Mirror - Vol. 16, No. 04 - September 26, 1991

              The
FairfieldMRRORV Volume 16, No. 4 Thursday, September 26, 1991 The Image Of Fairfield
Survey
Elevates
Fairfield to
Fourth
Place
Christina Hennessy
Editor-in-Chief
Fairfield University's star
shone bright this week as the school
shot past Rutgers State University
ofNew Jersey at Camden to land at
fourth place in U.S. News & World
Report's ranking of the Top Re-gional
Colleges and Universities
for their America's Best Colleges
annual survey, beating other north-ern
schools such as Providence
College and Loyola College.
With the third consecu-tive
jump in as many years, Fair-field
is knocking on the door of the
top three universities, as the Uni-versity
posted a one-tenth differ-ence
in overall score, nearly tying
with Villanova.
"It is surprising that Fair-
The Top 10 Regional
Colleges and Universities
(North Region)
1. Worcester Polytechnic
Institute
2. Alfred University
3. Villanova University
4. Fairfield University
5. Rutgers, State U. of N.J.-
Camden
6. Providence College
7. Ithaca College
8. Trenton State College
9. St. Michael's College
10. Hood College
field has been so consistent in this
survey, as the results of the survey
are based on the impressions of the
people who fill out the survey,
leaving many strong, quality
schools to swing in and out of the
top ten over the years," said Rev.
Aloyisius P. Kelley, S.J., Univer-sity
President.
"However, Farifield's
record has been a consistent climb
of improvement," he added.
"Though we are a young school,
more people are finding out about
us, and we are growing a reputa-tion
of quality."
Nearly 1,400 four-year
colleges and universities were
included in this survey. The schools
were divided into 14 groups cate-gorized
by location, size, range of
programs, types of degrees offered
and student satisfaction. The latter
was measured as the number of
students that went on to gradu-ation.
The survey also stated that
universities are facing tough times
in this economic recession due to
increasing costs and decreasing
enrollments.
"The year 1991 is a land-mark
in higher education," reports
the strategic plan for Marietta
College in Ohio. "Not since the
Great Depression has our 'indus-
(continued on p. 2 )
Fairfield Faces Oppostion for
13 Acre Subdivsion
Christina Hennessy
Editor-in-Chief
Heated discussion set the
tone at last Tuesday's approval
hearing for the University's subdi-vision
proposal for 13 acres, as
area residents punctuated their
opposition of the land develop-ment
with such reasons as the lack
of an adequate buffer area, health
and environmental dangers and the
loss of future land for student resi-dences
in the light of recent zoning
tensions at the Beach.
The Town Planning and
Zoning Commission of the Town
of Fairfield heard the University's
proposal to subdivide and sell off
approximately 13 acres of the
Dolan Campus, by John Fallon,
the attorney representing the Uni-versity,
as well as the opposition,
but after three hours closed the
meeting to explore the matter fur-ther.
Fallon, in his presentation,
explained that the land had origi-nally
been purchased in 1989 with
the intention of facilitating the
contract with the Sisters of Notre
Dame de Namur, but the Univer-sity
had always known it would
eventually part with the parcel.
"This is the best plan, the
most low-key plan of developing
the property and in my mind there
is no issue of the subdivision of 13
acres in that they are in nothing but
harmony with the lots it abuts," he
said.
Candace Paige, a resident
who's property abuts the proposed
development site led the opposi-tion
by submitting a petition of 651
signatures opposing the subdivi-sion.
"This proposal is downgrad-ing
the neighborhood by intensify-ing
the usage of land."
The University voiced
that the development would be in
harmony with the neighborhood.
The loss of the land pro-duced
disputes over the size of the
buffer between the neighborhood
and the University as both the com-mission
and the opposing side cast
fear over the increased possibility
of tension between students and
residents.
"This expanse ofland acts
as a screen for the neighbors as it
forms a sound buffer to the Uni-versity,"
said Paige.
"We will make every
effort that the existing mature,
healthy trees were undisturbed and
a supply of plants would visually
screen the property," said Fallon.
The health and safety of
(continued on p. 2)
Emergency Phones and Whistles
Enhance Campus Security
Laura Coffey
Staff Writer
Several security improve-ments
have occurred on campus
this year in hopes of preventing
crime and increasing awareness of
basic safety precautions.
