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Show rask forces urge reward change, degree choice These include a provision of alternate structures for learning; an exploration of new ways of learning; a response to student desires for more voice in programs, teachers, teach-ers, teaching, etc.; and arrival at other paths to undergraduate education than a pursuit of degrees through recognized departments; de-partments; a creation of communities of learning-centers of identity for students and faculty. "We want the Experimental Colleges to be a place where people can pursue the learned ideas and explore the basic concepts con-cepts which they have previously taken for granted. We want to give students the opportunity to participate in a creative By LIDIA WASOWIC Chronicle Staff )vost Thomas King's task forces are :ively researching proposals for updating liversity education, and are beginning to )duce some concrete recommendations. is is the first time any committees or wp of committes has taken an overall ik at the functioning of the campus, cause the task forces are seeking com-tely com-tely new answers to common campus blems, the success of the project could k far reaching effects on other schools. isatisfied with the University's approach education, Dr. King organized 11 com-ttees com-ttees spring quarter to define major npus problem areas and propose possible utions. Of these task forces, five have in meeting since May and have come up :h specific, although not yet final, ommendations. e Task Force on Reward Systems has used its attention on a three-fold objec-i: objec-i: to specifically define the current wd system, which influences the way wty members spend their time; to in-( in-( tory all of the pressures that motivate Wty members to behave as they do; and determine whether the present methods rating good teaching and teaching tech-ues tech-ues are adequate. iM nmittee members have been faced with ns such as, "Should the University ea individual faculty members to excel " Uiree areas: teaching, research and (j to the University?" lough a quorum of members has not auring the summer and the opinion of VI majority is unknown, many agree with flLrCe member Dave Roll, assistant ' !nH "u6 ColleSe of Pharmacy, who CTs that "the greatest deterrent to quality instruction at the undergraduate level has been the traditional preoccupation preoccupa-tion of the University with research and with requiring research of all faculty members regardless of their inclination." According to Dr. Roll, the idea that if one is to be a good teacher he must do research is outmoded, and "in fact there is no correlation between teaching ability and research ability." "My purpose is not to downgrade the importance of the researcher, but rather to elevate the status of the teacher. Currently, the teaching-oriented professor is a second-class second-class citizen on the campus. He is paid less, may not be granted tenure and is promoted less often," noted Dr. Roll. Convinced of the need for change, members mem-bers of the Task Force on Reward Systems have made recommendations to the administration admin-istration which state that "each department depart-ment be required to determine proficiency for each instructor (on teaching, research, community service and University service) at least at the time of recommendations for salary increase (merit), promotion, tenure and retention," and that "department be required to submit documents on their judgments." Since, according to the committee, the present methods for teacher evaluation are not well developed, the task force will provide some sample procedures for obtaining ob-taining documentation (to be completed by Nov. 1, 1971). "We want to develop models, to be tried on an experimental basis, which could be used to evaluate each faculty member on some definite, periodic interval," said Gabriel Della-Piana, committee chairman and director of the Bureau of Educational Research and of the Center to Improve Learning and Instruction. "Student's opinions of a teacher is important, impor-tant, yet it should not be used as the only criteria for distinguishing between a good and a bad professor. I think it's essential to emphasize what happens to students, what they can produce, as a result of having had a particular professor," said Dr. Della-Piana. Della-Piana. To test his success as an instructor any teacher could volunteer for a formal evaluation, eval-uation, which would include an exam given to a cross-section of the class by the administration to measure the students' achievements. The test results could tell the administration, as well as the teacher, how well the objectives set forth by the professor were being accomplished. "I think the best type of evaluation is based on the concept that if someone is a great teacher, his students are great students," stu-dents," Dr. Della-Piana continued. The task force plans to submit to the administration a recommendation that the University implement the proposed changes on an experimental basis for about two years and that in 1975, at the latest, the procedures and policy proposed by the task force be re-examined. "No final recommendations will be made, however, without students. Student participation partici-pation this summer has not been extensive. We urge any interested student to volunteer, volun-teer, and hope that the number of students will increase by fall, when people will no longer be on vacation," said Dr. Della-Piana. Della-Piana. Concerned with developing a program with a creative approach to education, members of the Task Force on Experimental Colleges Col-leges have defined the basic elements which must be present if the program is to succeed. approach to education, to get inside of knowledge, to examine the kind of 'truth' that's outside of books and tests and reports," said Lori Clarke, task force chairman chair-man and assistant professor of English. Allowing students to attain a general "University "Uni-versity degree" is one of numerous recommendations recom-mendations being considered by the Task Force on Experimental Colleges, which aims at giving the students opportunity for a less structured, more liberalized education. |
