WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1940
The DAILY NEBRASKA!
3
What is
NU officials' d
reality as plan
by Chris Petersen.
Back in the first year of the
"terrible thirties," university offi
cials, led by Dean T. J. Thomp
son, talked and dreamed of "some
sort of an improved advisory and
guidance plan" for those men and
women entering university. Pass
ing of time, discussion, tentative
plans, research, controversy, and
finally today, almost a decade
later, newly appointed Dean Nels
Bengston eagerly contemplates the
opening of his Junior Division this
fall, that dream brought to reality.
Streamlined education
Education's attempt to keep it
self streamlined and on par with
other fast developing movements
of this "improvement" age, the di
vision will completely revise the
advisory system, provide voca
tional courses, and offer terminal
courses with some sort of recogni
tion at the completion of the
course which would probably last
two years.
Included in the functions of the
new division, which only affect
incoming freshmen will be:
1. The matriculation of all new
students, except those entering
professional colleges (law, dentis
try, and medicine) in the univer
sity. Such matriculation would
occur only once and any later
transfer from college to college
would be considered ajs a change
of registration.
2. The assembling and making
available to advisers information
pertinent to the guidance of each
new student. Such information
might include high school scholas
tic and extracurricular records,
tests records (psychological,
achievement and aptitude), finan
cial and social status, etc.
3. The counseling of new stu
dents. (Under this point comes
the classification of students into
five certain groups. These are ex
plained below).
4. The advising and regintering
of all new students.
5. The offering of a general
orientation course to be required
of nil freshmen during their first
semester. The course would
acquaint the student with the fa
cilities which the university offers
so that he may use them effec
tively in his education, and help
him adjust himself to the univer
sity environment.
6. The attempting to discover
deficiencies in students which im
pede their progress, and to pro
vide means for removing these de
ficiencies as speedily as possible.
Terminal courses
7. The offering of one and two
year curricula of vocational or
terminal courses which meet the
needs of students and which are
not offered by any colleges of the
university.
8. The developing experimen
tally of general courses and tech
niques which will Improve the uni
versity's service to the students.
Provision would be made ulti
mately for superior students to
utilize fully the facilities of the
university. In courses with large
registration, special sections could
be organized for superior students
who could master subject in leas
time. Exceptionally able and well
prepared students could be encour
aged to demonstrate by examina
tion that they possess certain skills
or that they have mastery of cer
tain subjects, and thereby could
earn credit in or could be excused
from taking courses otherwise re
quired. 9. The cooperation with the col
leges in developing a program of
courses designed only for fresh
men. The purpose of this point
would be to limit courses to fresh
men and provide instruction suit
able for freshmen.
10. The cooperation with the
colleges in studying critically the
requirements of university en
trance, admission into freshman
curricula of colleges, and which
the colleges may establish for ad
mission into sophomore classes.
Dean is head
The functions of the division will
be administered by Dean Bengs
ton, who wilt rank on par with the
de.-r.s of other colleges, and a
Board of Councellora.
The Bop.rd of Councellora wlU
Nebraska9s new
ream becomes
is completed
consist of ten members. Six mem
bers of the board will be composed
of representatives from each of the
colleges now registering freshmen.
Each will be nominated by the
dean of the college and appointed
by the Dean of Junior Division.
The other four members will be as
counselors for each of the follow
ing groups:
To be grouped
1. Group A. Would consist of
students who had chosen a college
and who appeared fully qualified
to pursue the work of this college.
Each of these students would be
counselled by the counsellor who
represents his college.
2. Group B. Would consist of
students who had chosen a college
but who exhibited deficiencies
which would have to be removed
before entrance into that college.
Each of these students would be
counselled jointly by the counsellor
representing the college of hia
choice and the special counsellor
for students entering with de
ficiencies. 3. Group C. Would consist of
students wishing to pursue ter
minal (vocational) curricula of
fered by the University Junior
Division only. Such students
would be counselled by the special
counsellor for students taking
terminal curricula.
4. Group D. Would consist of
students designated as adult spe
cial students by the university
catalog. Such students would be
counselled by the special counsel
lor for adult specials.
5. Group E. Would consist of
students who had not yet made
a choice of vocation or college.
Such students would be designated
as Unclassified Students, and
would be counselled by the special
counsellor for unclassified stu
dents. First hint in '31
First hint of such a beneficial
plan came in June, 1931, when
Dean Thompson in making his fis
cal report said, "I should like to
see an attempt made to make the
freshman year throiifihout the uni
versity a unit. If we could make
the first year for h11 freshmen a
so-called "University Year," it
seems to me that In the course of
that year a student could find out
to a better advantage what he
could possibly do under our pres
ent system thono courses or course
which he wished to pursue
throughout the remaining three
years. With such an organization,
the freshmen could be handled un
der a competent cors of advisers
and might in time be put under
an entirely separate organization
and be given separate instruction."
Two more years
Then followed two more years of
planning and outlining of a sepa
rate division which Dean Thomp
son presented In his report to
Chancellor E. A. Burnett and the
bourd of regents. The plan was
heard, contemplated and once
again faded into the background.
