The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 8, 1966 Page: 2 of 8
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The Rice Thresher
^CU-NQ;
Sandy Coyner, Editor
Phil Garon, Managing Editor
Chris Curran, News Editor
Dennis Bahler, Make-up Editor
ctliK&CMty
Several important factors which have
been inadequately handled in the Baker-
Will Rice liquor resolution demand clari-
fication before the proposal can be seri-
ously considered by the Undergraduate
Affairs Committee.
The resolution has failed to mention
certain legal implications, technicalities
that must be accounted for within the
framework of the proposal.
Since the possibility exists that College
masters could be held responsible should
minors be arrested for drinking at the
parties, provisions must be made to re-
lieve them from such responsibility.
It is a proven fact that minors do, in
fact, imbibe at Rice parties, and Colleges
must lie prepared to deal with the eventu-
ality of visits from the Liquor Control
Board, should it obtain a warrant.
Attempts to halt drinking by minors
would defeat any good the proposal might
achieve, for students would boycott the
parties in droves. But the Colleges must
know where they legally stand should
arrests be made.
Also, the College judicial structures
must assume the role of punishing those
who damage the Commons, and of assess-
ing proper fines for such damages if they
occur.
The proposal does have several excellent
and well thought out points. The excessive
costs for off-campus parties, the brunt of
which must be borne by each college mem-
ber, could be eliminated; attendance
could be facilitated for those students
lacking transportation; and the dangers
of driving back to campus slightly inebri-
ated could be bypassed.
But practical suggestions must be made
within the areas indicated, which are so
ill-defined within the present structure of
the resolution. With the proper recom-
mendations, the proposal might be passed.
—PAG
@olctot&6a c<zie&
The faculty of Columbia College (the
undergraduate division of Columbia Uni-
versity) is considering adopting a pass-
fail option for its students. The pass-fail
option would permit the student to take
one course outside his major field on the
ungraded basis each semester.
Dr. Thomas E. Colahan, the college's
associate dean for academic affairs, re-
ported that the proposal is a "response to
intelligent students' concern about want-
ing to get a broad education and absorb
what is happening around-them" with-
out the "extreme pressure" for high
marks necessary for graduate school ac-
ceptance.
A number of American Colleges, includ-
ing Princeton University and the Uni-
versity of California at Berkeley have
already instituted the plan.
Rice, we repeat, should do likewise.
Threshing-it-out
Discourteous Owl basketball fans disappoint Maguire
To the editor:
While I have nothing but
praise for the performance of
the Rice basketball team in
their opening game against
Trinity University, I was ex-
tremely disappointed with the
conduct of certain of the Rice
supporters.
In particular, such yells as
''White Power," directed to-
wards the Negro members of
the Trinity team, or "Spic,"
directed towards another mem-
ber of the team, are rude and
discourteous towards the play-
ers involved. The conduct of a I am not blaming the student
certain member of the Pep
Band was also not. very exemp-
lary. Beating the drum or mak-
ing loud, insulting yells during
free shots are not sportsman-
like and bring no credit on the
person yelling.
Likewise, several persons in
the Rice student section in sup-
porting such behavior with
cheers bring only blame upon
themselves and the student
body as a whole.
I do want to emphasize that
body as a whole. Most of them
refrained from making vulgar
and insulting comments. But an
appreciable number were dis-
courteous, rude and quite un-
sportsmanlike. Such conduct
has no place at Rice Univer-
sity.
MIKE E. MAGUIRE
Wiess '67
Fiber cites expaided college role
(President Kenneth 8. Fitter delivered the foils win* remarks en the
(■tare role of the college system it Rice to a meeting of the faenltjr an
December I.)
In my first adress to the faculty in 1961, I expressed my
agreement with all of the essential features of the under-
graduate program. Less explicitly stated, but clearly implied
in 1961, was the need to improve our graduate programs,
many of which were then clearly inadequate. We have made
much progress at the graduate level and much further ad-
vance should be possible within our present policies and pro-
grams.
In suggesting study of and possibly changes in our under-
graduate program, I am in no way disagreeing with my earlier
statement; the basic principles underlying our program are
sound. But we should be striving for the very best and we
must offer the best program if we are to continue to attract
the best students. Also, a substantial number of years have
now passed since the last general review and revision at the
undergraduate level at Rice.
The colleges have largely fulfilled their basic objectives
in the residential and extracurricular-intellectual areas and
are, therefore, on a plateau of development. With this maturity,
the colleges are in a position to help in the regular instruc-
tional area, if this seems desirable. Let us see whether there
are teaching activities which, if placed under college jurisdic-
tion, might both improve our instructional effectiveness and
strengthen the colleges in their other responsibilities. I believe
a prima facie case can be made for the merit of college in-
volvement in some of the freshman and sophomore work, but
a careful study should be made before any action is recom-
mended.
