Seventy-Third Year ,EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 1.1ICHIGAN UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS "Where Opnions Are Free STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG., ANN ARBOR, MIcE., PHONE NO 2-3241 Tmutb Will Prevail"' Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must bp noted in all reprints. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: 'U' Must Clarify Position of HRB Y, MARCH 1, 1963 NIGHT EDITOR: MALINDA BERRY NCATE Teaching Debate: In Pursuit of Medioerity IN THE FOLKLORE of higher education, teacher training is regarded as the lowest of the low. Education school faculties are often the target of -the jokes and scorn of their colleagues. Among students, education schools are often pictured as refuges from the trouble of using one's mind. in short, there seems to be tacit agreement with the last third of Shaw's statement: those who can, do; those who can't teach; those who can't teach, teach teachers. Nobody is more acutely aware of these crit- icisms than education school faculties them- selves. Here at the University, at least, a few of the more creative have recognized the validity of at least some of the criticisms and have tried to remedy some of the evils. Without going into the specific proposals, it is enough to say that improvement will take constant ex- perimentation. For this reason, the visit of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Edu- cation will hurt the University. NCATE (pro- nounced en-kate) is a supposedly independent, voluntary agency whose purpose is to accredit teacher training institutions. But its inde- pendence and non-compulsory nature are de- ceptive in light of its influence over state teacher certification policies and its close ties with the National Education Association. NCATE is attempting to set up a uniform pattern of teacher education at a time when no one uniform pattern can be cited as best. It is closing the door to necessary experimenta- tion in preparing teachers. Worse, it is ex- tending its influence throughout the nation, making it more and amore difficult for the University or any other institution to disagree with the association without serious conse- quences. NCATE HAS been involved in two prominent cases. The first of these occurred at the University of Wisconsin when the organization decided to grant only temporary accreditation" to that school. The dean got mad, the faculty got mad, the administration got mad and Wis- consin withdrew from the group. Now it is difficult to assess the merits of NCATE's complaints against Wisconsin or Wisconsin's complaints against NCATE. In many respects it was a childish squabble and NCATE may well have been right in regard to the quality of Wisconsin's facilities. But the really interesting part of the story happened when Wisconsin was informed by Iowa that all Wisconsin graduates who wanted to teach in Iowa would have to take six hours of grad- uate work in NCATE approved schools in order to get a certificate. The total effect of this debacle was to make NCATE look stupid in academic circles and to make educators wary of the group's power. Wisconsin is a very well-known university generally held in high esteem. To insinuate that the graduates of some teacher's college in the middle of Iowa are as well-prepared to teach as Wisconsin graduates defies common sense. Among educators-not in the narrow sense of education school teachers-NCATE's failure to approve Wisconsin caused alarm that NCATE might be attempting to set a nar- row "professional experience" as a higher value than a good education tempered with some teaching preparation. HIS FEAR was intensified by NCATE's second denial of accreditation. This time, the group did not approve Carleton College. Carleton College is a small but highly dis- tinguished school. It is a liberal arts school but it does offer a teacher certification program. NCATE .thought that its method courses were too theoretical and also objected to the idea the Carleton did not have a formal program for screening out individuals who by personality were unfit to teach. Carleton appealed the decision to NCATE's executive board and eventually won. But the damage was done. NCATE had shown itself for a narrow organization that can see the little things but not the overall picture. The fact that both Carleton and Wisconsin offer their prospective teachers first-rate liberal arts educations and backgrounds in their majors counted for very little. These two incidents also showed NCATE's growing influence over teacher training. It is not just in Iowa that teachers have to have some NCATE-approved education. In 28 states, graduation from an NCATE institution is enough to get a teaching certificate. And the list of NCATE-approved schools contains a great number of third-rate institutions offer- ing next to no training in a future teacher's major. To make things worse, NCATE is closely allied with the National Education Associa- tion. This group-hardly noted for any em- phasis of content over form-has used its influence to promote NCATE's interests. FOR THESE REASONS, the University ought to withdraw from NCATE. It is a useless organization as far as the University is con- cerned. If the group were