TUESDAY, AUGUST 29,1967
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE THREE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1967 THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGE THREE
LSA
By PAT O'DONOHUE
A new concern with the future
and direction of higher education
seems to have taken hold of a once
indifferent literary college faculty.
Professors and instructors with-
in the college have spent many
long hours in the last year out-
' side their classroooms and labor-
atories hammering out innovative
changes in a wide range of aca-
demic areas-curriculum, grading,
and degree requirements.
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Faculty
Tests
Academic
Innovations
The year began with the Cur-J
riculum Committee of the literary
college recommending to the col-
lege's faculty senate a "pass-fail"
grading system for upperclassmen,
and a new degree program called
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Stu-
dies.
The pass-fail program, which
has also been introduced at sev-
eral other universities, allows
juniors and seniors to elect one
course per semester on the pass-
fail basis. The course
cannot beI
part of the student's major con-
centration and cannot be a course
for distribution requirements.
A student who agrees to take a
course on this basis will receive
a "satisfactory" (pass for credit)
mark on his record for a grade
of C or above. A grade below C
will be entered as "unsatisfactory"
(fail, no credit). Professors will
not be told who is taking their
course on this basis. The student
will receive credit towards grad-
uation for a pass-fail course but
will not receive honor points.
The student who wishes to take
a pass-fail course must decide
which course he wishes to take on
this basis within two weeks after
registration.
which might be detrimental to his
overall gradepoint average. For
example, a history major interest-
ed in music literature could elect
that subject unconcerned about
getting a C in the class since it
would not count toward his honor
point average.
The new degree program is call-
ed Bachelor of Arts in Liberal
Studies. It goes into effect this
fall semester, and will be open to
incoming freshmen only.
The literary college's Curriculum
Committee, which formally rec-
ommended the program, will
monitor its operation and report
its findings to the faculty, to-
gether with further recommen-
dations, by January, 1971.
A student must fulfill certainj
In his last 54 hours, as a junior
and senior, the student must take
18 hours in two different distribu-
tion areas such as humanities, so-
cial sciences, natural sciences, and
languages. The last 18 hours must
be divided equally between the
third and fourth distribution
areas.
Eight to 10 of these hours must
be in a single department, and
eight hours in the last two years
must be elected in the natural
sciences.
A student who wishes to receive
a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Stu-
dies must, upon becoming a sec-
ond-semester sophomore, draw up
a program of study in which he
specifies the types of courses he
will elect in order to satisfy the
area and group requirements and
the "underlying theme , . which
provides a unifying element in
these elections."
He would then find a faculty
member who is both capable and
willing to serve as his faculty ad-
visor. The student must then sub-
mi' his program of study, bearing
the advisor's endorsement, to the
Committee on Interdisciplinary
Studies, which will decide upon
the acceptability of the program
of study. All subsequent course
elections are subject to the ap-
proval of this committee.
The members of this committee
will be appointed by the dean of
the literary college and will con-
sist of one faculty member who
teaches in the social sciences,
one in the natural sciences, one
in the humanities and one member
of the Curriculum Committee.
The intent of the program is to
free the student from the tight
restrictions of a concentration
program and allow him to dabble
in a number of different fields. It
is aimed at those students seeking
a liberal education without wish-
ing to do specialized work in a
particular area.
With these accomplishments be-
hind them, the literary college is
considering further innovations
for the future.
One policy presently under
study is the trimester system, in-
stituted only four years ago. A
recent report of the Calendar
Committee indicated that while
many faculty members and stu-
dents favored retention of the tri-
mester system, certain adaptations
should be made.
These changes inbluded the rec-
ommendations that the reading
period before final exams be
lengthened, that no early final
exams be given, that the vacation
period during the winter semester
be lengthened and that teachers
adapt their courses and reading
lists to the time alloted under the
trimester system. There are pres-
ently only two free days between
the end of classes and the begin-
ning of finals.
