University of Virginia Library

Experimental U. Stresses Commitment

By Charley Sands
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The second semester of the Experimental
University will begin this afternoon with
registration in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom
from 3 to 7 p.m. Termed "highly successful"
by a member of the Experimental University's
coordinating committee, the courses will again
be in the form of seminars ranging in length
from six to eight weeks, or as long as interest
holds.

The major themes of the Experimental
University are commitment and community
involvement. Information inviting community
support of the seminars has been placed in
many local churches and one local newspaper.
One seminar, "Essential Information on Selective
Service", is directed primarily at high
school students of the community. The group
leader, a qualified draft counselor, said, "Many
people harbor a fear of the System and its
power because they lack any functional
knowledge of the System. This course is
intended to provide this background." He
emphasized that although this seminar will be
directed at people of high school age, "I will
not turn anyone away."

Many of the courses offered this semester
are different from those of last semester. They
range from "Foreign Policy and Morality"
(Requirement for membership: Guts) and
"McLuhan and the Media" to "Introduction to
General Witching" (women only) described by
leader Sally Howe as "Liberated Women
organized to inform the rest of the world of
their status." She added that group activities
would also include "spooking".

Because of the extremely flexible arrangement
of the seminars, responsibility for
learning will rest with the individual. The
Experimental University has no "teachers" but
"group leaders" and no "students" but
"participants". There are no credits or grades
given (unless individual arrangements can be
made) so that "learning must be motivated by a
desire to learn, a desire springing from a
genuine interest in the subject matter."

The coordinators of the Experimental
University have found it necessary to charge a
$1.00 registration fee to defray operating costs.
This fee will be collected at the time of
registration.