Central Florida Future, Vol. 06 No. 13, January 25, 1974

              Pass-Fail Option Flunks  Out
By Michael Lochridge
The Faculty Senate voted overwhelmingly Jan. 17
to defeat a resolution recommending that a pass-fail
option on elective courses be granted to FTU
students.
The resolution, submitted by the Admissions and
Standards Committee of the Senate, would have
permitted a student to apply a maximum of 16
quarter hours of credit on the
satisfactory-unsatisfactory option toward a degree.
The credit hours would not affect the grade point
average.
The defeat of this resolution will not affect current
FTU policy regarding the satisfactory-unsatisfactory
grading option, according to Senate Chairman Phillip
Taylor.
Objections by faculty members who have taught
courses on this system lead to the defeat of the
resolution.
Senators from the colleges of Natural Sciences,
Engineering and Humanities and Fine Arts reported
that their past experiences with the pass-fail system
were unproductive. They also claimed the system
offered academic credit without requiring work from
the students and that students themselves felt their
motivation was lowered with the option.
Other action in the meeting included Chairman
Taylor's report to the Senate on the recommendation
of the task force assigned by the Board of Regents to
deal with the proposal for a state-university-wide
common calendar.
The recommendations, which were made during
the State University System Council meeting Dec. 6,
suggested a modified semester plan for each year
from kindergarden through the universities. The three
registration periods would be approximately from
Aug. 15 to Sept. 15, during the first week of January,
and for ten days in June.
The recommendation stated that institutions
receiving students would have to adjust their
calendars accordingly so they could receive and
register people during these periods.
Engineering Professors
Develop Power Cycle
Engineering professor Bruce Nimmo displays a
miniature version of a solar oven, which reflects all light
and heat to a central area. Nimmo is awaiting permission
to set up various solar collectors on the roof of the
Engineering Building for demonstration purposes. (Photo
by Mike Berman)
Two FTU engineering
professors, Dr. Bruce Nimmo
and Dr. Ron Evans, are working
in conjunction with a
Martin-Marietta engineer, Tom
Hartlet, on the development of a
new power plant cycle.
According to Nimmo there is
nothing like it in operation
anywhere. "There is no actual
operational model yet," said
Nimmo. "All we have at this
point is a paper study we have
just completed under a grant
from the National Science
Foundation."
Conventional methods of
producing electricity involve the
heating of water to steam which
is used to turn a turbine which
then produces electricity. "Our
power cycle is based on an
absorption-regeneration system
which   used   CO2     instead   of
steam. It's a complicated
procedure," said Nimmo, "and
we are applying for a patent at
this time, so I am not really at
liberty to go into great detail
about the project."
Although the new power
cycle would run off
conventional fossil fuels, its
main advantage is its ability to
get the same amount of power
with a reduced need for heat.
The new power cycle would
reduce thermal pollution and its
greater efficiency would
decrease the drain on natural
resources.
The cycle produces very high
temperatures after it generates
electricity; this heat can be used
to power other plants such as an
air conditioning or desalinization
plant (which converts salt water
State Grants FTU $4.8 Mi
By Jerry Brooks
The Florida Cabinet granted FTU $4.8 million in state education
bonds to build an education complex.
The full appropriation includes $225,000 authorized last year
for planning, and a new authorization of $4.1 million for
construction; $451,000 for professional fees and contingencies;
and $249,000 for furnishings and equipment.
Projected designs by the Titusville architectural firm of Lemon
and Meggison have been approved, according to Fred Clayton,
director of FTU's building and planning staff.
Clayton said the planning for the new building should be
completed soon and should be cleared through all necessary
authorities so construction can begin by mid-summer. Then the
building would be ready for the opening of school in September
1976. Clayton added that it is difficult to get bids for construction
that remain stable. Due to the rising costs of labor and materials, a
contractor's bid may increase substantially by the time he is ready
to do his work, thus adding to the expense of the building.
The complex will include a three-story classroom-office building
and a teaching gymnasium. The gymnasium will be built around a
full size basketball court with folding bleachers capable of seating
2,500. Included on both sides of the gym will be such support units
as locker rooms, showers and storage areas.
Presently under construction on campus is the Humanities and
Fine Arts Building and the Biological Sciences Building, both of
which have fallen behind schedule.
The main reason for the slow-down on the Humanities and Fine
Arts Building, according to Clayton, was the experimental system
of construction used at the beginning of the project. Conventional
construction practice provides for one prime contractor, who is
responsible for the completion of the project by all the
sub-contractors on a specified date.
FTU's experimental system did not involve a prime contractor.
As a result, said Clayton, there was no effective force to supervise
the work of the sub-contractors, and the project fell behind
schedule.
niovrfrm caiH n.hju-les Cov was recentlv aDDointed to coordinate
the activities of the various contractors and functions in much the
same way as a prime contractor would. Since then the project has
been making up for lost time, with completion slated for August.
The Biological Science Building, located next to the Science
Building, is two months behind schedule due to problems
encountered with structural materials. "Now that the steel
framework is completed," said Clayton, "the project should be
comoleted on schedule and readv for classes in October 1974."
to fresh water).
Also interested in solar
energy, Nimmo said he plans to
set up various types of solar
collectors on the roof of the
Engineering Building as soon as
he is given permission to do so.
The demonstration -area wiH
allow interested people to see
how solar energy is converted
into power. Nimmo plans to
have several solar powered
motors and solar cells in
operation on the roof by spring
quarter.
Nimmo and Gordon McAleer,
of the College of Business
Administration, have jointly
asked the National Science
Foundation for a $65,000 grant
for a technical and marketing
survey of the present and future
uses of solar energy in Florida.
Nimmo would handle the
technical aspects of the survey,
such as studying the
effectiveness of existing solar
power sources in the state.
McAleer would study the
problems involved in marketing
solar power sources.
Nimmo said he believes
nuclear power is not the long
term answer to the energy crisis,
but that it will give mankind
some extra time to come up
with new power sources.
The Humanities and Fine Arts Building is
ited for completion in August 1974, four
onths after the original completion date.
The $3.1 million five story building will
contain classrooms, practice rooms, and
offices. (Photo by Alan Geeslin)