A STUDENT OPINION

scum mo melt

WE’llE BEEll Willilliiiroli THIS?

ly DON MARQUAIDT
and PAUL TICI

Tho l2upaga document it
oeiitly complaied by the Faculty
Educational Policy and Curri-
culum Committee represents a
year's concentrated effort by sin
(eight, including the air oliicio
members) or Grlnnoll’s most
dynamic and most respected
Uducators. it is truly a sham.
that the document does not ro-
llect their dynamism.

Their Report, granted, sug-
gests improvements in the di-
vision stincture, underclass ad~
vising system and upperclasl
studies and independent proj-
ects—out all these represent
modifications or the present
stains quo. in fact, this appears
to be the Committee's goali/
continuing what it considers a
curriculum “viable, moderately
puccessiul, and sustained by
tradition. . . (p. 23"

No when did they over at-
tempt to conceptualize the ideal
education that Grinnell College
could oiler, or even what a
“liberal education" should be.
This Report provides no unity-
ng concept toward which fu-
ture improvements can be made
In the curriculum; it only sup-
ports indeﬁnite extension of tho
giesent policy. We feel that a

ncentrated effort should be
made to radically improve the
oliuation lrm‘n a mediocre, "vi-
able" curriculum to a model
our-riculum of which the Grin-
neii community can be proud,

We feel the goals ior an ad
ucaiion at Grihnell should be
ihar ii (i) recognize that it is
dealing with individuals who do
not have the same backgrounds
pr interests, (2) he liexible, llh-
yral, and personal, satisfying
the interests of the individual,
ﬁnd (3) introduce the individual
to the broad themes and major
concepts of all areas of study
in some degree of depth. The
Report's objectives however, ap-

ar to be in direct contra-
diction to these goals. By the
second year; every student will
have been forced to take seven
lecture co u rs e s from wh‘ h
"there will be no exemption.“

so lacturo course: and ro~
uirements ar- not only "difﬁ-
cult to Ital " and a “sacrific-
to tho disciplinary prestige (p.
28)" by tho Committee’l own
admission, but thay are (1) re-
strictive to those students with
exceptional backgrounds or in-
uresu, (2) too large to be per-
sonal, and (3) too general to ba
oi interest to the prospective
major and too vague to be of
interest to everyone else. Largo
lecture classes, as requirements,
are most inappropriate to tha
image of a small college whose
most valuable asset is the op-
portunity it provides for small
classes and seminars that allow
tor meaningiui discussions with
prulessors well qualiﬁed in that
area,

The Report advocates that
lectures . i should take ad-
vantage of the special quai"
cations of the individual [acui-
ty member (pr 42)." Our ques~
tion is, why not have all courses
take advantage of the faculty's
qualifications? These hioad sur-
vey courses are not only in-
ﬂexible and impersonal to the
students, tut they are a gross
misuse of valuable iaciilty ra-
sources. Would it not be ad
vantageous to the entire collego
community to replace the einst-
ing underclass requirements with
a general requirement oi at
least 18 hours in every division,
and allow the individual student
in develop his own program?
This would (1) allow the stu-
dents to satisfy their own in-
terests as best. belit their in-
dividual backgrounds and edu-
cational goals, (2) fulfill the ob-
iectives of a flexible, liberal,
and personal education, and
(3) permit the i'aculty to teach
courses, ii not in their im-
mediate fields, at least in their
own departments and the
courses for which they are most
eminently qualified.

It is also most regrettable that
the Committee did not consider
any fundamentally new con-
cepts in education important
enough to make any proposals
along these lines. Their objecs
tlvcs at encouraging “study
in interdisciplinary subject

matters,” developing "a con-
cern for problems," encourag-
lng "exploration of study and
career options,” and providing
"the basis for meaningful par-
ticipation: in programs or on-
campus study, summer intent-
rhips, iield work, and workshop
study to, 52)" are excellent—
but without deiinito proposal:
by the Committee, they lacs
unfortunate delays.

The Committee's concern for
the teaching load oi the faculty
is certainly a valid concern, but
Grinnell can not afford to saw
rifice the ideals of a modem
liberal education by maintaining
large lecture classes and
disregarding new educational
ideas.

We see no other way that
Grinnell College can claim to
be a progressive liberal arts
institution. Certainly proceeding
with the status quo will never
improve the situation,

DAYTON NEW
F. A. ADVISOR

Daryl D. Dayton, chief of the
Music Division and music ad.

viser to the United States Inior-
motion Agency, has been ap-
pointed to President Leggett's
Advisory Committee on Fine
Arts and Cultural Acquisitions.

The Committee on Fine Art:
and Cultural Acquisitions is one
of four advisory groups which
assist President Leggett in
long-range planning.

A pianist who attended Grin-
hell in 1922-23 and 1923-24 and
graduated lrom Oberlin College
in 1523, Dayton was a member
or the music i'aculty at Pomona
College for 21 years before
joining the U.S. Foreign Serv-
ice.

He was cultural attache to
the American Embassy in
Athens, Greece, ior seven years
before being appointed to his
present position with the United
States Information Agency in
EEG.

Responsible for the promotion

 

Welcome Pizza lover!

(and Parents. Friendl. Alumnlll

We hate to see people cry. Even our ampotliorlxlr'a
[unl- lhcf our product II so good. You know who! we

mean. "somebody also
their: wa'd cry tool

lint] our recipe and we had

"AHRV" SAYS
HAPPV
MOMECOMING

Ahrvano’s Pizza

Tom & Ilene Garbison

FREE DELIVERY

236-6221

of American mule in man
than loo countriu abroad, he
also serves on the National Mu-
sliz Council, the Music Commit-

1. now do you know
Arnold u serious?

He avcinehk
mi ed wombat.

a. whaiil you do tor fun?

Go on overnight
Idckat hunks.

Arnold says won and
new melanin in the
vigor oi out Mr lite.

“a for UNESCO, and th- Mull.
Advisory Panel for the Deparﬁ
mont or Stato'l Cultural Pra-
Iontatiunl Program.

I. Think you'll like in.
with a naturalist?

Arnold says a pup tour
has everything you could
want in a house.

For food, it'll 1»
ﬁgs, curds and whey.

a, Gee, Malcolm I: just tho
opposite, Ho likes his
comforts, Before we
got enga ed, he lined
up a on job; then he
got p enty of Living
Insurance from Equiiahle
to provide sohd protec-
tion for a wife and family
and build a retirement
tund at the same time.

How do you return a
wombat without liui ting
solncone’s feelings?

For information about Living Insurance, see The Mhn from E uitable.
For career opportunities at Equitable, sea youi Placement 0 car, or
write; James L. Morice, Manager, College Employment,

The EQUI‘I'ABLE lite Assurance Society of the United States
Homo Oil-loci 1285 two. of the Americar, New York, NY. 10019

An Equal Uppommlly Emplovu, M/r

c Equitable 1D81

 

I’enney

LALWAYS FIRST GUALIT

Welcome To Homecoming

Visil Downlown With
Your Daughter or Son

SHOP PENNEY’S

 

