Page Six---Academics
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Wednesday, September 2, 1970
-Page Six-Academics THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday, September 2, 1970
A READERS GUIDE
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Academic reform: Paper prospects
Where the books are
By SHARON WEINER
The University's impersonal-
ity is reflected in a very tangible
way within the library system,
which holds over 3.7 million
catalogued or indexed volumes
and pamphlets and receives over
27,500 periodicals and 135 news-
papers.
But with a little courage and
a couple of traumatic experi-
ences within, the stacks of the
General L i b r a r-y the system
can at least be partially mas-
tered.
The University library system
includes the Graduate Library,
the u n d e r g r a d u a t e library
(UGLI) and a number of divi-
sional libraries, special libraries,
and collections. Use of the li-
braries is reserved for registered
Th estudying game
By NADINE COHRODAS
Ostensibly, we're all here to.learn things and become thinking,
well-rounded people. And, presumably, this transformation takes
place within the hallowed halls of classroom buildings and
lecture halls where intelligent, in-the-know professors disseminate
knowledge to be gathered in by our inquisitive minds.
But of course, students must do more than just sit and gather.
We must do our own work as assigned by professors and some-
times do work just for enjoyment.
And so, we all are faced with the same dilemma-where to
study?
There are, to begin with, the conventional spots-the libraries.
In the center of the main campus area are the Undergraduate Li-
brary (known most often as the UGLI) and the Graduate Library.
Library.
The UGLI is really a very nice place. Because it is relatively
new, the four-story building is light and airy and not nearly as
depressing as other older buildings. The UGLI seats approximately
2,000 students and, during finals (when the building is open until
5 a.m.) each table, cubical and couch is filled.
The General Library, the older section of the Graduate Li-
brary, is much bigger and much older than the UGLI. Its four
main floors are subdivided into 10 levels of stacks, and one isn't
formally initiated into the University until he has gotten lost in
one of the sections of one of the stacks for at least 25 minutes.
Fortunately, though, some kind-hearted upperclassman is always
around to point the way out.
The Grad Library also has individual carrels which provide
a sort of scholastic solitary confinement. They are perfect for
someone who enjoys a dark, small, cubicle reminiscent of some
corner in a Reformation monastery.
For specialists, there are the Law Library at one end of the
Law Quad and the Medical Library on. the outer edge of the
medical complex near University Hospital. Each of these buildings
contains materials related to their respective fields but there are
plenty ofi seats for general students, several of which are occupied
by unattached University women with orders from mother to grab
a doctor or lawyer.
In addition to these conventional study spots, there are sev-
eral other more ingenious places to study in. Some students prefer
the lounges at the Rackham school of graduate studies. Others
settle in the MUG, the Union coffee shop. Still others secure a
table at one of the nearby campus restaurants. And some un-
suspecting souls attempt to study in their dorm rooms or apart-
ments. However, most students usually admit that outside inter-
ference (roommates, esmecially) makes scholastic endeavors there
virtually useless.
The libraries, the restaurants, Rackham, dorms, and apart-
ments do provide the most common study grounds and usually
can lead students to their desired academic results. But there is an
alternative which avoids the rush for a seat.during finals. Some
don't study at all....
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students, staff and faculty of
the University.
As a freshman, you will prob-
ably spend most of your library
time within the UGLI, the
Graduate Library, and perhaps
your dorm library.
The UGLI, says the Guide to
the University of Michigan Un-
dergraduate Library (1969 edi-
tion), was "designed to satisfy
not only the immediate library
needs of the undergraduate but
to encourage him to explore the
world of knowledge that lies .be-
yond normal curricular require-
ments." And, the guide contin-
ues, "It must be emphasized
that undergraduates have access
to all the resources in the Uni-
versity library system and are
expected to make full use of
them in pursuit of their studies."
But most of your time will
probably be spent in the five-
storied air -conditioned, 2,671-
seat UGLI which opened in 1958.
Besides undergraduate facili-
ties, the building houses the En-
gineering - Transportation and
Education libraries, an audio
room, a print study gallery
maintained by the History of
Art Department, an art exhibit
area, a Multipurpose Room with
a seating capacity of 225, study
rooms for the blind, and a stu-
dent coffee lounge in the base-
ment.
