Problems recognized in department

By Nick J. Schmidt\nIndiana Daily Student\nChanges are underway in the African-American and African-Diaspora Studies Department, headed by Chairperson John Stanfield. Since his appointment in July 2002, Stanfield has seen some problems that have been ailing the department, and is slowly trying to fix them, he said in an e-mail sent to the department. \nLast Tuesday Stanfield held a faculty meeting to discuss the problems that have been plaguing the department and solutions to these ongoing dilemmas.\nStanfield recently created a list of procedures to help accomplish this goal.\n• Starting in the fall, a newly appointed office manager will begin working closely with Stanfield in developing a control-monitoring system. \n• Records of department purchases will be processed through Stanfield's assistant, Billie Jo Day. \n• A distribution of phone bills to faculty and staff will be submitted quarterly. \n• Research accounts will be carefully monitored with any and all discrepancies being handled immediately by the future office manager to make it much easier to resolve any research account problems in a timely fashion. \n• The department's Academic Affairs Committee will also operate as the budgetary advisory committee to the department chair. Stanfield said in his e-mail this is to change the "secrecy and intrigue around departmental budget and other financial matters."\nThe changes Stanfield set in place are "to make sure that the department will experience greater financial integrity than in the past," he said.\nMany faculty and staff expressed their thoughts on Stanfield's changes.\nProfessor John McCluskey Jr. said he thought Stanfield was doing what needs to be done for the department.\n"Stanfield has been trying to pull together the faculty and staff onto one single track," McCluskey said. \nFormer chairman of the department, William Wiggins said Stanfield brings a good deal of fresh ideas and has revitalized the department in many ways.\n "Stanfield has a very hands-on, administrative style," Wiggins said. "In the short period of time that he has been here, he has hired two new faculty members and has changed the name of the department itself, to more suit its goals and focus"