DATE: Saturday, November 8, 1997            TAG: 9711080319

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   65 lines

CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS NSU'S NEXT CHANGE?

Changes at Norfolk State University began with a new president in July. They soon may extend to the very structure of the institution.

College officials are going to consider consolidating and realigning some of the nine schools that make up the university, President Marie V. McDemmond told the Board of Visitors on Thursday.

The planned departures of two deans prompted the idea, McDemmond told the university's governing body. Belinda Anderson, dean of the School of General and Continuing Education, is leaving in December to take a job with the State Council of Higher Education in Richmond. Jack P. Witty, acting dean of the School of Technology, is leaving next spring.

The other seven schools are Arts and Letters, Business, Education, Graduate Studies, Health Related Professions and Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Social Work.

No decisions will be made until a new vice president of academic affairs is hired, which won't be until early next year, the president said. But it might make sense to merge some of the schools, like combining Technology with Health Related Professions and Natural Sciences, she said.

``I think technology and science need to be blended,'' she said.

The study of hotel and restaurant management is done through the School of Social Sciences. ``Maybe that would be better in Business'' school, McDemmond said. ``That's what we're looking at.''

Change has become the norm at Norfolk State since McDemmond became president last summer, which was followed quickly by a near-total turnover in her ``Cabinet'' of vice presidents and assistants and the start of a widespread fund-raising program.

McDemmond also made several changes to make up for an unexpected deficit of nearly $3.2 million dollars that greeted her when she took over; the school now has a projected budget savings of 17.5 percent. Among the adjustments was a hiring freeze that has left more than 20 positions vacant - ``I get requests everyday and I say, `No,' '' McDemmond said.

Negotiations are under way for outside companies to take over janitorial, maintenance and printing operations - companies that will hopefully hire college staffers now doing those jobs, said Rector William R. Miller III.

Student recruiting has been expanded, with representatives making trips to Boston and New York City along with rural and Northern Virginia. The board on Thursday also voted to require a $100 admission deposit for incoming students so the university can better judge how many will really arrive. This fall, the freshmen class was 23 percent smaller than expected.

Patrols of security officers and students have begun on and near the campus, particularly in ``problem areas'' such as the 7-Eleven and ABC liquor store across Park Avenue from the school, and the second and third floors of the library, said Arthur R. Jackson, vice president for student affairs. The university is going to ask city and state officials to move the ABC store further away from the school, since it attracts panhandlers who accost students.

The school also plans to consolidate student remediation and retention programs under one name and to use more tutorials and non-professor academic advisers, he said.

And the school is considering adding women's swimming and lacrosse teams next year, ``for more equity between our male and female athletes,'' Jackson said.

In other business, the board voted to invite Gov.-elect James S. Gilmore III to speak at the spring graduation. ILLUSTRATION: President Marie V. McDemmond said Norfolk State

University may soon consider combining several of its nine schools.

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