The Griffin: volume 53, issue 08 - Nov. 5, 1982

              He cited the fact that there were Bellia feels that students in general have too negative an opinion concerning financial aid which causes them not to apply for aid, believing that they won't receive it or that there isn't enough money available. The delay in Congress' approval of Reagan's budget did however cause financial aid packages to be offered later this year than usual. This causes "no-shows" among resident students (those resident students who pay enrollment and dormitory deposits without "showing up" for the semester, Ryan said. Ryan said enrollment went up this year to record heights partially because of the financial aid packages offered to students and because aid cuts were not passed through Congress. Present Canisius students were able to stay at the college for same reasons. bying, students~could be offered needed financial aid packages before the bill was signed. of financial - aid here, Anthony Beilia, expected the aid formulas to be set because of effective lob- Bellia also urged that students should still apply for financial aid this year and they should not automatically assume they are ineligible because it is not tool late to apply. At Canisius specifically, Bellia analyzes student aid needs as a whole and presents the analysis to the Budget committee. This year through the process, 25 percent more financial aid was appropriated.Students should not panic according to Bellia when they read about government decreases in federal aid funds because usually it is iust speculation and never as severe as the articles state. Bellia continued to stress the availability of aid and said students are evaluated under two financial aid systems to "maximize their possibilities." Bellia hopes that the new law that Reagan iust signed will convince students that money is available contrary to articles that they read stating "students should expect less government funds." 409 less loans given this year not because they were not available but because students inaccurately thought they were not eligible for them. The student lobbying worked Ryan said because "a squeaking wheel is always attended to." With he said, law number HR6863 restored $77 million for Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) and $140 million in Pell Grants. the recent Congressional elections at stake President Reagan was in a position of alienating a large portion of the voting public (students) if he did not sign the bill setting the aid formulas for grant and loan money. Because Ryan and the director Computer Science Staff Under iHeavy Pressure' by Tom Allport The number of students currently enrolled in the computer science program substantially exceeds the initial estimates of the department. There has been dramatic growth in faculty use of computers as well since Canisius has acquired modern, interactive (twoway communication potential) systems. About 60 faculty members have accounts (access to certain information) which help with research and teaching. Curtis summed up the future, saying "Everybody will be expected to know a little bit about computers." Computers are currently a language of business, industry, banking and the natural and social sciences. Their use will increase steadily because most future jobs will require some interaction with computers. Although one will still be able to function in society if he is a computer illiterate, "feeling comfortable," said Leone, means a basic understanding of computers.As of now, the college is ahead of all timetables. The faculty has completed design on 14 of the 15 courses; a new computer (VAX/80) has been purchased, there are new sets of offices for the computer science department on the second floor of the science building, and the number of majors is already near the goal. — That we will have five fulltime faculty teaching computer courses (there are now four). — That there will be a new computer and a new location for the computer department. — That the college will have 15 complete courses in computer science. — That the number of computer science majors will be between 175 and 200 persons. NEXT: A LOOK AT THE COMPUTER SET-UP HERE Ryan said that he would not offer an opinion until the faculty senate or delegative authority hold hearings on it and submits a report. He did reveal how important he thought computer literacy was. "In order to lead, and receive job advancement a person must know computer language, the use of computers, and the value of information systems," he said. In response to a questionnaire from the State Education Department and Board oi Regents (which Canisius submitted in 1981) the college has predicted four outcomes for the future of the computer science program here within five years. Bill Hamel/THE GRIFFIN Ron Curtis, chairman of the Computer Science department An introductory course, which is accepted as an Area VII requirement, in computer literacy, available for non-ma jors, has been in very high demand, according to About half of all the students at Canisius are taking at least one course in computer science, according to the Rev. Edmund G. Ryan, academic vice-president. Business and engineering students, among others, are required to take courses dealing with computers. It is strongly suggested that all math majors take at least one computer course. According to instructor Jim Leone, the new department was expecting a steady enrollment of about fifty student majors when the program began 13 months ago. However, this semester there are more than 60 in the sophomore class alone, and 150 students are now majoring in computer science, Leone said. This load is putting "heavy pressure" on existing faculty to staff all of the course sections, Leone commented.Responding to this rumor, Fr. Because of their importance computers will continue to have in society, rumors have been circulating around campus that a course in computer literacy might become part of the Liberal Arts core. The turnover rate is quite high for computer science majors. In the fall 1981 semester, 120 students took the CSC 111 introductory course. In the following spring semester, only 85 of those reenrolled in the program. By this fall, only 60 remained of the original 120. not cut out for that major, the pupil will drop it. Curtis said that computer science takes a large amount of skill and that "it is not an easy major." Although a given student cannot be prevented from majoring in his desired field, computer science does its own "weeding out," according to Leone. The selection process is one where if a student realizes, by virtue of performance, that the student is simply "Breaking problems down into sub-problems" is the way Curtis described the field. The people who do best with computers tend to be those with strong quantitative abilities — like physics, chemistry and other natural science majors, it was said. There is a calculus requirement for computer science majors which is one reason why math majors, as well, tend to fare well compared with others that take computer-oriented courses. (Coincidentally, those students coming into college with the highest SAT and ACT scores per se tend to be those with the best math scores). THE GRIFFIN "OVER A HALF CENTURY IN PRINT" VOLUME LIII, NUMBER VIII NOVEMBER 5,1982 Reagan Signs Financial Aid Bill; Formulas Set Anthony Beilia, director financial aid here, stressed the availability of aid, and urged that students apply for it. biii Murphy/THE griffin by Suzanne Cupolo "President Reagan has (recently) signed a bill that will establish eligibility standards for (student) grants and loans in 1983-84. The bill allows the same financial aid eligibility formulas to be put into effect again in 1984-85 if the Education department does not submit its own proposals to Congress by next April 1" according to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. "The law requires the Education Department to use in 1983-84 the same eligibility formula for Pell Grants and guaranteed loans as was applied this year — standards far more liberal than the rules proposed by the Department of Education for grants in 1983-84," according to the article. "Under the (new) law, the maximum Pell Grant available in 1983- 84 will be $1,800 — about the same as the maximum this year." According to Father Edmund G. Ryan, executive vice president for academic affairs here, the lobbying effort of Canisius students last March directly affected Reagan's decision to sign the bill and approve the aid formulas. Because of the intense student lobbying, on September 15, 1982, Ron Curtis, chairman of the Computer Science department. J EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of two articles exploring the educational use of computers on Campus.