Backed in Uni Senate
From December of 1936 until
April of IOCS, the plan was con
stantly In the spotlight with Dean
Thompson and other officials of
the university strongly backing it
in reports and considerations in
the University Senate. It was In
December of 1937, after studying
Himllnr plans at universities over
the country, the committee on the
lower division plan, which had
been appointed from the Senate,
gave a detailed plan settine forth
a possible framework and what
could be accomplished under such
a plan.
See two gains
In the report, committee mem
bers declared, "If such a univer
sity division were organised with
the same independence of organ-
ization as is accorded the colleges; :
if it were given support of the
college in formulating currlculums
mutually acceptable to the col
leges and to the division; if it
were granted control of the regis
tration, education guidance, test
ing, and teaching of its students;
and if the colleges were to agree
upon minimum achievement In
scholarship and credit hours be
fore admission to the colleges Is
granted, then we believe it would
be possible (1) to give freshmen
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If
Journal and Star.
Dean T. J. Thompson.
. . . advocated Junior Division
plan in 1931.
t V
Journal and Star.
Chancellor C. S. Boucher.
...Junior Division accepted in
his administration.
better educational guidance and
(2) to provide better opportunities
for teaching freshmen.'
Would provide incentive
"In addition, it is our opinion
that such a division may Berve
two other functions. It may pro
vide an incentive to those who
wish to enter the colleges and It
may tend to keep those Incapable
of doing satisfactory work from
entering the colleges."
It was after this complete re
port and plan had been submitted
that the dream began to material
ize. Committees were appointed
to make changes where needed.
The senate was interested ia the
plan.
Boucher adds ideas
It was then that Chancellor C.
S. Boucher took over the guiding
reins of the university. Full of
new ideas, and seeing a need for
changes in freshman teaching,
guidance, and the advisory system,
he began to work with other offi
cials on the plan.
In October, 1939, the University
Senate passed the bill calling for
the establishment of the Junior
Division as it Is now and passed
it onto the University of Ne
braska board of regents for a final
o. k.
Is now being set up
Last Saturday the regents met,
gave the plan the final vote and
elected Bengston as new dean of
the division. Now, the division Is
being set up.
When the university opens this
fall, it will be with a new view on
freshman students. Everything
possible will be done to help them
select courses most suitable to
them, give the individual and his
problems full attention, and help
beginning students thru their most
trying year.
Husker coed victim
of purse snatcher
Miss Margaret Poyer, univer
sity student, had her purse
snatched from under her arm
near 14th and South streets yes
terday. Among the contents were
a fountain pen and personal ar
ticles and loss was reported as
(5.50. Miss Poyer lescrlbed the,
thief as a young arx about 20
years old.
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Junior
Not a 'dumbel T co! lege or a
7f lunkers mecca7 new dean
The university's newest dean,
Nels A. Bengtson, has two fa
vorite joys In life the Swedes and
Nebraska's newly created Junior
Division. But the Swedes get along
alright by themselves so he turns
his attentions to the Division.
What does he think about the
new plan? Lots.
Putting it picturesquely, "It is
a development designed to fit our
unique educational conditions in
Nebraska. Or we might say," he
added, "That it is a serious effort
on our part to provide as fully
as possible, the advantages of a
small college with the larger op
portunities of a university."
No "dumbbell" college
A few moments later, "But, it
Is not a 'dumbell' college. It's not
for funkers. The whole system is
on a high plane with every safe
guard taken for the rights and
principles of the individual stu
dent." Turning in the swivel chair, he
continued, "There are three points
which should be cleared up be
fore we go further. First, there
will be no curtailment of present
opportunities. All opportunities of
academic work will be retained,
New opportunities.
"Second, the Division will give
new opportunities for scholastic
endeavor arranged to meet needs
that are not now provided.
"Third, the advisory system
will be strengthened particularly
through a careful gathering of
data before the student comes to
the university so that when he
does enter, the advisor will have
before him as complete case his
tory as possible to obtain. On the
Costume
Jewelry
Brcefefs
Necklaces
Pins and Clips
my
IIHLLEBf,PA?nF
Division?
basis of that case history, a much
higher quality of counselling ca
be obtained."
To satisfy a question that had
chastised us for the first part of
the interview, we queried, "How
soon will you begin work on Mi
ting up the Division.
"Beginning will be made at on
in setting up some phases of a
terminal curricula. That is, the cur
ricula, both general and vocational,
will be offered to those students
who can attend university for only
a limited time, say two years.
Some sort of recognition will be
given those students who finish
these terminal courses."
"No one must think that thes
terminal courses will be inferior
to those which are offered in the
four year course. They will be vC
just as high a caliber."
Praises chanoeHor
Dr. Bengtson was high in Ms
praise for Chancellor Boucher and
the part he played in obtaining
the Junior Division. In his words,
"The set-up was part of a vision
by Chancellor Boucher who did aH
he could to help that vision bo
come a reality."
Dean Bengtson, long acquainted
with the numerous trials and trib
ulations of befuddled frosh, has
had much experience in the field.
He has conducted many youth sur
veys, directed courses in freshman
lecture, and did much to bring Um
Division to this campus.
In this man's hands, whose age
we wouldn't care to guess at, lies
the destinies of those men and
women who will be entering the
university in the future.
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