VOL. VII, NO. 3
WINSTON-SALEM STATE COLLEGE, WINSTON-SALEM, N. C.
MARCH, 1969
College Passes
Voluutary
Attendance
Winston-Salem State College
n:iade a dramatic move at the be
ginning of the second semester
when class attendance was changed
from compulsory to voluntary.
The policy was initiated by the
President with the recommenda
tion of the administrative council.
It places the responsibility for
class attendance and all class work
on the students.
The result will be that uninter
ested students will program them
selves from the institution.
Previously the college operated
on the compulsory attendance sys
tem. This system, as one high ad
ministrative official says, is a very
effective system.
The instructor is responsible, in
the compulsory system, for getting
the classwork to the students. This
did not give the students the in
dependence they often stated they
wanted.
It was learned that in one insti
tution where the attendance policy
was changed from compulsory to
voluntary, 75 per cent of the sopho
mores were placed on probation
after one semester, and over 50
per cent of them were dropped
from the student body at the end
of the year.
After informing the President of
the college of this, he said it is his
hope that “that sort of thing will
not happen here.”
Among the faculty members in
terviewed the concensus is that the
instructors who are really teach
ing have no attendance problem.
They believe a good barometer for
measuring the effectiveness of the
teaching is the consistency of the
attendance of the students. On the
other hand, instructors think that
sporadic attendance indicates spo
radic teaching.
When asked to express his feel
ings about the enactment of the
new policy, the President said, it
is “marvelous.”
The policy grew from the Asian
flu encounter in December, when
there was some concern for the
health of the student body. A meet-
of the student body was called by
Robbin Kirkland, president of the
Student Government Association,
on December 12, 1968. At this meet
ing the students met with the Pres
ident and the Academic Dean of
the college to discuss closing the
school for recuperation and to dis
cuss other grievances. After meet
ing an hour and a half, no work
able proposal could be reached
The last proposal of the meeting
was that classes be continued until
the regular closing for the Christ-
/mas holidays but that compulsory
I attendance of classes be suspended
until the beginning of classes after
the holidays. The proposal was
recommended to the academic
committee and was approved.
$390,000 RJR Grant Aids Learning
Mr. Ohta instructs in the downtown center.
College Opens Downtown Center
In an effort to broaden both its
services and appeal to the total
community, Winston-Salem State
College opened in early February
an evening class center in down
town Winston-Salem.
Working in conjunction with Uni
versity of North Carolina Exten
sion in Chapel Hill, the downtown
center will offer four classes —
three with graduate credit — this
spring.
centers, and I don’t see why it
won't work here.”
The center is located on the third
floor of the building occupied dur
ing daytime by the Concentrated
Employment Program (CEP), a
social agency which prepares the
unskilled for employment. All
WSSC and UNC courses in the cen
ter begin at 6 p.m.
Space for the center is being
donated by CEP. Desks, black
boards and other basic materials
The center, located at 601 N. i k„ ttmp onH
Main St., only two blocks from!^® supplied by UNC
the city’s commercial focus, will
try to attract employees of down
town firms as well as people
throughout the community to study
college courses for credit toward
a degree or for personal improve
ment.
“We’re following the trend not
to isolate facilities of a college
campus,” said W. Archie Blount,
vice president of Winston-Salem
State College and head of the
school’s extended services pro
gram.
Blount is concerned with break
ing down the scholar’s traditional
isolation. “Too many schools stay
on the periphery all covered with
ivy and never get into the center
of things,” he said.
“We want to share those services
that the residents of the urban
community most need,” Bolunt
said. “You find this type of pro
gram in many large metropolitan
WSSC.
“We’re starting out on a shoe
string,” said Dr. Dwight Rhyne,
associate director of UNC Exten
sion who has been working with
Blount on developing the center.
“We’ve just got a dream, but this
is a step in the right direction.”
Both Rhyne and Blount expect
the center to grow in response to
the interests and needs of the com
munity.
