The Griffin: volume 64, issue 13 - Feb. 4, 1994

              by Charity Vogel Griffin News Editor The rifle range, located in the basement of the Student Center, is undergoing lead testing. phoio by eric Jordan 1993-94 1994-95 1994-95 college budget revealed Tuition, financial aid increased If further test results warrantclosing the range, there are many options open to the team as well as to Public Safety, which uses the range to certify staff. For example, the team could be moved to the Koessler Athletic Center, "which is where they really belong," said Dr. Thomas E. Miller, vice president for Student Affairs. Moving the range's location to Koessler is also a consideration in the College's new master plan for expansion and renovation anticipated in May of this year. A second option would be to consider a reventilation project of the HVAC or air system in the range. This would be extremely costly and would only be recommended if die range posed a threat to the student see Range page i Paul Myers, director of Physical Plant, confirmed that the local firm of Chopra-Lee, Inc. was brought in to test lead amounts in the air of the rifle range. "There is no reason to believe that lead levels in the range are affecting the health and safety of other areaS in the Student Center," Myers said. According to Myers, the commotion over the closing of the range was initiated by a phone call he received from the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSH A) inquiring about range air quality. Initial smear tests of surface areas in the range yielded a positive result for lead and warranted further testing by an outside consultant. Chopra-Lee, a consulting linn from Grand Island, was brought in to perform additional smear tests and air tests, mid to check for surface abatement of sand and lead residues from gun emissions. During air tests, guns were fired in forty to fifty rounds of live ammunition, and only one booth in the range crossed the threshold for high levels of lead. All other areas of the range were at acceptable levels. Contractors from Chopra- Lee, Inc. then proceeded to remove any surface residues in the range mid dispose of them in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. After the abatement, ail levels of lead returned to acceptable levels. The fate of the current rifle range hangs in the balance as investigations into the level of lead toxins in the air continue, led by an outside consulting firm. Dr. Laurence W. Franz, vice president for Business and Finance This preliminary budget includes an eight percent tuition hike, tempered by a five percent increase in financial aid, bringing the net increase to students to an average of three percent. Room and board costs to resident students will also increase by one hundred dollars, to $5340 per year. A $54,000,000 College budget, including a raise in tuition to $ 10,750, was unveiled this week by Canisius officials. The budget was presented to the faculty and student senates this week. At Tuesday's Undergraduate Student Association (USA) meeting, President S teve Siffringer noted that "This is one of the better budgets I've seen...it's a sign of things to come in the school." Senior Sen. Kate Sellers motioned to approve the budget, which was then unanimously passed by the USA. The budget proposal faces a final test at the B oard of Trustees meeting slated for Feb.7. The 1994-1995 budget is based on the prediction that College enrollment will remain constant overall. According to Connell, full-time undergraduate numbers will increase while part-time undergraduate enrollment will decline. The graduate programs are projected to see a slight decline, largely due to fewer Canadian students, "though we're doing everything we can to keep them coming," Connell said. with $40,000 additional reserved for utilities. A debit card meal system has been allotted $55,000 and is currently being developed by Canisius officials, though Franz notes that "students will be involved in the actual decision of how we set that up." The proposed budget includes a three percent faculty raise, intended to cover increased cost of living. Operating expenses for the College will see a 1.5 percent hike, Dr. Joan Connell, vice president for Academic Affairs, stressed the need for increased scholarship money; "We use aid to compete for students...to be sure we get a diverse student body." Although "need-blind" scholarships will continue to be given, Connell said, financial aid "depends on each individual student presentation of need." She added that the College will review a plan to award percentage rather than flat rate scholarships in the future. and College Treasurer as well as chair of the College Budget Committee, noted that Canisius is "very tuition dependent." He added, "We're making a lot of additional monies available to the financial aid office to deal with problems." The College is increasing "unfunded institutional aid," such as merit-based and athletic scholarships, by $1.8 million. Funded institutional aid has been decreased by $25,000 as New York state cuts back on aid to private schools in general. (see page 5) Bobbitt-mania VOLUME LXIV, NUMBER 13 Tuition Increases for 1994-95 i \t n 17 v 11V jt/U A News 1 - 3, 9 Editorial 4 Letters 4 Cartoon 4 Viewpoints 5 Kaleidoscope.. 6 - 8 Sports 10 -12 Classifieds 3 Bond on campus I (sec page 9) | Green wave swamped (see page 12 ) | #f The Griffin Serving the Canisius Community Since 1933 $12,000.00 $10,000.00 $8,000.00 $6,000.00 $4,000.00 $2,000.00 $0.00 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1994 Air quality in rifle range investigated by outside firm by Renee Fellows Griffin News Reporter FulltimeParttimeGraduate Ed. MBA / MPA