University of Virginia Library

Stuart Pape

Transcending The Obvious

In recent weeks, two major
universities, Dartmouth and
Colgate, have adopted new plans of
operation, radical in nature, but
meriting serious consideration by
students, faculty and
administration here at Virginia.

The first essential feature of
these new plans is that they involve
year-round operation. The calendar
year is divided into quarters, with
each student required to be in
attendance for at least three of the
four. The second characteristic,
that of non-resident study by the
students, opens up a wide range of
otherwise unavailable
opportunities. Included among
these are options to gain credit
through study in other countries,
states, localities or in the same
town as the university but on a
non-classroom basis.

One of the assumptions of these
new plans is that more students will
be able to be accommodated in
existing facilities because of the
year-round operation. That aspect
is perhaps the most appealing to
those caught in the bind of rapid
expansion without concomitant
development of new facilities and
the pressure to educate more state
residents. If expansion is inevitable,
as it appears to be, then a system of
this sort would seem appropriate.

However, the potential lessening
of the pressures of expansion and
the appeal of being able to handle
more students without new
facilities is not sufficient reason, it
seems, to adopt such a drastic
change in the calendar. Moreover,
without substantial alterations in
the academic requirements and
programs, a quarter system is not
especially appealing. It is on this
last point that Dartmouth and
Colgate have forged ahead into new
areas. Quarter systems have been
around for a long time.

Three Year Bachelors

Under the Dartmouth-Colgate
system, students may graduate in
three years; are expected to, but
not required, to spend at least two
quarters in non-resident study,
including working for governmental
agencies, businesses, law offices,
engaging in independent research,
and the like; and in the main,
structure their undergraduate
career in a manner most suited to
the objectives and goals which they
have. If, for example, a student
desires to go to medical school, he
can arrange a cooperative program
with the Dartmouth medical school
whereby he will proceed during a
six year, uninterrupted period
through the bachelor degree and
the M.D. requirements.

The Dartmouth-Colgate plans
necessarily rest on the assumption
that there is nothing inviolate about
four year undergraduate programs
or four year medical ones. What
counts is not the length of time
spent doing a particular thing, be it
going to class or whatever, but the
amount of knowledge and
understanding gleaned. Why require
that every student put in four years
if some can complete degree
requirements within a three year
period? On the other hand, if some
students desire to say, attend
classes in the traditional manner for
two years, and then go out and
work for one year, why not
recognize that as a learning
experience, adjust your
requirements accordingly and
graduate the individual in a
shortened period?

Outside Learning

One might suspect that there
would be substantial faculty
objections to a plan of this sort. At
the outset, it requires a recognition
on their part that far from being
the only method of learning,
classroom instruction may be one
of the worst. At any rate, as most
students will tell you, a substantial
part of their educational
enrichment while at the University
comes from non-classroom
activities and study. This is not
because the class instruction is
poor, but rather a function of the
type of activity and learning which
occurs inside a room as opposed to
the real world. An academic
program incorporating large shares
of both classroom and outside work
is a superior one.

An additional anticipated
objection emanating from the
faculty would revolve about the
increased teaching which they
might have to do. There are several
responses to the complaint. First,
the University would undoubtedly
have to hire more instructors, at
least for the summer quarter.
Furthermore, one would hope that
a broadened faculty sabbatical
program would be instituted. As of
now, the University is one of the
few major schools in the country
without a meaningful sabbatical
program which affects a large
portion of the faculty. A final
expectation would be that the
many faculty members who now
make up a large part of the
favorable faculty-student ratio, but
in reality only teach a relatively few
graduate or fourth-year students,
would participate in the teaching
with a full load.

Students might initially object
to the plan on two grounds. One, it
would require that they spend at
least one summer in school,
although never more than three
quarters in one calendar year.
Having relied for so many years on
a "summer" vacation, students
might find it difficult to adjust to
the idea of looking forward to a
"winter" vacation. But such an
objection is based on habit mainly
and would apply only for one
summer.

Summer Jobs

A major objection which is
really an advantage is related to
jobs. On the surface, the summer is
the job time for students and if
they were required to go to school
then, how would they earn needed
cash? The answer is simple. Many
business firms, law offices and
government agencies currently hire
students the year-round. It is only
because most schools are on
vacation during the summer that
more jobs are available then. If
there were students seeking jobs
year-round potential employers
would adjust their hiring practices
and in the long run, more jobs
would become available. The
current situation of having large
numbers of students descend upon
the market from June to August is
unrealistic at best. In many
instances employers are forced to
make work for the summer help,
whereas their business requirements
are spread out throughout the
entire year.

A change such as has been
described here requires incredible
amounts of planning and inevitable
faces numerous hurdles. However
its merits are multitudinous and its
advantages appealing and
wide ranging. Unfortunately, it is
also the kind of idea that requires a
firm commitment from the
President, who must at the outset
appoint a special committee to
explore the particular aspects of the
plan and to formulate details. The
appointment of the committee is
only the beginning, for, as anyone
who has served on a committee
here will tell you, unless the
President's office is squarely behind
an idea, the road to success is more
dangerous than the road to Saigon.

It would be most unfortunate if
the University of Virginia is forever
shackled with traditional concepts
of education and scheduling, or
agrees to change only after it seems
that everyone else already has.
Innovation, experimentation, and
willingness to transcend the obvious
and go with the unusual or untried
have never been characteristics
fairly applied to the administration.
Maybe it's not too late to stop.
Surely Thomas Jefferson would be
disappointed with our present
stagnancy.