"Briefly, It's Up To You To Clean Up The Success In Washington" Seventy-First Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSrrY OF MICHIGAN en Opinions Are Free UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Crut will revaA- STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH.* Phone NO 2-3241 litorials printed an The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. I LLinwin.umwsmpqmp.~.mmmL!I mofte t ti ,y7 1 tdm'4 R" 'b AY, JANUARY 17, 1961 NIGHT EDITOR: SUSAN FARRELL College Teachers Today: Where Do They Come From? VHERE DO CQLLEGE teachers come from? A study recently completed by a visiting ofessor of education at the University, Prof. L.an O. Pfnister, indicates that nearly one urth of them receive their baccalaureate grees from only sixteen of the institutions higher learning in the United States. Futher, over half of them are trained lii Iversities, and nearly half do their under- aduate work at large, coeducational institu- ns. The top eight producers in 1955, in- iding the University, were large universities. Such information is not only interesting; It also, as the report points out, significant th regard to exploding college enrollments d the ever growing need for more qualified ofessors. 'ONTRARY TO GENERAL opinion," the u report says, "the smaller institutions are t contributing graduates to teaching in the me degree as are the larger institutions." One might-chance a, few educated guesses at asons for this clear predominence of large ititutions in the production of college achers. In the first place, it is reasonable suppose that many undergraduates are tracted by the prospect of college teaching d/or of graduate study sometime after they gin their college careers. In an institution such as ours where there a relatively large body of graduate students d where many of the faculty are teaching studying in the graduate departments, one ght expect the attraction of postgraduate rk to be stronger and steadier than in the taller colleges devoted primarily or exclusively undergraduate training. And, if a high school ident, intent on college teaching, were aware these advantage and considered them to such, he might well go to the large, com- ex university in the first place. IMILARLY, BUT LESS surely, many of these students could be expected to remain the same institution, or go to one similar size and facilities, for the years of graduate idy and perhaps those following. The report, fact, gives this assumption some factual sis: Almost 43 per cent of those faculty embers surveyed were teaching in the same geographic region in which they had received their baccalaureates; over 21 per cent, junior college teachers excluded, were employed by their alma maters, If the sole purpose of an institution of higher learning were to turn out teachers with which to staff itself, one could argue that the small school whose graduates seldom take up college teaching has little or no raison d'etre. But this, of course, is not the case. A college edu'cation has become requisite or ad- vantageous on innumerable levels of bread- winning. INS'TITUTIONS SUCH AS the University ap- pear to be the most productive of college teachers. More college teachers are needed, and will be for years to come. Therefore, the Uni- versity and other schools are the logical places to turn for the additional scholars. However, the University has problems of its own: the current pressure of overwhelming numbers of applications, of a size and com- plexity increasing faster than we can under- stand or adjust. How can it possibly be expected to cater to the serious "scholar" very much more than it already does? There has been talk for some time now, to the effect that the University will, in not so many years, do away with the first two years of undergraduate work, or perhaps become a purely graduate institution. BUT, IF WE can trust Prof. Pfnister's report, such action could very well diminish our contribution to the academic trade. An alter- native, to continue to move slowly, almost stealthily, away from the traditional concept of a state' university-being all things to all (Michigan) men-seems preferable. In other words, the University should limit the levels of education it offers to those generally under- stood to attract the exceptional intellect. It is hardly politick to advise that the Uni- versity immediately do away with its "trade" schools. However, if high admissions standards are maintained throughout the University, one might expect that the matter will take care of itself. Then this institution might become something more like to what it perhaps should be-a, true "community of scholars." -ANDREW HAWLEY TEN INSTITUTIONS: Co-Ordination and The State Universities YI OTHER CAMPUSES: ew YouthGroups Questioned L OCCASIONALLY happens that this news- paper has been accused of extreme rightism, t discounting this sort of criticism as weird d wonderful emanations from the lunatic Lnge, we feel rather confident that no one n really accuse us of 'red baiting.' With this uch understood, we would like to issue a gen- al word of caution against any sort of partici- tion in two recently announced organizations. The