The State Board
And Higher Education
As any history student knows, the past and present often
foretell the future. For this reason, sincere friends of higher
education in this state are justly concerned about the State
Board of Higher Education’s decision to grant Oregon State
College a major in physical education.
The question is not the wisdom, or lack of wisdom, in grant
ing Oregon State a PE department. The question concerns
the wisdom in making the second major break in two years in
an educational system that has been applauded by educators
all over the nation.
Granting Oregon State a PE department represents in fact
a junking of the basic principle of higher education in Oregon
. . . allocation of funds and functions. This allocation prevents
duplication and assures the highest possible educational qual
ity in a state that can’t afford unlimited spending.
Two years ago. Oregon State College asked the State Board
for a full school of business. They were repeatedly turned
down, but the requests continued. Eventually the State Board
was swayed and two schools of business were set up in the
system.
The same pattern developed concerning the physical educa
tion request. Last year, Oregon State’s request for a PE school
was turned down by the State Board. More than that, the
school was told not to ask again.
But again persistence proved its value. By the State Board’s
action there are now two competing schools of physical edu
cation in the state. As in 1948, the real issue was ducked. Ra
tionalizations were put forward to show that there are not two
competing schools. By their very existence, however, the
schools compete in fact if not in theory.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with competing schools within
a state ... if the state can afford them. At the present time,
and for the forseable future. Oregon cannot afford the luxury
of educational competition. Such competition sends school
catalogs spiraling as course after course is added, always with
the purpose of keeping two offerings ahead of the someone
else.
In such a situation, quality of education goes into a spiral,
too. It goes into the tailspin spiral, and is checked only when
the ruinous competition and duplication is stopped.
The allocation and unification principle was set up during
the depression to keep Oregon’s higher education from going
completely bankrupt. Unlike many stop-gap measures, the idea
was a success. There were scoffers at first, but the effective
ness of the plan in improving Oregon s schools brought more
and more acclaim.
Adjustments were made when and where necessary, but only
when clearly required by sound educational policy. Until 1948
there were no professional school “grabs. Moreover, the pro
fessional schools were recognized as the last area where dupli
cation would be excusable.
It seems strange, then, that the two major breaks in the
system have been in the professional school area. The PE re
quest was unusually brazen. One of the chief reasons given
for setting up the PE department at Corvallis according to a
news service quoting a college spokesman was ... to attract
athletes who want to train for high school teaching and coach
ing.” One wonders what sound educational values can come
from such an attitude.
But PE arguments are a thing of the past. The question be
comes; where will it stop? Oregon State has already been
turned down once on its request of a school of journalism.
There are indications that art and architecture are next on the
list.
A certain amount of duplication is necessary. All students
need background courses, but the elusive “background ex
cuse can’t be given for duplication in the professional school
area. In those schools, quality demands concentration and uni
fication. The State Board’s most recent action is another step
toward destroying that unification.
In the matter of the PE request, the past accurately fore
told the present. For the well-being of higher education in
Oregon, we hope it doesn’t foretell the future.—Jim Wallace.
m Daily
EMERALD
The OREGON DAILY EMERALD, published daily dunjng the college year except
Saturdays, Smidavs, holidays and final examination periods by the Associated students.
University of Oregon. Subscription rates: $2.00 a term, $4.00 for two terms and $5.00 a
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Opinions expressed in editorials are those of the writer, and do not claim to represent the
opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written by associate editors.
Unsigned editorials are written by the editor. . , , . , ,
Opinions expressed in an editorial page by-lined column are those ot the columnist, ana
do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editor or his .associates.
Don A. Smith, Editor
Joan Mimnaugh, Business Manager
Barbara Heywood, Helen mieiman, associate nauors.
Glenn Gillespie, Managing Editor
Don Thompson, AJtcr*ising Manager
Sojilutmasie lAJi&dojft
Spring is Just
Around the Corner
by Balt- tf-iwJz
\A L £ ) .
I £ a o 4
Spring is almost here. We saw a robin. In
fact, we have seen a great many robins lately,
and other kinds of birds, too. Either they have
their signals all fouled up (and we do NOT
believe in puns) and are under the impres
sion that this is Carmel-by-the-Sea, or spring
is coming.
