Professors teach in prison
By Joyce Grist
An educational program sponsored by the KU extension service at the Leavenworth federal penitentiary has one firm goal: to bring its students through at the fifth grade level.
Martin Chapman of the extension division, said over half of the men at Leavenworth are enrolled in some type of organized academic or vocational training. Certificates are issued by the county superintendent of schools upon completion of grade school work and certificates for completion of high school are issued by the state department of public instruction.
department College credit courses are offered through the cooperation of KU Extension and Highland Junior College. Upon completion of at least 30 hours of college work, the men receive a recognition certificate. After completing 60 hours of college work, the men may earn an Associate in Arts degree from Highland Junior College.
"Educational training beyond the fifth grade level is not mandatory," said Chapman, "but the men are encouraged to complete the eighth grade and go on to high school and college work if they so desire."
CLASSES OFFERED FOR college credit are taught either by KU faculty members or by persons fully approved by the department or school concerned," Chapman said.
Three-hour college credit courses meet for two hours one night a week for 20 weeks. Five hour courses are conducted on a yearly basis.
KU Extension began conducting classes at Leavenworth in the fall of 1953. Two classes were taught that fall, sociology and psychology. Classes have been offered every semester since then.
"The classes offered are based on the needs and interests of the men." Chapman said. "They pay regular fees based on the number of hours in which they are enrolled. Every man who completes high school receives an award. His fees for enrollment in College level English are paid for him."
A classification committee assigns every man capable of working a job in accordance with his needs and abilities, Chapman said. About 900 of the 2300 men at Leavenworth work in one of the prison industries and are able to earn money which they can apply towards their fees.
The Leavenworth penitentiary is one of 30 federal penal institutions operated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons under the Department of Justice.
The first prisoner was received at the old military prison at Fort Leavenworth in 1895. Since that time, over 80,000 inmates have been admitted. Present facilities were completed about 50 years ago, and the entire structure, including the 40 foot wall enclosing the 22 acres, was built by inmate labor.
TWO PRESENT MEMBERS of the KU faculty have taught or are teaching classes at Leavenworth. They are Ernest E. Bayles, professor of education, and William M. Bass, associate professor of anthropology.
anthropology Bayles taught classes in teaching theory and educational philosophy to the men at Leavenworth for two years beginning in 1955-56.
He was asked to teach theory to those inmates at Leavenworth who wanted to teach some classes in the prison.
Bayles commented that the men at Leavenworth were "a lot more aggressive in asking questions than students in regular college classes. The students took the initiative at first and kept the ball rolling," he said.
In order to teach in this country, you must arrive at a definition of democracy, Bayes said. "Democracy," he said, "is equality of opportunity to participate in making rules and equality of obligation to abide by them."
THE SUBJECT of democracy and its definition was a ticklish one, Bayles said, because the men at Leavenworth had violated the second part of the definition.
One semester, Bayles said that he gave a take home final examination. The men were able to use notes and their books, but were not to collaborate with each other. He said that he found no evidence of cheating of any kind on the examination.
"My teaching experience at Leavenworth was very enlightening and enjoyable," said Bayles. "With such a concentration of hardened criminals you would expect the men's attitude to be difficult. I found them very cooperative, unless you got dictatorial with them."
He continued, "I found that you have to make open studies of all
the issues. You can't tell them only one side of any issue."
BAYLES WENT ON to say, "I expect that they taught me as much as I taught them. The whole educational program being conducted is excellent. It presents a case of challenge, not entertainment in teaching."
William M. Bass began teaching at the Leavenworth prison in the spring of 1563. He still teaches one three hour course a semester there. He has taught Human Origins, Man and Culture, Indians of North America and the Races of Man at the prison.
Bass said the men at Leavenworth are "very much like college students, except that they read more and are a little bit more serious than college students." The men there are a real interested group, but the men taking classes
do not actually represent a cross-section of the entire prison," he said.
"I TEACH EXACTLY the same way there as I do here at KU," said Bass. "I even try to give the same tests at the same time for the same course I am teaching."
He said, "I accept them as I would any university class and they accept me."
In April, 1965, the men at Leavenworth formed a chapter of the Kansas Anthropological Association which they named the William M. Bass chapter. The men became interested in anthropology after taking classes from Bass.
In regard to his teaching experiences at Leavenenth, Bass said, "I have enjoyed them thoroughly. I think it's great. I'm very enthusiastic about the educational program there."
Pearson urges European exit
WASHINGTON—(UPI)—Sen.
James. Pearson (R.-Kan.) called
today for the United States to
withdraw its military forces from
Europe in order to cut back a
$1.5 billion annual gold outflow.
"The time has long since arrived when a substantial reduction of our military establishment in Western Europe would appear to be wise, if not necessary," Pearson said in remarks prepared for Senate delivery.
THE SENATOR said it was costing the United States $1.5 billion to maintain 700,000 troops in Europe. This sum, he said, represented about half of the annual balance of payments deficit.
"A force of this size was unquestionably desirable 15 years ago, as an emergency protective matter, when our European allies were weak and relatively defenseless.
covery, the Western European countries should be able to marshal their own conventional forces against invasion backed by our firm commitment to assist in their defense. A small detachment of our forces can serve as evidence of this commitment, backed by our newly demonstrated ability to airlift reinforcements swiftly to any place in the world from central bases in the United States, and by our strategic air and missile striking forces," Pearson said.
"But with their economic re-
Tests prove valuable
Psychological tests were first given to incoming University students in 1922.
They were tried on engineering freshmen the previous year. Since that year, they were found to be of increasing value.
Culture -
Continued from page 1 sicians tell about their instruments and the children blow the wind instruments and pluck the violins.
"Just the natural fascination of the instrument at close range would be enough to interest most children 'n music." Boulton said. He expressed the desire for more programs of this kind.
TELEVISION PROGRAMS are nice, he said, but they have no great hold over the audience. What is needed are more in-person concerts for the young generation. "The closer the artists are to the audience, the better it is," Boulton said.
"The kids have to be exposed so they will think that it's a part of what they call 'fun,'" Boulton said.
Jo Archer, assistant instructor in piano, surveyed the problem from a different angle, suggesting that "the elementary teachers give the wrong attitude . . . the attitude that the arts are stuffy. They seem to promote the idea of having only 'rock n' roll" music."
This attitude persists among all elementary teachers, Sylvia Foose, Eskridge senior, said. The grade-school teachers look down on the music teachers. They don't realize that it's just as much an academic field as mathematics, for example, is, Miss Foose said. "We have to educate our educators more so they can educate our students."
Seats still available on European flight
A few seats are available on the charter plane which will take junior year abroad groups to Europe in September, said Francis H. Heller, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Students and faculty members may make the flight, which leaves New York September 5. The one-way charge is $135. Those interested should write to Dean Heller, 220 Strong Hall.
The KU Committee to End the Viet Nam War presents Poetry Reading Against The War
(Tapes of Recent Read-In at Minnesota Univ.)
Union Forum Room
Tues., May 24
3:00 p.m.
On Tape:
— Robert Bly
— Karl Shapiro
— Donald Justice
— Galway Kinnell
6 Daily Kansan Monday, May 23, 1966
Galway Kinnell
Marvin Bell James Wright Abraham Lincoln L.B.J., etc.
842 Mass.
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