to deny accredita- tion to the University, the University would most likely politely tell it to go to hell. But by withdrawing from it, the Univer- sity can do the cause of teacher education much godd. For one thing, the University could band together with Wisconsin and some of the other influential Midwestern universities, form its own accrediting agency and destroy the power of NCATE. This would be an organization dedicated to experimentation in teacher education and working to produce teachers versed in their majors as well as in methods. It would also be a group dominated by faculty members instead of the professional bureaucracy of the NEA. If the University could convince only five of the Big Ten universities and perhaps some others to come with it, the NCATE would not have a chance. For NCATE has shown itself to be dedicated to the pursuit of mediocrity that has so long plagued teacher education. The question in- volved is not whether the University will re- ceive NCATE's seal of approval when it visits next year. It is whether or not the University is dedicated to producing superior teachers and whether the University is willing to fulfill that commitment. -DAVID MARCUS To the Editor: AS FORMER chairmen of the Human Relations Board, we feel that we may be able to clarify some of the issues involved in the recent controversy concerning the picketing of the Administration Building and the president's resi- dence. 1) There are many indications that therUniversity believes its students, faculty and staff should not be subject to racial discrimi- nation. But, unfortunately, these are merely indications; a clear and firm program of action is lacking. After many years of consideration -chiefly spurred by the HRB-. the University promulgated bylaw 2.14. The bylaw promisei that the University would "work toward" the elimination of discrimination. This was a fine promise; but the University has, as yet, failed to deliver on that promise in many material respects. The one new policy of the University in this area, cited by the president, not to accept listing of housing units available only on a discriminatory basis was achieved only by con- stant pressure by the HRB and several other groups, not as the result of any cogent plan by the administration. 2) The HRB has traditionally served as a student group to chan- nel views and complaints to the proper body within the University and within the city and state. This role has been explicitly rec- ognized by both Student Govern- ment Council and Vice-President Lewis. Implicitly, this role has been recognized by the faculty, the administration and the Regents.- 3) The incumbent members of the HRB had a clear responsibility to confront the University's de- cision-making processes with a problem and urge its view. On L! 't'..s- . - "MtORE VI&GA ri SECRECY MUST END: Stuet'Stake in Athletic Board Policy Survey on Research T HE NEED for facts to back up student pro- posals for University reform has been vividly illustrated in recent weeks, when emotional ap- peals for change have proved unconvincing. An example of inadequacy of presentation was shown with the recommendations from the Student Government Council Committee on Student Concerns for changes in women's hours. The group recognized the need for a survey which would serve as the basis for those recommendations, and proceeded to take a random sampling of University women. The survey was far from convincing: it polled only one sorority, one cooperative, and among dormitory women, half of those surveyed were freshmen. COUNCIL SUBSEQUENTLY passed a series of recommendations to be submitted to. the Office of Student Affairs, but acknow- ledged the inadequacy of the survey. The majority which supported the motion certainly did not base its conclusions on the survey, but rather on personal philosophies of the right of University women to make fundamental choices relative to the governing of their own lives. Though the majority of Council members. seemed convinced of an overwhelming campus' sentiment in favor of the abolition of hours, there is no basis in established fact to support the assertions. Administrators who will receive Council recommendations and make the ulti- mate decision as to their acceptance are not at all certain of the interpretation made of prevailing campus sentiment. In fact, many men in positions of adminis- trative power feel that a large number of bolstered by a comprehensive and reliable sur- vey; the same is true for proposals from the Committee on Student Activities which asked for election of SGC members by districts, turned down by Council last week. On the whole, the committee's report was carefully drafted, but the most important question of districting was left unanswered: how many voters would there be to each district? The committee could make only a rough guess, and could not begin to predit a possible flux in population from year to year which might necessitate frequent reapportionment. Even if Council had been interested in elec- tion by districts as a general concept, the body could never, in good faith, have passed recom- mendations which left open wide possibilities for gerrymandering and unfair apportionment. THERE IS a third, and most important ex- ample of the