Mirror - Vol. 07, No. 08 - October 14, 1983

              'The Image
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Fairfield"
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Volume 7, No. 8 Friday, October 14, 1983 Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut 06430 Incorporated 1977
University Plans Computer
Science Major for 1984
by Kathryn King
Fairfield's College of Arts and Sciences is pro-posing
the addition of a major and a minor in
computer science to the curriculum. The School
of Business is also proposing a major and a
minor in information systems.
Presently, concentrations in computer science
are available but due to an increased demand
the next step is the proposed major and minor.
"A lot of things have to happen between the
proposal and the course being offered," said the
dean of Arts and Sciences, Mr. Stephen Weber.
Working on the drafting of the proposal are three
faculty members: Dr. David Burry, director of
computer science, Dr. George Lang and Dr.
Jenny Baglivo.
Before the proposal goes in effect according
to Dean Weber, it has to be reviewed by the
Education Planning Committee (EPC). This will
probably take place in October, according to Dr.
Burry. It will then be reviewed by the
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. The ad-ministration
has a part in reviewing, also. These
committees will be modifying the proposal as
well as approving it.
If it meets internal approval it will be presented
to the office of education of the State of Connec-ticut.
If they approve it, computer science will be
available as both a major and a minor. Dr. Weber
commented, "I don't want students to have the
idea that it's a certainty."
"If everything goes as planned we would hope
to have it available next year," he said. One pro-blem,
though, is that incoming freshmen will not
be able to be fully informed about the new
program.
To accommodate the new major and minor, it
has been projected that there will be "thirty ter-minals
just to service the courses," according
to Dr. Burry. Data about this was compiled by
monitoring the amount of use the terminals were
getting from present classes.
Presently, "we have one full time computer
scientist and two half time computer scientists
so we're okay for the next couple of years," ac-cording
to Dean Weber. Also, other faculty
members are acquiring additional training in
computer science.
Dr. Burry said that there is a fully planned cur-riculum
which is still subject to change. Ex-amples
of courses that may be offered, if approv-ed,
are Operating Systems One and Artificial
Intelligence.
Dean Weber said that they will be adding
courses yearly as the need arises. Courses for
senior computer science majors won't be need-ed
for several years so they will not be added un-til
needed. "By the time we're done we'll have
a strong computer science major."
Dr. Burry commented, "I think it's going to be
exciting once it's implemented. I'm looking for-ward
to it getting past the planning stage. My im-pression
is that it will be a really good program."
Students are seen here operating terminals which run independently of the system based
in Bannow. A major in computer science will be offered in 1984.[Photo by John Pastorelle]
New Registration Set For Spring Term
by Jeanne Drozd
This Fall and next Spring will see the initiation
of a new registration process. The new registra-tion
system will involve the recently installed
DEC 20/60 computer.
Opscan forms will be sent with student's
name, yera, student number, major and lottery
number of each school or department prior to
each registration period. The new registration
Key ExplainsAd Techniques
by Christine Ryan
"In this presentation, I will show you what
you do not want to see. It is not hidden, we
hide it from ourselves." Thus Dr. Wilson
Brian Key captured the attention of a large
Oak Room crowd last Tuesday night with his
lecture entitled "Subliminal Seduction," a
part of the F.U.S.A. Arts and Lectures Series.
Using slides of everything from menus to
magazine ads to paintings, Dr. Key asserted
that consumers are often being forced to buy
products that they do not really want to
purchase.
Dr. Key, author of three books and head
of a subliminal research institute, opened the
lecture with an apparently innocent slide of
four flowers. He explained in detail the sex-uality
surrounding two entwined plants and
the "birds and the bees." It was then that he
pointed out that the white background behind
the flowers was shaped to spell S-E-X. He
declared that the word was in our brain the
moment we looked at the picture, and he
merely brought it from our unconscious to our
cognitive level.
The lecture continued with many slides of
magazine ads, which most often the reader
assumes to be photos. Using blow-ups, Dr.
Key showed that these ads were specially,
doctored paintings designed to arouse the
audience subconsciously, using faces and
bodies inside ice cubes. Their arousal can be
measured by scientific methods such as
galvanic skin response and
electroencephalograms.
"The advertising world is a sixty billion
dollar a year business," Dr. Key declared.
"When you are investing ten million dollars
into one ad campaign, you want to be sure
it will work. I just want you to realize what they
have been doing to you."
