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Tuesday, May 17, 1955
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THE NEBRASKAN
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Nebraskan Editorials :
One Lfer te Opposed
There Is an added note of distress In the
usual pre-finals anxiety this semester. This time
it is not rapidly approaching the finals which
are the topic of campus conversation, but rather
the finals of the future and vrhether they will
be squeezed into a one week period. Unless
faculty members who oppose the plan can sway
enough votes in the next Faculty Senate meeting
in October, it looks as if the two-week exam
period is a thing of the fond past.
Faculty opinion on the shorter exam period is
split. Inquiries among several faculty members
in Bis Ad and Teachers College revealed a
large number on both sides of the issue. The
majority of College of Agriculture and Engineer
ing College faculty, as well as the deans of
Biz Ad and Teachers College, have lined up for
the shorter exam period. The majority in the
College of Arts and Sciences, on the other hand,
stand opposed to the change.
The student body, however, almost unani
mously object to curtailing study time between
finals. The Student Council has presented a
resolution to that effect to Chancellor Hardin,
which expresses the general concern of students
over the action.
Main purpose of shortening the exam period,
according to its proponents, is to de-emphasize
the importance of final exams. The wisdom of
such a goal is dubious.
The proposed plan will not accomplish this
goal anyway, for the amount of emphasis upon
exams is set by the individual instructor. The
per cent of the grade determined by the final
is a matter of his personal discretion. Students
will have to study as hard to write for Vk hours
as for 3 hours, when they must draw from a
background of a whole semester's work.
One week exams are not fair to students.
Grades must be reported the very day after the
xam week. This leaves instructors no time in
which to give careful and thoughtful considera
tion to grading. Especially the large classes
tested by essay questions will suffer. The tend
ency will be to give easy answers, true and false
exams. Exams will be written in the light of
how quickly they may be graded not how well
they measure of knowledge.
Shorter exam periods are indicative of a
growing educational trend away from expecting
individual student contemplation and thought.
The comprehensive, probing exam at the end
of a term is necessary in some courses as an
incentive for final organization and clarification
of the segments of ideas tossed out in the class
room all semester.
Three additional days of classes won't make
much difference in the amount a student will
learn from a course. But shortening the exam
period will reduce the effectiveness of a im
portant learning device.
The psychological strain on the student of
exams so close together and of less time for
studying should not be forgotten, either.
Changes should be made for the purpose of
progress to improve an existing system. The
change to one-week exams would not benefit
students, but rather hurt them therefore can
hardly be termed progress. M. H.
Compromise
One of the principal objections to the con
densed examination period has been the night
mare of three final exams in one day, or a
series of exams bunched at the first part of
the week. With time for study at a bare mini
mum, the resulting frantic rush might prove
disasterous to grades.
However, a dandy proposal is being considered
to take care of that worry, and make the one
week exam period more acceptable. It has been
suggested that the final exam schedule be re
leased with the class schedule before registra
tion. This would mean that students could select
their next semester's courses with an eye to
the convenience of the time of their final exam.
In other words, the University would expect
students to choose their classes according to
their preferred exam schedule, as well as choos
ing on the basis of what they expect to learn
from the subject, or who the instructor is, or
when the class time fits best into their daily
schedule.
So a student stuck with two exams on Monday
can console himself that at least he knew what
he was getting into. (That is going to be quite
a comfort when he is cramming the summary
of a semester's work into the 48 hours he will
have before his tests.)
In effect, students would be asked to make
one more compromise between the subject's
value and its convenience. Schedules are already
difficult to make out. The 25 rule requires a
certain distribution of classes during the week;
desirable course hours often conflict.
Forcing consideration of exam schedules at
registration time as well would add just one
more confusing element to cloud the real basis
on which classes should be chosen.. True edu
cational standards should demand that the first
and most important reason for registering for
a particular course be its content. M. H.
Campus Circuits
Unprepared Students Question
Tuition Hike At Kansas State
From the Kansas State Collegian
Kansas State College
The President announced to the Student Coun
cil this week that there will be a $6 increase
in fees beginning with the fall semester next
year. Added to the $4 increase to the student
activity fee to operate the Union, it will mean
that each student will pay $10 more each
semester.
However, all of this money will not be in
creased revenue to the College. Discounting the
$4 to the Union, the other $6 will go for the
administration of the College. Two fees, the $10
matriculation fee and the $9 commencement
fee have been discounted, so with this loss of
revenue Dean Jones estimates the increase in
fees will amount to about $32,000 a year in
added revenue.
