Better Education at Oregon—A Symposium
l he Uregon Daily Emer
ald presents the second half ■
of a special symposium dis
cussion of the question,
“How to Improve Education
at the University of Oregon.”
Your chairman is Bill Byrd,
graduate in education.
* * *
Professors Must Be
More Thon Scholars
Byrd : College teaching has
come in for a lot of comment
and criticism during the last
decade, and especially since
the war. A number of high
schools and colleges have
been experimenting with new
teaching techniques and some
interesting changes have
been made. ()n our campus,
however, when one \isits a
classroom in the College of
1.literal Arts, the BA school,
or the school of education he
will usually find the profes
sor lei (tiring and the students
listening- but this i \l
Karr's topic. Al, what of the
teaching problem here at < )rc
gon?
Scholars—Not Teacher*
Karr: While other professions re
quire extensive preparation in the
know-how of their fields, the col
lege teaching profession, in gen
eral. concentrates on producing
scholars an important considera
tion admittedly but leaves an
alarming blank in matters of train
ing in educating.
Oregon provide* a striking ex
ample of a situation which the Pre
sident's (iimmiHUlon on Higher Kd
ucution had to say in its I0.*>0 re
port :
"College teaching is the only
major learned profession for which
there does not exist a well defined
program of preparation directed
towaid developing the skills which
it is essential for the practitioner
to possess "
Three ipialifiealions
These are the three general
qualifications considered by the
University when hiring Instructors:
(1) The prospective teacher’*
own undergraduate and graduate
academic record.
(2) His personality, will to co
operate, etc.
(3) His ability and record in re
search and publication.
Is knowing one's subject, the
essential qualification considered
by Oregon for its instructors,
Emerald Presents
Last of Articles
Higher education at Oregon,
lift faculty members anil Ita
methods, arc again under con
sideration in thlN, the itrmnd
part of a npiTlal forum discus
sion sponsored by the Kmerald.
The two-hour iIIsciihsIojI was
tape-recorded. A condensation
of the first half was presented
in Friday’s Kmerald, and here
the forum Is concluded.
Participants in the forum
were Henry I’anian, graduate
student in history; Hill Carey,
settlor lit business administra
tion ; Jo Anne Gilmore, senior in
Knglish; Al Karr, freshman in
pre-journalism; and Virginia
Wright, junior in sociology. Bill
Byrd, graduate in education,
was chairman of the panel.
Kach of the five participants
gave u short speech on his suh
jis-t, and there was a period of
questions and answers. The last
two topics are covered here.
enough to make a good teacher? In
1948, the University of Chicago
committee on preparation of teach
ers sent letters to 860 universities,
colleges, teachers colleges, and a
few technical colleges, asking these
institutions to supply information
on college teacher training. Part
of this included the strengths and
weaknesses of their instructors.
Standpoints
Common strengths listed were
these: well prepared in field, com
petent researcher, high intel
ligence, devoted to scholarly in
terests.
These strengths are emphasized
by Oregon. Kxcellent. Any teacher
who does not have them is not pre
pared to teach.
But what weaknesses were com
mon ?
First, personal traits: colorless,
poor personality, poor attitude,
dislikes students. Oregon's first
qualification for teachers consid
ers this |>oint.
Second: narrowly trained, train
ed in a special field, but not in
related fields. Oregon has q pro
gram of five fellowships in social
sciences, which doesn't take care
of a broad training in other fields,
however. More about that later.
Third: Interest in research, not
teaching. Oregon emphasizes this
research interest, which shouldn’t
harm teuehing, lint it can.
Fourth: no specific training in
teacning. This weakness, the most
important of all, is outstanding at
Oregon.
Teaching Training Nil
The University considers it far
more worthwhile for a college
teacher or prospect to do research
than to have any teacher training.
What teacher training does Ore
gon have ?
That five fellow ship program for
graduate students, now in its sec
ond year, emphasizes broader social
science training, with the oppor
tunity for half of the preparation
to be devoted to social science
fields other than the major—its
chief virtue.
The program, however, leads to
the Ph.D. degree in only economics,
history, political science, or soci
ology. The fellows are given teach
ing preparation duties and some
apprentice teaching. No training
is given, however, in professional
education, which is the education
of college teachers in the skill of
teaching.
Internship
The various schools' and depart
ments have a type of interneship,
whereby graduate students grade
papers, conduct labs, conduct vol
untary question sessions, and aid
the instructors.
As for the currently more Im
portant provisions for Improving
the teaching of present faculty
members, they are virtually non
existent. About the only provision
Is that instructors may take, if
they wish, five hours in any sub
ject desired.
