M O N D A Y DECEMBER 2, 2002
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVII, No. 122
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
Budget woes a roadblock to aggressive enrichment initiatives
Inspection in Goddard House finds no asbestos contaminants BY JULIETTE WALLACK
The first of two asbestos inspections of University residence halls found no contamination on campus despite concerns that a broken pipe in a Goddard House social room released the carcinogen into the air. Last Thursday’s inspection came after members of the Delta Phi fraternity and their parents expressed concern about possible dangers associated with the broken basement pipe, Director of the Brown News Service Mark Nickel told The Herald. Delta Phi members notified Facilities Management on Nov. 7 that a four to five foot section of the basement pipe was broken. That afternoon, Stephen Morin, director of Office of Environmental Health and Safety, closed the room. On the afternoon of Nov. 7, the University also hired an asbestos abatement contractor, who repaired and cleaned the basement. The University also took air samples of the room, which “confirmed that no asbestos fibers were found in the air samples,” according to a University press release. But Goddard residents say their basement was contaminated. Zach Worden ’04 said the University informed members of Delta Phi that asbestos had been found in the basement. Worden said University representatives met with members of the fraternity to reassure them that their health was not at risk, but he found it concerning that it might not be safe in the basement of Goddard House. Rob Chen ’05 was one of the Delta Phi members who alerted the University to the suspicious material in early November. Chen, along with members of his pledge class, first noticed the broken pipe last year, he said. Then, this year, pledges were responsible for cleaning the social room on a regular basis. Chen said the group disposed of a majority of the material surrounding the pipe “one Friday afternoon and then called Facilities Management to repair the pipe.” He and his fellow pledges had “joked about it, never knew whether it was asbestos,” Chen said. But a Goddard House custodian mentioned offhandedly to Chen that the material around the broken pipe might be asbestos. The University first “tried to assure me that it’s not” asbestos, Chen said, but “they hadn’t come down there to inspect it.” The Office of Environmental Health and Safety visited and closed see ASBESTOS, page 5
BY CARLA BLUMENKRANZ
Josh Apte / Herald File Photo
President Ruth Simmons was ecstatic when the Brown Corporation endorsed her Initiatives for Academic Enrichment in February. It now appears that budget problems will slow down the implementation of some parts of her plan.
Despite budget shortfalls, U. officials reaffirm commitment to academic goals BY LISA MANDLE
Administrators reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Initiatives for Academic Enrichment at last Monday’s University Resources Committee meeting despite Brown’s recent budget woes. The meeting of the committee, formerly known as the Advisory Committee on University Planning, was closed to the Brown community and to the press. Assistant Provost Brian Casey reviewed the administrators’ presentations with The Herald last Tuesday. Dean of Faculty Mary Fennell told the committee that Paul Armstrong the increase in faculty salaries this year appears to have given Brown a sizeable gain in average faculty compensation relative to its closest peer institutions, Casey said. Although data will not be available until February, Fennell “anticipates we will have moved up strongly in comparison to our peers,” Casey said. Fennell also emphasized her commitment to bringing 100 new faculty members to the University as part of the Initiatives for Academic Enrichment,
Casey said. The University is currently searching for 40 faculty members, some as replacements and others for new positions, he said. President Ruth Simmons told The Herald that the plan to add 100 faculty positions over the course of five to seven years could be delayed to about seven to nine years. Fennell asked the URC for additional funds for faculty startups. She did not ask for a specific amount, Casey said. Dean of Biology and Medicine Donald Marsh cited a lack of space as the primary pressure point on the Division of Biology and Medicine at the URC meeting. Marsh told URC that construction of the Life Sciences building on Meeting and Brown streets would be just the first step in addressing the space needs, Casey said. Construction on the Life Sciences building may begin as soon as next academic year. The proposed construction of the Life Sciences building on the East Side is a particularly controversial issue, and the University is facing opposition from East Side residents over parking, pollution, noise and other issues associated with the project. Dean of the College Paul Armstrong see URC, page 5
I N S I D E M O N D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 0 2 Students protest cancellation of swimming, diving at Dartmouth page 3
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With smallpox vaccine, Brown prof teams up with U.S. gov to fight bioterrorism threat page 3
Bill Louis ’06 says the political right and left must clearly delineate their policies guest column, page 11
The current economic slump may force the University to make substantial budget cuts and delay plans to bring new faculty to campus, increase wages and implement other elements of the Initiatives for Academic Enrichment, President Ruth Simmons told The Herald Tuesday. Simmons said she asked Elizabeth Huidekoper, the new vice president for finance and administration, to explore ways to conserve University resources to balance the budget and keep her plans afloat. The Budget Committee and the University Resources Committee, which replaced the Advisory Committee on University Planning, will assist Huidekoper in this effort. Following an upcoming meeting of the Corporation’s Budget and Finance Committee, Simmons said the University will be prepared to announce any budget cuts or delays to the Initiatives for Academic Enrichment. The University will make an announcement before the end of the semester, she said. “We’re talking about strengthening our revenue streams in a number of ways, and we’re certainly talking about reducing expenditures,” she said. She cited vacancy savings and the new Brown First policy as successful measures that conserved University resources during the past year. Brown First, which requires University departments and student groups to retain internal services over outside vendors, has drawn some criticism from student groups and University departments. In the coming year, delays to the $78.8 million Initiatives for Academic Enrichment could also ease the strain on the University budget and keep the plan viable. For instance, the current plan calls for the addition of about 100 faculty positions over the course of five to seven years. If necessary, this time frame could be expanded to about seven to nine years, Simmons said. The plan initially included increases to the median faculty salary and to the minimum wage for staff, which would rise from $9 to $10. These changes could also be reevaluated or delayed in the coming weeks, Simmons said. Simmons cautioned that concessions to the poor economic climate should not exceed what is necessary or compromise the quality of a Brown education. She also emphasized that the University does not currently intend to lay off staff members in response to current budget constraints. “We have to have the budget reasonably in balance, but we also have to keep in mind that things will change,” she said. “We shouldn’t make draconian cuts that will hamper our ability to continue to build on our strengths.” Herald staff writer Carla Blumenkranz ’05 covers the Office of the President. She can be reached at cblumenkranz@browndailyherald.com.
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Men’s basketball claims first win of the season despite absence of Earl Hunt ’03 sports, page 12
Athletes on three fall teams claim league honors for individual performances sports, page 12
snow showers high 37 low 18