1979-1980 Yearbook

152 Administration Making things work Receiving mail from the Vice President of Student Affairs would be bad news for most students at many universities - a signal that they were due for possible disciplinary action. At Harding, however, mail from Dr. Ted Altman was often a birthday card or a letter of encouragement. Altman, formerly the Dean of Students until receiving the Vice President status with Harding's change to university viewed his role as going beyond just the disciplinary aspect of student life. "I work for them," he said, speaking of his relationship with the student body. "That's the way we've always tried to operate here, to be a service to the students," he continued, reflecting in the statement that his job did Ted Altman Vice President Student Affairs not change with his title. "We're here to serve," said Altman, "to be a catalyst, to help deal with whatever situation that may arise. What we try to do is move out of strictly the disciplinary area." Out of the disciplinary area, Altman was concerned about attitudes on campus. "Every year we have to resell Harding University to 1000 or more new students," he commented. "When you take your freshman class and your transfers, that's what you're talking about." Attempting to deal with the situation, Altman targeted specific attitudes with which he wished to deal. "Working with the 'university attitude,' the university concept, is something we dealt with all summer," he related, "to try to say, 'Hey look, this is basically the same place.' " Another targeted attitude was the one concerning chapel. "1 have to deal with the attitudes that come," explained Altman. "Not everybody wants to go to chapel every day and a lot of people resent that they are required to go." In addition to his duties as Vice President of Student Affairs, Altman continued membership in varied professional groups pertaining to personnel deans and administrators. He also served as an elder at the West Side church of Christ and worked in several areas of special projects, including sponsoring a group of students to the Tulsa Soulwinning Workshop. 1f.,J Responsible for the overall development program for Harding, including the graduate school in Memphis, Vice President for Development C. Floyd Daniel traveled thousands of miles seeking funds for the proper functioning of the university. ~ith the launching of the $5.6 million campaign for Phase IV development, Daniel's duties were accelerated. Also, outside factors made fund raising a more difficult job. "We probably are having to work harder than ever at Harding for the gift dollar," said the Alabama native in his Southern accent. "I think, though," he continued, "that this is true of all col~ leges and universities. "I think the biggest reason for that - having to work harder," commented Daniel, "is because there are so many more competing good works or charitable opportunities for people to give to." Daniel stated further that the change to university status has had a "neutral" affect on the individuals' willingness to give. "I think people give to Harding because of an ability to relate to Harding and its work as a part of their values and beliefs, and their desire to perpetuate these through Floyd Daniel Vice President Development young people/' he concluded. In addition to his service in development, Daniel further lent his knowledge with educational institutions on the elementary and high school levels in an advisory capacity. Sometimes his work called for a bit of discreet planning as he assisted families in surprising a relative through a gift to Harding. Jr., ,\ Completion of the $2.6 million George S. Benson Auditorium in early January provided only a momentary breath of relief for Lott R. Tucker Jr., vice-president for finance. His attention turned immediately to the construction of a new Academy facility, grounds for which were broken earlier in the schoo l year. Overseeing these construction projects constituted only a portion of the respon-

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