Progressive Youth Coordinating commit- e was elected at an organizational meeting Id in Chicago over the interim. While sev- al of its leaders are known Communists, its mounced purpose is to spread socialism. In- ed this was all that was really discussed at . meetings. But, is this the only reason the eeting was held? We think not. We were one of the few newspapers present the meeting: we were quite possibly the only per there. The discussion held inside was let, orderly and sincere. It was totally rmight'; there was no subversive plotting, no achievellian conniving, no scheming. Every- e was avowedly left wing, some were commu- st but honestly admitted to this ideology, all oke from the position of a political minority t embraced this position openly. LEANWHILE, J. Edgar Hoover, the nemesis of the liberals, an imthediate object of tred of the entire left wing, had branded the eting as Communist led, inspired and di- eted. He equated it withthe insidious San ancisco demonst-ations of last spring. The irs along the back of the common liberal ek already bristled. The Chicago newspapers, ying fatherland, were no less generous In eir use of ugly epithets. The Daily News mpously asserted that students should read 'ne history. The liberal lip curled. Picketeers, nging from conservative to neo-Fascist arched outside the meeting hall carrying signs ecting the public to "kill the commies," tile inside the honest and forthright young cialists seriously debated their goals and mais. Sensing a martyrdom, the liberal mind sponded with sympathy. But is this sympathy merited? Again, we ink not. If the organizers were sincere in eir intentions, why were such legitimate and ;ablished socialist groups as the Young Peo- s Socialist league refused admittance? Since e inside meeting was so much above-board, ty was the working press excluded? Press cov- age of the event could not possibly have been re vituperative had it been admitted to the etings and a legitimate source of suspicion uld have been removed. Why were such widely recognized youth and C OULD IT BE that the organizers of the gath- ering wanted to establish the auro of mar- tyrdom? Did they wish to be unjustly vilified? Were they more desirous of emotional sympathy than ideological sympathy? Our answer is ob- viously that we think this is quite possibly the case. After this unruly inception, there is next to no possibility that the group, now so denounced and deprecated, can ever be successful in achieving its announced goals of advancing and promoting socialism. Either the organizers of the meeting are very foolish, or else they had other ideas in mind. What goal could this be? It could be that the Communist party merely wants access to a new supply of young and fuz- zy minds. It might be that the backers of the group hope to use it to discredit by association certain competitive liberal action groups. It might be that countinig upon the inherent stu- pidity of J. Edgar Hoover and the Chicago press as well as the inherent sympathy of the liberal mass, those who founded this new assocation have already achieved their primary goal. N ANY CASE this new Progressive Youth league seems to be either foolish, unnecessary or inisidious. In any case we would encourage avoidance. A second event which disturbs us is the World Youth Forum scheduled for this sum- mer in Moscow, This meeting is not to be confused with Youth Festivals, despite the fact that both events are ultimately sponsored and controlled by the same body: the Soviet government. In the past few years American organizations have been willing to send delegations to the Festivals; from painful experience they know how their official presence can be used and twisted in Soviet propaganda. However, they generally have encouraged students and other young people to attend the Festivals, to attempt to deny anti-Western propaganda, to meet the East. FEW GROUPS WILL be doing this much for the forthcoming Forum, however. This event will be held in the heart of Moscow, and, from all we have been able to learn thus far, will be under the strictest of Soviet surveillance. A major purpose of the Forum will be to debate and legislate on political issues;-the resolutions which will be passed are probably already writ- ten. There will be at best scant opportunity for free debate or open discussion. Advocates of (EDITOR'S NOTE; This is the first of a two~ part series on co- ordination in the State Univer- sities.) By PHILIP SUTIN Daily Staff Writer WITH THE organization of Grand Valley College, the people of Michigan will be sup- porting 10 institutions of higher education. Three of these enroll more than 20,000 students. Because of a scarcity of funds, state universities have been scrambling for their share of the tax dollar. They not only must compete with other essential gov- ernmental services, but they also must vie among themselves for adequate fulfillment of budget re- quests. The organization of the state system of higher education does not promote efficient appropria- tion of tax revenues. There are six governing boards controling the nine operating institutions. The University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University