This semester UNC Extension,
which has been conducting evening
courses on the WSSC campus since
1966, offers three classes designed
primarily for teachers: Adult Edu
cation — A General Survey, Psy
chological Foundations of Educa
tion, and Introduction to the Study
of Exceptional Children. Each is
available for graduate credit.
For the foreseeable future, UNC
courses at the center will continue
to be directed primarily at teach
ers.
A dramatic new program aimed
at strengthening the curriculum,
faculty and student body of Win
ston-Salem State College through
an initial $390,000 grant from the
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
was announced February 1 at
Scholars’ Day ceremonies on the
campus.
The program, known as the Win
ston-Salem State College Scholastic
Achievement Program, was an
nounced by President Kenneth R.
Williams during a luncheon honor
ing the school’s outstanding stu
dents.
Announcement of the Reynolds
grant was made by Winfield Black-
well, prominent local attorney and
chairman of the WSSC board of
trustees, who said the $390,000 will
fund the first two phases of a four-
part program which could ultimate
ly bring 50 select high school grad
uates to the campus on full scho
larships, attract additional highly
qualified faculty members to the
teaching staff and broaden the
school's curriculum.
In making the initial grant to the
school, Reynolds also stated con
sideration would be given at the
appropriate time for continuing its
support of the program into phases
three and four. Full support of the
seven-year program by Reynolds
could amount to almost $700,000.
The principal speaker at Scho
lars’ Day was Dr. Stephen Wright,
director. United Negro College
Fund, who said the Scholastic
Achievement Program and the
grant by Reynolds were an out
standing example of the progress
possible w’hen a college and an in
dustrial leader get together to work
in the best interest of their com
munity.
Citing higher education of
Negroes as one of the country’s
greatest needs, Wright said it miist
be provided by government, busi
nesses, foundations, white colleges
and Negro colleges “which have
long been on starvation budgets.”
He called the Reynolds grant the
“largest single gift made to any
single Negroe college by any cor
poration in America.”
Williams said the new Scholastic
Achievement Program is designed
to raise the academic level of
Winston-Salem State and will per
mit WSSC graduates to compete
with graduates of leading universi
ties.
The overall Scholastic Achieve
ment Program will be accomplish
ed through the Reynolds grant
which will provide scholarships to
high school graduates chosen on
the basis of their academic per
formance.
In addition, Williams said Win-
ston-Salem State will bs developed
more as a college of the commun
ity for students unable to attend
private universities in the Winston-
Salem area. He said the new scho
larships will be available to stu
dents of all races.
Another phase of the program tc5 -
strengthen the school tWough the
grant is in the area of faculty
salaries. Outstanding teachers in
critical fields will receive supple
mentary income. Outside consult
ants and distinguished scholars in
specific fields will also be provided
by the grant to help the academic
program.
The overall curriculum of Win-
ston-Salem State will be reviewed
by a consultant with the goal of
expanding the curriculum to batter
serve the community, state and
nation, Williams said.
For the start of the program
next fall, five high school seniors
will be selected to attend WSSC on
four-year scholarships.
Each student will live on campus
and be alloted a maximum of
$1,400 annually, plus $100 each year
in reserve for projected increased
fees and other contingencies.
Priority of selection will be
given dependents of R. J. Reynolds
employees and retirees. If the
Quota is not filled by students in
these categories, residents of the
Winston-Salem area and the gener
al population will be considered.
Riddick Named to Board
Frances Lorraine Riddick of Win
ston-Salem State College has been
named to the college board of the
next volume of the Going to College
Handbook, published annually for
students in and going to college.
Nominated by college or national
youth officials, members of the
college board serve as advisors to
the editors in planning and develop
ing the book.
At the present time the college
board is being polled to discover
attitudes on a number of lively
campus problems.
Scheduled for publication next
August in time for home-town
going-to-college functions, the hand
book will be used during the re
mainder of the year by students
looking forward to college.
