January 1971
the ram's horn
Page 3
Three-year bachelor's degree
NEW CONSCIOUSNESS
■' I he extraordinary thing about this new consciousness
is that it has enf^erged from the machine-made en
vironment of the corporate state lile flowers pushing up
through a concrete pavement...For those who thouaht the
world was irretrievably encased in metal and plastic and
sterile stone, it seems a veritable greening of America."
That concluding passage contains the essence of a
phenomenally successful new book, The Greening of
America, by Charles A. Reich, professor of law at Yale
University.
Inhumanity Rejected
America, he argues, has become a monolithic corporate
state, unresponsive to attempts to control it. Its leaders
merely manage the machine; they cannot change its
direction. The nation's youth, Mr. Reich says, in their
clothes, in their music, and in their aspirations, have
rejected the inhumanity of the state. They have a "new
consciousness" which can revolutionize society without
violence.
Mr. Reich calls the new consciousness of youth "Con
sciousness III." Consciousness I and II, which had their
roots in earlier times, are the sources of our troubles, he
says.
Consciousness I (example: Barry Goldwater), em
bodies the spirit of our simple agrarian past. It "was
appropriate to the 19th-century society of small towns,
face-to-face relationships, and individual economic en
terprise." It is still prevalent among large segments of the
nation today and is often called upon by politicians seeling
votes. ^ ,
Consciousness II (example; the Kennedys) grew out of
the failure of Consciousness I, with its simplistic notions of
the individual, to cope with the problems of an emerging
Industrial nation. Its adherents are the New Dealers and
their liberal-reformist descendants who believe that
society must be regulated in order to redress grievances,
and correct imbalances.
The New Deal and its aftermath brought about an in
creasingly powerful public state, analogous to the private
corporate state, Mr. Reich argues. The interests of the two
powerful forces have now become so intertwined, he says,
that they constitute a single, monolithic, corporate state.
The members of Consciousness II see themselves as
liberal, as unselfish, Mr. Reich says, but they accept the
values of the corporate meritocracy. A member "can fight
for reform just so long as the fight is in the same direction
that organized society is going. . ^ *
...He Is In favor of many reforms but he will not
jeopardize his own status to fight for them; he will not put
his own body on the line. ... xu
"He has been persuaded that the richness, the
satisfactions, the joy of life are to be found in power,
success, status, acceptance, popularity, achievements,
rewards, and the rational competent mind. He wants
nothing to do with dread, awe, wonder, mystery, ac
cidents, failure, helplessness, magic."
Consciousness 111 was triggered more than anything else
by the war in Vietnam, Mr. Reich says. The war did what
almost nothing else could have; It forced a ma|or breach
in consciousness. And it made a gap in belief so Jnat
through it people could begin to question all the other
myths of the corporate state." . x *a D«i,-h
After his indictment of the corporate state, Mr. Reich
prophesies that the new values of youth v\^ll
reassert the human control of the state. He Provides no
plan of action, although he rejects both reformism and
violent revolution. .
"Neither 'lawful channels' nor the
approach can succeed againstthe corporate sta .
can prevent the steady advance of authoritarian
power of the new consciousness is not P x ggx
manipulating procedures of the power of
fighting, but the power of new values and a new way of
life." . ,,
—^Malcolm G. Sciflly
MOlAi
I2EACH£P A
Of
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: 16 M I Of —.jH
Hartford, Conn.—
(I.P.— Trinity College
President Theordore D.
Lockwood has asked the
College's Curriculum
Committee to consider
establishing a three-year
bachelor's degree
program.
In a letter asking con
sideration of a three-year
program option to the
committee. Dr. Lockwood
said two reasons prompted
his suggestion."First," he
wrote, "I sense that at this
time of considerable
curricular fluidity we shall
see many experiments to
provide far greater
flexibility In the pace at
which students complete
their undergraduate
program."
Dr. Lockwood said at one
extreme there were
students who could profit
from Interrupting their
education—" a prospect
which changes in the
selective service system
may permit," he added
and "At the other extreme
we have those who could
profit most from being
encouraged to finish their
undergraduate studies
more rapidly—not simply
acceleration In the ac
cumulation of credits but
as a more rapid acquisition
of agility of the mind and
intellectual mastery."
Secondly, he observed,
"The emphasis on
specialization has
slackened. Now may be the
time in which to recognize
explicitly the differing
paces at which students
fulfill these go&ls."
In considering a three-
year degree program, Dr.
Lockwood said, "It should
be voluntary. It should be
different—not simply
acceleration." He added
"my assumption Is that It
would most likely involve
qualifying examinations —
rather than credit ac
cumulation."
Dr. Lockwood said that
such a program might tend
"to attract the better
student." However, he
said, "It is not alone the
superior student who
profits. What the program
recognizes Is that students
differ In the 'earliness'
with which they achieve
the goals we set.
"Society may prefer that
we provide four years
suspension from labor
during the ages 18-22; but I
would hope we would not
plan educaion In those
terms. Therefore I admit
that this program should
incorporate the possibility
of interruption."
President Lockwood also
said a program might take
the form of a student
finishing his degree in
three years and then op
tionally, "pursue a
master's degree during the
following 12 months."
He said that some might
view a three-year program
as "a contraction and
therefore a diminution."
President Lockwood said
"I do not; for I feel we
have moved away from
that kind of measurement
In higher education."
Dr. Lockwood told the
committee that he con
sidered the proposal for a
three-year degree
program, "as a logical
extension of the philosophy
inherent in our new
curriculum."
Since September 1969,
Trinity has been under a
curriculum which places
maximum emphasis on
flexibility of students
selecting their course of
study without specific
requirements outside the
major in order to fulfill
their educational ob
jectives.
reticent about considermg
new ways of learning—will
suffer occasional
misconceptions.
"During the coming year
we plan to review
systematically just what
has been happening and I
am confident that the
faculty will, if appropriate,
suggest modifications.
"At the same time it is a
source of reassurance that
Trinity has attracted
national notice because of
its new academic ap
proach. At the Danforth
Workshop on the Liberal
Arts College, to which a
Trinity delegation was
invited, our faculty
members discovered how
frequently we are cited as
moving in the right
direction.
While the flexibility or
the current curriculum
allows for extending study
for a degree to five years
or acceleration in a three-
year program the latter Is
not a formalized option to
which President Lockwood
Is asking consideration.
Commenting on The
Curriculum in his annual
report, released here
recently. Dr. Lockwood
states; "Trinity has sought|
to respond to the necessity;
of change by designing its
academic programs.
There is little doubt that
the new curriculum, now
one year old, has
quickened student interest
in significant intellectual
matters.
"The Freshman
Seminars were a welcome
break with what students
had known in high school,
and they have served as
the base from which a new
and better advisory!
system is being built." j
"The restatement of
departmental majors and
the creation of in
terdisciplinary majors
hitherto unavailable has
moved us away from a
dangerous preoccupation
with preprofessional
training. The absence of
requirements in general
education has recognized
that the exploration of
Ideas does not necessitate
force feeding atthe table of
presumed invariant truth
laid out according to
discretely departmental or
divisional lines.
"And the creation of new
cooperative programs has
expanded the educational
opportunities available to
our students. But there are
problems. Many people.
Inside and outside of
Trinity, have become
uneasy about the lack of
rigor in certain courses,
especially those offered
under the experiments
authorized by the new
curriculum.
"I share this worry.
However, any new
program which genuinely
encourages departures
from traditional teaching
techniques—and surely
colleges have too long been
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