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By BILL HOCH Kansan Reporter
Four years ago three professors at the University of Kansas had an idea. They decided to offer freshmen and sophomores an educational alternative to what they perceived to be a fragmented and incoherent freshman-sophomore curriculum
That alternative, the Pearson Integrated Humanities Program (PIHP), became what is now one of the most popular and successful educational programs ever offered at KU.
Although the PIHP's popularity and
other formalities that are uncommon to standard course meetings at KU.
The three instructors completely dominate the sessions. Their presentations are so well executed that they seem to have been rehearsed. Far from being lectures, the discussions of the assigned literature tend more to the examination of the book of the professors complements the remarks of the other two with pertinent comments of his own.
Throughout the meeting, the dialogue between the professors and the students will be discussed by the professors and the students.
"What we are doing may seem subversive to some," said Quinn. "But we're really not doing anything new at all. We just follow the example of the classical Greek schools, and we seem to be well received by our students."
upon selected pre-Renaissance literature.
Quinn rejected the idea that the PHP only served to reinforce traditional, conservative middle-class values in students and teachers without ever having those values tested.
Senior charged that the program was antimodern, anti-intellectual and against liberalism.
*Airbus software enterprise*, said Quinn
*Pearson software enterprise*.
"Contrary to concepts of liberal education," Seaver said, "the PHI9 essentially closes minds. It does not open them.
PIHP.
"In the PIHP, the truth is taught by those who agree what the truth is in a framework of advocacy teaching. To me, this is a form of indoctrination.
In October Cobb's office announced that a PHP-proposed study program in France had been rejected by the Educational Committee (EPC) of the College.
One member of the administration who was recently involved in a decision that affected the PHIP directly was Robert Cobb, acting dean of the College.
us. We're running close to the edge all of the time and we receive absolutely no encouragement from anyone in the administration."
PHIP proposal wasn't submitted early out according to the proposal's stipulation.
"I wonder, also, whether the Board of Regents and the taxpayers of the state of
Freshmen students in the PHIP meet twice each week, on Tuesday and Thursday, for 80 minutes; sophomores have a similar schedule. Students don't take notes, and they don't ask questions of the professors, Quinn, Nelick and Senior, as the three engage in a conversation about the day's assigned reading.
"I would like to protect the existence of PHP," Cobb said, "but I also want to make certain that students have the kinds of educational experiences that are consistent with the tradition of liberal education in America."
The PHP is controversial, however,
more because of its instructional methods
and philosophy of education than because of
its status as a technical language
from various departments in the College.
Roy Gridley, professor of English, said he had consis tioned a middle position on the Board of Trustees.
Critics of the PIHP have charged that the classes are nothing more nor less than indoctrination sessions. Proponents of the program have disputed that charge, but have readily admitted that the PIHP classes are unconventional.
success are widely acknowledged, the
rules of evidence to achieve their ends are controversial.
Quinn
PHP's current status is stable. But because PHP's future nature, the future of PHP's future at KU
"The controversy will continue," he said, and there is a long line of three protestors, around an apartment on the west side.
An administrative decentralization of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences began in 1966. By 1969, KU had divided the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences into five subdivisions. These subdivisions are known now as the Colleges-Witin-the-College.
One of those sub-divisions was Pearson College, which advises, enrolls and keeps records for about 1,000 freshmen and sophomores. It was there in 1971, that Dennis Quim, professor of English and French at the University, professors who shared his dissatisfaction with the standard freshman-sophomore curriculum, initiated the PHIP.
Quinn, together with Franklyn C. Nelick,
professor of English, and John Senior,
professor of classics and winner of the 1974
HOPE Award, developed a four-semester
integrated humanities program for freshmen
and sophomores.
However, the assembly took further action last year, decreasing the number of courses in the PHIP that could be substituted for freshman-sophomore requirements. Currently, the first two courses in the PHIP may be used to satisfy two of the three humanities courses and graduation from the College of Liberal Arts.
PHP students also receive instruction in classical rhetoric, in calligraphy and in the art of poetry.
Cobb said recently the EPPC decision wasn't intended to undercut the PHP but was made because of logistical problems in preparing the system for the year's spring term. According to Cobb, the
The PIHP courses also satisfy additional requirements in the schools of journalism, engineering and architecture and urban design.
In its present form, the PHIP involves about 250 students and the three Pearson professors. Students enroll in a four semester sequence of courses that consists of intense study of literature from four periods in history. As is stated in the PHIP handbook, the first semester is devoted to the study of Greek and Roman authors, the third to the Bible and medieval civilization and the last to the modern world.
