The Los Angeles Loyolan, Volume 69, Issue 14 - January 22, 1992

VOL &9 • NO. П LOYOLA MWMOm UNIVERSITY JANUARY 22, Vm Recession Continues to Crunch Universities LMU One of Many Schools to Feel Brunt of Decline; Aid Requests On The Rise Total Cost of Selected California Colleges 30000 0) Ф <D Ll О h- 20000 - 10000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11121314 University/College by Number 1. Cal Lutheran College 2. University of San Francisco 3. LMU 4. St. Mary’s College 5. Santa Clara University 6. University of San Diego 7. Whittier College 8. University of Pacific 9. Occidental College 10. Pepperdlne University 11. University of So. Cal. 12. Stanford University I Room and Board I Tuition By Ray Watts News Editor Я he recession that has gripped the entire nation has not ignored the hallowed halls of higher education. As reported in the Loyolan last semester, there are fewer students enrolling in four- year universities than in recent history. In addition, students that are currently enrolled are asking, in record numbers, for more financial aid. These pleas are coming from middle and upper-middle class students, the ones who have formed the financial “backbone” of countless institutions. An article in Monday’s Los Angeles Times reported that students from all backgrounds have been requesting financial aid in large numbers. Donna Palmer, Director of Fi¬ nancial Aid for Loyola Marymount, commented that she has seen many changes in the amount of aid re¬ quested. "It really is a concern for everyone. In many families, private school has become a sacrifice of the economy." "Parents don’t feel comfortable depleting their savings on their child's college education when the danger of losing their current job is real," said Palmer. "Many students have been faced with emergency situations this se¬ mester. Theirparents have lost their job, had afamily change, or some¬ thing else happened, "said Palmer. "Students are having serious cash flow problems that they weren’t having a few years ago." Palmer reported that 31 students came to her office in the Fall of *91 for help with a sudden change.Of these students, she said that most were able to get some help. "We saw a noticeably higher number of students who came in over the Christmas holidays saying they were going to have trouble this time,” said UCLA Financial Aid Director Lawrence Burt, as cited in the Times acount. “Their parents either lost their job, or are about to, or didn’t get the bonus or overtime they were counting on.” The pleas have not just been issued from recession plagued California, but from financially and geographically diverse schools such as Harvard University in Mas¬ sachusetts, Purdue University in Indiana, Colorado State University, Johns Hopkins University in Mary¬ land, and Stanford University. Harvard’s undergraduate Direc¬ tor of Financial Aid, Jason Miller, reports that students whose parents are in fields such as engineering, realty, and finance have been coming in record numbers to ask for help, "We’ve had large numbers of people experiencing severe economic dislocations in the middle of the [academic] year." Loyola Marymount Bursar Raymond Dennis told the Times that the university has experienced a 15% increase in students re¬ questing a monthly payment plan. He speculated that the reason, in addition to unemployment, could center on the fact that some com¬ panies have eliminated what had been very generous reimburse¬ ments for employees* tuition. , A new study by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute found that students are increasingly choosing colleges on the basis of cost and the availability of financial aid. The study found that 27.7% of 1991 freshmen chose colleges based on lowtuition, compared with 23.4% in 1990 and 17.7% in 1981. Offers of financial aid lured 27.8% of current freshmen, up from 25.2% the previous year and 15.4% a de¬ cade ago. Harvard's Miller commented, "I think kids feel an enormous sense of responsibility in asking their par- continued on page two Dean's Advisory Unit Formed in College of Business Wholihan Looks to Improve Lines of Communication With Student Leaders By Jenny Shearer Assistant News Editor Students of the College of Busi¬ ness Administration at Loyola Marymount University have recently raised the issue of accessibility to their Dean. Dr. John T. Wholihan, Dean of the College of Business Adminis¬ tration, has always maintained an open door policy. However, the in¬ creasing number of students in the college has made addressing indi¬ vidual concerns difficult. To combat this lack of commu¬ nication, a Dean’s Advisory Unit has been formed. The Unit is comprised of various leaders of business oriented student organizations. Specific student concerns will be discussed with Wholihan, as well as an open exchange of ideas regarding student issues. “The leaders of the student organizations seemed to me to have access to a cross section of the student body, a necessary factor to initiate thedi Jogue, "said Wholihan. He hopes that the Unit will break down existing communication barriers and pave the way for a stronger student-administration relationshipwithinthecollege. “This is a valuable opportunity for the students to improve the academic environment for themselves and future students,” said Paul Walleck, student representative from the campus chapter of the American Marketing Association. The current representatives to the Unit are Scott J. Oblow of the Accounting Society; Thai Sam of the Association of International Business Students; Vicki Allande of Beta Gamma Sigma; Paul Ramirez of the Business Society; John Berry of Delta Sigma Pi; Tim Granich of the Small Business and Entrepreneurial Society; Fernando Parraof Latino Business Students; and Larry Cooper of the MBA Student Association. Wholihan is optimistic about the potential for improving communication through the Unit. “I hope the students will work to enhance the college, whether by suggesting changes in the curriculum, encouraging new programs and classes, or making other specific recommendations," he said. Students in the College of Business Administration can contact their representatives directly or forward suggestions to the Dean’s Advisory Unit care of their representative’s mailbox in the ASLMU office. The Unit’s next meeting is scheduled for February 18. . . . . . . ■—■■■■ gflWT New Emergency Number to Guarantee Quick Response 222 Will Elicit Answer From Public Safety in Crisis By Ray Watts News Editor In case of a serious emergency, when Public Safety is needed, any on-campus student or faculty member can now call 222 and an officer will respond in a manner of moments through a new phone hook-up. According to Captain Ray Hilyar, Director of Public Safety, the emergency number was seen as necessary because of the sheer volume of calls that Public Safety receives every day. "We receive hundreds of calls a day, ranging from actual emergencies to traffic complaints, requests for room openings, questions from visitors, and other items," said Hilyar. From any on-campus phone, dialing 222 will enable you to im¬ mediately get in touch with an op¬ erator at Public Safety, placing all other calls on hold. This will allow for much faster response in case of an actual emergency. In the past, a caller would be forced to wait for the first available operator, and lose time in the emergency situation. Hilyar commented, "We have been trying to let people know about the nu mber. We have put t he sticker telling people the, number on most of the phones on one side of the campus. We will be finishing placing the stickers during the rest of the semester." Hilyar points out that the number has yet to be really tested because no one has called with an actual emergency. "It’s good that we haven’t had any emergencies, but we are kind of wondering how it will work in an actual emergency." Student response has been positive about the new number. "It is great that Public Safety has this new way to deal with emergencies. When you call them directly, it can take a long time to get to you," said Ryan Bolz, junior. "The new number is a step in the right direction as far as campus safety goes. If it can be implemented and used properlyi>y Public Safety and the LMU student body," said Trina Good, sophomore, "I hope that it will add to the feeling of safety and security on this campus for students."