FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1973
TE(E DECREE
PAGE 7
Have Become Sterile In Our Thinking”
Bigger Universities ?
Buffalo, N. Y.-(I.P.)-The
sheer size of today’s univer
sities is one of their most
frightening aspects, according
to Dr. Charles H. V. Ebert,
dean of the Division of Under
graduate Studies at the State
University at Buffalo. He said
that the size of today’s univer
sities indicates that “we have
become sterile in our thinking.”
“All we can do is build bigger
and bigger universities, when
what we should be doing is
developing new ways of
integrating the university with
the real world,” he said. One
possible method of achieving
this integration, according to
Dr. Ebert, would be the
establishment of a new type of
academic department, one that
would embrace a much broader
scope of subject areas.
'This could be accomplished
by eliminating the rigidity of
traditional departmental struc
ture, and merging individual
departments into larger in
terest groups that would
devote themselves to core
problems.
Dr. Ebert sees these new
departments as being “respon
sive to needs and not tied to
tradition. The individual mem
bers of these departments
could still function as profes
sionals in their fields, but at the
same time they would be
members of a larger team.”
He would also like to see
students do more “practical
work outside the classroom” for
academic credit. He cited
internships with industrial
firms or community agencies as
examples of this type of work.
In this way Dr. Ebert believes
that the learning process could
be made much more worth
while for the student, because
“there is a real advantage in
doing what you are learning.”
Dr. Ebert noted that there
has been some progress here in
broadening the range of options
which a student has in selecting
a major field. At present, a
student has four alternatives in
this area at U/B.
The first method, which is
organized along traditional de
partment lines, allows a
student to major in a particular
subject by fulfilling the re
quirements of only one depart
ment.
The second type, which Dr.
Ebert described as being for
students “who are not satisfied
wHh any one department,” is
the joint major. A student can
create his own joint major by
fulfilling part of the require
ments in each of two depart
ments.
A thiii, and related option,
is the double major. To
graduate \nth a double major a
student m ist fulfill all of the
requiremetts in each of two
departments.
The fourth type presently
available is the special major,
which Dr. Ebert termed “the
beginning of a new type of
education.” The student who
opts for a special major can
design his own field with the
assistance of any two faculty
members who are willing to
assist him in pursuing his
particular interest. Preliminary
results of a survey now in
process indicate that these
graduates are doing “very
weU.”
A fifth major option, called a
faculty major, is now under
consideration. The faculty ma
jor would enable a student
interested in a broad area, such
as social sciences or humani
ties, to pick one of the seven
faculties which comprise the
University for his field of
concentration, rather than a
single department. Dr. Ebert
described it as “somewhere
between the traditional and
special major.”
The various faculties are
examining the possibilities for
this type of major and Dr.
Ebert expects that it will be
ready for implementation in the
fall of 1974. He emphasized that
it was not meant to be “a low
standard degree designed to
salvage poor students,” but
rather an attempt to meet the
increasing need for a broader
scope in education.
Dr. Ebert also commented
that society and technology are
changing so rapidly that it
“doesn’t make sense to develop
a 10 year master plan because
we have no idea of what the
social, political and economic
trends of the next four or five
years may be.”
“We are at the threshold of a
new era in education. We know
that education is not a panacea,
and that the traditional assem
bly line method doesn’t work.
Now what we must develop is
not a rigid master plan, but
rather an ongoing process that
will enable us to deal with the
trends of the future,” he said.
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CAIRN
an ANMUAU MA.GAZt^4E OP
TWE UTCRARy AMD VlSUAU ARTS
IS NOW SEEKING AMO ACC6PTIN1
CONTRIBUTIONS OF
POETRY, PROSE, PHOTOSRAPHy ^ GRAPHICS
FOR TWE SPRlKQ, 1974- ISSUE.
A $25 PRIZE WILL BE AWARDED IN
EACH OP TME POu(^ CATEQODIK.S.
5 v-x.' J
SEKO ALU COMTRIBUTIOMS TO :
THE CAtRM
%TOM PATTERSON
BOK 791
ST. ANPRE.WS college
UAURINBORG, NORTH CA^^OL)N^
E8352
DEAPLIME FOR submission
OF coMTBiBuriOKS: Christmas, 1973
CcONTRlBUTORS ARE REQUESTEP TO SU8M»T
A BRIEF BlOGRAPMiCAU NOTE. ALOM&
WlTM TMElRWORK.)
Energy Crisis
Hits Wesleyan
This will save about ten
heating days during the coldest
period with no loss of required
class time.
2. Staff holidays will be
changed with an announcement
to be made within 10 days after
consultation with expert to
determine energy conservation
from the power plant.
3. All resident facilities wUl
close to all persons at the end of
the announced closing day,
with resultant heat and lighting
saving. Heat supplied to
vacated or sparsely occupied
buildings will be stringently
reduced.
4. In all public areas on
campus we shall maintain
thermostatic controls at appro
ximately 68 degrees. Wherever
it will not work a hardship, we
recommend this temperature
for residence and service
facilities.
5. We shall lower temper
atures in unused public areas at
nights and on weekends
compatible with efficient opera
tion and fuel conservation.
Whenever facilities will not be
used for extended periods
minimum temperature controls
shall be established.
6. We shall curtail the use of
ornamental outside lighting.
Light for the purpose of safety
and security shall not be
reduced, but all unnecessary
lighting shall be eliminated.
7. We encourage each mem
ber of the community to
cooperate in the conservation of
electric energy. Please turn
down lighting to accomplish
basic needs. On bright days,
try to get by with one bank of
lighting rather than two or a
lower setting in some light
fixtures. Please turn off lights
when no longer needed. When
leaving a classroom or other
public area, help extinguish
lights where no class use is to
follow.
8. Please close all windows
that you open in public areas as
you leave for wasted heat
energy is particularly destruc
tive of our conservation efforts.
9. We encourage you to use
less paper in duplication of
materials, and effect maximum
utilization of paper resources in
on-campus communications.
Not only is paper in scarce
supply, but re-cycling places
great demands on our energy
supply and our eco systems.
The bank
where people
make the
difference...
Peoples Bank
Recognizing the present
energy crisis, and the fact that
it may gfrow more severe before
it is resolved, we have sought
ways in which we can cooperate
in our campus program, and
through our community.
However, to share in the
national emphasis and to make
the most effective use of the
resources available to us at
Wesleyan we shall:
1. Academic Calendar chan
ges—
Fall Term examinations to
begin Saturday, December 8,
1973 and to conclude on
Thursday, December 13, 1973,
saving one heating day.
Winter Term—
Classes begin on Monday,
January 7, 1974 (instead of
January 3). Deadline for
registration of new students
also January 7.
Winter Recess begins (5:00
p.m.) Friday, February 22
(instead of February 27).
Classes resume (8:30 a.m.)
Monday, March 4, 1974.
Last day of classes, Wed
nesday, April 10 (instead of
April 5).
Winter Term examinations
begin Thursday, April 11
(instead of April 8).
Spring recess begins (3:00
p.m.) Tuesday, April 16
(instead of April 12).
May Term—no cheinge, to
begin Monday, April 22, 1974.
PEPSICOLA
You've Got A
Lot To Live
PepsTsGot A
Lot To Give;