The undergraduate facilities
occupy most of the first three
floors of the UJGLI. The first
floor, w h i c h includes the re-
served-book section and the per-
iodicals, is by far the noisiest.
Books assigned for courses
are placed on either overnight
reserve or closed reserve. An ov-
ernight book can only be taken
out of the building after 7:30.
Closed reserve books may be us-
ed only within the building.
Books are charged out of the
UGLI by presenting the book
with your student ID to t h e
desk at the front.
The Graduate Library is di-
vided into the General Library,
which w a s dedicated in 1920
(and looks it) and the newly-
completed HarlandHatcher ex-
tensio.
The Graduate Library includes
a microfilm reading r o o m, a
map room, and a periodical and
newspaper reading room. The
extension also houses a Rare
Book Room of some 80,000 vol-
umes and several rare pamphlet
collections.
In addition, the new building
boasts three high speed elevat-
ors, air-conditioning, 10 typing
rooms, and about 527 carrels.
In a'ddition to the General
Library and the UGLI, there are
a h o s t of library facilities
around campus. Most of the
smaller schools and almost all
the departments maintain their
own libraries for specialized or
technical material.
With approximately 9,000 stu-
dents living in the University's
residence hall system, over
83,000 dorm library items cir-
culated last y e a r, including
books, records and art prints.
Book collections range from
South Quad's 2,000 volumes to
Betsy Barbour's 480. South Quad
also possesses the largest record
collection - over 1,300 classical,
folk, popular, musical, and jazz
discs.
Dorm library services include
circulating book, record, and art
collections, reference collections,
ditto, services (depending on the
dorm), and occasional films,
speakers (such as professors,
Student Government C o u n c i11
members and local area witches)
and student art shows.
By ROB BIER
Last year was the "Year of
the Report" for academic reform
at the University.
After the previous year of
student concern and protest on
the subject of academic reform,
1969-70 seemed almost calm in
that respect. But practically un-
known to the majority of stu-
dents, a number of study groups
worked through the year, pro-
ducing s o m e imaginative and
innovative reports which, though
they are still only paper re-
forms. hold promise for the
future.
All was not rhetoric, however,
as the pass-fail system of grad-
ing continued to gain in many
schools and colleges of the Uni-
versity. Under that system,
which the student chooses him-
self under specified conditions,
the student receives no grade
to be averaged into his grape-
point, but needs a "C" or better
to pass the course.
The most notable advances
for pass-fail were made in the
medical school, with the major-
ity of courses there being placed
on that system. s
LSA
But the real academic reform
news is in the reports, the big-
gest and most comprehensive of
which is just getting underway
in the literary college.
The literary college language
requirement was the focus for
protest the year before. The re-
quirement was maintained, but
the pass-fail option for language
was established and the un-
structured Bachelor of General
Studies (B.G.S.) d e g r e e was
created.
The possibility of piecemal
changes in the curriculum of
the literary school was a source
of concern to a number of ad-
ministrators, especially in- the
dean's office. "We were very
worried that if you take one
thread out of a curriculum at a
time and alter it without relat-
ing it to the context of the en-
tire curriculum, distortion oc-
curs," explains Alfred Sussman,
assistant dean in the literary
college.
So, last October a committee
was established to examine the
problem and recommend a study
of the literary college and how
it might be set up. The report,
which came out in March, con-
tained 40 pages of questions on
all aspects of the literary college
which a study might consider.
The report asks for a look at
the basic aims of a "liberal
education" and how those aims
might be best achieved.
"Does undergraduate speciali-
zation lead to the fragmenta-
tion of knowledge and if so,
what occasions does the College
provide for integration? D o e s
the elective system lead to the
recruitment of a faculty com-
posed of narrow specialists who
have little understanding or ap-
preciation of fields of knowledge
outside of their area of speciali-
zation?" are two of the questions
asked.
More specifically, the report
suggests a period of time to be
set aside for a student to do
research project of his own
choosing. It asks if ways can be
found to make education more
relevant - socially, personally
and vocationally.
