Educators Deny Small Classes y I , . Necessarily les By THOMAS HAYDEN The centuries-old maxim that small classes are sacred to a uni- versity was sharply challenged yesterday at the opening session of the University Conference on Higher Education. While citing several dangers in increasing the number of stu- dents per classroom, three speakers agreed that teaching sometimes can be effective in large as well as small groups. "We can no longer afford to cling to the uncritical notion that large classes are generally undesirable and synonymous with poor in- struction," Alvin C. Eurich, vice-president of the Fond for the Ad- vancement of Education, declared. 'Obsolete and Archaic' Method "From every angle - from personal experience, psychological analyses, and the evidence of the last half-century - we can only conclude that limiting instruction to a fixed and small number of students is obsoleteiand archaic," he said. Eurich suggested a ''wide variety of student groupings," both large and small, as most desirable in a curriculum. "Class size per se has little or no effect on student achievement, as measured by scores on objective examinations," Prof. Allan O. Pfnister of the education school reported. Educational Objectives Possible Various educational objectives can be effectively achieved in large classes as well as very small groups; he said.1 In general, however, "contact hours between the student and his teacher may be slashed drastically without any reduction in student achievement," Prof. Pfnister explained. "It seems the student will always find ways of mastering con- tent," regardless of classroom procedures, he continued. Although larger classes promise some benefits, "there is a menace of mediocrity rather than excellence in them," Sherrill Cleland, chair- man of the departments of economics and business administration at Kalamazoo College, suggested. 'Menace of Mediocrity' "As class sizes increase," he speculated, "the teacher's research will decline," and he'll -also spend less time either with his students or with his family. Term papers may next be dropped, Cleland predicted, since they require too much time in correcting. "Then the individual conferences between student and teacher will be cut, and I submit that much important teaching has gone on in these situations." He continued, "Class discussion will decline, and with it, the right of self-expression. Then outside reading and essay questions will be dropped, leaving only the standard textbook and the lectures." Sees Decline of Initiative This could lead to mediocrity, conformity and standardization, ha warned. Cleland also described various benefits which larger classes would bring, listing higher teacher's salaries, more productivity, and in- creased opportunity for students to attend colleges. "The framework is set. Larger classes seem to be a given fac for state universities in the future," he said. He noted greater nu bers of students applying for college and the shortage of qualif teachers as reasons for the new need. Size 'Beside the Point' "Size is, after all, beside the point," Prof. Pfnister argued. "T: actual number of students in a class may govern the way they int act with the teacher and among themselves, but it won't govern t learning process." Eurich agreed that learning is "an individual matter with ea student," which may be stimulated by a teacher, electronic tapes, te vision, films or personal experience. "The important considerations for a college are that it plan st dent activities in relation to objectives. of specific courses; that group students in ways that are most effective for the attainment these goals, and that it appraise student achievement in terms these objectives." See 'No Rule of Thumb' There appears to be "no fixed rule of thumb" to determine t size of class which establishes optimum conditions for learnin Eurich asserted. "It's a foolish thing to condemn or praise class size now," Pr Pfnister said. "The issues are far from settled and we're still movi in the area of hypothesis.". The conference, the thirteenth held at the University, will clo today after morning sessions. LARGE CLASSES-The opening session of the 13th annual Con- ference :onHigher Education yesterday dealt with the effects of class size on student learning. Vice-President Marvin Niehuss presided over a three-man discussion of the problem. f STUDENT ASSOCIATION ANALYZED" See Page 4. '4A Seventieth Year of Editorial Freedom 47Iait1 CLOUDY, COLD High-28 Low--8 Cold spell expected to continue with only slightly less wind. VOL. LXIX, No. 54 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1959 FIVE CENTS SIX PA( Yale, Harvard Leave NDEA Loan Program State Fund, Expenditures to New Low NEW HAVEN R) - Yale and Harvard Universities teamed up last night to withdraw from the federal student loan program as a protest over the loyalty affidavit it requires. The action by the two universi- ties meant their relinquishing al- most half a ' million. dollars in funds available to them from the federal government as loans to needy students. Yale President A. Whitney Gris- wold said his university would make no further commitments for loans under the National Defense Act of 1958 as long as the "nega- tive affidavit" is required in addi- tion to the oath of support for the United States Constitution. Affidavit 'Misguided' Harvard President Nathan M. Pusey, who said the university was relinquishing $357,873 in federal funds, described the "affidavit of fdisbelief" as "misguided.'' A spokesman for the United States Office of Education in Washington said eight other schools have officially withdrawn from the: government program in, protest to the loyalty oath. , He identified them as Grinnell (Iowa), St. John's and Goucher (Maryland), Antioch and Wilm- ington (Ohio), Bennington (Ver- mont), Reed (Oregon) and Sarah Lawrence (New York),. Oberlin College of Ohio has pub- licly announced its withdrawal but official notification has not yet reached the Office of Education. Three other schools declined to enter the program because of the loyalty oath. They