The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 21, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 25, 1967 Page: 2 of 8
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PAGE TWO
GUEST EDITORIAL
THE J-TAC
LITTLE
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1967
ON CAMPUS
College for
The rather controversial view that the idea of a college
education for everyone should be abolished has been ad-
vanced by a notet.1 educator.
Dr. Calvin E. Gross, dean of the School of Education of
the University of Missouri, speaking at the 22nd National
Conference on Higher Education last week, said that edu-
cators should concentrate on .providing each individual
with the education appropriate to his needs, abilities and
achievements.
He is a former superintendent of public schools in Pitts-
burgh and New York City.
Dr. Gross, according to a Chicago Sun-Times story,, .said
that it is harmful to higher education and to students to
admit students to college "just ibecause they've gotten old
enough."
He explains that if poorly-qualified students are enroll-
ed, college standards will be lowered.
4s an example, he cited the problem of poor reading
ability. Students with third grade-level reading skills are
common in community colleges, he said, and •remedial
reading programs are then necessary. He feels, that these
remedial facilities have no place in the college.
Dr. Gross also maintains that when universities main-
tain high standards for admission they place great and
"healthy" pressure on high schools to do an adequate job
of preparing students for college work.
Dr. Gross also advocated efforts to "engender re-
spect for every honest vocation." .
"There is nothing wrong with being a happy black-
smith, provided he is free and earns a comfortable liv-
ing, We keep trying to make trees out of rosebushes," he
said*.< ;.W 3■ ■■ V .. r- : : : ..?■■ '
Dr. M. M, Chambers, professor of higher education at
Indiana University, disagreed and said that the demands
of modern citizenship require that an individual be more
than ."a h^ppy blacksmith." . V
■K6 added that one needs education beyond the high
school level and predicted that in the future 70 to 85 per
cent of all high school graduates would continue their
education. ,
Paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Chambers said,
"This country cannot exist half educated and half ignor-
ant."
The views of Dr. Gross are indeed rather radical. That
almost everyone desires and many have come even to. ex-
pect an education has become such a part of the Ameri-
can culture that to disagree is almost the same as attack-
ing motherhood, apple pie or the Fourth of July.
Certainly it is undeniable that opportunities to go as
far as possible in their education should be available to all
those who desire them.
The question seems to be whether society is -making
higher education available to those who want it, or push-
ing it, as a social status symbol, on those who perhaps
neither want it nor are capable of achieving it.
While we can agree with Dr. Chambers that an educat-
ed nation is certainly desirable, we must realize that this
education cannot be forced.
Far too often social pressures, or pressures from par-
ents, friends or high schools,, make a student feel that he
"m,ust" go to college.
The student who feels forced to attend college is too
often the one who is frustrated, dissatisfied and either
flunks out or drops out. — By Kay Crosby, TCU Skiff
□
□
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By FLIP■■ GEARING
Something interesting is 'going on at Qeorge Washington "Uni-
versity Va. Two .students there sent out 7,500 questionaires about
teachers and courses and turned the essay-answer results into
a booklet which graded each professor and gave the students
concensus of each one. ( t i
Some quotes: "Professor X means well but fails to completely-
clarify major points in the course . . . Once he gets on his plat- '
form, he goes into a world of his own and Writes board of figures
an diagrams which only he understands and enjoys. Ihe rest of
us sleep." n ■ i
"He stares at the wall .at the rear of- the class. He allows al-
most no student participation, is totally uninspiring and tends to
destroy student interest n the coures,"
There were praises as well as criticisms: "Y is the best thing
since liquor." u
"Her lectures are enjoyable'and to the point. She knows now
to direct lively class discussions."
Two of the teachers graded got a letter-grade of F; 49 got A s
The flap at GWU is whether or not students have the right to
grade their professors and, if they dp, whether they have the
right to publish the results for other .students to read.
Personally, this sounds like a. good idea. Students get judged
in a course for how well they have learned, or at least retained,
the information they are supposed to take with them from it.
Wouldn't it be well to grade teachers on how well they get across
the information the student is supposed to learn?
What we learn now is what we'll need to know when we grad-
uate and go to work. How well we do' on a,job will often depend
on what we have learned gnd remembered- from our college cour-
ses. It's important that we learn, apd to learn well, we need
good teachers, who keep on their toes all the time.
Students deserve the best teachers, and failing that, they at
least ought to -know <what they're .getting into before they take
a course.
Some have said that students are; not competent to judge a
teacher's effectiveness, that left to1 themselves, students will
pick easy teachers and easy courses;. I don't beleive this. Any.
student knows what teachers: are good teachers, and a good
teacher is easy to learn from. 'A good teacher expects a lot from
his students, but he gives them a lot too, and makes his subject
alive and interesting. Almost any student would rather have a
good teacher, even if he's hard, than an easy one he learns nothing
.' from.