On the subject of course re-
quirements, it stresses the need
for a "curriculum evolved with-
out locking students into re-
quirements that h a v e outlived
their usefulness."
Another idea contained in the
report is the granting of aca-
demic credit for! students who
s e r v e on committees studying
academic reform. "A consider-
able amount of homework is in-
volved as well as time in meet-
ings. I don't see why students
shouldn't be given some credit
for doing such work," says Suss-
man.
The report calls for several
people to work on the study full-
time. But with the cuts made in
this year's budget, such a set-up
now seems u n 1 i k e l y. William
Hays, former dean of the liter-
ary college, says the study will
go on but in some other form.
Natural Resources
While the study of the liter-
ary college continues to develop,
another broad study of the
School of Natural Resources has
been completed and is waiting
for further action.
In a report issued in April,
the Natural Resources Review
Committee recommended t h a t
greater flexibility be allowed in
the undergraduate program by
eliminating departmental desig-
nations in that school. It also
called for greater financial aid
for graduate students and great-
er orientation toward environ-
mental studies.
Most interesting of all is that
the committee's request that the
University study the feasibility
of creating a new College of En-
vironmental Studies.
The study of the natural re-
sources school was prompted, at
least in part, by the increased
interest among college students
in the problems of the environ-
ment. Presently, the programs
in the natural resources school
o f f e r agriculturally - oriented
programs such as forestry and
land management. P r o g r a m s
embracing such areas as urban
planning, h u m a n ecology and
noise pollution do not exist'and
are virtually impossible to
create.
The committee recommends a
baccalaureate degree in environ-
mental affairs with a more
flexible graduate program "to
permit both the introduction of
speciliazations relevant to so-
ciety's needs and. the phasing
out of non-viable programs."
The proposed College of En-'
vironmental S t u d i e s would
either use the present School of
Natural Resources as a core, or
be a completely new unit. What-
ever its beginning, the new
school would be professional in
nature in that it would bring
the resources of the natural and
social sciences to bear on find-
ing solutions to environmental
problems.
The committee asks. for a def-
inite commitment by the Uni-
versity to establish an environ-
mental college without delay,
with a goal of enrolling the first
class in the 1971-72 academic
year.
Residential College
Released at the end of Feb-
ruary, a study 'on the Residen-
tial College calls for some inno-
vative changes in that unit of
the University which was an.
innovation to begin with.
Toe Residential College (RC-
was established three years ago
as "college within a college."
All students in ,the RC live to-
gether in East Quad and take
many of their courses there,
especially as freshmen and
sophomores.
The report recommends fewer
distribution requirements in the
RC. Dean James Robertson, di-
rector of the RC, says the pres-
ent requirements "tend to de-
velop a feeling of class, rather
than college." By allowing stu-
dents to take a smaller number
of required courses, and to take
them with students in other
classes, a greater sense of unity
could result, he believes.
More interdisciplinary courses,
an option for students to take a
semester off for individual
study or research, and substitu-
tion of the language requirement
with courses in "a formal sys-
tem of symbols" such as mathe-
matics or art are some other
p r p o s a ls which the report
makes.
Shortly-after the report came
out, a "community meeting"
was held at the RC to discuss
the various recommendations.
The session was a rather stormy
one with some faculty members
saying that the new rules "would
be no rules at all" and would
constitute a "watering-down" of
the degree offered by the Resi-
dential College. Others respond-
ed by suggesting that a liberal
education for no specific aim
should have no degree whatso-
ever.
The meeting ended with noth-
ing resolved, except that it was
decided more community input
was necessary. Since then, sev-
eral individuals and g r o u p s
have drafted proposals on a
number of issues. The work of
putting them all into a single
plan still remains, and when
that is done, which willprob-
ably be early this fall, another
"community meeting" will have
to approve it before it goes to
the LSA Curriculum Committee.
Although it is not immediate-
ly obvious, academic reform is
still somewhat on the move. And
although these reports deal with
only three units of the Univer-
sity, some feel their tone indi-
cates the overall feeling of the
community.
The new perception of the
University seems to be one of
constant change to meet a con-
stantly changing society. Work
is being done now to eliminate
some of the red tape necessary
to develop and establish new
courses.
