a The

3 Scarlet
Er Black

so

 

institutional survey
yields perceptions

by T. Elaine Carey
Wading through to pages or
tigures in the “Institutional Selt-
Study Survey” yields no decisive
conclusions about Grinnell. but
rather some very general per-
ceptions and grounds for more
detailed exploring in many areas.
The survey was conducted last
iﬁd, polling a random sampling at
nearly 300 students, many faculty
and administration members and
trustees, Katharine Gurott, in-
:“unional researcher, who
piled the results, warned that
the sampling in some instances
was distorted The students polled
were predominantly sophomores,
w 'le_ the iaculty returning
. tionnaires were largely unr
tenured, having served the college
less lhan six years. Administrators
completing questionnaires in.
cluded secretaries, B & G and Saga
employees whose responses
counted equally with top adr
ministrators such as the president
and deans
Dean of Sludent Atlairs Jim
Tcdermon tormulated the survey
raged on a silniliar one at Coe

groups polled. The Board oi
Trustees almost always responded
positively appearing idealistic
and somewhat out of touch
with the rest of the college. Among
the three classes of students
questioned, the seniors proved the
most critical and the sophomores
the least, The freshpeople were not.
included in the survey, taken in
October, because they had been at
the college so brieﬂy, Guroff said.

The most striking parts of the
survey are those where students’
perceptions directly contrast those
of the faculty and administration.
Grading and no requirements
curriculum were two main areas
Where night and day difterences
surfaced,

Under the present grading
system, students answered that
tew or none of the taculty give too
many high grades. The Iaculty and
administration, though, generally
thought (55.4 per cent and 45.1 per
cent) all or most raculty members
graded too highly.

The present grading system.
which generally encourages course
work outside their area of

 

@‘Ihat grading system is most educationally sound?

A-B-C-Erase
A-B-C-D-Erase
A»BsC-D-F-Pass-F

1)

Zt
3 3)
t 4|
St
Sophs
31.9
19,6
10.9
23.9
13,8
Trustees
0.0
25.0
62.5
6.3
6.3

It
2)
3)
4)
5t

Facul
1t

@-
3|

3,,

College Although much of the
survey was revised to fit Grinnell,
some questions were obviously
iﬂsinterpreted by respondents
For example, students answered a
question on the value or financial
.aid. Hull considered it valuable,
\vhlle half didn't. Guroif and Dean
oi the College Waldo Walker ex-
plained that, most likely, students
answered the questions on the
basis pl whether or not they in

dually received aid, rather
than on the basis of the value at aid
in general.

The survey had live sections,
each with 20 to «lo questions
wring numerous aspects of the
'o lege. Topics ranged from
college philosophy to college

vices. President Turner and
Vidlker stressed that the results
will be used as indicators of
problem areas and not as evidence
for specitic changes, Walker will
emloy the survey In Long Range
Planning Committee discussions.
. A few interesting observations
. emerge‘concerning the. different '

14.5
53.9

6.6
13.2

11.8

(in per cent!

ail

No grades; written evaluations

None of the above
Juniors

27.4

10.7

15.5

31.0

15.5

Seniors
155

12.7
21.1
36.6
14.1
Administration
9.4
8.8
50.0
9.4
12.5

ty

specialization, is a positive cone
trIbutIon to the college, according
to the students. The Iaculty and
administration take the opposite
Viewpoint.

Faculty and administrators
lavored an “A” through Mr
grading sytcm with a passtail
option, while students opted for no
grades and written evaluations.
Students also thought cx-
perimenting with grading and
evaluation essential, but taoulty
were divided over its importance.

A no requirements curriculum ,

was considered essential to
Grinnell education by about 70 per
cent of the students. However,
about the same percentage of
taculty and administrators
disagreed. The split was repeated
on the broader question dealing
with no requirements
strengthening liberal education.
Students agreed that no
requirements encouraged greater
variety for students. Again the
faculty and administration were on
the other side.

Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

4/9/76 Vol. 84, No. 24

Ball criticizes Kissinger

by Eva Hierschbiel

George Ball, tormer un-
dersecretary at state, expressed
strong criticism ot Secretary of
State Henry A Kissinger's recent
Middle East policies. In an in-
terview session Tuesday morning
at Grinnell House. which included
the Rt. Honorable George
Thomson, member of the Com-
mission of the European Economic
Community, and Fernand Spaak,
head oi the European Community
to the U.S., Ball warned that
Kissinger has paralyzed not only
Egypt's influence in the Middle
East, but the position of its leader,
President Anwar Sadat, as well.

Egypt has long been regarded as
the political leader or the Arab
world, with Sadat providing a
moderate and stabilizing force [or
the Arab countries. Ball explained
that “as a result of the peace
agreements, Kissinger has
destroyed Sadat” and has made
Egypt too dependent on the United
States for aid.

By making a separate peace.
Sadat is regarded as a detector by
the other Arab states, according to
Ball. Relations with Syria and
Palestine cooled perceptibly atter
the peace was made Saudi Arabia,
the strongest economically or the
Arab nations, refuses to give
tinancial aid to Egypt. II. Wayne
Moyer, political science protessor,
Said that the minimal amount of
territory gained lrom Israel was
not worth the great costs to Sadat.
Both Moyer and Ball commented
that even the US. is reluctant to
aid Sadat, because any aid given
will more than likely be swallowed
up in Egypt's corrupt bureaucratic
system.

Kissinger's personal triumph not
only has costs for the Egyptian
nation, In Meyer’s opinion, Israel
has been put in an insecure position
and Kissinger has drawn the us.
too close to Sadat, Ball warned that
small misunderstandings in the
Middle East could easily draw the

—Douglas Halsey, The Scarlet and Black

George w. Ball. who opened this week's coiitorcnce, disappointed
many in the audience with his speech. but delivered nlore substantivc
comments Tuesday morning during an interview at Grinnell House,

United States and the Soviet Union
into serious conﬂict.

In the long run, Meyer said, the
Kissinger peace can be seen as
worse than no peace at all. Ball
compared Kissinger's solution to a
surgeon who sews a person up but
leaves the infection in. The peace
terms settled little. Ball said that
Sadat is on his way out in terms of
having a stabilizing influence in
the Middle East. The next leader,
he predicts, will not be as
cooperative with the United States
and probably will be more radical.

George Thomson at one point re-
emphasized the need Ior continuity
and preserving a balance of power
in the Middle East He described
Kissinger as a man who com-
manded respect, but refused to
comment “on other people’s
politics, especially in an election
year.”

Thomson Ielt that the Economic
Community can be usetul. He
believed that because of its links
with a colonial past, the com-
munity could help create ”a
dialogue between industrial and
undeveloped countries.” Thomson
stressed the importance of finding
ways oi speaking more con-
tinuously and with a united voice.
He predicted that the development
oi the European Economic
Community will lead to its having a
more effective Voice in the United
Nations.

Fernand Spaak commented on
the rule of the Community in
energy matters. Although he
acknowledged that Europe could
never “reach absolute in-
dependence, we are aiming at
reducing our dependence.“ What
can be done? “Cut energy waste,”
Spaak emphasized. He added that
developing other resources in the
way of nuclear energy and
resources in the North Sea was also
essential. He pointed out that
Europe did not have the resources
America has,

Ball responded in the closing
mlnlltes of the interview to a
question about his possible apr
pointment to be secretary of state.
He jokingly commented, “I’ve
probably ottended every lobby in
Washington." Ball pointed out that
each candidate's choice for
secretary of state is a matter of
idle speculation. but that If the next
president believes that Ball meets
the qualifications needed for the
position, he said, “I would be glad
to do it.”

George Hall was one of the
participants (hilt took part in the
"Europe and the United States:
After 2W Years" conference held
Monday, Tuesday and \vcrtiiesdav.
For a comment on Ball's Monday
night lecture and on the one given
Wednesday night by Senator John
Culver (Dem . la.t. please turn to
page it. ‘

 

