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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1969)
n In THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1969 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN VOL. 29, No. 85 o 0 ree Thp 7 ROTC: mechanical indoctrination versus purposeful education by John Dvorak Nebraskan Staff Writer In the University schedule booklet, It is nestled discreetly between Romance Languages and the Graduate School of Social Work. In the minds of some faculty and students, however, ROTC shouldn't be there; it shouldn't be offered on a credit basis at all. It is "indoctrination," "not correct subject matter," "mechanical" and is taught by unqualified instructors, the dissidents say. On the other hand, ROTC "serves a purpose," "it is educational" and i' is a "means to an end," according t" those who want credit maintained for Reserved Officers Training Corps classes at the University. ROTC IS the object of a continuing controversy. According to the New York Times, moderate students and faculty members have joined the crusade. Colleges are being urged to withdraw credit for ROTC, maintaining the program as sort of an extracurricular activity outside the formal course siructure of the universities. "That would be a mistake," said Lt. Col. Gene B. Wiens, acting pro fessor of military science at NU. "There is no justification for that." Apparently other schools feel dif ferently. Yale University, on January 30, decided to strip ROTC of academic standing. Dartsmouth recently decid ed to grant credit for only two ROTC courses. Stanford and Harvard ended accreditation altogether. Brown University, Tulane, Michigan State all are pondering the question of credit or no credit. NO. CREDIT should not be offered for ROTC, said student John Hughes. But the question is really irrelevant. ROTC is an arm of the United States military and its function i s repressive. Dr. Stephen H. Voss, a philosophy Senate proposes guidelines for handling campus disorders Official reaction to campus disorders would be set down as University rules in a proposed policy statement passed Wednesday by Stu dent Senate. The statement, which now will be sent to Faculty Senate, outlines guide rules for University administrators should the campus erupt. The policy will have no validity until it is ap proved by the Board of Regents. The proposal lists two types of restrictions "which are necessary to preserve the orderly functioning of the University and the right of all to be heard." They are prevention of violence or the use of force, and protection from interference with University operations. "Demonstrations which coerce in dividuals or which constitute a hazard to the safety of any persons . . . will not be tolerated," the statement reads. "Similarly, a hostile audience will not be allowed to interfere with a peaceful demonstration. "Protection from interference with operations" Includes "noise and boisterous activity," which is objec tionable "when it prevents others from exercising their rights and duties." Four semesters of honors Four semesters of new honors courses will be offered by the history department next fall, according to Dr. Philip - A. Crowl, department chairman. The courses will be open to all undergraduates who meet the grade requirements. "We are the only department in the College of Arts and Sciences with a four-year honors program," said Crowl. The program Includes ten courses parallel to non-honors courses and four others arranged specifically for honors students, he said. S , T , , mkVi Expanding the Sionors courses in the history department, Prof. Albin T. Anderson conducts his "Mod ern European Civilization Since 1789" with a seminar format. instructor, would like to rescind credit, too. He questions if ROTC should be offered at all. It is compos ed of indoctrination; both sides of the issue are not considered. One person who strongly approves of ROTC credit is Harvey E. Watson, a sophomore who is attending school on a 4-year Army ROTC scholarship. "For the time put in, the credit being offered is very small," he said. The first two years of ROTC really have "no great affect on your life," according to Watson. But the last two years are just the opposite. "ROTC IS established to develop leadership traits and qualities, as well as to teach about handling men," he continued. "This instructon i s valuable in the army as well as beyond it." Another staunch advocate of ROTC credit is Dr. Royce H. Knapp, Regents'.professor of education. Credit is' offered for bookkeeping and other business administration courses, he pointed out. Military courses should also offer credit. Voss feels the ROTC courses do not belong in the University cur riculum. "They are not college material," he said. "They are largely of a technical nature and they are just not academic." What are ROTC courses like? Course content has been a point of conflict from coast to coast. The University publishes a bulletin giving class descriptions and other pertinent information about the Reserve Of ficers Training Corps. IN ARMY ROTC, for instance, the first year includes an introduction to military science and the organization of the Army. During the second semester, strategic use of maps and land navigation is studied. The first year aiso involves, ac cording to the bulletin, "progressive and extensive practice in voice and People who partcipate in disruptive action would be subject to both University and c ommunity disciplinary action, it reads. Methods of imposing these restric tions are stated in the following guidelines: Efforts will be made to end the disruption "through reason and persuasion." Discussion and arbitra tion are stressed. If discussion fails, violators' "will be asked