are Bryn Mawr, Haverford Negroes Ask Integration LITTLEFIELD, Tex. (R,)-About 75 Negroes attending a special meeting last night indicated they didn't want a return to segregated schools under any circumstances. Last week the Rev. Walter Grif- fin, a Negro leader, asked the t.... y, ___ 1i and Swarthmore, all just outside Philadelphia; The faculty of Wesleyan Uni- versity in Middletown, Conn., has voted overwhelmingly its opposi- tion to the affidavit requirements of the loan program. The spokesman, who declined to be identified, said the Office of Education had hoped that all these schools would stay in the program while working for an amendment City Del"ays Cash Query A resolution to send a letter ask- ing about Ann Arbor's financial relationship with the state to Re- publican State Sen. Lewis G. Christman of Ann Arbor was tabled by the City Council Monday night. Democratic Councilman A. Nel- son Dingle offered the resolution as a follow-up to a report given the Council last week that the state owes Ann Arbor almost $90,- 000. Monof the amount is an in- tangibles-tax installment of $75,- 462. This money has nothing to do withsurban renewal. The proposed resolution would have a letter ask "that he (Christ- man) determine what schedule of payments due and prescribed funds can be anticipated over the next three years on the basis of the current situation." The letter was to have said "that this council deems it most vital that the Legislature adopt without delay legal means of fi- nancing the various activitiesr in this community for which the Legislature has in full or in part accepted responsibility."- Republican Councilman Henry V. Aquinto's motion to table the resolution for further study by the Council passed over the negative votes of the three Democratic councilmen. to the bill. Thus, he said, they would have been able to help the students while still registering their protest. A spokesman for Yale said the university ha. been allocated $210,000 since the act went into effect, of which all but about $50,000 has been received. The spokesman said most of the remaining $50,000 would go back to the government. Later, the spokesman added that Griswold and Pusey had discussed the matter as late as yesterday morning in a telephone conversa- tion. Discussions The two presidents had been talking about the loan program and the affidavit since last winter, he said. Yale's withdrawal was announced in a letter from Griswold to Ar- thur S. Flemming, secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. The announcement by Pusey from the university in Cambridge, Mass., was addressed to United States Commissioner of Education Law- rence G. Derthick. Griswold said the loyalty affi- davit "is contrary to the classic principles of our colleges and uni- versities." No Membership The affidavit requires a student applying for a loan to swear that he does not believe in, belong to, or support "any organization that believes in or teaches the over- throw of the United States govern- ment by force or violence or by the illegal or unconstitutional methods." Griswold said the affidavit "par- takes of the nature of the op- pressive religious and political test oaths of history, which were used as a means of exercising control over the educational process by church and state." Harvard University also 'an- nounced last night it was relin- quishing $357,873 in federal funds assigned for student loans in pro- testing the "affidavit of disbelief." FOR UNIFIED BUDGET: Hopes Lie in Future By PHILIP SHERMAN Indications are that a unified budget for the state universities is still quite a ways in the future. The-budget is one of the major objectives of the Council of State University and College Presidents, a group including all state sup- ported higher education institutions. University President Harlan Hatcher said that differences between institutions in mission, tradition and procedure are keeping the move to a unified budget an "evolutionary process down the road." A unified budget would imply more than mere addition of the requests of the member colleges and universities; that is already done, - he observed Agreement would NSA Report To Be Heard The first of a series of National Student Association reports will be given to Student Government 'Council at 7:30 p.m. tonight by John Feldkamp, '81, president. This week's report will tell about the cross - regional convention which was held here last weekend. On the basis of these reports, the Council will determine if it will continue its membership in NSA. A motion will be presented to have the name Student Govern- ment Council preface all Cinema Guild notices. This will allow the students on campus to know more about the projects that SGC spon- sors, Roger Seasonwein, '61, execu- tive vice-president, said. Nancy Adams, '60, administra- tive vice-president, and Season- wein will present their views in a motion about the tax crisis. Air flight back to the-Union will be another topic of discussion. have to be reached as to the func- tion of each institution in the gen- eral fabric of state higher educa- tion, President Hatcher continued. Problem Exists The problem now is to what ex- tent the needs of the separate in- stitutions can be welded into a single document. The Council, at present, the President commented, is attempt- ing to learn the needs and aims of each of the members. When this has been accomplished, he added, a step towards a unified budget will have been taken. Northern Michigan University President Edgar L. Harden, Coun- cil Chairman, said yesterday in Lansing the first job of the coun- cil's coordinator, yet to be named, would be to present such a joint budget, "instead of having all of us down here all winter." Done Individually At present, individual univer- sities make requests by November each year; officials then testify at great length before the Legis- lature and confer with the ad- ministration to justify their pro- posals. President Hatcher stressed that such requests are at present solely the responsibility of the respec- tive university and college govern- ing boards andadministrations. Meeting Monday in Lansing, the council discussed the role and powers of the coordinator and con- sidered candidates for the posi- tion. A man will probably be chosen within 60 days, he indi- cated. The Council will convene again Dec. 14 at Eastern Michigan Uni- versity. 