were concerned. By Thanksgiving (1977), Suf- folk University decided to purch- ase the 12-story building located on Ashburton Place, then hous- ing the United Way of Mas- sachusetts Bay offices, for $600,000. Within this building would be accommodations for the Colleges of Business Adminis- tration, Journalism and the Humanities. The Mt. Vernon Building, which is currently oc- cupied by these degrees, was possibly to be returned to the City of Boston for residential use. University occupation of the Ashburton Place Building will not be experienced by the graduating class (1978), nor maybe even by the graduation of the current freshman class (1981), but the students ' concerns were defi- nitely felt by the administration, as a result of the all-University meeting. 23