The executive committee of the
literary college postponed any
definitive action on these recom-
mendations and instead last spring
issued a questionaire to the col-
lege's faculty, to determine senti-
ment on the 'trimester over the
semester system. The majority of
the college's faculty has indicated
that they favor a return to the
semster system with three-fourths
of the returns in.
Numerous proposals of the Cur-
riculum Committee of the literary
college are waiting for the results
of the questionaire and the exe-
cutive committee's response before
they can be voted on. These pro-
posals include the establishment
of a "concentration-at-large" pro-
gram which would allow students
to take an interdepartmental
major and the allottment of four
credit-hours to all courses taken
by a University student.
The pass-fail program gives the basic requirements (eight hours+
stentans- oipporgito eetGreat Books, and eight hours+
student an opportunity to elect introductory history, as wellx
a course in which he is interested basic University requirements)<
without fear of receiving a grade prerequisites for the program.
of
of
as
as
REDUCE HOURS NEEDED TO GRADUATE:
Engineers
Revamp Course
Requirements
By MARCY ABRAMSON
Sweeping changes in course re-:
quirements approved by the Col-
lege of Engineering will increase
emphasis on the humanities and
social sciences, as well as allow
tudents to complete degrees in
eight terms instead of the present
eight and a half to nine. Fresh-
man entrance requirements have
also been raised to include more
non-technical courses.
The course changes are sched-I
uled to first affect the freshmanI
class of 1968-69, according to J.
G. Eisley, professor of aeronauti-
cal engineering and chairman of
Vhe Core Studies Committee of the
'ollege of Engineering. The new
entrance requirements will become
effective in 1972. Specific details
will be worked out during the
;oming year within the engineer-
ing school.
Proposed new classes include a
Great Books sequence which will
replace traditional composition
courses. The overall engineering
requirement in English, humani-
ties and social sciences will be
raised to an absolute minimum of
24 hours and a suggested mini-
mum of 28 hours. Courses in ad-
vanced English and English lit-
erature are part of the recom-
,mended curricula.
Tenure,
An Academic Facelifting for Angell Hall
AAUP Works To Maintain Fact
Freedom of Dissent at Nation's
Ilty
By AVIVA KEMPNER
The American Association of
University Professors (AAUP), on
both the national and local levels,
is concerned with the vital tasks
of maintaining the academic free-
dom and protecting the rights of
tenure of the nation's college pro-
fessors and instructors.
Academic freedom is a necessary
precondition for the fostering of
new ideas in a university commu-
nity. It guarantees the right of
each professor to express his per-
sonal beliefs on any subject, no
matter how controversial, without
fear of- reprisals. The most com-
mon deterrent a professor faces
in voicing unpopular ideas is, the
loss of his job. Any infringements
on these precious liberties sends
the national chapter of the AAUP
into immediate action.
No Legal Powers
Although the AAUP has no legal
powers to take action,' it can exert
considerable national influence in
the form of censure motions
against member institutions. If a
professor feels that his rights have
been violated by the institution
where he is teaching he may con-
tact the national AAUP organ-
ization for help. Then, 4 thorough
investigation into the merits of
the charge is usually conducted.
The investigation involves inter-
viewing and questioning both ad-
ministrators and faculty members.
If the investigators consider the
complaint justified they will in-
form the institution in question.
If the institution takes no reme-
dial action in response to the com-
'mittee's findings it usually is
placed on the AAUP censure list.
AAUP members are advised not
to accept positions offered to them
by the censured institutions, until
the objections in question are al-
leviated.
1954 Dismissals
The University was censured for
the dismissal of two professors in
1954 who refused to answer ques-
tions posed by, the House Un-
American Activities Committee. It
was also placed on the AAUP cen-
sure list from 1955-59 because the
AAUP felt that a number of the
Regents By-laws violated the rights
of faculty members.
The AAUP has chapters at al-
most all of the nation's institu-
tions of higher learning. In Mich-
igan 30 colleges and universities
and over 500 University professors
make up the state and local chap-
ters.
The national chapter publishes
a monthly journal for its mem-
bers. In the January issue the na-
tional organization tooks up the
subject of student and faculty
roles in university decision-making.