have governing boards elected by the people for six to eight year terms wvithi two mem- bers before the electorate every odd year. Eastern, Western, Central and Northern Michigan universities are controlled by the State Board of' Public Instruction, three members are elected every six years with one member seeking election every odd year. The boards of the Michigan College of Mining and Engineering and Ferris Institute are appointed by the governor for eight year terms, NO OFFICIAL co-ordinating agency links these organizations. The only person responsible for communication among the various institutions is the State Super- intendent of Public Instruction, who is an ex-officio member of most of the governing boards. Thus the only agency respon- sible for co-ordinating the whole system is the state Legislature. By means of its appropriations it is theoretically able to create a co- ordinated, efficient system of higher education in Michigan. Un- fortunately, it is unable to do this. The complexities of various uni- versities are difficult, if not im- possible, for the state Legislature to comprehend or to evaluate. Each institution has highly devel- oped programs at various levels of instruction. Costs of educating students vary greatly with the fields being studied. Compounding these difficulties, there is no stan- dard fiscal system used among the nine institutions and no uniform cost analysis to measure the ef- ficiency of each unit. * * * ASIDE FROM THESE technical problems, the Legislature finds other difficulties when dealing with higher education appropria- tions. Due to the press of other business, it does not have time to study the institutions' problems carefully. When it does consider the area, the Legislature is buf- feted by political pressures and institutional lobbying. Finally, the Legislature has no agency with an over all view of the higher education system to turn tg for advice. The present Michigan constitution assigns this function to the State Superin- tendent of Public ,Instruction by placing him on the State Board of Public Instruction and making him an ex-officio member of each of the other boards. As some of the boards meet simultaneously and as he is also charged with supervising primary and secondary education in the state, it is impossible for him to attend, study and co-ordinate the actions of the State Board of Public Instruction with respect to higher education. * * * HAMPERED BY these difficul- ties, the Legislature cannot co- ordinate the nine institutions to create an efficient higher educa- tion system. Some form of co- ordinating agency could perform many useful functions for the state. An unbiased position here could greatly help in advising the Legis- lature in approving appropriations and the institutions themselves in planning academic and service programs. Pressures and lobbying could be relieved with the Legis- lature no longer dependent on each institution for vital infor- mation, not having to assemble a clear picture of the state system from masses of sometimes con- flicting facts. Likewise, the various institutions could be aided by a co-ordinating agency. In its striving for excel- lence, a university may lose sight of its role in the state and its place in the state system. Dan- gerous and destructive rivalries occur with one institution ag- grandizing itself and trying to weaken others. The agency could remind the colleges and univer- sities they are part of a system and that service to it is an impor- tant part of their program. Such an organization can ad- vise the various institutions about its programs. It can encourage ex- cellence and new programs when they are in the best interest of the state. From its central posi- tion, it can evaluate the effects of institutional programs for all of Michigan as well as for the organization involved. By compar- ing any program with those at other institutions, the co-ordinat- Ing agency can advise against "me too" type programs and encourage original and successful ones. * * * A CO-ORDINATING agency could serve as a channel of com- munication between the state in- stitutions. By necessarily estab- lishing comparable standards of operation, the organization could facilitate comparisons between universities. It also could provide a means for exchanging informa- tion on programs, proposals, and other administrative material. An irresolvable paradox is bound up in any co-ordination. Each in- stitution must maintain its in- dependence in the internal affairs of student selection, faculty hiring, academic standards and fiscal management, yet at the same time each institution must be a part of a cohesive state system. The great universities are those free to con- duct their own affairs without the interference of a higher agency. An authoritarian bureaucracy can greatly hinder the develop- ment of an institution. Under such tight, centralized control, every decision, however minor, must be FEIFFER t.Ar WoeK 160Tf A PAPAK~Te F'ARAKECT51 I'M TOW,, CAN TAKE' THE TfRvE M5AE'R6 OF A 050Jo~. WLA)WO B*~ ITE NM AFWAIL9OF 06 66GE I NAVE WMflhI A6i 'q Pff'ONAL-Y. 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