The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 9, 1969 Page: 2 of 8
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SCEP
Senate supports moratoriHm letter
This year, like past years, has brought its
problems, its crisis, its confrontations. But this
year, unlike past years brings a hofre of con-
certed student action. The Student Committee
on Education Policy (SCEP) is dedicated to the
task of providing an organization and a medium
for the students to voice their views on the
varied subjects that interest them, as opposed
to previous years when students who had a
gripe did not have an organization to appeal
to for help in correcting injustices.
The SCEP committee has existed in one form
or another for many years. In recent years the
main purpose of SCEP has become the annual
course evaluation report. Each student was sent
several questionnaires and asked to report on
specific classes that he was taking. In addition
to this report SCEP has been instrumental in
getting pass/fail, one semester courses, self
scheduled exams, directed reading courses, and
the raising of the class means and curve to a
level comparable with other high ranking uni-
versities.
The annual course evaluation report has be-
come longer and longer each year as the returns
of the questionnaire have become fewer and
J ewer. This year the SCEP committee intends
to modify the questionnaire by shortening the
questionnaire from eight pages to one or two,
and by limiting the number of courses surveyed
while broadening the base of people questioned.
On the intellectual and creative level we intend
to have special reports on such subjects as col-
lege courses; commerce, P.E.. architecture, and
religion departments; language requirements; the
freshman course load; and the structure of the
A. B, and (' groups.
1 he main question of the SCEP committee this
year will be: Who sets the educational policy at
Rice? We want to know who runs the university
and on what basis they form their decisions.
A partial answer has already been discovered.
The faculty sitting as a whole has the last
responsibility for all decisions. The faculty has
delegated most of its investigative power to the
Faculty Council, a group of the faculty that has
the duty to make recommendations to the faculty
as a whole. Serving under the Faculty Council
are several very important committees, notably
the Committee on Undergraduate Teaching,
Committee on Undergraduate Experience, and
the Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum.
CUT headed by Dr. Sass has the duty to see
that the quality of teaching (as opposed to
research and publication) is kept high. Thanks
to this committee, promotions within a depart-
ment are now based on three factors: research
and publication, teaching ability, and extra-
curricular activities (college work, etc.). The
ad hoc CUE committee also under Dr. Sass
evaluates the entire aspect of the life of a stu-
dent at Rice University. The Committee on
Undergraduate Curriculum headed by Dr. Mar-
grave is the sole committee responsible for a
continuing study and reevaluation of the cur-
riculum of the students. It is the plan of SCEP
to work closely with these committees this year
to achieve significant changes in the curriculum.
The work of SCEP cannot be done by the com-
mittee alone. Unless the student body as a
whole shows an interest in changing the current
structure, then SCEP is powerless. The best way
for the students to show an interest is by filling
out the questionnaires when they are distributed
and by offering any and all suggestions to a
member of SCEP or to me in 308 Will Rice,
524-4215.
ROBERT C. WILSON
Chairman, SCEP
By JOHN MAULDIN
The Student Senate unani-
mously approved a letter Tues-
day night showing their con-
cern over the forthcoming Viet-
nam moratorium (see related
article).
The text of the letter is: The
Senate has already commended
the 'Call for a Vietnam Mora-
torium' to the attention of all
the students. We feel certain
that you share with us a con-
cern about this day of nation-
wide discussion of the war and
a respect for the right of in-
dividuals in the Rice community
to suspend their normal activi-
ties during this day."
This letter will be taken to
Dean Virgil E. Topazio, who is
in charge of administrative de-
tails in the absence of Acting
Pesident Frank Vandiver, by
Lee Horstman, SA president,
and Barry Kaplan, SA vice-
president in charge of internal
affairs.
SCEP
Robert Wilson, SCEP chair-
man presented his outline for
the committee's activities this
yeai\ Wilson noted that he has
already received a show of sig-
nificant interest in SCEP and
that this year's SCEP report
can be a tremendous vehicle
for curriculum evaluation and
change.
Dan King asked to look into
the details of retaining a lawyer
who could act in the interest
of Rice students who are in-
volved in legal complications.
