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THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1969
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
VOL. 29, No. 85
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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.
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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
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$ 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.
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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 ".
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something which has ere-
changes
The Cabinet veto would also be
abolished under the revised statutes.
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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
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