Enrollment expanding
Inadequate facilities hinder art
(This is the first in a series of articles on the KU art department.)
A rapidly expanding enrollment in KU's department of art combined with facilities fit for the turn of the century and limited scholarships and awards are seriously hindering the meaningful existence of the visual arts program here.
"Proportionately more students enroll in art every year than in any other department," said Raymond Nichols, vice-chancellor for finance. "The art facilities are grossly inadequate to handle this enrollment. They are not only too small, but they are not modern."
Enrollment in the visual arts program has been skyrocketing in the last few years. Presently there are 150 drawing and painting majors crammed into 11 classrooms, 500 design majors and 110 occupational therapy majors. John S. McKay, assistant dean of visual arts, said students in the visual arts program meet in eleven different campus buildings.
"We don't have room for anyone but art majors," McKay said, "and we have a difficult time squeezing majors in."
Peter Thompson, chairman of the drawing and painting department, said the department turns away in excess of 100 students each semester. About half of these are art majors. Special students are not allowed to enroll in any courses, he said.
Students and faculty members suffer under these crowded conditions. The faculty teaches an abnormal load for low pay. Students pay an unholy amount of money for art supplies only to find after their work is completed there is no place to exhibit it.
"We don't have the staff or space for non-majors," McKay said. "Many faculty members teach 24 hours a week. The normal contact load is 18 hours per week.
"We have one of the lowest faculty rates on campus. Right now we are in the same catch-up
position we've been in for years," he said.
Mar. 5
1969 KANSAN 9
The heavy work load combined with low salaries limits the number of visiting instructors—needed to expose students to new trends in contemporary art—and creates difficulty in keeping a new instructor for any length of time.
"It's difficult to get visiting people and to get the money to bring them here," Thompson said. "This year, for the first time, we've had visiting lecturers. We now have two visiting people and we provided a studio for only one of them. This is appalling. The faculty members are not provided with studios either."
Thompson said the poor conditions were not the administration's fault.
"It's not that the administration doesn't want to give us the space," he said. "It's just that there isn't a square foot
Once every seven years a faculty member may be granted leave of absence which gives him the opportunity to travel and observe new trends in art.
of available space on tnis campus!"
"The painting and drawing faculty is getting exposure," Thompson said. "The problem is keeping the exchange of ideas moving. The students must have exposure also. A faculty member can't carry New York to the students."
It appears students can't carry New York to KU either.
Art students face a fantastic expense. Not only must they purchase books, but they must also pay for art supplies and find a place to work.
Presents...
Roscoe G. Simpson
KU housing investigated
The Committee on Student Affairs of the KU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is interested in contacting students or others who have encountered racial discrimination, sub-standard housing conditions, or any other suspected housing violations, said J. K. Houck, a member of the AAUP committee.
Houck said the Committee on Student Affairs became interested in student housing after the passage of the Lawrence open housing ordinance. Since the enactment of the ordinance two KU students made claims alleging racial discrimination in housing.
Houck said any student who has encountered any case of discrimination, sub-standard housing conditions, or any other suspected housing violations and who would like to submit this information to the committee should call Donald E. Chambers at VI 2-3380 or the Department of Social Work at UN 4-3674.
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