Serving the students of the University of North Carolina Asheville since 1982
Volume V, Number IV
Formerly KALEIDOSCOPE
Wednesday, September 26y 1984
Changes are in store
for UNCA curriculum
By Caroline Brown
The Institutional Devel
opment Coiomittee proposed
changes in UNCA's general
education requirements at
the Faculty Senate hearing
last Thursday.
Compared to the 1984-86
UNCA catalog all-universi-
ty requirements, the pro
posal suggested dropping
the 16 hours of humanities
and replacing it with 12
hours of cultural history
and a three-hour capstone
course•
In the draft proposal,
the IDC describes the
three four-hour cultural
history courses as being
similar to the present
Humanities 124, 214, and
224.
These cultural history
courses would stress the
history of ideas and the
values which are taken
from history, literature,
philosophy, religion, tte
social sciences, and the
arts.
"Science, Technology,
and Human Values," a
three-hour capstone course
would replace the present
humanities 414.
The course would pursue
similar goals, but with a
better definition of sub
ject matter. It would com
bine the perspectives of
science, social science,
humanities and the arts,
said the IDC.
In the draft stating the
proposed changes, the task
force on general education
explains:
"The guiding principles
of this array of all-uni
versity requirements are
that a core curriculum is
generally preferable to a
distribution system."
The draft also says
changes in enrollment and
employment may not be ef
fected.
It states that, "While
the proposed system is
different from the current
one, its impact on pat
terns of employment and
enrollment is not as great
as may be expected."
At the hearing held in
the Owen Conference Cen-*
ter, faculty members exr
pressed their views on the
new proposal.
Dr. Ileana Grams, as
sistant professor of phil
osophy, said, "We need
more emphasis on what is
not in the recent past.
Humanities is the one
course I never get bored
teaching because there is
always something new."
She also said she would
like for all UNCA profes
sors to teach a humanities
course.
Director of Southern
Highlands Research Center,
and chairman of UNCA's
history department. Dr.
Milton Ready, ccHmuented:
"I have listened to a lot
of people who are not his
torians. Humanities, as it
was conceived years and
years ago, made us unique.
Continued on page 8
Staff photo by SyMa Hawkins
Paxaela Hhiteslde studies while enjoying the Septeaber
Bunshine.
Highland patients seek start at UNCA
By Penny Kramp
News Editor
Highland Hospital pa
tients seeking an entrance
to the "outside world" are
enrolling at UNCA, but
problems arise if the pa
tient is not prepared to
handle the academic pres
sures .
Terry Fox, coordinator
of outpatient services at
Highla^ Hospital, said
nearly fifty per cent of
the 110 outpatients attend
UNCA.
Dr. Merritt Moseley, as
sistant professor of lit
erature at UNCA, said at
trition is the main pro
blem with students from
Highland.
"The therapists build up
the patients' confidence
too much. They tell these
students they can make A's
and this creates unneces
sary pressure," said Mose
ley.
Asheville's Hlg^iland Hospital encourages patients to became students.
Staff photo by Penny Kramp
Fox said a treatment
team of psychiatrists,
nurses, and administrators
determine when a patient
is ready to take on the
challenge of college.
"In general we would
encourage a new student or
someone with a major psy
chotic background to take
only one course. If he
cannot handle that, then
his treatment is renegoti
ated," said Fox.
Controversy arises over
whether administrators
should be informed a stu
dent is a former mental
patient. The patient has a
right to privacy but the
university also has a
right to protect its
interests.
Fox said the hospital
has no "contractual agree
ment with UNCA, but there
is an understood liason.
We tell patients to be
honest about their mental
background, but there is
no way we can insist or
push that they be honest."
Dr. Ken Rice, director
of enrollment at UNCA,
said, "Patients do not
reveal their psychiatric
information. We have no
method of knowing if a
person is a former mental
patient, unless we observe
strange or unusual behav
ior . " 'Continued on page 8