THE MICHIGAN DAILY
I P,
THE MICHIGAN DAiLYI
....
Polls, Praise,
Grip es Surround
TriUmester
Pta
By WALTER SHAPIRO
and'ANN MUNSTER
The "rushed trimester system"
has been, ever since its inception,
the cause of many bitter com-
plaints by both students and fac-
ulty as they lament their respec-
tive lack of accomplishment at
the end of each term.
Under the discarded two-semes-
ter system, which prevailed until
the fall of 1963, semesters were 20
weeks in length, of which about
15 or 16 weeks were devoted to
classes. The first semester, which
began in mid-September and con-
tinued through the first few days
of February, was broken by three
weeks of vacation, and finished
with a ten-day' examination per-
iod. The second -emester began
in mid-February, ended in mid-
June, and was divided by a ten-
day "spring recess" in early April.
There was also an eight-week
summer session; for which the
tuition was half of the amount
charged for a regular semester.
Enrollment for the summer ses-
sion was often above 10,000, but
a large number of the students
were. Detroit area teachers, not
regular University students. Class-
es were not in session from mid-
August until mid-September,
Trimester Terms
The fall and winter terms of
the trimester system are 15 weeks
in length with a one-week exam-
ination period and'a grand total
of one week for vacation and
study days each semester. The
two and one-half week Christmas
vacation now serves also as a
break between the fall and win-
ter terms, and the summer session
consists of two seven-week terms
or one of 15 weeks.
The enrollment for the spring
half-term this year, was 9500
comprised largely of regular Uni-
versity students. Due to the dis-
crepancy between the University
calendar and that of most other1
colleges, it is difficult for students
from other 'schools to attend the
University.. Many of the 12,000
students enrolled for the summer
half-term, however, are here for
the summer only.
Pressure has been mounting re-
cently within the University com-
munity to abandon the five-year-
old trimester schedule, though it
is unlikely that this outcry rep-
resents a majority of student and
faculty opinion.
The literary college Executive
Committee sponsored a referen-
dum of the literary college fac-
ulty, after receiving a report of
its Committee on the Calendar,
headed by Prof. George E. Hay,
chairman of the mathematics
department.
Center, conducted what was prob-
ably the most thorough examina-
tion of faculty and student opin-
ion on the various ramifications
of the trimester system.
Early in 1966, they distributed
questionnaires to half of the lit-
erary college faculty (451), "vir-
tually all teaching fellows with at
least two years of teaching ex-
perience in the large depart-
ments" (118), one-quarter of the
class of '66 (520), and one-six-
teenth of the remainder of the
student body (456). Responses
were received from approximately
75 per cent of those questioned.
The results indicated that sen-
ior faculty members were signifi-
cantly more dissatisfied with the
present trimester system than
were instructors, teaching fellows,
and students. 65 per cent of the
students and only 39 per cent of
the faculty members said they
were satisfied with the present
University calendar.
The discrepancy between stu-
dents and faculty was most
graphically illustrated by the re-
rate of learning will approximate
sponses to the question "Do you
like the present trimester schedule
better than a semester system?"
While only 43 per cent of the fac-
ulty preferred the trimester sys-
tem, 60 per cent of the teaching
fellows and 78 per cent of the
students answered "yes."
One possible reason for the fac-
ulty's preference for the semester
is that the trimester system,com-
pels them to pursue formal in-
struction at a pace that makes it
very difficult to keep up with re-
search. This complaint was voiced
by Dean Gordon Van Wylen of
the College of Engineering. Hel
explained that a poll of the en-
gineering faculty revealed a gen-
eral dissatisfaction with the tri-
mester system and that the school
would like to see a more thorough
consideration of the issue.
Certain aspects of the current
trimester system are, however,
highly popular. The Calendar
Committee's survey found that
one-half of the faculty, 70 per
cent of the teaching fellows, and
80 per cent of the students favor-
ed "ending a trimester or a se-
mester before Christmas." In ad-
dition, half the students felt that
ending a winter term about May
1 helped them in "finding sum-
mer employment," while only 6
per cent said they were hindered.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Extra-curricular activities seem
to have been one of the major
casualties of the trimester sys-
tem. Two-thirds of the seniors,
the only students in the survey
who had experienced both sys-
tems, indicated they had more
difficulty finding the time neces-
sary to participate under the tri-
mester system.
On the basis of the results of
the questionnaires, the Calendar
Committee recommended t h a t
"the present trimester calendar
be retained, but with modifica-
tions." They called upon teach-
ers to "adjust the work load re-
quired of students so that the
that tinder the semester system"
The poll,
the mails.:
asked to
but end-o
created by
system," n
the final
were not a
result was
in favor (
Faculty Poll
was conducted through
Faculty members were
respond by April 28,
of-the-term pressures,
the "rushed trimester
iecessitated a delay in
tabulations, and they
vailable until June. The
an almost 2-1 vote
Df a return to a two-
and that "the practice of giving the summer session and the fall
early final examinations be elimi- semester has been reduced to less
nated." In addition they recom- than a week by the trimester
mended that the study days be- schedule.
fore examinations be increased These considerations of effi-
from four to five and that the cient use of University facilities
midterm break in the winter term and the amount of tuition re-
be extended to one full week. ceived are far from unimportart
The Executive Committee's res- to the Regents, with whom final
olution' stated that a major . in- calendar decisions rest.
ference to be drawn from the re- One Regent was reported to
cent survey of faculty and stu- have said during a discussion of
dent opinion is that adoption of the trimester, "I run my factory
the trimester system has resulted the year around, I can't see why
in damage to a number of educa- the University can't be run the
tional values, without offering same -way"
sufficient improvement as com-
pensation. It is unlikely, that the results
of the faculty poll will be pre-
University Efficiency sented directly to the Regents.