'U' Donation Helps Drive Surpass Goral An additional $3,000 received frmthe niersity d+7 ~1r1~ivicnnf 44. Daily--Stephanie Roumell SEES WEAKNESS-President Douglas Knight of Lawrence Col- lege warned yesterday that education is focusing too much on appearances. Speaker Says Colleges Accept Society's Values By STEPHANIE ROUMELL "We in the universities, who like tothink we set some standards for society, have instead accepted society's concept of outward appear- ance as true excellence," President Douglas Knight of Lawrence College said yesterday at the University's Conference of Higher Edu- cation. Higher education has weakened, he continued. Many colleges pay too much attention to outward symbols of success and not enough to individual standards of achievement. "The concept of excellence has changed in the last 100 years," President Knight noted. "For true zeal to excell means ability to go )ramn Level. New Release Bypasses 'U'; PayrollMe University Ofdicials Express Confidence In Meeting Schedules Top state administrators today released $31,600,000 in cash. for schools, Thursday's state payroll," back payments to state suppliers and other purposes, the Associated Press reported today. No allocation was made by the board to major state universities, including the University, which are owed $6,500,000 for November op- eration, and for the state's share in direct relief payments. However, Stata Treasurer San- ford A. Brown last month prom- ised as long as other state payrolls were being met, so would the uni- versities'. In Ann Arbor, University ofi- cials said payments were not needed yet, as the University's two pay schedules are not due until Nov. 30 and Dec. 5. They expressed confidence that the University would receive its payment in time. Officials expect revenue sources will provide the general fund with $12-$14 million by the end of next week. Drains Treasury The outflow of cash will drain overall State Treasury balances to a perilous low of between 5 and 10 million dollars, depending on how fast payments are cleared through banks. The biggest items approved by the State Administrative Board was the Nov. 15 installment of 22 million dollars in primary school interest fund monies. Another $4,400,000 was released for the bi-weekly payroll to 26,000 employes, $1,900,000 in payroll withholding tax, $2,000,000 to state suppliers and $1,300,000 to Wayne county. The funds for the state sup- pliers will wipe out back bills dating from Sept. 22. Left unpaid will be another two million dollars In supplier bills in the under $50- 000 class accumulated since Oct. 1. Position Worsens As the board met, the steady worsening of Michigan's cash posi- tion was dramatized by the con- trast between cash available to the state treasurer frdm all funds today and available May 7 on the state's historic payless payday. On May 7, net cash charged to the treasurer, after deduction of outstanding warrants checks) and COLD SNAP SETS INs Yesterday Sets Record Low school board for an elementary school in the Negro district. He said then the Negroes didn't want a segregated school as such, but felt the school was needed as a focal point for youth recreation and as a safety factor so small children wouldn't have to cross railroad tracks on the way to the present integrated school. Last night, however, he told the meeting of Negro citizens he was misled when asked to serve as a' spokesman. He said Littlefield Ne- groes were not necessarily behind such a move. At one point, Joe Johnson, chair- man at the meeting, called for those who wanted to continue sending their children to the pres- ent integrated school to stand up. Nearly all stood. When he asked how many Students will probably continue to dress in their heaviest coats, wear gloves and cover their ears for the next few days. The weather bureau said yes- terday that no relief is in sight for the freezing student walking or riding to and from class. Temperatures for the next four days are expected to average a little over eight degrees below normal for the period with the normal varying between about 30 and 45 degrees., No snow was predicted until to- morrow, and only flurries then, but the wind will continue to whip about the students' ears. beyond oneself. But this concept of excellence as growth has been overlaid with a concept of excel- lence as competition and the out- ward signs of successful competi- tion." To Understand, Act A democratic society implies a responsibility to understand its' world and act on its understand- ing, he pointed out. And any fail- ure to do so is to deny democracy. "Democracy means individual and collective use of equal rights but the trend today is to delete any signs of difference between people." A true democratic policy of edu- cation cannot survive long under conditions of uniformity, Knight maintained. Knight cited the problem as the public's lack of understanding of academic value and the conse- quent need to establish a basis of academic achievement which he said to be a matter for "every member of every faculty." "We need to make the best idea U.S. Senator Sees, Future WILMINGTON (1P)-Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said last night the next President probably will serve two terms. "History indicates that the man and party selected to govern our national affairs in 1960 will, under normal circumstances, be re- elected in 1964," he said. Kennedy, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Presi- dent, also said in a prepared, speech: "If nuclear testing is not im- mediately stopped, several nations will possess atomic weapons by 1968. Every hour of every day ... devastation will be literally only minutes away . . . in terms of mili- tary proximity and warning, we will be closer to theSoviet Union