I hope that the college masters and the Undergraduate
Curriculum Committee will consider these possibilities in the
near future. Possibly a special committee should then be ap-
pointed to make a more thorough study and recommend the
best specific plan for trial at Rice.
Another general aspect of the undergraduate program that
needs attention is that of opportunities for individual study,
undergraduate research, and similar activities for our particu-
larly able students. The faculty approved last June the appro-
priate policies for honors programs. It is now up to the depart-
ments to develop the program appropriate to their respective
disciplines. While I realize that individual study or research
programs are demanding of faculty time, I believe that this
is a very worthwhile expenditure of faculty effort. In some
cases I believe it would be desirable to reduce substantially
the number of formal courses offered at the junior and senior
level and to devote the faculty time thus released to the super-
vision of individual study or very small seminars. Each De-
partment has a special situation which must be considered
separately, but I do urge that most junior and senior courses
be designed to be appropriate for most or all of the majors and
that more specialized studies be handled through the activities
of the honors program. *
A more specific matter that will probably come to your
attention soon concerns our five-year engineering programs.
Several institutions of very high standing ^re awarding Master
of Engineering degrees for programs similar to ours, and a
national commission on engineering education has recommended
this pattern, including the Master's degree, for general adop-
tion. Thus we are in the position of a leader in starting our
five-year programs, but find a different label becoming cus-
tomary.
Consideration of such a change in engineering might lead
to similar discussions of the programs and degrees in account-
ing and in architecture. Indeed, we might adopt a general cate-
gory of professional masters degrees which would be quite
distinct from the existing academic degrees of Master of Arts
and Master of Science. In this area we must consider not only
our judgment as to the best program, but also the customs
of each profession in orcler that our graduates receive proper
recognition.
Cassandra terms administration claims 'extravagant'
t:
11«. PJOUT
ll AM.._ /
kim-.u t
<HTM'dcMoe>
Unity
KMhik,
"There are no group problems, only individual problems."
(—C. O. Mann)
To the editor:
Please allow me to contribute
to the current "series" written
by bitter alumni. As a matter
of fact, I haven't graduated
yet, but I have my reply ready
for the alumni solicitation let-
ter . . . No, gentlemen, I won't
support the perpetuation and
growth of Rice University be-
cause my money would be tacit
approval of a system that dis-
appoints, restricts, frustrates,
and makes miserable the ma-
jority of the non-scientific stu-
dents.
In spite of its university pre-
tensions, Rice has been unable
to transcend the scientific
phase. In spite of its attempts
at instant ivy league, Rice is
kept in the bush league by its
ultra-conservative administra-
tion and old-fashioned curricu-
lum requirements.
The administration makes
extravagant claims about pro-
ducing well-rounded men and
women, but the knowledge ex-
plosion has made such an
achievement impossible. Be-
cause he is required to sample
what can be only introductory
courses in' four or five differ-
ent scientific, mathematical,
and social science fields, the
typical Rice student is not only
not well-rounded, he doesn't
have even adequate training in
his own and closely related
fields.
As for the introductory cours-
es, they represent an unholy
alliance of training in the spe-
cial mechanical aspects of a
field for the majors (which
have no interest or use for the
average person) and somewhat
interesting trivia for the people
fulfilling requirements.
With all due respects to Dr.
Rogers, Geology 200 would
serve as a good example. The
scientists complain because the
course is not rigorous enough;
the humanities people, because
they don't understand 40% of
what's going on. "Academs"
have to sacrifice courses in the
second or third language^ his-
tory, philosophy, literature, or
art history in order to main-
tain the myth of the well-
rounded person.
If and when the administra-
tion changes the curriculum re-
quirements, I will be happy to
support a good school that is
trying to become better. Until
then, you would do better to
economize on postage stamps. .
Sign me, for obvious reasons,
CASSAHDRA
Kileff lauds editorial policy
To the editor:
The surplus of the labour
force can change the concept
of the university. Whereas once
the demands of society created
a more professionally oriented
university, now the university
can allow for a broader based
education in which the student
can involve himself in issues
beyond academic achievement.
I see the recent editorials in
the Thresher as having planted
the seeds of change, which, pro-
viding the soil is fertile, -will
'■ grow and flourish.
CLIVE KILEFF
BA, Harvard '66
THE RICE THRESHER, DECEMBER 8, 196 6—P A G E 2
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Coyner, Sandy. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 8, 1966, newspaper, December 8, 1966; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth244987/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.