to cease the activity." If this is not observed, "temporary sanc tions" may be imposed which must be reviewed in a disciplinary hearing within five days. If these methods fail, or when the alleged violators are not members of the University community, "extra-institutional methods, (including the in voking of police force) may be us ed." "Evidence regarding the activity of non-student members of the university community . . . may be referred to their supervisors for ap propriate action," according to the statement. This could include both "outside agitators" and police. Continued on page 3 Four of the parallel courses will be offered for the first time in the fall. They are two-semester se quences: "English History to 1640" and "Latin America to 1825." These and other honors courses will be open, by permission, to freshmen and sophomores with a grade-point average of 3.0 or better, and to juniors and seniors averaging at least 3.5, according to Edward L. Homze, associate professor of history. THE WORK LOAD in honors courses seems to scare off some qualified command, unit formations and ex ercise of command." During the winter months, outdoor leadership is replaced by marksmanship training designed to introduce cadets to small arms firing. The sophomore level course covers American military history and a study of introduction to the United States Defense Establishment. The outdoor lab is continued. The junior course is designed to teach students fundamental techni ques and theory of military teaching and leadership principles, com munications and an orientation on the branches of the Army. THE SENIOR course emphasizes the administrative requirements with which an officer must be familiar and it teaches details of command and staff operations. Naval Science and Air Force ROTC are entirely separate from Army ROTC courses. However, many courses in the three branches are similar. But there are differences. NROTC offers a course in terrestrial and celestial navigation. An optional course studies naval weapons system. Calculus and two semesters of physics are prerequisites for that co u r s e. AFROTC offers "Fundamentals of Flight." a study of weather, map reading and navigation. "ROTC is basically nut correct subject matter," said Dr. Stephen L. Rozman, assistant professor o f political science. "University courses should be part of the education pro cess." ROZMAN SAID it was difficult to determine what is "correct subject matter." Courses should lead' to educational improvement and be part of the learning process, he said. "ROTC ... is a trade school type thing," according to Cater Chamblee, instructor in English. And the University is not a trade school, he continued on page 3 JIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!llllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllu On campus I today The Aquaquettes, an honorary swimming club, will present their mi nimi show at 7:30 p.m. March 27-and 28 in the pool at the new Woman's I'hysclal Education Building. Title of the swimming program bv the 18 girls Is "Moods in Motion." The public Is Invited to attend. More than 250 principals from Nebraska High schools will attend the fifteenth annual University o f Nebraska Principal-Freshman Con ference on the Lincoln campus Thursday. A major portion of the day will be spent by the principals visiting with former students who are now freshmen at the University. The high school administrators will be seeking information that may lead to changes at the local level that will make the transition from high school to college easier for students. The Student Publications Hoard will hold Interviews for senior staff posi tions on the 1970 Cornhuskker beginn ing at 3:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Union, room 212. history courses planned students, Crowl Indicated. They fear they will have to work harder for a lower grade than they would in the regular courses, he said. But that is not the case, he submit ted. Honors courses are not graded on a normal curve; most students in them earn a B or better, he ex plained. A great deal of work is required, he admitted, but the students generally don't mind doing it because they're interested in the subject. "This is an opportunity lor students to receive high quality education," University ROTC students take Restructured cabinet among A W $ constitutional University women will have the chance to vote on proposed amendments to the AWS Constitution in an all-campus referendum. Women in living units will vote either Thurs day or Friday, and off -campus students will vote Monday in the Union. Major revisions include a change in the wording of the membership clause, a complete reorganization of the structure of the AWS Cabinet, and a lowering of the present grade-point requirement to a 2.0. In the past, much controversy has centered around the fact that all women students at the Univtrsity are automatically members of AWS. The proposed amendment would change the clause to read that all un dergraduate women are entitled to membership in AWS. There is no dif ference in the effect of the change, all women are still AWS members. But it is hoped that the change would Re districting, new to be considered by Jim Pedersen Nebruskan Staff Writer Reapiwrtionment and a clause panding the powers of ASUN are ex- the Crowl said, adding that Nebraska University honors students compare favorably with those in Princeton University. THE SCHOOLS IN California, as well as Kansas University, have had similar success with their honors ' program, he added. v The department's honors classes average about 15 students. Crowl said. The idea is to increase interaction between student and teacher and between student and student, ac cording to Prof. Albin T. Anderson, an honors instructor. Anderson teaches History 8411, "Modern European Civilization Since . 