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University Daily Kansan Thursday. Dec. 10, 1959
Fee Increases
The executive secretary of the University said Monday that KU may have to increase student fees and/or cut down services to students if salary increases are not restored to the current budget proposal.
The governor's budget committee recently removed a 7 per cent (330,325) proposed increase of salaries for faculty, administrative staff, library staff, and some research personnel.
Obviously, no one at the University, including the secretary, would be in favor of placing an additional financial burden on students.
Chancellor Murphy has constantly reiterated that the University will always keep its doors open to Kansas youth of average means and ability. It has always been a policy of the University to set fees at the lowest level possible, so that cost would not be a prohibitive factor in determining whether or not a young person could continue his education.
Certainly, faculty pay increases are needed. KU stands to lose valuable, qualified personnel if it cannot offer salaries comparable to those offered by other colleges and universities. But we do not believe that the administration would meet this need at student expense.
Increased fees would offer a simple, but distasteful, solution to the salary problem. When we were at the University of Nebraska several years ago, that university was faced with a similar dilemma. When the school's budget was cut unexpectedly, by nearly a million dollars, student fees were increased markedly.
Students rebelled, but the critical situation had called for drastic action. Everyone, from administrators to students, was unhappy with the result.
In view of what happened at Nebraska, it is easy to understand the secretary's concern However, the problem here is not as critical as the one in Lincoln. The people there had very little time in which to act. We still have several alternatives.
We can cut services to students. This would be a last resort, but we feel the Chancellor would take this course rather than place students in financial jeopardy.
The other, more obvious, alternative is to get the proposed salary increases restored by the legislature when it passes final judgment on the governor's budget. Apparently this is the course the Chancellor has chosen to follow.
By all standards, it is the right one.
An Editorial Feature
View of European Schools
By Peter Posch
As an introduction to some remarks on the American system of education, I would like to give a short, generalized account of the state of educational affairs in continental Europe, especially in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
All children are required to attend elementary school for four years. The majority of them are not interested in attending a university and proceed after finishing grade school to a trade school, secondary school or stay in grade school until they are fifteen. At this age they can enter a commercial, social or technical profession or, if qualified, attend a trade academy which opens a door to a university.
The children who are interested in higher education are required to take an examination after finishing elementary school. Having passed this test they enter the European form of high school which lasts nine years in Germany and eight years in the other European countries. With the graduation certificate received after a final, comprehensive, government supervised examination, anyone is entitled to enter the university of his choice. This happens after a rather intensive "build-up" education in twelve to thirteen years.
In high school, the student is free to select the kind of school he wants to attend. He has the choice mainly between a school where classical subjects are emphasized and one where science and modern languages are stressed. Having chosen, he has to accept a set curriculum through his whole eight-or nine year attendance. The curriculum of the latter type would be something like this: native language, Latin (5 years), one or two foreign languages (usually one for nine and one for four years), religious instruction (if applicable), history, mathematics, physics (5 years), chemistry (5 years), biology, geography, music, art education, gymnastics, philosophy (1 year) psychology (1 year).
Draws Comparisons
Based on this outline I will attempt to draw some comparisons. In the United States about 80 per cent of all children finish high school. The number in Europe varies between 5 and 15 per cent. As a result of the selection, the set curriculum and a rather different evaluation of subjects, the standard of the European high school is considerably higher than here.
Very few drop out of college in contrast to the 30 per cent here. However, the general level of education is somewhat lower in Europe because the secondary schools there are considered inferior to the American high school.
The European high school graduate, who has gone through a period of intense education is expected to have enough personal responsibility to exercise the academic freedom of which especially the German universities are so proud.
The new student is free to choose his curriculum and the time of exams.
Here in the States the opposite is practiced. A certain freedom of choice is characteristic of high school at a time when the student is not prepared for it. Then, a certain amount of compulsion in regard to curriculum and exams are involved by entering the university. This appears rather illogical.
I think that the high school rather than the university is to blame for this situation. The lack of qualitative selection after grade school seems to be the main obstacle to an improvement of standards which is impossible to reach if everybody goes to the same school. Not all men are alike in their abilities and inclinations. Therefore I think that the dual system is justified. This natural differentiation has nothing to do with the value of the individual.