need for a definitive survey which could provide the basis for substantive action. In 1960, the Human Relations Board of Student Government Council conducted a ran- dom sampling to determine discrimination in Ann Arbor housing. Reports from the group showed a refusal on the part of 50 per cent of apartment landlords polled to accept foreign or non-white students as tenants. But the widespread acceptance of the validity of the survey is limited by the spottiness of the sampling. In the final analysis, individual student committees-with the wide range of duties ascribed to them-have neither the time nor the experience to conduct comprehensive, re- liable surveys which would "put meat" into student proposals which otherwise seem to be emotionally based. These individual commit- tees can onnly makehalf-hearted attempts at By BILL BULLARD STUDENT representation o n athletic policy-making bodies at the University has always been nominally provided for. However, the nature of this representation has varied from time to time. Student influence has probably never been so insignificant as in recent years. For the two decades prior to 1893. a group of students con- trolled athletics. The idea of a college or University sponsoring teams was just starting to gain acceptance. Athletic clubs with no official standing at the Uni- versity had developed in the mid- dle of the 19th century, but by 1873 a football association was formed and a baseball association was foundedin 1876. These two groups merged in 1878 to form the first athletic association. * * * ' THE NEW group was entirely student controlled and had two major aims. One purpose of the athletic association was to direct the activities of the University's athletic teams. Secondly, the stu- dents wanted to raise funds to build a gymnasium. This group was short-lived as the football and baseball teams which it tried to manage took control of their own affairs in 1884. In 1891 another attempt was made tohform an athletic association. The payment by a student of $3 to the association made him a member of the group a rd an active participant in the management of athletics. Accord- ing to the association 's constitu- tion five officers and a board of directors was to be elected an - nually to formulate athletic policy. The passing of student control of athletics to the faculty came in 1893 when a scandal developed. Two members of a University team were discovered to be sub- freshmen. Because of this the athletic association relinquished its power to a specially created board of the University Senate. * * * THE NEW board to regulate athletics was composed of five faculty members and four stu- dents. President James B. Angell picked the faculty members from the University Senate and the students were selected by the ath- letic association. Throughout this period the new Board in Control of Athletics delegated much of the direct management of ath- letics to the athletic association. In 1907, the board was reor- ganized. The number of faculty members remained the same but student representation was cut from four to two. One alumni member made a total of eight on the board. A year later the two students had an opportunity to make an important decision. Sentiment was building up to withdraw from the Western Conference as a re- sult of several league rule changes to which the University's board had violently objected. Three fac- uly members and the two students voted tn withdraw from the con- The faculty members became a minority on the board in 1910 when the alumni membership was increased\ to three and the stu- dent membership also was in- creased to three. The Regents were to select the alumni mem- bers while the students were to be picked by the Athletic Asso- ciation. In addition, one of the faculty member positions was re- served for the Director of Outdoor Athletics. In May, 1915, the Regents amended the bylaws so that the four faculty members were elect- ed by the University Senate rather than being appointed. All four faculty members selected in the next election were favorable to rejoining the Western Confer- ence. Since 1913 the elected stu- dent representatives had been in favor of rejoining. So in Novem- ber, 1917, the board voted to be- come a member of the Western Conference again. * * * SELECTION OF student mem- bers was altered somewhat in 1923. The three members of the board were to be elected by the male members of the Athletic Association. Candidates for elec- tion were selected in two differ- ent ways. The board of directors of the athletic association picked six candidates and anyone else who wished to run was required to present a petition signed by at least 300 members of the asso- ciation. This innovation in determining candidates was important since a variation of this form of nom- ination still exists today. At the January, 1942, meeting of the Regents the bylaws concerning the Athletic board were altered so that the student members were to be elected by the male student body instead of the athletic asso- ciation. A major reorganization of the board was made in 1926 as the result of the influential Day Re- port which has been called the most significant document ever prepared in the field of athletics. At the May, 1926, meeting of