This week's stories:
By Jim Miller
In what the university president called a ³rather bold move,² St. Bonaventure University purchased the defunct Castle Inn at auction on Aug. 22 after placing a $923,100 bid. The university as yet has no plans for the property, located across from the Townhouses on Rt. 417, and Robert J. Wickenheiser, university president, declined to speculate on what it might be used for. St. Bonaventure made a 10 percent down payment on the property, with the rest of the money coming from ³a loan in the context of the annual budget,² negotiated at a ³relatively low interest rate,² according to Wickenheiser. The buildings presently located on the 13-acre property will probably be torn down, Wickenheiser said. ³Weıre not going into (the business of) running the Castle Inn,² he added. La Salle National Bank of LaSalle, Ill., foreclosed on the Castle Inn, which closed last fall, after it defaulted on a $2.4 million loan, according to The (Olean) Times Herald. When previously listed for over $2 million, the university had no interest in buying the property, said David Ferguson, vice president for marketing and public relations. However, Wickenheiser said he became interested in the property after he learned in July that it would be auctioned. ³Sometimes, things are just right,² he said. Wickenheiser said he consulted the executive committee of the board of trustees and they decided to purchase the property if possible. He declined to comment on how much money the university would have been willing to bid for the Castle Inn if the auction had driven the price higher. Louis Magnano, a former trustee of the university, and Michael Shane, legal counsel for St. Bonaventure, were sent to bid on the property, Wickenheiser said. They did not reveal their association with the university in order to keep St. Bonaventureıs interest in the property secret until after the auction, he added. ³Nobody knew who was bidding for St. Bonaventure, which was the best way to confuse everybody and end up getting (the property) for a nice price,² Wickenheiser said. Wickenheiser also asked the board of trustees and other St. Bonaventure personnel who knew about the attempt to buy the Castle Inn in advance to keep the potential purchase a secret in order to avoid driving up the price. Wickenheiser added that while planning for the property has not yet begun, the university will seek to be a ³good neighbor to its neighbors² when developing the land. ³Any development that might occur on the property will have to be in compliance with the character and ambiance of the university,² Wickenheiser said in a written statement. Sophomore Andy Studly feels the property was ³a good investment.² Junior Jessica Warden thinks the purchase might have been a good idea, ³if itıs for dorms.² Wickenheiser feels the university made the right decision. ³Ten years from now, the money we put into that land will be the smartest thing we ever did,² he said.
Sept. 11 attacks remembered by SBU community
By Brenna Fasko
St. Bonaventure University plans several activities in remembrance of the events of Sept. 11. Robert J. Wickenheiser, university president, said he hopes the activities will be meaningful for everyone, as the campus marks what he called, ³this very tragic and solemn moment in our countryıs history.² On Sept. 10, St. Bonaventureıs ³Morning Call² executive Breakfast Series, a three month discussion series with the theme of ³Keeping the faith in a year of turmoil², will start with a firsthand account of the World Trade Center attacks. Brother Ed Coughlin, O.F.M., an SBU graduate, plans to talk about his traumatic experience with the Franciscan friars on Sept. 11. His talk, at the Saturn Club in Buffalo, will include a tribute to the late Rev. Mychal Judge, O.F.M., ı57, the New York City Fire Department chaplain killed in the line of duty, according to university public relations. Brother Ed also plans to discuss the Franciscansı role in the building of an apartment complex on 32nd Street in New York City. Reservations are required in order to attend the series. At 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, a memorial service will be held in the Grotto. The bells, scheduled to toll several times throughout the day, will mark significant moments in the attacks. During these times, students are asked to take a minute of reflection and prayer. The first toll and moment of silence is at 8:46 a.m., commemorating when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. At 12:30 p.m., a Mass to honor Fr. Mychal,; Robert Peraza, 94, 96; and Amy OıDoherty, 00, the Bona alumni who died in the attacks, will be held in between Plassmann Hall and the Reilly Center The homily of the mass will be a videotape of Fr. Mychalıs last homily from September 10, 2001. The university will also dedicate a permanent memorial for all the family and friends of alumni who died in the attacks. At the culmination of the service, the university bells will ring for five minutes. This corresponds with the Franciscan rite of celebrating souls entering heaven, said David Ferguson, vice president of marketing and public relations. Students are also welcome to attend the Olean Community Observance, held at 7 p.m. in Bradner Stadium on East State Street, according to university public relations. On Sept. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. all five of St. Bonaventureıs Pulitzer Prize winners gather for the first time in Dresser Auditorium in the Murphy Professional Building for a symposium about the crisis communications on Sept 11. The panel includes Dan Barry, 80; Robert Dubill, 58; John Hanchette, 64; Charles Hanley, 60; and Brian Toolan, 72, according to university public relations. St. Bonaventureıs commemoration of the World Trade Center attacks also extends to Family Weekend, September 27-29. An American Quilt, a national project headed by Bill Bace, 75, will be displayed. The quiltıs purpose is to recall the innocent victims of the attacks.