The difficulty in improving the
training future teachers lies main
ly in the feeling of the University
that professional education courses
ar° of little value and the emphasis
on research alone. The difficulty
in improving the teaching of facul
ty members is obvious. The veteran
professors the excellent scholars
though their teaching may be de
ficient because they have nevei
been sufficiently trained certain
ly wouldn't appreciate being tolc
that they need training.
I-ack of Faith
Even the young instructors
though not advanced in teaching
are well along in their field, anc
put no faith in teaching principles
What are some devices and sug
gestions for improving college
teaching ? Some practices at col
leges throughout the nation in
elude:
Fellowships such as Oregon has
broadening Ph. D. requirements
apprentice teaching, systematic
study of problems of college teach
ing through workshops, profession
al education, seminars, and organi
zation to promote importance of
training for college teaching.
Other practice*, especially for
present faculty members, include
counseling instructors, measuring
outcomes of teaching, study of the
science and art of teaching, rat
ings, and administrative practices
to stimulate the best efforts of
faculty members.
The cause of teacher failures are
not so difficult to see as they are
to remove. Nevertheless, whatever
is possible in improving the teach
ing should he accomplished -so
that, while keeping Oregon’s facul
ty scholars just as much scholars
as they are now, we make them
and their successors teachers in
the real sense of the word.
* * *
Paman: Al, I think I'd feel a
great deal more secure about my
college training if the teacher were
a man who knew his stuff rather
than a good teacher.
Karr: I already mentioned that
a good teacher has to know his
stuff, but that's not all.
Gilmore: Isn't it supposed that
by the time you’re college students
the teacher doesn’t have to give
you motivation? You're supposed
to have your own motivation by
then.
Karr: The teacher doesn’t neces
sarily have to give you the motiva
tion. But hc-'s supposed to under
stand how motivation in learning
works so that he can administer
teaching in a better way. That is
mostly a criticism directed against
the lecture system.
Wright: Yes, I think that's just
the problem. They think the col
lege student can get the material
whether the professor is an excel
lent teacher or not, and all he's
supposed to do is stand up there
pouring out facts for the students.
* * *
Faculty, Students
Need To Be Closer
Byrd: The last hip prob
lem we are to consider today
is that of student-faculty re
lations. Too often the com
ment is made by students that
in their four years here they
never did >*et to know a pro
fessor well. How then are we
to become friends as well as
students to our professors?
Here to discuss this problem
is Henry Panian.
Panian:’ Before I begin, I want
to say that I think I'm speaking
generally and as I think it looks
from my viewpoint rather than
from any tested material.
•lust w hat are the reason* why
the students and faculty seem to
face off against each other?
One of them stems from the fact
that we do have large classes, and
in a large class the students feel
lost and just forget about the pro
fessor and don’t try to get ac
quainted.
Some Ideas Offered
Several suggestions:
One is in the socialized class
procedure —if we could have small
er classes, and if we can’t have
those, at least if the class is brok
en into smaller groups in which the
professor can associate wjth the
students, they should get to know
him better.
Secondly, emphasis on a rather
new aspect of the campus. At
Washington State, they have a lab
system whereby the professor take*
the class to the student union and
they have discussion groups. Each
one pays for his coffee and they
generally sosh.
As I understand it this sort of
thing is condoned by the adminis
tration at WRC. I feel that here at
Oregon, it is not exactly condoned,
and teachers who do that are con
sidered teachers who break the
rules.
Faculty Firesides
At Willamette, they have what
they call faculty firesides when
the faculty and students get to
gether and talk. Here at Oregon
we have just started that type of
program with the Friday night
coffee hour in the Student Union.
Snch things as bowling, card
parties, and student-faculty mixers
should be promoted.
I know that I have personally
become acquainted with faculty
members because I bowled with
them, and knowing a faculty mem
ber on the bowling alley is a lot
different from knowing him in
class.
Formality A Bugaboo
Fraternities and sororities have
faculty teas and card parties, but
the atmosphere at those things is
so darn formal. You still have the
same tightness as in the classroom.
The faculty members invite stu
i dents to their own homes, and
again the atmosphere is very form
al.
I think that if these things are
stressed, student-faculty relation
ships will be bettered at Oregon:
socialized class procedure, not only’
in the class but also in the Student
Union, and this tnatter of inform
ality in programs already set up.
CAMPUS CALENDAR
H a.m.—Hotary Conforonoo,
SI) Bldjf.
4 p.m.—Jr. Wwkeml Sing
Comm., (iorlinKiT Loungc
4:30 p.m.—Hmiwmoltier's Tea,
Alumni Hall
7 :30 p.m.—A8UO Kxec. Coun
cil, 3.37 SU
3 p.m.—Phi Mu Alpha, 334 SC
Phi Theta to Give
Scholarships
Applications for scholarships
awarded annually to sophomore
women by Phi Theta Upsilon, jun
ior women's service honorary, are
now being accepted.