Over the summer, six
emergency phones were installed
near the Barn, near the Library,
between Canisius Hall and the
Campus Center, at the traffic courts,
in the parking lot in front of Dolan
Hall, and at the end of the football
field closest to Dolan Campus.
"I encourage people to
make note of the locations of the
emergency phones," said Glenn
Griffin, •assistant director of secu-rity.
"Their purpose is to increase
the opportunity for someone to get
in touch with security. They should
be used to report any emergency
from a car accident to a medical
emergency."
The phones are an added
feature that many universities al-ready
have or will soon be install-ing.
Griffin explained the phone
lines are connected directly to the
security office, and the switchboard
operator can tell which emergency
phone line is being used.
"Unfortunately, we have
caught several peopleactivating
them," he said. "It's too bad be-cause
it defeats the whole purpose."
No real emergencies have
been reported as yet on the phones.
The new whistle defense
program, developed by Todd
Pelazza, associate director of se-curity,
will help increase commu-nity
awareness of crime preven-tion
on campus. The whistles will
be distributed to all undergraduate
and graduate women and anyone
else who would like one.
"This program is to edu-cate
everyone so they know when
they hear a whistle other than in a
sports event, it means someone is
in danger," said Pelazza.
He recommends students
should first call security, then try
to investigate the situation, but not
put themselves in danger, said
Pelazza.
Crime prevention pro-grams
are being held once again
this year. Several thefts have al-ready
occurredon campus this year.
Griffin describes them as "crimes
of opportunity in which the vic-tims
leave themselves vulnerable
by leaving their dorm rooms open
of unlocked."
Emergency phone stick-ers
will be distributed to students
and should be put on every phone
hand set on campus. The Univer-sity
is also required by law to dis-tribute
a booklet on its security
policies and procedures which will
be available soon.
"Everyone should take
basic precautions," said Griffin. "
If they see someone suspicious, I
encourage them to report it."
Long Range Planning Committee Looks
Towards Fairfieldfs Future
Emily Okenquist
News Editor
The Long Range Plan-ning
Committee is in the midst of
its second five year period of plan-ning
for major improvements for
Fairfield University's future. Called
together by Rev. Aloyisius P.
Kelley, S.J., University President,
the committee is composed of 14
faculty members, administrators,
and students.
"We have established a
strategic agenda and a set ofpriori-ties,"
said Dr. Robert Stepsis,
Academic Vice President and Chair
of the Long Range Planning
Committee. "We believe these
ideas would best benefitFairfield."
A series of public hear- •
ings held last February generated
suggestions from the university
community on what they hope
Fairfield will be in five years. The
committee then added their ideas
to these proposals and organized
the proposals into related groups.
"We received a massive
shopping list of ideas," said Dr.
Vincent Rosivach, professor of
Greek and Roman studies, mem-ber
ofthe Planning Committee and
the sub-committee of Academic
Programs and Support Services.
"They were divided into sub-com-mittees
to generate more ideas."
New to this session are
the sub-committees which are as-signed
one of the large areas of
suggestions which emerged from
the hearings. After studying their
issues, they will prepare a report of
those ideas they wish to be consid-ered
by the main committee.
The five small groups,
Academic Programs and Support
Services, Admissions and Finan-cial
Aid, Student Life, Human
Resources, and Physical Plant,
involve main committee members,
plus additional faculty, students,
and staff members.
"The sub-committees
investigate and discuss the plans,"
said Elizabeth McGrath, '9?,
member of the Long Range Plan-ning
Committee and the sub-com-mittee
of Academic Programs and
Support Services. "Because they
represent different schools, they
pool their resources and give im-portant
information."
To help clarify and or-ganize
all the suggestions, the Long
Range Planning Committee estab-lished
a statement of ideals, as-sumptions,
and constraints.
Ideals create a perfect
school, what members hope Fair-field
will be like in the late 1990s.
"It involves how our Jes-uit
characterwill be continually ex-pressed
through students, faculty,
and academics,"said Stepsis.
Assumptions are charac-teristics
that are not expected to
change in coming years, like the
university's size and its identity as
an undergraduate institution.
Constraints hinder the
university in achieving goals. The
availability of students, a decline
in the number of Jesuits, and the
financial situation are three con-straints
the committee must face.
"We have to decide what
it will take to fulfill the ideals,"
said McGrath. "It's a matter of
time and resources, but we don't
want finances to stifle our ideas."
"We must balance the
(continued on p. 3)
The new art studios in Loyola were among the projects brought
up to the Long Range Planning Committee