To overhaul the "old administrative system," President Gallagher divided the
organization into five functioning groups: academic affairs, business and financial affairs,
development, student affairs, and university relations. He said that this plan, "Will allow
Clarkson to enhance its financial stability while improving service and operations." This
reorganization was the first step toward reducing costs and improving quality and efficiency
Williamson said.
As the first step in that rearrangement, four top administrators were promoted to vice
presidents to oversee each of the newly created functional groups. The four promoted were A.
E. "Pete" Linkins to V.P. of academic affairs, Michael Cooper to V.P. of student affairs, Don
Dangremond to V.P. of University relations, and Richard Johnson to V.P. of development.
Bruce Knill remained as V.P. of business and financial affairs.
Earlier in the year, Clarkson had forecast a deficit in excess of $2 million over two
years; it had reached its budget expectations when the new academic year opened, but still
found itself with $1 million shortfall in the budget for the 1994-95 fiscal year.
Design for the Future
Campaign
. By the final year of the four-year
Design for the Future
Campaign, Clarkson had raised more than $77.4 million against the project's original goal of
$40 million. (See 1989)
Snowball "Phight."
Snowballs flew outside the Cheel Center in April when police began
looking for a student suspected of marijuana possession at a Saturday evening rock concert in
the Cheel Arena. At least 22 state troopers, St. Lawrence sheriff's deputies, and village officers
responded to an early evening call for help by two off-duty Potsdam police officers who were
patrolling a concert by the alternative rock band, "Phish." No injuries were reported but three
students were arrested and placed in the village lock-up to await arraignment on the following
day.
The trouble started when the police tried to arrest a student on the charge of possession
of marijuana. As police approached him, the suspect fled into the parking lot. There, another
student shouted, "Let him go," and threw a snowball at the pursuing officers. Soon dozens of
other students waiting in line began throwing snowballs at the officers.
The police responded by quickly calling for help from six back-up officers, who, in turn,
then called for assistance from the state police and sheriff's deputies. This large force had
everything calmed by 8:30, and the concert began a little late.
CU: "One of the Best."
The October 4, 1993, issue of
US News and World Report
again
ranked Clarkson among the top schools of the nation's 1,371
accredited schools in its annual
edition of
America's Best Colleges.
Placed in the category of "national universities," Clarkson
ranked with 204
others as "America's best-known schools." These select few had more selective
admissions and greater resources than those in other categories, and "offered a wide range of
baccalaureate programs, place a high priority on research, and
award a large number of PhDs."
Clarkson was placed in the second quartile (or top half) of this group of 284 according
to factors that included academic reputation (as surveyed by college presidents, deans, and
admissions officers), SAT/ACT scores, high school rank in class standing of entering freshmen,
faculty qualifications, faculty/student ratio, educational spending per student, alumni giving,
and graduation rates. Among the 51 schools in its quartile, Clarkson ranked second in the