The national chapter also pre-
pares an annual survey of faculty
salaries, which serves as a yard-
stick for ranking the relative
standings of nation-wide univer-
sity salaries.
A big issue currently confronting
the AAUP is a drive by the AFL-
CIO to unionize professors and in-
structors across the country. In
the past the AAUP has refused to
endorse the strike action taken
by the faculty of St. John's Uni-
versity in New York. Although the
national convention recognized the
faculty grievances as valid, the
members decided that striking was
not a suitable protest method for
teachers to use.
The Ann Arbor chapter of the
AAUP meets only two or three
times a semester. According to the
outgoing president, E. S. Bordin,
professor of psychology, thesel
meetings "serve asa
unofficial discussioni
campus. For instance,
ter we dealt with the
decision-making in
sity."
Although definite
are usually not issue
ings give the member
interested individuals
discuss their differen
view. Any action take
coordination with the
Universities
a forum for ulty organizations, since there is
of issues on "an overlapping of both members
, last semes- and issues," Bordin explained.
problem of "The powerful weapon of cen-
the Univer- sure puts the local AAUP member
in an ambiguous position," said
statements Bordin. "On one hand, we want
d the meet- to pressure the University, but
s and other not cripple it."
The questions of the teaching
a chance to fellow's role in the university and
at points of where and when the university
n is done in professor should present his per-
formal fac- sonal political views to his stu-
dents have been the focal points
of discussions at meetings in re-
cent years.
Annual Convention
On the state level AAUP holds
an annual convention and execu-
tive meetings are held every two
months. In recent years the na-
tional AAUP has been decentral-
ized, giving state chapters addi-
tional responsibilities.
The state organization is con-
cerned with similar issues as the
national and local AAUP, working
closely with the State Board of
Education in the development of
the master plan for higher educa-
tion in Michigan.
Dean Gordon Van Wylen of the
College of Engineering has sug-
gested in an Engineering Council
Report a four course sequence "to
give information on Western
thought and to make engineers
aware of sociological environ-
ment." The new sequence would
require a freshman Great Books
course with writing instruction in
the senior year. The four courses
would probably replace some hu-
manities electives, freshman Eng-
lish and Group II English.
The elimination of required free
electives will reduce the number
of hours needed for graduation
from the present 138 to 128.
The chemistry requirement will
also be cut from the present eight
Shours to a four-hour minimum.
One chemistry course will be re-
quired with high school chemistry
as a necessary prerequisite.
Modern Approae'i
The faculty also approved a
proposed new physics sequence of
two or three courses which will
take a "modern approach" to the
subject, according to the report
of the Core Studies Committee.
High school physics will be nec-
essary for admission to the class.
A review of mathematics cours-
es and credit hour distribution in
the first four terms of study
will also be undertaken.
Engineering classes will be mod-
ified to provide a group of core
courses in materials, thermody-
namics, particle and rigid body
mechanics, solid mechanics, fluid
mechanics and electrical engineer-
ing science.
Freshmen will be required to
take a new four-hour course in
digital computing and graphics
communications. Computer graph-
ics will replace Engineering
Graphics 101. The relevancy of,
requiring Engineering Science 101
for all freshmen is also being con-
sidered.
New entrance requirements for
freshmen will increase the num-
ber of English units needed from
three to four. Candidates will beI
able to apply one unit of a for-
eign language to this requirement.
Four units of mathematics will
be required, two of algebra, one of
geometry, half a unit of trig-
onometry and half a unit of
analytic geometry or advanced
topics. Three and a half units are
now required.
Instead of two units of science,
the student will need one unit it
physics and one in chemistry.
Electives will be increased from,
three to four units. Two units of
foreign language are recommend-
ed.
Both the Regents of the Uni-
versity and the engineering school
faculty termed the new require-
ments "consistent with the ever-
increasing demands for upgrading
the quality of engineering educa-
tion."
All the planned changes were
based on the recommendations of
the Core Studies Committee.
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