University Daily Kansan
Thursday, Sept. 24, 1970
No Classified Military Research
KU Research Policy Clarified
BY JOHN RITTER
Kansan Staff Writer
Amid a "recessive era" in higher education, when society is questioning the relevance of many university functions, Chancellor E. Laurence Chalmers Jr. and W. J. Argersinger, vice-chancellor for research, last week clarified KU's position regarding research, especially military research.
Both men made it clear that, regardless of the type of research or the amount of money involved in a specific project, before acceptance that project must first conform to the basic priority of the University—the instruction of students.
CHALMERS REFERRED to his Sept. 6 speech in Miami before a meeting of military psychologists when he said, "The question that plagues us is not whether research is an integral part of a distinguished university, but rather what kinds and amounts of research we should be doing in order to fulfill our institutional purposes."
In an interview last Thursday Argersinger echoed the same opinion. "Over the years we have been very particular about the kinds of research we accept. It must be related to the total educational mission of KU."
Research which does not benefit the faculty professionally or the students academically is simply not accepted, he said, nor is research accepted because an outside sponsor says "here's money for research; we want you to do it."
ALTHOUGH THE basic justification for university research, "to provide the most current instruction possible," remains unchanged, Chalmers said that, because of a decline in financial support for research, universities must re-examine the entire fabric of research on a university campus.
"Higher education has entered a recessive era," he said. "Our most basic institutional instruction will necessarily displace many of the functions we served during the preceding decade.
"In an expanding academic market, almost any research investment pays academic dividends. In a declining market, it requires thoughtful, informed and frequently painful decisions to minimize losses. We have entered such an era, and we will be expected to make decisions that place us in the best possible
position for the inevitable expansion that follows any decline."
CHALMERS, a former military research psychologist, said that besides reduced financial support for research, competition between research space and classroom space and the problem of deciding which research areas ought to be developed most extensively at a given university made it necessary to establish guidelines for deciding which research projects to accept or reject. Included in his list of guidelines were:
- A project's present and projected thrust of instruction;
- — A project's research potential and the research interests of faculty members;
- Examination of projects that are indigenous to the institution,to its geographic region,to existing facilities,etc; and.
- The best estimates of future research projects that are of greatest potential value to mankind.
Chalmers and Argersinger said that KU did not under any circumstances accept classified military research.
"We haven't had any classified research since 1951," said Argersinger, "Those who believe otherwise aren't interested in the facts."
Chalmers agreed, saying, "Classified or restricted research of any type is not fully consonant with our institutional purposes. Such research per se cannot be used in courses of instruction or as a basis for master theses or doctoral dissertation."
KU DOES have grants and contracts from many federal agencies, said Argersinger, including the Department of Defense and NASA. But the agreements are always accepted on KU terms, he said.
Chalmers said classified military research ran counter to the institutional goals of a university because "anything that is restricted in its distribution is denied to some segment of our society" and "implies an advantage to some privileged group and a disadvantage to another group."
However, both administrators disagreed with those who would deny universities any kind of military research.
"Some say that any research funded by the military is necessarily military research," said Argersinger. "I don't agree with that. We
do a lot of basic fundamental research which doesn't fall into that category."
"WE HAVE entered an age of emotion," said Chalmers, "which cannot be denied whenever and wherever it touches humanitarian concerns. But emotional rejection of everything directly or indirectly related to the military cannot be accepted within a profession and a discipline that depends upon reason as well as upon emotion."
Chalmers said "Any university research is potentially defense related."
The most important consideration about university research is whether the knowledge gained goes into the free market of ideas, he said, or whether it is restricted to a special interest group.
Chalmers called for cooperative relationships between universities and the military which did not "distort the basic values and purposes of the university on the one hand, or the military on the other."
But along with cooperation, he advocated two guidelines to be followed by military psychologists when soliciting university facilities and personnel to do research:
"DON'T EXPECT schools to handle classified military research. If a particular scholar's expertise is needed, try a consultant relationship, summer employment or a leave of absence.
"In contracts and grants with universities . . . select problems that have the highest potential for enhancing the instructional program, that provide full support of all direct and indirect costs, that arrange the workload so that it may be focused primarily on the summer months."
It is good to choose problems which can be handled mainly by graduate students, he said.
Because there is less money available to universities for research, Chalmers predicted that KU and other universities may receive less research in the 1970's.
ACCORDING TO Argersinger, research grants and contracts amounting to a little more than $10 million in fiscal year 1969 placed KU 42nd in the United States and 2nd in the Big Eight in terms of total federal dollars in research.
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Haskell Asks Building Funds; 13 New Projects Are Proposed
Although requests for 13 new building projects at Haskell have been made, no substantial increases in the school's current enrollment are expected, Wallace Galluzzi, Haskell superintendent, said Wednesday.
The requests came from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and must be voted upon by Congress.
"The main idea behind the project is to better serve the students we now have," he said. "We like to be able to deal with students on an individual basis. This does not mean that there will be no enrollment increases, though."
Haskell currently has an enrollment of 1100.
Estimates of the project's cost ranged from $13-17 million. It was projected that all construction might be completed by September, 1974.
Galluzzi indicated that the campus building area would be enlarged by about 25 per cent.
"Some of our buildings that are in real bad shape would have to be torn down," he said. "For instance, to make room for the new electronics building, the temporary lean-to that we've been using will have to be razed. Also, there is a building built in
the 1890's converted from a warehouse to classroom space that will be torn down."
He said he was "very optimistic" about Haskell's chances of receiving funds for the project.
"I feel that we'll get some of the construction money now. We won't get it all at once. But I think that eventually we will get all of it," he said.
Among the proposed new building projects are the electronics building, a print shop and publication building, 7 new dorms, a new fine arts building, and numerous remodelings.
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