For example, the education
school picked itself up last fall
and moved to the country for a
few days to hold a "retreat" and
discuss how to change that
school, and out of that retreat
came proposals for increased
black admissions and curriculum
changes which were eventually
adopted by the e d u ca t i o n
school's faculty.
But what will happen to the
just-finished and on-going re-
ports remains to be seen.
As far as . they go, however,
they indicate a new perspective
on the educational process at
the University. And at least
that's a start.
4
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Residential College: An academic dream?
By DEBRA THAL
The Residential College (RC)
offers many opportunities found
nowhere else at the University.
It has the potential to provide
students with a challenging and
relevent learning experience,
and although some feel it has
not reached its potential, recent
recommendations for reform in
the college may change the sit-
uation at least academically.
RC is entering its fourth year
of existence as an experimental
college and a way of life. How-
ever, before it opened, y e a r s
were devoted to its planning.
"First off, the college w a s
conceived in the traditionalist
impulse of wanting, in the mid-
dle of this huge, pulsing, grow-
ing university, to retrieve and
nurture the fundamentally im-
portant one-to-one relation of
a student to a scholar - a sch-
olar who is interested in that
student as a human being," ex-
plains Paul Wagner, Assistant
to the Director of the College.
"Out of that impulse came
the Planning Committee, a
group of faculty passionately
serious about undergraduate ed-
_ucation. For three years, these
men wrestled with each other
on the mat of principle. When
they were finished, what they
had planned and created (es-
sentially a n d oversimplified)
was the incarnation of a fac-
ulty dream - the best college
FIND YOUR
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they could devise in the context
of this university."
"Then Dean Thuna (who had
been Director of t h e unborn
college during its planning) re-
tired, and the literary college
gave the new college the best
gift it could give: Dean Robert-
son," Wagner continues, "And
then we opened our doors; in
walked the freshmen, and the
dream, it seemed, was coming
true. What no planner and no
administrator had anticipated
now happened. The students
(freshmen) somehow sensed the
dedication, the love, the dream
behind their ungainly new col-
lege. (What other college was
ever planned by faculty?)"
"Out of a common effort has
come real affection and respect
among students, faculty, and
even the dread administrators.
That has been the cement which
holds us together, and that has
prevented passion from produc-
ing anger and malice," Wagner
concludes.
The original p 1 a n for the
College - mostly still in effect
-- included three major fea-
tures which attempt to provide
unity for the RC community:
-A "core curriculum" of so-
cial science, humanities, and
foreign language required of all
students, with small discussion
seminars supplemented by lec-
tures. The courses are ungrad-
ed, with students receiving writ-
ten evaluations and marks of
pass or fail at the end of each
term;
-Two-year residence in East
Quad, the massive pre-war dor-
mitory which has been newly
remodeled to help accomodate
the College; and
-Participation by faculty,
students and administrators as
well as the "resident fellows" -
older student counselors - in
the decision making Represen-
tative Assembly (RA) composed
-of half students. The RA draws
its authority from RC Director
James Robertson, an associate
dean of the literary college.
The core curriculum has come
in for a great deal of criticism
since its inception four years
ago. As a result, the RA order-
ed its evaluation and a com-
mittee was set up to evaluate
the curriculum and make sug-
gestions. The core curriculum
review committee (including
students, faculty, and adminis-
trations) worked for almost a
year and came up with the fol-
lowing statements which receiv-
ed widespread support from the
entire RC community:
-"Enthusiasm a b o u t the
College and deep respect for the
quality of the teaching relation-
ships in t h e College coexists
with widespread and substantial
criticism of. the core curricu-
lum;
-"The requirement of the
present program that all stu-
dents proceed6 together through
a fixed curriculum for most of
two* years is destructive of stu-
dent interest a n d intellectual
curiosity;
-"Several of the College's
present requirements a r e not
valid for all students at all
times. There should be more
flexibility in course require-
ments as well as scheduling;
-"There is little contact or
coordination between the fac-
ulty staffs of the existing core
courses, so the hoped-for organ-
ic unity of the core curriculum
has never developed;
-"Virtually everyone wants
more options in the curriculum,
but there is also a feeling that
offerings should be limited
enough and each student should
be required to take enough
courses in the College, to insure
a continuing overlap between
classroom learning experience
and residential living; 1
-"A core curriculum should
continue to exist as a frame-
work for college course offer-
ings, but it should be recom-
mended, not required; and
-"All students should be re-
quired to take a minimum of 12
courses in the RC, unless a spec-
ial exemption is authorized."