Also, $4,000 of this money will go to the Reg
istrar to provide free transcripts for graduates.
At the present time a graduate can request one
transcript free but any others after that cost
$1 each. This fee, termed a nuisance by the
President, will be discounted, and a graduate
can now request a reasonable number of tran
scripts and receive them free.
It would be almost impossible for anyone not
connected with the College its tell if the fee
increase is necessary or justified. A person
would have to be very familiar with the subject
and have a knowledge of the entire K-State
budget to answer that question.
Several students and student organizations
have voiced the opinion that they weren't told
about the increase nor was their opinion asked.
The PresWent has said many times that he
wants to bring before the student body or their
representatives any increase in student activities
fees. The President said he felt this money is
the students' and they should have a say as to
how much is charged because the College can
run without it.
However, in the case of the proposed fee
increase now before the Board of Regents for
approval, the money will be used for administra
tive purposes, and the President did not ask
for student opinion on the matter because he
said he felt that persons entrusted with the
operation of the College would be the only ones
qualified to know whether the increase was
necessary or justified.
It seems somewhat unfortunate that the in
crease should come at the same time as an
increase in the student activity fee so that all
together it will amount to $10 a semester a
student.
Actually when you compare the cost of edu
cation at a state school with the cost at private
schools th fees paid are unimportant. But that
is why state schools were set up to be financed
by the taxpayers. They must be careful that
they don't price themselves out of range of
many students. Right now there is a fairly large
gap between the fees charged as some of the
smaller state schools and those charged here.
Another unfortunate thing about the increase
in fees is that it comes when Kansas is suffer
ing from one of its worst droughts. Experts
tell us farm income is way down in Kansas.
The College placement bureau has found that
one of its biggest jobs has been to find part
time jobs for working student who have found
that poor crops leaves them short on money
to attend schools. A student trying to work his
way through school will find that extra $10
fairly hard to pay each semester.
As we stated before, one would have to know
the situation completely to determine if the in
crease in fees is necessary. Undoubtedly the
College administrators have examined the sit
uation and decided'the fee increase is necessary
at this time. Probably the increase would have
been easier to take if the students had been
better prepared for it by the administration.
Afterthoughts
The whole international situation seems to be
getting more confusing. The familiar old game
of trying to guess what Russia is up to is
becoming more and more difficult for the aver
age person to play.
Russia has, for a long time, mixed her over
tures to peace in one part of the world with
hot minor wars or border disputes in another
part of the world. Usually Russia plays the role
of the benevolent peace-lover while her protege,
Red China, tries to absorb another 20 miles of
Malaya or Indochina.
Now, however, all's quiet on the Eastern
front, and Russia has come forth with the
startling climax to the hassle over Austria,
after years of impasse, Russia has suddenly
become willing to make the necessary conces
sions on her part to free Austria.
This sudden change of attitude on the ques
tion, and the suggestion that Russia may be
trying to set up a string of neutralized buffer
states along her western border, might lead one
to an interesting speculation. It may well be
likely that Russia is as scared and perhaps even
more scared of the West than we are of her.
It may be that she is trying to set up protection
against nations which she. feels may attack her.
It may be that, in her eyes, we really are the
war-mongers' and she is merely belligerent in
self-defense.
The Nebraskan
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Tha Hewaaaaa w pomwDCTi " " J-lKerhoU, I ucisract Hwitier. Jolie Marr, Barb Sharp,
trtitf of Nebraalm under the antborliatlon of the Com- Jer oeY llbiu, Barbara Sullivan, ano? i'ifer, Peggy
Ktndent Attain M an axpreaalon of Undent Volik. Orrlne Kkitrom, Iran Belitorft, Jrwiy Bo, Koo
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rw.rn.ihia foe eE'hat they - or da or caiu to be printed. tteeree Madge a. Andy Hoe
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
by Dick ftibler
"Even though I'm flunking, Professor Snarf, I always look forward
to attending your class."
Givin' 'Em Ell
NU Faculty Moves
Indicate Regression
Nehrashan Letterip
Facts And Friction
Dear Editor
May I comment on an editorial in The Nebraskan for Wed. May 11,
signed by J.H.B.?
At the Senate meeting discussed in the editorial:
1. The total attendance was unusually large.
2. The representation of the Teachers College faculty was unusu
ally small.