Commission outlines plans to improve finances, reputation
By Holly McIntyre
The Planning Committee creating the Commission for the Future completed a draft of its strategic plan last June for review by faculty, staff and students. The plan outlines the course that the university should take in the future to encourage Franciscan values while improving the schoolıs reputation and financial position, according to the documentıs mission statement. Skip Saal, vice president of academic affairs and chair of the planning committee, hopes students and faculty read the complete plan at the Web site at http://planning.sbu.edu and offer comments through the discussion board found on that site. Hard copies of the plan can be found in deansı offices and in the Friedsam Memorial Library. The strategic plan outlines six goals to be achieved by the universityıs 150th anniversary in 2008. Franciscan values The first of these goals is to encourage Franciscan values by promoting mutual trust between faculty, staff and students. The report states, ³We will demonstrate a scrupulous commitment to honor our agreements with one another.² Saal said the committee has not decided the best way to promote mutual trust. He said that this is an example of ³knowing where we want to go, but not being sure how weıre going to get there.² He added the committee plans to delegate each goal separately to different groups around the campus. ³We leave the details up to the people who are charged with the responsibility of fulfilling the goals,² he said. Although he doesnıt know who on campus would be specifically responsible for encouraging trust, he believes, ³In general, building mutual trust isnıt rocket science. We learn to trust somebody by observing that personıs behavior.² A task force headed by William Swan, chairman of the board of trustees, and Robert J. Wickenheiser, university president, has been formed to analyze the effectiveness of governmental bodies at the university and make recommendations to improve communication and infrastructure between the groups. Any changes made from the task forceıs suggestions would first be approved by the governing body itself. Saal said Wickenheiser and Swan have named the task force members, but not yet released those names. The first goal should also encompass increasing ethnic and social diversity through the Diversity Action Committee and its subcommittees. ³The DAC is the group that is primarily charged with the responsibility of fulfilling that goal. Weıre concerned about diversity among students, faculty, and in the classroom,² Saal said. Academic excellence The second goal, achieving academic excellence, includes raising the schoolıs national ranking from ³Competitive² to ³Competitive +.² This may be done by attracting freshmen with superior secondary school records through more scholarships and through successful academic programs and career placement for graduates, according to the document. The committee members also suggested that the expectations for studentsı academic performance should be raised as part of achieving academic excellence. Faculty should expect more and better work from students, and those students who do well should be rewarded. In turn, this ³will attract more academically oriented students and enhance the academic potential of our current student body.² Saal said, ³after talking to a number of students, many of the students have told me that in some, not all, classes we donıt demand as much of them as we should, or as we could.² This second goal includes improving Clare College and creating signature programs. Saal hopes to make Clare College ³more accepted by students and faculty,² but not change the structure significantly. ³If this is going to be our core experience here we need to integrate it properly, maintain it properly, and reward faculty for teaching it well,² he added. The university would use signature programs to attract students and promote specific areas within degree programs already in place. Signature programs should provide opportunities for students to specialize in very specialized areas of a broader area of study. The plan rewards faculty scholarship by providing professors new opportunities and encouraging them to seek funds outside of the school. This also involves assessing teacher performance to help allocate merit-based salary increases, tenure, and promotions. The last part of the second goal includes publicizing the universityıs achievements, especially the personalized tradition fostered at the university, as well as building or renovating new state-of-the-art structures to provide faculty with the tools needed to instruct. ³Thereıs no question we need to look closely at building. Weıre running out of space as we bring in more students and faculty,² Saal said. Strategic marketing The third goal, enhancing the schoolıs reputation and achieving recognition at national and international levels, begins with strategically marketing the university as a whole, especially its academic strengths, faculty and living experiences. This also includes using St. Bonaventureıs 150-year anniversary to showcase the universityıs strengths. Saal hopes to improve the schoolıs reputation. ³Among some, there is the perception that academics donıt exactly come in first and I believe we live up to peopleıs expectations,² Saal said. ³In all too many cases Fridays around here are kind of a lost cause. I suggested that we schedule more quizzes and exams on Fridays. I donıt think the weekend should begin on Thursday night. We need to recapture Friday into the school week,² he added. Integrating technology The fourth goal involves improving and integrating technology around campus to help move the facilities into the future. This includes placing more computer-related elements into the curriculum, improving communication across campus and installing new on-line systems for class registration. The new technology must be managed carefully. The plan outlines that this should involve developing a financial plan for the maintenance of the new facilities, as well as prioritizing where funds should be spent. Financial vibrancy