Sessions begin with group singing, recitations of poetry, announcements of the day and a lecture.
According to Quinn, readings for the PHIP were selected by the professors to represent various areas of the humanities, especially history, literature and philosophy. Instead of studying these areas, Quinn they were integrated and considered in relation to each other and to the whole educational process.
Courses in PHP do satisfy certain freshman-sophomore curriculum requirements. In the spring of 1971, the College Assembly of the college voted temporary approval of the PHP II course. In the fall term of 1971, to accept students into the two-year, four-semester program. Completion of this sequence was permitted to substitute for the English, speech, Western Civilization and humanities requirements for freshmen and sophomores.
Nelick
students never begins.
The PHP teaching methods are unusual. But the literature that is taught, which is a direct reflection on the philosophy of the language, is a common source for the controversy surrounding the program.
Underlying the PHPH philosophy is the premise that, since the Renaissance, Western civilization has declined. The Pearson professors have rejected modernism in all of its manifestations, and they want to convince their students to do the same.
According to Quinn, the on-going purpose of the PHP was to create a kind of at-
Senior
modernism that is a large part of their lives from the day they enter the school system. If anything, we at Pearson attempt to change values, not reinforce them."
The philosophy of PIPH is contrary to the educational philosophy of John Dewey, which was the basis for the modern concept of liberal education.
"We don't accept the current idea of what a liberal education should be," Quinn said.
"We don't accept Dewey, and we don't accept pluralism, which is taught through childhood," the said. "That is, we reject the idea that there are many truths in this
"We say there is one truth, that it can be identified and that it can be taught. That is the essence of the PIHP."
mosphear where a basically conservative,
antipurist education could occur.
Seaver
world from which to choose. We say there is one truth, that it can be identified and that it can be taught. That is the essence of the PIPH."
Quinn and his colleagues were dedicated to teaching a unified view of the truth based
"The university has become a gigantic supermarket," Quinn has said.
It is that unified view of the truth that has continued to spark controversy regarding the PHP. Critics of the program have contended that the intense advocacy of that point of view by the Pearson professors has induced students to conclude that competing views are partially or totally invalid.
"Absolutely no one would deny that our students form an educational community based on friendship that is stimulated by the traditional methods of Socratic education."
James E. Seaver, professor of history and director of the Western civilization program at New York University.
"At Pearson we are more than just so many hours and so many classes," he said.
"What we have is an educationally related friendship.
Kansas should not know the truths which are being advocated in the PIPH. My guess is that they might seriously question any program they pay for which does not welcome faculty members of various intellectual politics, philosophy and religion."
Seaver said that adherence to the PIPH ideal of truth was only liberal in the sense of not being serviceful. He said it wasn't liberal in the sense of allowing students the freedom of choice.
"It presents a closed vision of university education," he said, "as opposed to the view that a university should be a clearing house of ideas where all ideas are sampled, not only ones forced upon a student by advenience teaching. The philosophy of the Piatonic key be acceptable at some Platonic university, but not at a state university."
Quinn said recently he was pessimistic about the future of the PHIP. He said he feared economic and physical problems that would affect the operation of the Pearson professors to succeed.
"Our economic problems," he said, "revolve around the fact that none of the three of us are being paid for the enormous amount of work we do outside of our departments. Because many members of our respective academic departments are still in need of the periodic salary increases we would receive if we spent as many hours there as we do here. And the PHIP is not economically self-sufficient.
"Our physical problems are that the three of us are burning ourselves out. Our lives are continual teaching and conference. I'm afraid the pressures are starting to get to
SUA Presents
SHE WORE A YELLOW
RIRRON
PIGSKIN CAPERS
director John Ford with John Wayne and
Great American Directors
Great American Directors Series Mon. Jan. 27 7:30
THE VIRGINIAN
Genre Series
LE JOUR SE LEVE
Tues. Jan. 28 7:30
with Walter Huston & Gary Cooper
director Marcel Carne [subtitles]
7:30 Ballroom
Classical Series
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Wed. Jan. 29
with James Cagney, Joe E. Brown,
Mickey Rooney
Film Society Series
75° Woodruff Aud. EXCEPTIONS INDICATED
Thurs. Jan. 30 7:30
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"Know what you are and act from your full potential"
TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION
Introductory Lecture
As Taught by MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI
INTRODUCTION LECTURE by Nancy Kipnis Students International Meditation Society
Tuesday, January 28
7:30 p.m., Council Room, Kansas Union
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