The hoped-for new curricu-
lum is now somewhere in bur-
eaucratic channels. If the new
program survives all of the dif-
ferent.committees, it will prob-
ably begin to be implemented
within a year.
.One point of disagreement
within the College has been the
stress on foreign languages. The
language requirement - which,
is much more extensive than
that of the literary college -
calls for five terms of one lan-
guage or passage of a proficien-
cy examination and a term of
readings. Several different pro-
posals are currently under study
both by the language faculty
and the RC curriculum commit-
tee.
One of the essential elements
of RC is the sense of commun-
ity. Some people feel it always
exists; others don't. It all de-
pends on who you talk to.
But during the BAM strike,
the College community came to-
gether as never before and mo-
bilized as an entity to work on
the strike. That brief period of
time gave a hint of what a sense
of community could be.
On the whole, t h e student
can do j u s t about anything
that he wants with his four
years in the College. Once he is
there a little while, it is easy to
understand how to get around -
the few rules t h a t do exist.
There is still plenty of red tape,
of course, as the RC is a unit
of the literary college.
And there is always the in-
tellectual side of the RC for
students who really come to the
University for the academic
side of college life. RC offers
some of the best courses t h e
University has to offer - and
RC students can take any liter-
ary college courses they want
as well.
For people who really could
care less about schoolwork, the
RC is also a pretty easy place to
do nothing and still pass. And
there are lots of other things
going on to keep you busy: mak-
ing movies, getting involved in
politics, earning money, joining
any of a thousand clubs a i d
committees, walking in the Arb.
For the person w h o really
knows what he wants to do -
either for a single course or his
entire college career, RC is one
of the best places at the Uni-
versity to do independent work.
There is no problem getting a
faculty sponsor for almost any
study from silkscreening to
travelling in Europe.
And some of the best friends
the student makes can be his
teachers. As almost everywhere-
within the College, relation-
ships between students, faculty,
administrators, and staff are
very relaxed and informal.
In spite of RC's reputation
for drugs and radical politics,
nothing is true of the entire RC
community. There is a 1 a r g e
SDS group in the college but
there are also a few right-wing-
ers. And as with the rest of the
U', most people are either apa-
thetic or on the liberal left.
The key word in the RC is
flexibility. Students, faculty and
administrators exchange roles
and responsibilities freely. The
student can decide w h a t he
wants to do in almost every re-
gard. But for RC to be every-
thing that it can be to a stu-
dent, the student must decide
exactly what it is he wants from
the College and t h e n find it
himself. And that something is
usually there if the search is
thorough.
4M
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You will find our store
specially equipped to supply
you with LAW case books
and supplies. Our LAW section
is staffed by law students
to assist you.
PILOT PROGRAM
Academic experiment
By CARLA RAPOPORT
The experimental Pilot Program, offering a living program
somewhere between a political collective and a closely-knit
commune, is entering its eighth year of operation.
Over 600 underclassmen this fall will be taking part in this
innovative experiment which partly fuses education with dorm
living.
The program, which is a unit of the literary college, was
created in 1962 as "an attack on impersonality and academic
isolation in a large college."
To many outside the program, which is located in Alice
Lloyd Hall, it appears to consist of a bland dormitory which
houses a few classrooms and a luxurious Red Carpet Lounge.
Those participating in the program, however, feel the dorm
serves as a base for the challenging and intense atmosphere
which the Pilot Program fosters.
This atmosphere probably evolves, in part, from the unusual
programs within the dorm. For instance, the program offers a
constant stream of speakers on current topics of concern to
students. From Sheriff Harvey's men and dogs to social revolu-
tionary Murray Buckchin to professors from every conceivable
field, these programs keep Pilot's participants mentally on
their toes.
However, the main feature of the program lies in its unique
structure of course offerings. The program offers three types
of learning systems, including:
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