3. By no means all of the Teachers College faculty present voted
for the shortening of the examination period.
4. By no means all of the Arts College faculty voted against it.
A further fact might be noted. There is only one person from the
Teachers College on the committee which voted to put the proposal
before the Senate. That person spoke in the meeting of the committee
in favor of the present system and asked for a vote of the committee
as to their preference. (Obviously, it is one thing to vote to present
a matter Jo the Senate for their action, and it is another thing to
express one's own conviction.)
This is not the place to debate the merits of the proposal. But
in my judgment it is most unfortunate that an incident of this kind
should be seized upon in a manner completely without foundation of
facts to attempt to promote friction between two colleges.
D. A. WORCESTER
Chairman, Department of
Educational Psychology and
Measurements
(Editor's note: We did not wish to create friction between Teachers
College and Arts and Science College, but only to point out that stu.
dents In the Arts College would be more affected by the proposal than
would those students In Teachers College.)
; T'A-W W aU3 " mvXMM
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By ELLD3 ELLIOTT
The University of Nebraska is
not the best university in the na
tion, nor the worst . . . yet. Rattier,
we seem to be taking the middle
road: for every stride of progress
we make, we slip back one step.
Thus we remain, in a sense, static.
As rapidly as our pride in our
University expands, just as rapidly
does the justification for this pride
shrink. Departments surge ahead;
courses are revised, new texts in
vestigated, equipment installed, and
dedicated teachers purchased.
Progress. But the University's gen
eral standards are deteriorating
to the point where, soon, a degree
from the University of Nebraska
will be worth little more than a
kindergarten attendance certifi
cate. Last week the Faculty Senate
passed two proposals which are
indicative of our degeneration of
academic standards. The first was
to shorten the exam period to one
week, with three exams each day.
I discussed this deplorable pro
posal last week; I still maintain
that it will not be successful. The
second was to allow athletes to
take 6 of their 24 hours of eligibili
ty requirements by extension,
whether the course is currently be
ing taught on campus or not.
The extension proposal is shock
ing. I am sure that students and
faculty members both realize that
extension courses are misused by
many students already. But when
they become an easy "out" for
a student who is in college only
to play football, they cease to serve
any worthwhile purpose whatso
ever. This is a university, not a
playground, and a university has
no use for a person who is not
first and foremost a student. A
student does not need extension
courses to pull him through his
first 24 hours of college credit. If
he does, the taxpayers should pay
him to stay home.
Let us suppose that a prospective
college athlete flunks English B
a college prep grammar course.
Instead of repeating the course at
the University under qualified in
structors, he decides to take the
course by extension. There is no
way that the University ' can be
assured that he will do his own
work. Extension course "ghost
writers" maintain a flagrant in
stitution of their own. The athlete's
aim is not to learn English; it is
to become eligible for participation
in sports. He feels that his means
justify his ends, so he cheats.
I
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product of JniutemSaeetyiem
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What young people are doing at General Electric
Young scientist
works on new ways
to handle "hot"
radioactive fuel
Whenever uranium is "burned" in an atomic
reactor, certain valuable elements such as
plutonium are left behind in the "ash."
These products are highly radioactive, but
they must be recovered because of their great
value to the atomic energy program.
This is the job of 31-year-old H. Ward
Alter, Supervisor of the Separations Chem
istry Unit at the AEC's Knolls Atomic Power
Laboratory, which General Electric operates
in Schenectady, N. Y.
Alter'sWork Is Vital, Important
Alter is doing his job well. He has already
received the Coffin Award, General Electric 's
highest honor, for developing an apparatus
that makes possible faster, safer, and more
efficient recovery of the valuable elements in
the "ash."
The work done by Alter and his group
helps lower costs, increase efficiency and ex
pand our knowledge of the chemical process
ing of spent radioactive luels.
25,000 College Graduates at General Electric
When Alter came to General Electric in
1943, he already kr.ew the work he wanted
to do. Like each of the 25,000 college-gradu-
j ate employees, he was given his chance to
grow and realize his full potential. For Gen
eral Electric has long believed this: When
fresh young minds are given freedom to
make progress, everybody,benefits the
I individual, the company, and the country.
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H. WARD ALTER joined G.E. in 1948
at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory
after receiving a B.A. in 1943 and
Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1948 at U. of
California. He served with the Man
hattan Project at Oak Ridge, 194446.
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