the B o a r d of Regents, sweeping changes were made in the bylaws affecting the Board in Control of Athletics. Faculty membership was increased to seven members selected by the President of the University. The President and the Director of Intercollegiate Ath- letics were made permament members of the board. Alumni membership remained at three but student membership was re- duced to two. Thus the faculty members gained a majority on the board. * * * IN THE board's 1931 annual report to the Regents, one of the strongest statements ever to be made in favor of student repre- sentation on the board appeared. The board wrote: Our own athletic board has not been unmindful of or un- influenced by student points of view and desires. There are two student members of the board en times. The name has been changed from the Board in Con- trol of Athletics to the Board in Control of Physical Education to the Board in Control of Inter- collegiate Athletics. Personnel changes-such as removing the President's seat on the board- have been made. Thus at the present time the composition of the board is as follows: Nine members of the University Senate, appointed by the Presi- dent of the University from a panel chosen by the Senate Ad- visory Committee on University Affairs, and subject to the ap- proval of the Regents. Each mem- ber holds office for a three-year term and each member is limited to two terms except when a mem- ber fills less than half the unex- pired term of another member. The President has the power to make interim appointments in the case where a vacancy occurs on the board. The terms shall be staggered so that three terms ex- pire each year. The director of physical edu- cation and athletics and a repre- sentative of the Office of Student Affairs ex officio members. The University Faculty Repre- sentative in the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Represent- atives a member ex officio except if he is a member of the board by appointment of the President. Two students elected by the male members of the student body from two candidates nom- inated by a board consisting of the student varsity and intra- mural managers and any other candidates who receive 300 sig- natures of male students endors- ing his candidacy. One student is elected every year for a two year term during the student's junior and senior years.. Three alumni, one selected by the Regents every year for a three-year term with a two-term limit. * * * THE INCREASE of faculty membership from seven to nine and the reduction of the terms from four years to three years was approved by the Regents at their January, 1962, meeting. The transition is still taking place.., Election of student members to the board has followed a pattern since eligibility to vote has been extended to all male students and not just members of the Athletic Association. In the spring of every year, the varsity and intramural managers nominate two out- standing athletes from the sopho- more class. These two candidates are placed on the ballot and the one who is better known by the student body is elected. The vote is light and there is nothing of a campaign by which the voters can make an intelligent decision on how to vote. In the last six elections, the athletes have been opposed once by a student who gained the nec- essary 300 male signatures to be placed on the ballot. In this case the interloper didn't disturb the routine of the election. The ath- members but no students. This committee has been studying ways of financing a new multi- purpose building to replace Yost Field House. The building of a replacement for Yost Field House is a great concern of students. It is because of increased student attendance at basketball games that the building of a new field house is so urgent. * *' AT THE April, 1962, Regents meeting, -the plant expansion committee presented a plan to raise student fees to finance the multi-purpose building. H e r e again is a subject of great con- cern to the students. Such an in- crease in athletic fees would mean that tuition would either have to be increased again or else money would have to be diverted from an academic area to give the ath- letic department; more funds. The request of the board to raise student athletic fees was turned down by the Regents with two Regents in opposition. But the Regents told the board that it is within their power to sell stu- dent coupon books for athletic contests to raise money. While such matters of concern to, students are being debated be-- hind closed doors, it is impossible to determine the attitudes of the student representatives. But it is certain that they are receiving no suggestions or advice from other students because very few stu- dents are aware :of what is tak- ing place. With all the secrecy surrounding the board 'and its actions, the student members of the board lack a broad base of support on which to take posi- tions on various issues ** * IF THE student members on the board are not actively repre- senting the student body. it is mainly because all communica- tion between the board and those who should be interested in its actions has broken down. The board faces important issues such as how to finance a new multi-purpose building. Since it appears that the