University of Southern California - El Rodeo Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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TOUCHING OUR UV€S DfllLV INTERNATIOIIftL PfEB HDl OCATES ■ Many students often wonder just what purpose the Office of Student Affairs serves. To fully understand this office, it becomes necessary to ask a few questions. Have you read the Daily Trojan lately? Have you been to the health center? Are you an international student? Did a tutor help you pass chemistry? Have you participated in an event sponsored by your residence hall or apartment? Chances are that you have been touched in some way by Student Af- fairs and are not even aware of it. Under the direction of Vice-Presi- dent for Student Affairs James Den- nis, the Office of Student Affairs has a great responsibility to see to the physical, cultural, emotional, and social needs of students. To accom- plish this task, seven major depart- ments have been established in a variety of fields to deal with the many aspects of student life. These offices include Student Health and Counseling Services, Campus Life, Residential Life, Mi- nority Consortium, Learning and Ca- reer Development, International Students and Scholars, and Student Publications. Clearly it would be ex- tremely difficult, if not impossible, to attend this university and not come into contact with Student Af- fairs. The various departments are ad- ministered under the guidance of two of the most distinguished indi- viduals at this university who have almost 70 years of service between them. Dean of Student Life, Robert Mannes, has been a fixture here for 38 years and continues to reside in the use neighborhood. He finds himself involved in almost every conceivable student activity, includ- ing the Student Conduct Code. Joan Schaefer, Dean of Women, is in her 29th year of dedicated service to this university. Known to many as Dean Joan, she advises many of the honor societies and overseas programs. by Johnny Shum Student Life 23

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22 Student Life

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TO PROT6CT fiND TO S€RV€ Officer Bernard Alex enjoys a brief moment of relaxation between crime calls. The University Security Depart- ment is not a 9-5 organization. It is a 24-hour a day, seven-days a week operation of more than 100 dedicat- ed individuals. Very few students are aware of the different divisions of the department and the vital role each plays in their daily lives. The department employs 56 spe- cially trained armed officers. These courageous men and women are noted for their psychological strength as well as their physical agi- lity. An extensive officer-training program, headed by Special Officer Craig Baxley seeks highly motivated, energetic individuals to protect the university and its community. The 15 Community Service Offi- cers assist the regular officers with door openings and closings, build- ing checks, and special event moni- toring. These unarmed individuals perform the services that do not re- quire the presence of an arresting officer. The Explorer Program, under the direction of Officer Dexter Thomas, brings area youths aged 14-18 to work in conjunction with the offi- cers. Interested students go through a recruitment procedure and have their own training academy. The Ex- plorers learn crime codes, radio us- age, report writing, and learning how to work alone or as a member of a team. It is a positive use of their free time. The Security Commmunications Officers are the ears of the Security department. The four men and women handle the incoming calls and provide the verbal link between the officers and the community. The Security Information Clerks assist the SCO ' s by answering general campus information questions and screening the most important calls. The Escort Service provides safe transportation to students, staff, and faculty within a one-mile radius of the center of campus. Escort em- ploys more than 25 students who must learn radio and crime codes in addition to passing field and written examinations before beginning work. Not a ' taxi ' service, Escort op- erates seven days a week, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., providing a valuable, and often overlooked service to the university community. There are many other segments of Security-Safety Network, Crime Pre- vention Seminars, the newly estab- lished Bicycle Program, rape counseling, and Neighborhood Watch are just a few examples. The goal of the department is to educate the community to become responsi- ble for themselves and their proper- ty. Unfortunately, this is not an easy task. Misconceptions and apathy of- ten lead the students to question the value of our Security depart- ment. But those who have had to deal with the department, for one reason or another, knows how im- portant and helpful the Security De- partment is. by Lori Spinner 24 Student Life