King also will investigate the
possibility of setting up a stu-
dent corporation in connection
with the senate. This will enable
the senate to place the student
publication under the corpora-
tion, thus freeing the editors
from liability. This conceivably
could allow student-run conces-
sions and off-campus projects,
according to one Senate spokes-
man.
Spending
In other Senate business, the
budget was approved. This year
the Senate is v. perating with
about $5000. Lee Bitudrus, Hans-
zen president, and Will Rice
president Buford Alexander
were appointed to a finance
committee to investigate Senate
spending procedures.
The Student Conference on
National Affairs will meet this
year at Texas A & M, Decem-
ber 10-13. The topic will be
"Black Africa—The Challenge
of Development." Any student
interested in representing Rice
at this conference should con-
tact Lee Horstman.
Directories
Student directories will be out
October 13 at a cost of $1.25
apiece.
Bill Haymes, Karolyn Ken-
drick, and Barry Kaplan were
appointed to work with the
AAUP Welfare committee in
investigating the "gray" areas
in the Rice policy on meetings,
conventions, and so forth on
campus.
Confrontation tactics deemphasized as 'Chicago' nears
By DON JOHNSTONE
When this article appears, the
first full day of the Chicago
action will be over and the
clarification of the future of
t'.S. radical movements will
have begun. If RYM-II politics
conu- through the initial confus-
ion to dominate the action, there
v. ill be a very major difference
in the movement for the next
months and perhaps years. Na-
tional press will emphasize the
witch more than the content
of ! ;«■ charge in politics (fac-
tionalism within the SDS). But
emphasis on confrontation will
slacken considerably as more
positive political activity in-
creases.
Debate goes on
The debate still goes on as
to the efficacy of confrontation
politics: since* the Pentagon
march, for sure, the movement
has grown considerably. Yet,
after Chicago '08 the type cla-
rification possible in confron-
tation had been maximized.
Those who could not see the
significance of the police at-
tacks will never open their eyes
to future confrontations.
The Establishment had been
■defined, publicly, as wanting to
destroy the first significant op-
position that had existed in the
U.S. for decades. Freedom of
dissent had been pushed too far.
Democracy worked because of
conflict between opposition, but
opposition over much less sig-
nificant issues.
The political science courses
across the nation had it right
the first time: two-party sys-
tems solve the basic differences
in society through ordered dem-
ocratic processes. The establish-
ment wanted the movement to
know that it would not sit back
forever and allow its opposition
to say and do anything it
pleased. So after Chicago '68
. positions had become clarified.
RYM-II claims that this is
the time to slacken confronta-
tion and explain, to the people
that count, exactly why that
establishment had to act as it
did. For the present, the people
that count are the minority
groups and the working class
(especially their kids). Attempts
to explain and clarify things to
students and other small seg-
ments of the middle class will
sis will be upon expanding to a
broad coalition.
Focus
The coalition will focus on
anti-imperialism. The explana-
tions that have become frequent
on campuses will be taken to
"the people": Society is pres-
ently dominated by a material-
ism that finds its most power-
ful expression in corporations.
These corporations have achiev-
ed a foreign policy that main-
tains exploitative relationships
with underdeveloped countries
in order to provide raw materi-
als cheaply (so that we may
beat the Russians) and markets
(so that we may avoid depres-
sions).
Corporations pay for univer-
sities that supply them with
managers and engineers rather
than supplying society with
students that can create a hu-
mane society. The profit motive
dominates city hospitals and
AMA politics to assure good
medical service only to those
who can afford it. Wage scales
keep all but the most union-
ized workers in or near poverty.
Police are used more against
the people politically (students,
blacks, the poor, strikes, etc.)
the
1U rice
thresher
Charles Szalkowski .... Exec. Assoc. Ed.
Laura Kaplan Managing Ed.
Susie Clary Fine Arts Ed.