Just any day now the temperature will
soar up to some unearthly heat like sixteen
above, and the crocuses (or croci, if you think
this comes from some old Latin root—again,
no intended pun) and tulips and other bright
and fresh things will be pushing their little
green heads up everywhere.
Love may again gain some of its lost popu
larity. As of now, a snowdrift by the Ol’ Mill
race or an icy plot in the cemetery are not too
appealing, and romance is on the decline.
However, barring unnatural decisions by the
groundhog, the weather man, and the Office
of Student Affairs, both spring and love
should be right around the corner. After all,
we saw a robin.
Yes temperatures will rise again, glands
will begin to do whatever glands do in the
spring (and this seems to be quite a bit) and
by June even our little toes may be thawed
out.
Maybe we are being overly optimistic. We
think not. It isn’t really cold outside; just
crisp. And its such fun to watch people fall
with resounding thuds upon the ice. It is a
time for great gaiety and celebration, for
spring is coming.
All those icicles that people keep trying to
stab each other with will melt. It will be pos
sible to walk up Alder street without feeling
like someone being hunted by the Royal
Mounted Police.
As one of those people in the English Lit
book said, “O west wind, if winter comes, can
spring be far behind ?”
Remember, we saw a robin.
j*t the fsafy
Block Out the Circle
/I Jlettefi
January 30, 1950
AN OPEN LETTER
Student Affairs Committee
University of Oregon
Dear Committee Members:
It has been the hope of the
Young Progressives to pre
sent on campus, to the stu
dents and faculty of the Uni
versity, a non-partisan dis
cussion of the timely ques
tion, “Should We Recognize
the New China?” Despite the
fact that three faculty mem
bers, representing divergent
opinions, were to speak, the
University Administration de
nied us the use of campus fa
cilities for the reason that the
Young Progressives are not
a recognized campus organi
zation.
Over three months ago,
Young Progressives com
plied with all procedures set
forth by the administration
as necessary to obtain recog
nition. After this was done,
the Student Affairs Commit
tee decided that recognition
was not necessary as a fondi
tion for the use of campus fa
cilities. Whereupon, Young
Progressives asked for a
room in which to hold a pub
lic meeting. This request was
denied on the grounds that
Young Progressives was not
a recog'nized campus organi
zation. Clarification of our
status was requested. We
were informed that the Stu
dent Affairs Committee
again took up the matter, but
came to no definite conclu
sion. However we were told
by Mr. Dushane, Director of
Student Affairs, that upon re
quest of our faculty adviser
we could obtain a campus
room for non-political meet
ings. On the basis of this, our
faculty adviser requested a
room for a non-partisan dis
cussion on the subject of Chi
nese recognition. This re
quest was denied on the
ground that Young Progres
sives are not a recognized
campus organiztion. The cir
cle is complete.
We think that the Admin
istration owes it to the stu
dents to decide, as soon as
possible, the status of polit
ical clubs on the campus.
(We were informed that, as
yet, no political clubs are rec
ognized, and thus can not use
campus facilities even for
nom-political meetings.)
Since it is the function of a
(Please turn to page three)
Off to a Good Start
Voting booths in the Vet’s Dorms have been the aim of
dorm men for some years, but because of objections of one kind
or another the booths were never placed there.
One of the main objections in previous years has been the
impossibility of getting poll books for more than the usual
(year before) number of polls. This problem has been neatly
taken care of this year by use of IBM machines, which ap
parently do have some good use besides punching up registra
tion cards to the point where they are unreadable.
The Executive Council took the very practical and thought
ful approach to the setting up of polls this year for freshman
elections. By putting them in three different locations, it is
hoped that voting will be so convenient that no student will
feel the polls are inaccessible.
If Freshmen learn early that the actual process of voting can
be painless and does not entail registration-like lines in some
building a mile from nowhere, they will be more inclined to
take an active participation in every election.
(We do not intend to imply that voting is easy in all its as
pects ; for the conscientious voter must study the qualifications
and platforms of the candidates if he is to vote wisely, and this
is not always an easy task.)
But this year’s freshmen are certainly gettting off on the
right foot, by all pre-election evidence.
If wre may be allowed a comment on the candidates—all four
seem especially well qualified on the basis of past activities;
whether or not their platforms are as insipid as usual we do not
yet know.
With seemingly good candidates and accessible polling
booths, the election would be complete with reasonable plat
forms.