The fifth goal outlines how to achieve financial vibrancy. Saal said he does not expect a significant tuition hike as a result. He hopes to change the way financial aid is structured. ³We plan to raise a lot of money for student scholarship endowments,² which means putting the scholarship money into endowment funds where it would earn interest, in place of giving out as many un-endowed scholarships. Those un-endowed scholarships come straight out of the universityıs budget, Saal said. This goal also includes aggressively obtaining financial support from alternative funding sources outside the school, especially foundations, agencies, and other groups, while still maintaining Franciscan values. The last part of this goal, partnerships with other institutions, has already been instituted, but Saal hopes to continue this trend. He said the university might share costs with other schools, when feasible, not only to cut costs, but to increase efficiency. Maximizing contributions The sixth goal, using the universityıs resources to their fullest advantage, begins by maximizing each individualıs contributions. This goal also includes using natural beauty and other unique strengths of the school in addition to human resources. Those resources should be used according to a business model and management plan to maximize their effectiveness in a way that best shows the schoolıs strengths, according to the document. After the discussion board is closed on Sept. 9 any comments and the draft will go to the board of trustees. The document and comments will be discussed and hopefully voted on, at the boardıs next meeting, Sept. 20 through Sept. 21, Saal said. After the board votes the committee hopes, ³to meet with the individuals who have been made responsible for specific goals² and then get their responses before prioritizing the next steps. Other members of the planning committee include, Joel Benington, associate professor of biology; Jon Boeckenstedt, vice president of enrollment; Bill Burlingame, chair of the staff affairs committee; Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F, dean of the Franciscan Institute; David Carpenter, professor of psychology; Michael Fischer, dean of the school of business; Kevin Lafferty, student government president; John Lympany, executive director of information technology; John Mulryan, board of trustees professor of English; the Rev. Xavier Seubert, O.F.M., associate professor of theology; Brenda Snow, vice president of business and finance; and George Solan, vice president for student life. Saal said the strategic plan should be considered a living document and subject to review as circumstances change. He added, however, ³I am hopeful that if not all of it is complete by 2008, so close to all of it will be in place that we can say weıve implemented this plan completely.²
Large 2006 class causes housing changes
By Annette Boglev
The large influx of freshmen accounts for different living arrangements on campus this year. Some members of the class of 2006 now reside in triples in Doyle Hall, quads and triples in Shay/Loughlen halls and on the fourth floor of Francis Hall. The new class contains 596 freshmen, according to Heather Jackson, acting registrar. Every floor in Shay currently houses males as do the basement and first floors of Loughlen. Three freshmen live in a converted lounge on second floor of Loughlen while two lounges in Shay became a triple and a quad, according to George Solan, vice president for student life. He added that fewer than ten rooms in Doyle are triples. The first floor in Falconio Hall is now co-ed as well, according to freshman Danielle Weber. Doyle rooms were originally designed as triples, and lounges in Shay/Loughlen were built to house three to four students, Solan said. A renovation in 1999 converted the quads in Shay/Loughlen to lounges, he added. Solan claims that housing is not oversubscribed. ³It is a tight fit, but weıre at 99 to 100 percent full. No extraordinary changes were needed. We were able to accommodate the students in a normal course of action,² Solan said. The largest class in St. Bonaventure history was most likely that of 1986, with 644 students, according to James DiRisio, director of admissions. He explained that many factors contribute to the size of a class. DiRisio said, ³Ultimately, I believe the successful year is the result of a great deal of effort on the part of people who care deeply about this school.² The application rate this year was higher than usual, according to DiRisio. ³Once students applied, we were really successful in getting them to complete their application, to visit the campus and to put them in touch with faculty members, coaches and campus ministers,² he said. He added that campus visits increased this year. The university determines an optimum size for the freshmen class, as well as transfer students. The enrollment planning process begins 18 months before a class arrives on campus, and the university plans accordingly with its overall budget, according to DiRisio. ³We want to ensure that we enroll a class that is appropriately sized based on the universityıs resources,² he said. While Solan described the housing situation as ³flexible,² he did say that the university has created a master plan that involves building at least three other residence halls on the East side of campus. The new phase will begin within the next 18 months if things go as planned, he added. The purpose of the halls would be to accommodate mainly the mid-class levels in less traditional apartment arrangements. ³They [the residence halls] would be a cross between a suite-style apartment and a full-style apartment,² Solan said. The main goal is to strengthen the quality of living space and develop a ³village concept² on the East side of campus. ³Housing is more than a bed and pillow. Itıs the core of the studentıs life. Students need to be comfortable or weıre not doing our job,² Solan said. Due to the four percent attrition rate between September. and May, students in Shay/Loughlen will be given the opportunity to move as soon as empty rooms are available, according to Solan.