But an Important factor in re- In all probability, they will be
tention of the trimester 'system is preserted to 'the President, or a
the more efficient use of Univer- vice-president, or the Faculty As-
sity facilities which has been ob- sembly for further action. The
tained through the new system. Regents have already approved a
Making the summer session into a University calendar through the
full semester means that the spring commencement of 1970.
University can receive twice as And while it is possible to alter
much money from tuition. And this calendar, such a change Is
the month-long period between considered highly improbable.
semester system with an "en-
riched" summer session.
The Calendar Committee, with
the aid of the Survey Research
UAC EVENT:
Labor Day Weekend Festivities
To Feature Varied Program
SAVE
4'.. °,
BUT JUNIOR
HAS TO PAY FOR IT!
AT
;'
u t
:
ULRjiCH'S
5i
By JENNIFER RHEA
Labor Day weekend will be the
first major social event of 1967-68
when. it commences its festivities
on the weekend of September 1-4.
Under the general co-chairnian-
ship of Robert 'Sparks, TOE, and
Stephen Eklund, '69E, LDW has,
three major concepts embodied
within its fun-filled framework.
First, the weekend is in part gear-
ed toward a cooperation between
University students and the; city
of Ann Arbor. In this respect, vari
ous of the events during LDW are
co-sponsorede by the Weekend's
Central, Committee and certain
Ann Arbor teams and service clubs.
Second, its was' decided that this
celebration would not be cluttered
with a number of games, stunts,
competitive house events, and
other activities that sometimes re-
quire more work than leisure for
the students involved in them.
With these objectives, the final
plans have been formulated into
a reality that the LDW Central
.Committee is sure all will enjoy.
During registration and up until
Friday night, September 1, the
diag will appear as it never has
before. A "Beer Garden in the
finest of University tradition will
be constructed where students may
relax with drinks, furnished by
LDW, while suffering through the
registration lines. Then Friday
night one of the finest mixers of
the year will be held with the
Long Island South Band' in a place
to be announced later. This is one
Daily Photo Staff
Photo tor.........Andrew Sacks
Lab Chief... ...Robert Sheffield
Clief Photographer ... Thomas R. Copi
photographers: Bernie Baker, Ron Hol-
comb, George Junne, Thomas Sheard,
Charles Soberman.
All pictures are copyright by the Asso-
ciated Press and The Michigan Daily,
Reprints savilable upon request.
of the LDW features being co-
sponsored for the band is being
presented by the courtesy of the
State Street Merchants Associa-
tion.
Qn Saturday, for 'all those who
'have any kind of wheels-cycles or
cars-there will be a road rally,
fashioned after those so success-
fully given by the' large motor.
corporations. This road rally, how-
ever, is any excellent chance to see'
the country, take along a "navi-
gator" for an afternoon drive, or
to cash in on some possible big
prizes.
The night of September 2 will
see Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong in
concert at Hill Auditorium.
Sunday, November 3, will see one
of the most novel entertainment
performances of all times appear-
ing in the Baseball Stadium. Fol-
lowing the traditional themes of
Labor Day, but injecting the es-
sence of royalty into an ordinary
event,LDW Central Committee"
presents one of the greatest of
softball teams=-royalty-The King
and His Court, the "Harlem Globe-
trotters" of softball.
To finish off an exciting and en-
joyable Sunday afternoon, LDW
and' the Jaycees of Ann Arbor are
co-sponsoring a picnic dinner in
the area of Wines Field.
al , icl igttn
Datitj
ANN ARBOR'S FRIENDLY BOOKSTORE.
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Bursicy Ha-i Complex
- w __ 6 - O'
o10 House 90
(Continued from Page 1)
Bursley Hall, which will con-
tain 518 double and. 144 single
rooms, will contain from 35 to 50
per cent freshmen, 135 returning
upperclassmen, and a great num-
ber of transfer and graduate stu-
dents ' according to Edward C.
Salowitz, assistant director of
University Housing.
"The new students will prob-
ably be either in the music school.
or in an engineering program so
they perhaps will have classes on
North Campus," Salowitz ex-
plained. For those who do have
classes on Main Campus, the Uni-
versity will continue its free bus
service, with buses running every
few minutes throughout the day.
Bursley is a four-story structure
consisting of two main housing
units for 600 students. (300 men,,
390 women) connected by a three-
level service building.
P() Mtucents
The rooms of Bursley are about
the same size as the rooms in East
Quadrangle, with the exception of
the resident directors' suites.
.Each RD will live in a two-room
suite ith private bath and
kitchenette.
Salowitz says their accommoda-
tions have been designed this way'
so "in, case any faculty member
should want to be a resident di-
rector, we will have suitable quar-
ters to accommodate him."
The upper level of the service
building consists of four dining
halls which can handle about 500
s t u d e n t s each. Multipurpose
rooms are available for private
meetings of student groups. A
snack bar is located on the lower
floor.
The main floor of the building
consists of a service area, offices,
and certain student facilities, in-
eluding a student government
room and a game room.
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MICHIGAN UNION SHOW KOEDS TOO
Michigan's All-Campus Musical Show
1966-West Side Story
1967-Anything Goes
Out of Our Minds
Join MUSKET to Build Another
Fabulous Show in 1968!
TWO MASS MEETINGS.
swint 4 in
Carpui £ao
1967
r
'p.
i
It's here at Jacobson's, America's most complete
ompus fashion shop . . . a color-go.lively collection of
fashions on the move, everything you want for
classroom, social, fun .and cosual weor'rinto make
Jacobson's your first stop . . . your away-from-home.
I