student body will pay for much of the build- ing in one way or another, it is only just that the students have an independent and objective voice on the board. Just as students in the past made vital decisions on the board on such issues as whether to withdraw from the Western Con- ference or not or which varsity sports should be started, so should students make their views known on the board today. The original values of student representation on the board have been subverted by a privileged group that attains membership on the board with little effort and has lost contact with the student body. There is just as much opportun- ity as in the past for students to express their feelings about ath- letic policy despite the increasing complexity of athletics at a large Uri versity. It's about time that the board was restructured so that students could once again many complex issues involving not only the University's relationship with outside groups,only the pres- idemt can speak for the University.. It has been virtually impossible to bring many of these matters to the personal attention of the pres- ident. Specifically, since early 1962 the HRB has been attempting to meet with the president to dis- cuss the steps that the University could take to help make non- discriminatory housing available for all students, faculty and staff. University Secretary Erich Val- ter informed the HRB that the Regents reaffirmed their support of bylaw 2.14! The request for a meeting with the president was ignored. When the president refus- ed to allow the HRB to present its position for the University's consideration, all communication was blocked-save by the path the HRB chose: picketing. 4) The president's comment that the University should not "dic- tate" to the city council is ob- viously correct;but-just as ob- viously-it was irrelevant: he was merely asked to explain the Uni- versity's position; not dictate any- thing. Regrettably, the HRB's attempt to get the University to clarify its policy on a vital matter has failed. The University must correct this failure, devise some other means for coming to grips with the prob- lem, or give up th attempt to fos- ter equality of opportunity within the University. -James Seder, '64L --Bart Burkhalter, Grad -Herb Heidenreich, Grad Corruption.. To the Editor: WHENEVER the press or its agents reveal the truth about any given situation, those whose noses have been tweaked invar- iably cry "scandal" and. "libel." They do this, of course, while carefully ignoring the fact that their own statements enter into the realm of slander. Such is the obvious case in reference to Mr. Baehr's letter of condemnation of Michael Harrah's editorial. I attended the convention of the Michigan Federation of Col- lege Republicans last week as a reporter for WCBN, and I am will- ing to verify Harrah's analysis of the situation. The convention was indeed stampeded by a machine complete with walkie-talkies and a twist band. I know of my own personal contact that at least one candidate attempted to buy votes with beer. I was present when Al Howell's campaign manager of- fered Lou Ferrand the vice- chairmanship if he would concede. At least one candidate from Ferris Institute did sign a state- ment under the influence of al- cohol. Mr. Osgood was offered the votes of an entire delegation for $50 in my presence. I trust that it is not necessary to press my point further. Harrah's asser- tions were founded in the most unpleasant of facts. * * * AS FOR the proposition that the federation is lethargic, one must only look at the record to realize that the federation, as a unit, did not do one significant thing during the entire past year. It is, therefore, reasonable to pre- dict that such a record willbe repeated. There is nothing to in- dicate the contrary. Harrah is a devoted Republican. And the fact that he has served as special assistant to the speaker of the House indicates that mem- bers of the state Legislature have faith in his integrity. If Baehr is himself a Republican he would do well to take heed of the lesson taught by the last convention. If he does not take heed thereto then intelligent people must classify him in the same category as those he so arduously defends. -James P. Starks,'65 Context ,.. To the Editor: A WORK of art is most always best viewed in its historical context, the spirit of the age can- not but manifest itself in such works. It has been, on occasion, enjoyable to view these works in a new context. The effect is not the same, but the experience, is unique. The APA production of Mer- chant of' Venice attempted this sort of shift in context: from Elizabethan England to a La Dolce Vita atmosphere of twen- tieth century Italy. Shakespeare has been more than once per- formed successfully in modern dress, in particular, the Stratford Conn. company. Wednesday night, a cast of ex- cellent performers debased them- selves by engaging ' in activities that diffused their otherwise fine performances into a simulated Italian Society that was visually forced by scenic slides that would best have remained in Tappan Hall, and by ridiculous music to a cast of extras who profaned themselves by giving a thoroughly obnoxious twisting demonstration and by trying to create a Holly- "r1 f' z