Freshmen candidates debate
By Kyle Renner
On Wednesday evening in the Dresser Auditorium in the Murphy Professional Build-ing, the class of 2006 held debates between class officer candidates. The debates allowed the candidates to speak their minds about the issues concerning the future of their class. The candidates for each position, treasurer, secretary, vice president and president, explained their plans for the class of 2006 during brief opening statements. They then answered questions posed by a panel of Student Government Association officers and campus media representatives and made concluding statements. In the race for the offices of class president and vice president, six pairs of freshmen put their names on the ballot. The candidates are Kara Coleman and John Davidson, Alex Crafts and Eric Sesta, Chris Dunham and Brain Dowling, Nigel-Ray Garcia and William Serrano, Matt Renninger and Steve Mesmer, and Guy Wilks and Bridget Malloy. In the race for freshman class treasurer the candidates are Vasile Godencivc and Monica Graves. Graves spoke about her plans for fundraisers for the class and a food drive. Godencivc stressed his determination to work hard for the class, and promised to be the definition of a good treasurer. Class secretary candidates Jennifer Burns, Carolyn Frazier, Philip Penepent and Melissa Weigle promised to do whatever it takes to inform the class of what is going on, by proposing to use everything from flyers to the campus radio station. Each candidate reinforced the theme of getting all freshmen involved in activities and decision-making. The candidates presented plans on how to achieve that goal. Coleman and Davidson presented plans for several social events, including a ³morp,² or a prom where the women ask the men to go. Garcia and Serrano talked of plans that played on their out-going personalities, with events in The Rathskeller. Garcia and Serrano were the only pair who expressed a commitment to improving safety. The freshman class election is held in the Reilly Center during the day through today. All freshmen can vote. The winner should be announced by early Friday evening.
New e-mail system receives approval from Tech. Services
By Annette Boglev
After more than a year of preparation, Microsoft Exchange/Outlook replaced Novell GroupWise as the universityıs e-mail system over the summer. Reasons for the switch range from cost efficiency to increased reliability. John Lympany, director of technology services, felt the transition to Microsoft Outlook was necessary because trying to improve GroupWise ³would not be the best thing to do in the long run.² ³Novell did a terrible job of providing consistent systems regarding the platforms of its users. On a college campus, PC, Mac and Web users need to be able to use the e-mail system. Different disciplines have different needs,² Lympany said. Novellıs 20 percent staff cut also spurred the transition to the new e-mail system, according to Lympany. In addition, the companyıs stock price recently lost 90 percent of its value. ³Iım not saying that Novell is going under, but we thought it would be safer to use an established company,² Lympany said. Microsoft Outlookıs key features include easy-to-use functions, the ability to receive HTML content, such as graphics and photos, and the ability to save e-mails as long as necessary. Michael Hoffman, network and communications manager, said, ³There is no more auto-deleting after 10 days so students can store messages as long as they want. Each student has 50 megabytes of memory, too.² In addition to the systemıs flexibility, Microsoft Outlook is ³modestly cheaper,² according to Lympany. Over a period of three years, approximately $20,000 will be saved using the new system. Hoffman believes the new e-mail system is more convenient to use. ³Being a part of Microsoft, access to resources on Outlook is easier because it is more widely used,² he said. However, many students are having trouble getting used to the new system. Junior Cintia Pedone preferred GroupWise over Microsoft Outlook. ³It [GroupWise] was so much more convenient. I got used to the old system much quicker than Outlook,² she said. Sophomore Alissa Leavitt expressed frustration with Microsoft Outlook. ³I hate it. I liked GroupWise so much better. I didnıt receive e-mails for an entire week with the new system and then all of a sudden I was receiving mail. Itıs not consistent at all,² she said. On a similar note, sophomore Elizabeth Lewis said, ³I donıt like it because it is taking me a long time to figure out. Itıll probably get better with time, but right now Iım not a fan.² Junior Vladmir Valerio agreed that the connection for Microsoft Outlook is slow. Not all students are upset about the new e-mail system. Junior Tina Lavis said, ³I like it because I havenıt had many problems with it. It doesnıt take as long to get on. With GroupWise I would get denied a lot.² Also, Sophomore Laurie Ziolkowski, said, ³It [Outlook] has a lot more options and it seems more organized than Groupwise. And I like that our mail stays on until we delete it.² According to Hoffman and Lympany, the new e-mail system has only encountered a few problems thus far, all of which were a result of remaining GroupWise users that have yet to make the transition to Microsoft Outlook. ³We still have a few stragglers using the Novell system that will be contacted as soon as possible. We hope to be completely rid of GroupWise by the end of October,² Hoffman said. Plans to replace GroupWise began over a year ago. The Faculty Senate, the Cabinet and the Board Technology Committee were informed of the plans before the e-mail system was implemented.
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