1789." He increases student Involve ment by letting the students discuss the material. The first seven weeks, the class covered the political history of the 18th and 19th centuries, he said. Then they back-tracked and began discussing specific problems. His class will write eight "problem papers," two of which will be substantial, he added. The goal will be to answer specific questions rather than summarize Information, he ex plained. The final exam, he said, will be based only 40 per cent on facts; 60 per cent on fact-based thought. Crowl follows a different format and said most honors courses are equally individualistic in approach. His class meeting ts devoted to class discussion meeting is devoted to clas discussion of the assigned reading; the second to presentation of papers by students. . U :k ""4- . Y 1 C lTv "::iy ') o their stand with fellow academicians ated nationwide controversy. imply that membership is a privilege, rather than a stigma. i. CHANGES IN THE Executive branch would allow for the election of the president, the vice-president of the judicial area, and vice-president of the program area on separate ballots, rather than on the same ballot, as under the present system. The revision would remove some competition on the ballots, but would permit a woman to choose the office she wishes to run for. Other Cabinet members would in clude three Congresswomen, one member of the Court of Appeals, and for which she wishes to run. Under the proposed amendments, the duties of the president in con ducting Congress meetings would be assumed by a Spetker of the Con gress, elected from among t h e members of Congress. two major amendments to the ASUN constitution which is scheduled to be ratified or rejected by students Fri day. Reapportionment, which was the pimary consideration of the Senate in calling tht recently concluded con stitutional convention, was changed by the convention from a college system of representation to a mixed system of at-large, district, and advisory board representation. The convention also amended the article of the constituion concerning the powers of ASUN to include several sections which are in essence Government Bill No. 24 passed by Senate last semester. ARTICLE V. Organs - The pro posed reapportionment would have Senate composed of a maximum of 38 senators, an increase of three over the existing Senate. Every University student could elect eight senators in an at-large election. University Greeks would have Senate composed of a maximum of 38 senators, an increase of three over the existing Senate. Every University student could elect eight senators in an at-large election. University Greeks would elect four senators based on a representation ratio of one senator for every 750 students. Off-campus students would also follow the 1 per 750 ratio allowing them to elect six senators. The five undergraduate advisory boards would each elect a senator from their number. The professional colleges of Law. Dentistry, and Pharmacy would elect three senators;. Law and Pharmacy Colleges would each elect a senator in a general election and the Pharmacy college advisory board would elect a senator. - V UNIVERSITY L O H M 1 T O It ". o something which has ere- changes The Cabinet veto would also be abolished under the revised statutes. it n TO ALLEVIATE A communication problem with the Court of Appeals, a judicial amendment would providw that all members of the Court are also members of the AWS Congress. The "floating" member of the Court would be deleted, as the Court has found the extra member un necessary. A final major change would be in the proposed 2.0 grade-point require ment. At present, the pesident and vice-presidents must have a 2.5 average, with a 2.2 stipulation for all other Congresswomen. The amend ment would revise the provision to a 2.0 average, the University require ment, for all positions. The referendum will be voted on in sections, and any section not ap proved will revert to its old form in the old Constitution. powers Friday residents would elect eight senators based on district representation of one sentor for every 750 students. The districts would be as follows: Abel Sandoz District with two senators; Harper-Scrramm-Smith District with two senators; Cather-Pound-Womcn's Residence District with two senators; Selleck District with one senator; and Burr-Fedde-Inter-Cooperative Council District with one senator. New districts in the future must be clearly distinct and comply with the 1 per 750 ratio. A projwscd amendment to Article VI would provide for the rounding off to the nearest whole number of representatives in the event fractions arise in the calculating of represen tatives for districts. ARTICLE IV. Powers - The con vention amended Section 5 of this Article by adding an entire paragraph which embodies the ideas and goals of Government Bill No. 2.4. The proposal would allow ASUN to exercise all powers over student life. This would Include the power to establish rules, policies, and regula tions over social and group life such as curfews, publications, and parietal affairs. . , ASUN would also have the power to "participate equitably in the allocation and distribution of student fees." Similarly, ASUN would participate equitably with University Adminisration and faculty in "the ex ercise of all power and responsibility over University housing policy and non-disciplinary matters." . THE POWER to define eligibility requirements for participation in stu-' dent activities and li regulate all social affairs too would be given lo ASUN. Other major amendments to the Coutlnucd oa page 4 I 5 j n i J, iV V', I . .4 -4t. i- ". -jC. :