Mike Ross Calendar Editor
Ford Hall Sports Editor
Staff: Lee HorKlmnn, Charles Lavassssi, Chuck Tanner, Bethany Iiamey, Greg
Colomb, Gil Perez, Steve Thorpe, Diane Weaver, Jane Hamblen, Bruce Topletz,
Austin Hay, Chip Matthews, Jeff Myers, Eff Martin, Donald Bayne, Lee Cagley,
Jack Uratmon, John Mauldin, Dennis Baliler.
The Rice Thresher, official student newspaper at Rice University, is published
weekly on Thursday except during holidays and examination periods by students
of Rice University, Houston, Texas 7701. Phone JA 8-4141, Ext. 221, 645.
The opinions expressed in this paper are those of its writers and editors and
Hie not necessarily those of Rice University, its administrators or officials.
The Thresher is a member of the United Student Press Association and
subscribes to College Press Service.
JACK MURRAY
Editor-in-Chief
MIKE WALKER
Business Manager
Howard Simms Assoc. Ed.
Talley Guill Ad. Manager
Kathleen Williamson .... Fine Arts Ed.
Doug Williams .... Circulation Manager
Sylvia Batcha ' Asst. Ad. Mgr.
than to protect them. Taxes are
for people and not corpoi'ations.
And, as all institutions will be
questioned, it will be asked if
the FBI is attacking the enemy
of the people or merely the ene-
my of the state.
Workers
It has been common know-
ledge to everyone on campus
that such assertions can never
be taken to the working class,
the most fascist element of the
society. The Movement is not
sure that such a notion is not
correct. But there are reasons
why attempts are becoming
strong, regardless. In the past
few years PL has enjoyed some
rather spectacular successes
(among the expected failures)
in supporting working class
struggles and creating worker-
student coalitions. Nor are the
kids of workers as set in their
ways as their parents. Last
•week a member of U of H SDS
carried hand bills to Austin
High, one of the most consistent-
ly working class high schools
in Houston. When it was dis-
covered the student was from
SDS he was immediately sur-
rounded by a large crowd ex-
pressing interest and support
rather than hostility; the Her-
mann Park political rally in-
cluded a sizeable section of
North Side students. Perhaps
most important, the minority
groups in the U.S. are entering
struggles with the establish-
ment over racism and the vast
majority of such groups are
working class. .
Chicago first step
Whatever the potential, Chi-
cago may clearly become the
first major step in the direction
of coalition politics and a broad-
ly based movement against the
establishment. If the national
fathers decide, as has SDS, that
such a coalition has significant
potential, there may very well
continue but the main empha-
be as much violence in Chicago
this year as last. If the students
are believed to be a real
threat, certainly such a coali-
tion will not be taken lightly.
If a confrontation develops this
week it will, more than likely,
represent such a decision on be-
half of the Daley machine or
higher elites. The only other
explanation would be that the
politics of RYM-II were disre-
garded for further confronta-
tion, and that the demonstrators
purposefully incited the cops.
Unless the early indications are
false, this does not seem too
probable a development.
Rice hosts meet
of Tail Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi, the National
Engineering Honor Society,
opens its 64th national conven-
tion today at the Shamrock
Hilton. The Rice University
chapter, Texas Gamma, is host
for the four-day convocation.
The purpose of the conven-
tion, aside from social aspects,
is to re-evaluate the purposes
and discuss the problems of the
Phi Beta Kappa of the engi-
neering world.
Highlights of the 1969 con-
vention are tours of NASA, and
speeches by artificial heart
specialist Dr. John H. Kennedy,
Tau Beta Pi alumnus and as-
tronaut James A. McDivitt,
and M. A. Wright, a member
of the Rice chapter and chair-
man of the board of Humble
Oil and Refining Company.
Nine Rice students have been
selected for induction into Tau
Beta Pi. They are Thomas Alt-
man, Joel Bittensky, Robert
Davis, Richard Gerth, John Kil-
lough, Steven Marcus, Richard
Smith, Jesse Wallace and Frank
Whittinghill.
Rice's Ralph E. Warmack is -
convention chairman.
the rice thresher, october 9, 1969—page 2
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Murray, Jack. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 9, 1969, newspaper, October 9, 1969; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245063/m1/2/: accessed June 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.