Many teachers are good-hearted, ljut fall down a little from
time to time. Constructive criticism niight keep these teachers up
' to par, and keep them from sloughing off. , , •
A critical booklet such as the one published at GWU can, if
handled the right way, be; a means of making colleges and
courses better, By criticizing the teachers and getting them to
try to improve themselves, mofe students could get better train-
ing.
And isn't thatwhat we're here for?
Letters to the Editor
The J-TAC, student newspaper of Tarleton State College, Is. published by Tarleton.
State College on Tuesdays during the regular fall and £Prlfi9 ^m5^r|*0nhjiu![!fl
exception of school tioHdays and examination periods. Printer Is the Stephenvllle
Empire-Tribune, Stephenvllle. Texas 76401. • _„rf
All opinions expressed in editorials or columns are those of the writer and not
necessarily those of the faculty or administration of Tarloton Stato College.
Second class postage paid at Stephenvllle, Texas 76401. Undeliverable copies return
to Box 309, Tarleton Station, Stephenvllle, Texas 76401 — return postage guaranteed.
Advertising Rates: Furnished on Request
Dorene Gciaring —„
Roger Grizzard - • - Business Manager ,
Bridges Mobile News Bureau
-- ' Military Editor
Faculty Advisof
John Srader,
Roge
Bill I
Ron 'Kelly
Hugh Campbell .
Reporters
BoDby Glasgow, Jerry Golden, Ron Hood, Ron Kelly, Pam Pratt, Judy Rutherford,
Ai Menger, Steve Hanna, Martha Sheppard, and Larry Gibson.
My compliments to Miss
Gearing and Mr. Bridges for
producing recently two of the
best J-TAC issues which I have
read in my two years at Tar-
leton. •-
First, I would like to voice
my full support for Miss Gear-
ing in her editorial on class at- •
tendance. It's time Tarleton
got its head out of the sand
and stopped being so provincial
with respect to this and other
policies such as women's cur
few. I attended Arlington State
College my first year and I
can, report that regarding class
attendance I was treated more
as an adult there when I was
(Continued on Page Eight)
Over Ihe Fence
By BILL BRIDGES
Contrary to popular opinion,
I don't hate everybody. As a
matter of fact, I don't hate
anybody, ueiieve it or not,
there are several aspects of
this college that 1 like, one of
these being the Civic Series.
Here we are, stuck off in the
middle of nowhere with the
closest place of any size being
Port Worth, not counting Gran-
bury. Now, although Fort Worth-
does have excellent cultural
facilities like the Capri Thea-.
ter TSC students need to be
given the opportunity to get
some more culture through the
Civic Series. This year the Ser-
ies has done- a good job of
selecting groups that appeal to
all !kinds of people on this cam-
ipus. But what happens? The
auditorium looks empty before
the vprogram, during the pro-
gram, and after the program.
The response to the program
■of folk songs given, by Karen
Duke was, to say the least,
heartening. Miss Duke's pre-
sentation was excellent and
very well received (even though
the auditorium was slightly less
than .half - full), and she was
compelled to come back for
two curtain calls. As far. as I,
know, this has hardly ever hap-
pened at TSC before. But how
many people took advantage of
this opportunity? Not too many.
The Kaleidoscope Players
presented an excellent program,
also. How many of ybu remem-
ber what they presented? To
confirm suspicions and give all
of you a pat on the back since
you all remember, it was
"John Brown's Body." There
was a fairly good crowd for
this presentation. But I have
one question. How many would
have gone if, attendance were
■not "urged" by some teachers?
Now, this is riot a cut at the
teachers because the Civic Ser-
ies needs support of this nature.
It might spark a little interest.
Many students say something
like, "Well, why-don't you get,
somebody good, like Itay Price,
or Peter, Paul. ^ncl Mary, or
Willie Nelson, or the New Chris-
ty Minstrels, or somebody good
like that?"
My question in answer is
why get a group or an indi-
vidual that you can hear on
radio, records, or TV anytime.
Why not use the opportunity to
hear something or see some-
thing a little bit different? Of
course you enjoy : your favorite
groups in concert. Just don't be
afraid to get a little culture
placed before you. At least give
the Civic Series a fair shake
and go once in a while. After
all, you've already paid for it.
You might as well make use
of your money that's already
been spent.
Today you have an oppor-
tunity to hear onet^of the better
high school choirs in Texas.
Take advantage of it. They
might not sing "Blue Kentucky
Girl" or "Wild Thing" or even
"Sock It To Me, Baby", but I
can guarantee that the program
will be most enjoyable. You
won't even have to miss much
of "Sump'n Else".
. Before I close I'd like to con-
gratulate our- Student Body
President - elect Mike Moncrief
and Vice-President - elect Dale
Gilmore, Also, a special thanks
to all candidates for providing
stimulating campaign. People
•actually thought and formulated
an opinion of their own, for a
change.
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 21, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 25, 1967, newspaper, April 25, 1967; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth141134/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.