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. . ... ... 3, .:.;.......<'ais:"a lY :'{. 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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