High Schools to Blame
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS By Dick Bibler
A point which also needs to be considered is the purpose behind the presentation of the subject matter. Several integral objectives of the high school are in my opinion responsibilities of the parents. For instance the NEA says (among other things) that the educated person can work and play with others. One wonders why this has to be taught in high school.
"LOOK, COOOKSKIN, YOU DO TH' BROAD JUMP YOUR WAY
AN ILL DO TH' BROAD JUMP MY WAY."
Presented Impressions
I realize that my remarks can very well be estimated as incomplete, biased and extreme. It is not the aim of the article, however, to present a scientific analysis, but rather a compilation of some of the impressions a foreign student received after having spent several months in this country.
I am also a strong believer in the freedom of the individual. But my definition is a little different from the American definition. Many Americans think that they are free when they can do what they please (except in sororities and fraternities). I believe that freedom is the deliberate bondage of something worthwhile. But with this I would like to trouble you in a later article.
From George DeBord
I have the feeling that many people here have a freedom and democracy complex. Much nonsense is excused by referring to democracy and the divine freedom of the individual in the United States of America.
Dear Fred,
I've got some new information concerning dogs that I'm going to submit to the animal psychologists and other imbeciles who are spreading the word that your species is among the dumbest in the universe.
You know, these are the guys who have nothing better to do than to construct some complex cardboard maze. Then they sit back and scoff at the ignorance of some innocent puppy who can't find his way out.
I've got to give the psychology boys credit though. They do construct some magnificent mazes. One phych friend of mine built one in his back yard to run horses through. It was of pretty fair size. Anyway, he was supposed to be finishing the last corridor when his wife noticed that he hadn't been to supper for three nights.
He was quite exhausted when we chopped our way through to him. He had been kicking at a green door for several hours trying to get out of "Zone C." It seems there was a black door next to it
and he had forgotten that it was the exit. The green one was nailed shut, having been designed to confuse the horse and thus trick him out of his "reward." My friend figured to save considerable money on oats by cheating most of the animals out of their oats ration.
So, as you can see, the mazes show that the men who design them are skilled in their craft. But I don't buy too many of their theories about animals—particularly the ones about dogs.
It doesn't seem fair to say that a tired mongrel is stupid simply because he gets lost in
a hallway full of U-turns. I've been in a house of mirrors at the amusement park and know how he feels.
1 also know of a psychology professor at another school who walked into the wrong classroom three times in the same day. We laughed with him about being a creature of habit, but nobody thought he was stupid.
But I'm kind of getting off the track here. I was going to tell you about this new data I've collected. It comes from observations of our new dog.
Nike is obsessed with the idea of sleeping on the bed. I don't approve and she knows it. However, my wife, Dee (whom you've never met), is on the dog's side.
So the following pattern has developed: The dog sleeps in the living room when I am in bed. When I am not, she stretches out on my pad.
This is not a unique situation, but what follows is somewhat unusual:
This happens every morning. The dog is extremely alarm conscious. She not only knows what they're for, but has also figured out how to use them to outwit authority—namely me.
I get up at 5:30 a.m. My wife sleeps until 7:15. When my alarm goes off, I hop out of bed and reset it for Dee. At the same instant, the dog jumps off the divan in the other room and trots sleepily into the bedroom.
I'm quite impressed with her intelligence. Particularly with the way she has used her brain power to effect a well-ordered life for herself.
So I'm going to pass this information along to the psychologists and scholars. Maybe they will want to run her through some tests to see if she has a high I.Q. or something.
As I stumble toward the kitchen to start the coffee, she climbs into bed and takes my place. I was thinking of suing for alienation of affections but our law professor says you can't force a wife to testify against her dog.
This psychologist friend I mentioned earlier has great respect for the dog. He mentioned "stimulus-response" the other night, and she bit him.
The thing is further compounded. When the wife's alarm goes off at 7:15, the dog leaps from the bed, fully awake, and ready to face the day. She runs to the door, and barks loudly until she is let out.
Well, enjoy the scenery up there and let us know how you're getting along.
Keep out of the mud.
George
Dailu Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, triweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
Telephone Viking 3-2700
Extension 711, news room
Extension 376, business office
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Ave., New York N.Y. News service: United Press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturrdays and Sundays. University holidays, and examination periods. Entered as second-class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of March 3, 1879.
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