PAGE FOUR
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1951
Lee Sheppeard straws in the wind
\* \* \*
'Liberal' Education At KU
"Through the many general courses which it offers and through its requirement that the work of the freshman and sophomore years must not be narrowly limited, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences seek to forward the type of education rightly called 'liberal.'"
It would seem logical to offer freshmen and sophomores broad background courses, interpreting the significance of knowledge in each particular field. Technical courses with only a narrow application should logically be reserved for junior-senior study, when the student is specializing in one department.
Sometimes that aim seems to get lost in the academic shuffle.
Instead, many background courses in the sciences aren't open to freshmen and sophomores, and distributional requirements force them instead into courses designed for students majoring in those departments, courses that are preoccupied with technical terminology.
What is the background course in the chemistry department? Survey of Chemistry—"designed primarily for students whose major interests lie outside the field of science but who, for cultural purposes, wish to know something of the fundamental principles of chemistry..."
It is numbered 51, just out of the underclassman's reach.
In the geology department Geology and Man—"a nontechnical course designed to give the student an appreciation of his geological environment"—is not open to freshman-sophomores.
The physics department at least offers a freshman-sophomore course without laboratory work for non-science majors. But the emphasis is still the same—technical rather than interpretative. Only in astronomy or geography can the underclassman find a true background course in physical science.
But the whole mistaken system is summed up in "Principles of Physical Science"—the course designed as interpretive background for the whole field. It is not open to freshman-sophomores.
In the biological sciences it hasn't been necessary to put background courses where the freshman-sophomores can't get them. Because all students in the College have the six-hour biological science requirement to worry about.
Biology, Too - - by Bibler
There are background courses in biology. One is Man and Microbes, "designed to introduce the student to a new world of living organisms and to acquaint him with fundamental biological concents."
Another is Economic Botany. Another is Insects and Man, "the influence of insects on man and world history." And Human Physiology is "intended for students not majoring in science departments who desire some knowledge of physiology as a part of their general education."
But none of those courses can be used to satisfy the College's requirement. Instead non-science majors must waste six credit hours memorizing Latin names and peering at weeds, puncturing insects, or carving foetal pigs. That's 'liberal.'
--- And Languages
Educators have never been able to give up the idea that an "educated man" must be able to speak a language beside his own. Emphasis on the dead languages has gone the way of button shoes, but English still isn't good enough.
There are three arguments for requiring language: (1) the student may travel or work abroad; (2) studying a foreign language will increase his understanding of English; (3) language study also teaches background on the nations in which the language is used.
The student may later spend some time abroad, it's true. But if he studies Spanish, for example, the chances are better than even that he'll work in Germany or be stationed in Japan. And what about all the students that will never go abroad?
And a foreign language course won't help his English nearly as much as an English course will, even at K.U.
As for learning about the nations where those languages are spoken, the language departments themselves offer other courses better for the purpose—German Civilization, Roman Private Life, Greek and Roman Mythology, French Civilization, The Greek Heritage, Hispanic Civilization.
But those courses won't fill the 10-hour language requirement. Obviously the student can't interpret facts unless he has the facts to interpret. But which facts are going to mean something to him, and which are going to be forgotten?
But those courses won't fill the 10-hour language requirement.
"The proper study of mankind is man," and the proper liberal education consists in learning to relate man to other men and to environment, not in studying environment alone.
This morning, Chancellor Murphy said, "Obviously, the curricula of the various schools of this University cannot be cast in the concrete of tradition. They must be pliable, under constant scrutiny and revision, so that they maintain their touch with the realities of today and tomorrow."
The "realities of 1951" that Dr. Murphy mentioned are far more important than the bits and pieces of pigeonholed science.
Little Man On Campus
"Hey, Ed! These pledges of ours are complaining about the food again."
News Room Adv. Room
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A good ring lasts a long time. Get the pleasure of wearing it while you're still in school.
SEE OUR SELECTION NOW.
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Maj. C. G. Whitley and Maj. Robert A. Sydnor, assistant professors of air science, spent the summer months as guest instructors in the Academic Instructor course of the Air Command and Staff school, Montgomery, Ala.
Air Science Professors
They participated in the teacher preparation program conducted for Air Force personnel who serve as A.F.R.O.T.C. instructors.
Exports from Britain's dependent territories during 1950 were six times larger in value than during three years before World War II.
Bibles and articles specially designed for the blind are exempt from federal sales tax in Canada.
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