One of the most revealing slides was of a
Howard Johnson's menu advertising a clam
plate. Writen in the parsley, Dr. Key found the
letters S-E-X. The helping of clams was not
a photo, but a retouched painting of various
forms. Dr. Key and his associates analyzed
the "clams" and outlined them into the
shapes of eight people and a donkey in an
apparent orgy.
A controversy arose a few slides later,
when Dr. Key decided not to analyze it
because "of the nature of this university," but
the audience's cheers convinced him. It was
of a Norman Rockwell plate advertisement of
a seeminly sentimental scene of a mother
and children. Once the photo was blown up,
Dr. Key asserted that the little boy's forearm
was nothing less than a male reproductive
organ. Continued on page 4
Dr. Wilson B. Key points out subliminal
seduction in advertising techniques to an
Oak Room crowd.[Photo by John Pastorelle]
process was formulated by Mr. Russo and the
deans of the university. Students will be required
to still meet with their individual advisors to work
out class schedules. Course booklets will con-tain
an example of the opscan form plus a new
coding system. It will still have course numbers,
number of credits, name of the course and the
teacher, but now it will also have item numbers
that correspond to the course numbers, as well
as a section for major, second major/minor, core
or elective courses.
After completing the opscan sheet, which
faculty advisors must sign, it is entered directly
into the computer. The direct-line system
enables additions and/or deletions to be done
quickly and more efficiently. The computer then
scans the primary requests for each item
number. This allows a better demand view of
specific courses that tend to be large.
Undergraduate deans along with chair and/or
area coordinators will have the opportunity to
add or cancel courses as they see the demand.
Robert C. Russo, University Registrar, is
highly in favor of the newly established system.
He sympathizes with students about the new
registration system and sees the new process as
more efficient, less time-consuming, and fairer
overall. A graduate of Fairfield ('72) and
employed initially as a Management Information
Director until 1980, when he became the Univer-sity
Registrar, he has seen the need for such a
system, especially as student enrollment has
increased.
Opscan sheets will be filled out be students
during the week of November 7th, Details con-cerning
the rooms and times for each depart-ment
will be posted soon. Course booklets are
scheduled to be available by November 1.
Higgins Urges Gommencement
Speaker Suggestions
by Jeanne Drozd
Consideration of both the honorary degree recipient and the commencement speaker for gradua-tion
1984 is underway under the guidance of Fr. John J. Higgins, S.J, the Assistant to the Presi-dent.
Fr. Higgins urged all faculty, students, staff, and members of the administration to get in-volved
in the first step of the process.
This is the first year that a new policy has been established by the Honorary Degree Committee.
As in past years, letters asking for nominations were sent to Trustees, Administrators, and students,
but this year letters were sent to the faculty as well. The letter basically requested the names of
prospective candidates to be submitted under one of the following four categories: Outstanding
Professional Achievement, Distinguished Public Service, Outstanding Service to the University,
and Distinguished Service to Faith and Justice. There is a specific form which must be completed
about the candidate. t
After all nominations have been submitted, the Honorary Degree Committee, which is compris-ed
of three faculty members, two administrators, and two students (Seniors), will meet in October
and November to review the list. In each of the four categories, three names are selected with a
first, second, and third priority system. There is a maximum of four Honorary Degrees given at Com-mencement,
one from each of the four categories, plus a fifth one given to the Commencement
Speaker.
The approved list of prospective candidates is submitted to the President, who then proceeds
to contact them on the basis of their priority. Contacting the candidates takes some time, and students
are not notified about who has-been accepted until after March.
"As a matter of fact, Harvard does not announce who their commencement speaker is going
to be until the night before graduation. Boston College and our process are very similar," said Fr.
Higgins. Although the Commencement speaker receives an Honorary Degree, he/she is considered
a separate part of the graduation ceremony.
This is the fourth year Fr. Higgins has been involved with the Honorary Degree Committee. He
stresses the importance of student and faculty involvement, especially that of the Seniors since
it is their graduation. "I'm disappointed to hear that the seniors did not receive the forms for com-mencement
speaker and the honorary degree recipient," he commented.
The sending out of these forms was put under the direction of F.U.S.A.
If anyone would like more information, nomination forms, or would like to submit a nomination,
contact Fr. Higgins office, Bellarmine—room 123, or call 255-5411, ext. 2256.