Deadline for applications is 5
p.ni. Apr. 30. Scholarship blanks
are available in the office of the
director of women’s affairs, Emer
ald Hall, where they may also be
turned in.
Scholarships will be awarded on
the basis of need, scholarship,
character, and participation in
campus activities. Sophomore
women who will be juniors fall
term are eligible.
Number and amount of each
scholarship will depend on the
number and caliber of applications,
Jeanne Hoffman, Phi Theta presi
dent, explained. Last year four
$75 scholarships were awarded by
the honorary at the annual pre
sentation at the All-Campus Sing.
The trouble is, people who lose
their tempers shortly find them
only to lose them again.
Enrollment in
Religion Course
Shows Gain
Knrollmcnt in religion courses!
(Vinter term showed an increase of
MO [>er cent over the previous win- 1
er term, according to N. P. Jacob- j
ion, acting hetnl of the department j
>f religion.
Kali term also showed an in- j
■rease over the previous year's en
rollment, and this term there are
even more students taking religion
courses than winter term, Jacob
■ion reported. This is in the face of
i decline in Univei..ity attendance,
ne said.
More and more students are
showing a spirit of religious in
quiry, or that of evaluating the
goals for which men live, with
which the religion courses are con
cerned, he said.
The growing interest in religious
inquiry is unprecedented in the
American school system, C. P.
Shedd, professor of education at
Yale Divinity School, stated c
cently to the University faculty.
Jacobson regards this as character
istic of a period of cultural reorg
anization such as the present.
The seed-corn of tomorrow’s
culture is being planted by this
large group of students interested
in exercising their critical facul
ties, Jacobson stated.
Who is the ugliest man on the
Campus?
Paul V/exler Calls
For Set of Twins
Twin trouble stUl hampers the
easting- of Shakespeare’s “The
(’omedy of Errors," but. accord
ing to Director Paul Wexler,
It’s now only half as serious as
it was.
In other words, one set of
twins, conveniently identical,
has been found for the cast. But
another set, called for by the
play is still being sought.
“All that's necessary Is to get
hold of two men who look some
thing alike,” says Wexler, “but
even that is a big order.”
Other opening's, especially
male parts, are also still unas- |
signed in the Shakespearean
comedy, which is scheduled to
open late in May. Anyone inter
ested in trying out is welcome,
the director emphasized. Stu
dents may do so by contacting
him through the University
Theater or by personal call to
Ext. 825.
Director Speaks
On Scouting Career
H. F. Pote, director of the Boy
Scouts of America, will be on cam
pus Apr. 14 to talk to men inter
ested in the scouting program as
a professional career-.
A general meeting will be held
at 9 a.m. in Emerald Hall, follow
ed by individual interviews. Ap
pointments for the. interviews can
be made by calling at the graduate
placement office in Emerald Hall.
False Alarm
At Phi Delt
A false alarm brought two fire
engines and one fire truck to the
Phi Delta Theta house Thursday
night.
A woman caller reported a fire
in the Phi Delt kitchen, firemen
said. When the firemen arrived,
they found there was no basis for
the report.
When asked for further details
at the fire station, firemen refused
to comment on the grounds that
any publicity would only cause
more false alarms in the future.
“Every false alarm turned in
costs the city of Eugene a consid
erable amount of money,” the fire
captain in charge said. He added
that false alarms keep firemen
away from possible real fires where
“a child may die while we chase
after some fool prank.”
Civil Service Heads
To Explain Jobs
George Robinson, examination
supervisor, and Robert Johnson, di
rector, representing the Oregon
State Civil Service Commission,
will be on campus Wednesday to
explain job opportunities with the
commission.
The basic qualifications, salary,
employment conditions, and appli
cation procedures will be explained.
Appointments for the interviews
may be made at the graduate
placement office, Emerald Hall.
University St.
Parking Closed
For two days—Monday and
Tuesday—there will be no park
ing on University St. between
18th and 15th. Eugene police
have reserved the area for out
of-town Rotary members who
will be attending a three-day
conference in the Student Un
ion.
The new signs, which were
put up Saturday, will tie taken
down Wednesday morning, ac
cording to city officials. For the
two days, students anti faculty
members are asked to park in
the Emerald or 11th St. parking
lots or on other streets not
marked off.
The Rotary meeting will draw
about 600 visitors and wives
from all parts of Oregon and
southwestern Washington.
Among these will be United
States Senator Wayne L. Morse,
former Governor Charles A.
Sprague, Harold T. Thomas of
Auckland, New Zealand, and a
number of other important per
Heads of Houses
To Meet Today
Heads of Houses will meet at
4 p.m. today on the second floor
of Emerald Hall in the student af
fairs conference room.
The meeting was previously
planned for the Student Union, ac
cording to President Barbara Wil
liams.