catalogs, library references, abstracts, and eventually full text was to be integrated into a system
stemming from this work on campus. IBM expected to take the information developed from
these projects and put it into the development of the next generation of computer machinery.
Earthquake.
Measuring only 4.7 on the Richter scale, a minor earthquake struck southern
Ontario early Friday morning October 19, scaring residents but causing no reported damage.
This disturbance was centered some 70 kilometers north of Ottawa and 120 kilometers west of
Montreal. It was felt in southern Canada from Toronto to Quebec, and in New York from
Buffalo to Albany and Burlington, Vermont. A smaller quake measuring 3.9 on the Richter
scale occurred on October 7.
CEE Teaching Evaluation.
Emerging from the recommendation of a departmental committee
composed of faculty and former and current students, the civil and environmental engineering
department devised a survey to determine the opinions and concerns of students within the
department. Distributing a survey consisting of 33 short-answer questions, the committee
learned how the students felt about the department. Over half of the department responded.
The biggest concern expressed was that there were too many exams and projects due at
the same time. Therefore, the committee worked with the faculty to space examinations more
evenly throughout the semester. It also responded to a frequent complaint about the learning
environment in the classrooms in Damon Hall, and worked with the administration to resolve
some of the problems.
This was the first department at Clarkson to implement a teaching improvement
committee.
Tuition.
President Gallagher announced in March that tuition for the 1990-91 academic year
would be increased by 8.33% to $12,600 per year. In addition, the average room and board rate
was to rise by $214 to a total of $4,482. This increase was prompted by four factors, the
president said:
... the need for competitive wages for university faculty, the development of the Campus Safety department, an
increase in employee insurance premiums, and the governor's proposed cut in Bundy Aid to four-year schools
(amounting to $160,000 for Clarkson).
The "PIT
.
"
Effective in the fall, the "Pit" (Hamlin-Powers) residence hall became a single
residency hall. This move resulted from the declining freshman enrollment and the concept of
centralizing freshmen in one location. This decision was made to avoid vacancies in the
residence halls, and was favored over decreasing the number of senior house exemptions
granted by the Residence Life office.
ECAC.
By defeating St. Lawrence in the ECAC quarterfinals by 4-1 and 5-2 in victories in
Walker Arena, Clarkson wrapped up a trip to the final four battle in the ECAC. Cornell
defeated Harvard 6-2 and 4-2 to earn one berth; RPI knocked off Brown 5-3 and 6-4 to earn
another berth. At Starr rink in Hamilton in the first of their games, Colgate had the misfortune
to have its Zamboni machine break down after Colgate had amassed a 4-1 lead over Yale, thus
forcing the game to be continued Saturday. Colgate continued by handing Yale a 10-3 loss in
the completion of that discontinued game, and went on to defeat them a second time to enter the
final berth.