R.J.R. Scholars To Meet Here
High school students who are po
tential recipients of R. J. Reynolds
scholarship awards will visit th^
Winston-Salem State College cam
pus March 29.
Invitations have been extended
to more than a dozen outstanding
high school students from several |
states, according to Warren C.
Oldham, director of the Reynolds-
sponsored Scholastic Achievement
Program.
Tentative plans call for the visit
ing students to spend the morning
talking with departmental chair
men and administrators of the
college, tour the campus, and be
individually interviewed for pos
sible scholarship awards.
After a buffet lunch in Kennedy
dining hall they will visit the col
lege library and tour the city of
Wmston-Salem.
Under the Reynolds scholarship
program, or as it is known formal
ly, the Scholastic Achievement
Program, five new WSSC fresh
men next fall will each be given
awards of $1,400 for all charges
and fees for a full school year.
Fifteen awards will be given to
new freshmen for each of the fol
lowing three years. Grants will
be continued yearly for each stu
dent as long as his academic per
formance is satisfactory.
The second year of the program,
15 students will be selected. Phases
three and four of the program call
for the selection of 15 additional
students for each year.
After the four-staged program is
completed, a total of 50 students
will have received four-year scho
larships to Winston-Salem State.
The Scholastic Achievement Pro
gram, funded by a $390,000 grant
from the R. J. Reynolds Company,
includes provisions for upgrading
WSSC faculty and curriculum.
Initial planning on the project
started last fall. Warren C. Old
ham, former teacher and coordina
tor of Federal Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965
Title I projects for Winston-Salem
schools, has been appointed direc-
tor-counselor for the Scholastic
Achievement Program recipients.
He will also work with an advisory
committee and counsel and oversee
activities of scholarship students.
College Issues Demonsration Policy
The following official college ^ event that problems are not solved
policy on campus demonstrations | satisfactorily, persons may peace-
is reprinted at the request of Vice' fully and orderly express their
President W. Archie Blount, who i views through the use of pickets or
headed the student-faculty com- j other forms of peaceful demonstra-
mittee which prepared it. jtions.
STATEMENT OF POLICY WITH
REFERENCE TO C.\MPUS
DEMONSTRATIONS AND
DISTURBANCES OF THE
INSTITUTION
W’inston-Salem State College re
spects the rights of all groups or
Individuals to express opinions,
publicly or privately, regarding
matters relating to their welfare
while members of the college com
munity. The college also respects
the rights of each member of its
academic community to be free
from coercion and harrasment.
Every effort will be made to
understand grievances and to solve
problems, thus eliminating the need
for massive protests. Established
lines of communication which pro
vide channels for orderly express
ion of thoughts will remain open
at all times. The lines formulated
are in three major categories —
student affairs, instructional af
fairs, and the administrative mat
ters. Areas of concern may be
dealt with within a single category
or they may require the services of
one or both of the remaining cate
gories. Members of the college
community are expected to follow
these lines of communication be
fore organizing a protest. In the
The college cannot condone dis
ruptive or destructive picketing,
protesting or demonstrating which
interfere with the normal opera
tions of the college. Unauthorized
occupancy of or damage to build
ings, property or materials therein,
whether they are in use or not, is
prohibitea. Persons engaged in
such activities will be subject to
disciplinary action, suspension or
expulsion.
In such instances, to return the
campus to normal functioning, the
Administration may take discipli
nary actions, but they will be of a
temporary nature pending a hear
ing by the Investigating Commit
tee. This committee will consist of
two faculty members and one dean
appointed by the President of the
College or his designated represen
tative, and two students, namely
the president of the Student Gov
ernment Association, and the di
rector of the Judicial Affairs. The
chairman of this committee will be
designated by its members. Detail
ed records of all proceedings will
be maintained, and a report will
be made to the Office of the Presi
dent. The decisions of the Investi
gating Committee shall be final if
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