University of Virginia Library

After Successful First Semester

Experimental University Foresees Growth

By Peter Shea
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Although off to a rather quiet start, the
University's fledgling Experimental University has
already shown the enthusiasm in the student body
for an unpressured, personalized approach to
education, said its director last week.

Kim Hopper, head of the Experimental
University's Coordinating Committee, feels that the
program has apparently succeeded in its initial
objectives for the first semester. "In my own
optimistic viewpoint, we have met the immediate
goal of establishing our existence and are now
concerned with continuity," he told The Cavalier
Daily.

Mr. Hopper does not stand alone in his opinion.
Even after considering the numerous problems the
program has encountered, the discussion leaders all
agree that the free university has indeed been a
success and that it should definitely be continued.
By no means were all the courses successful, but
"every leader did see evidence of the potential
interest in the program." This interest, it is generally
expected, should blossom into wide-spread
participation with the eradication of the many
problems still facing the program.

As has occurred throughout the country, the
Experimental University here grew out of a
movement to counter-balance the present college
degree curriculum with courses designed to afford
the students a greater opportunity for a more liberal
education. The originators of the program, including
Mr. Hopper, Buzzy Waitzkin, Bruce Wine, and The
Reverend Howard Gordon, felt that the educational
experience at the University offered no challenge for
the individual.

"I was disgusted with the education I was getting.
The scope of the University is so large that effective
exchange of ideas is virtually impossible. The
interaction that we are now seeking necessitates a
small group, and that was not possible here," Mr.
Hopper commented.

The original purpose was to establish a forum for
meaningful discussion of contemporary interests; in
an area in which learning could take place outside
the restrictions of degree and course, desire could be
the total motivating factor. The founders felt that
"true education, the dynamic process of exposure
and reaction, could only arise from a desire to
understand and discuss meaningful subject matter,
and that the present University is not entirely
fulfilling its obligations as an educational
institution."

With the help of Allen Potter of the National
Student Association and the directors of the
Experimental College at the University of North
Carolina, the Coordinating Committee organized
plans for the Experimental University early this fall.
Although hampered by a lack of publicity, the
program got off to a surprisingly strong start this
past October. Over 400 students registered for
courses and most of the 31 courses offered quickly
reached their enrollment limit in the first registration
period.

The method that the Coordinating Committee
chose to implement the desired changes helped the
new university gain favor throughout the University
community. Rather than make immediate demands
for curriculum changes, and present ultimatums to
the administration, the committee decided to begin
by adding supplementary courses to the curriculum.

Most of the faculty supported the Experimental
University; Dean Raymond C. Bice commented that
it was about time that something was done to
overcome student apathy. Several faculty members
volunteered to lead discussion groups, including
David Bromley, assistant professor of sociology and
anthropology; Gary Orfield, assistant professor of
government and foreign affairs; and Richard
Coughlin, professor and chairman of the Department
of Sociology and Anthropology.

The courses were all designed to attract persons
with an interest in particular subjects and give them
the chance to participate in a seminar-type
discussion for an hour or two a week. The
participants who gained most were "those who were
willing and excited about helping other people learn.
The courses required an interaction between the
students, while the group leader served merely as a
reference point and an impetus for the discussion.
Certain course leaders required specific readings, but
these were used only as a foundation for the
discussions," said Mr. Hopper.

Courses offered ranged from "Afro-American
Literature" to "Student Power at the University of
Virginia." They were directed by students, such as
Rod Rodriguez who led a course entitled "An
Analytic Approach to the Theories of Revolution,"
local clergymen such as The Reverend Clem Burns
who directed a group in "Non-violent Discipline,"
and the faculty members.

Probably the most popular course was "Theatre
Games," directed by David Ward. "Theater Games"
was described as "a workshop in personal
relationships," and emphasized perception and
communication. Its aim was to induce students to
"become part of the room" communicating with the
other people. Forty-seven students originally signed
up for the course, and the average of 32 participants
per session was almost five times as many as that in
all of the other courses.

Another of the more successful courses was The
Reverend Burns' "Non-violent Discipline." The
Reverend Burns, a veteran of the Cumberland,
Maryland, and Selma, Alabama peace marches, led
his group in reading, meditating and experimenting
with a non-violent existence. The course proved so
successful that the participants decided to take
Saturday afternoon hikes along the Appalachian trail,
enabling the participants to "get into Nature" and
get to know each other better. The Reverend Burns
became involved in the program because he felt that
"there is a need for a course to counter the ROTC
program that the University offered," saying that as
a Christian chaplain it was his duty to see that the
students were taught to live peacefully, not
militaristically.

Photo By Howard Weinberg

Students Discuss Experimental University

Organization Now "Concerned With Continuity"

Not everything, however, has gone as well as
these courses. The directors and group leader : had to
face a multitude of problems, foremost of which was
the question of finances. Through the generosity of a
printing company, the Fall course catalog was
printed at cost; that expense, however still
consumed most of the $181 that the Student
Council had appropriated for the program. This lack
of funds forced many of the group leaders to supply
much of the needed material and almost every
course suffered.

Although the number of students at registration
was encouraging, the attendance at the sessions was
not as good as expected. Some courses averaged only
three or four students per session, and often the
students varied. This made it impossible to make
progress or conduct any meaningful discussions.
Commitments for regular courses kept many
students occupied, or, when they did show up, they
were not prepared sufficiently to participate in the
discussion.

Other problems that faced the leaders included
overcoming the "lecture conditioning" of the
students and effecting genuine involvement in the
courses. Although participants usually managed to
become fully interested, in many cases this occurred
only near the end of the semester.

Finding group leaders has also proven to be a
stumbling block. The Co-ordinating Committee did
not want to solicit leaders, but it has not found that
many qualified persons who have shown interest in
the program. Problems of communicating, finding
suitable locations for the sessions, and getting a
greater number of city residents involved with the
program also have to be solved.

This semester, the Experimental University will
try to overcome these problems and involve more
people with its program. As a solution to two of the
more pressing drawbacks, a slight registration fee
(probably $1) will be charged. It is hoped that this
measure will insure that the students in a course will
have a genuine interest by forcing them to consider
their other commitments before signing up. In
addition, the capital raised will be used to provide
materials for the courses.

This semester the Experimental University has set
up an office in Newcomb Hall next to the main desk.
Through this office and through greater use of the
University news media, the free University hopes to
publicize its aims better and attract both more
students and group leaders.