STUDENT UNREST BRINGS REFORMS IN U.S.

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32010, 10 June 1969, Page 2

STUDENT UNREST BRINGS REFORMS IN U.S.

Fears of student disturbances were pushing through needed reforms at Rutgers College, in New Jersey, said Professor Barbara F. Falser in Christchurch yesterday.

“Although we resent having this threat hanging over our heads it’s getting things done faster. Changes were certainly necessary but we have to be pushed into it,” said Professor Falser who is professor of botany at the men’s college of Butgers University. The state university is situated on three locations. Liberal arts colleges are located in the city of Newark, and in Camden, and there are four colleges in the New Brunswick area—the men’s and women’s colleges, a new co-educational school, and a

college of agriculture and environmental science. College buildings were occupied during serious disturbances at both Newark and Camden. “So far,” said Professor Palser, crossing her fingers, “we have not been affected in New Brunswick.” She attributes this to the college’s policy of anticipating trouble. Shortly after she joined the staff four years ago the new dean apointed a faculty member to investigate the need for change. After seven months interviewing staff and students, and corresponding with other universities, his recommendations were published and circulated within the university. “Present changes are based on this report. Students have copies, so they know what is being done, and what will be done,” she said.

Faculty meetings, which students were now allowed to attend as observers, were “long and frequent.” “This last year has really been something. But once we get past these growing pains we hope things will ease up," she said. Students were now “getting some fingers in the pie.” They were being represented on many more committees and this trend would increase greatly. One of their main complaints concerned the requirements which had to

be met' to obtain an arts degree. COURSE CHOICE “They have said they objected to being regimented, and want to be able to

choose the course, with suitable advising, which would be best for, them,” she said. If left completely on their own students could have a very one-sided education, but with good advising the new system would not result in too narrow a degree. Although there were certainly some areas of administration in which students could participate, Professor Palser doubts that students could carry out some of the decision-making they demand. “I know they are dissatisfied with the present system, but I don’t know whether they will be satisfied with the new one,” she said. Some students were highly responsible and mature, others were just the opposite. Those who instigated violence were a minority, and the majority did not wish to be involved in their activities. A decision on calling in the police to break up student demonstrations, especially where administration buildings were occupied for any

length of time, was “a thorny one,” she said. POLICE QUESTION “I would be much happier if we could get along without the police. The alternative is just to wait it out, as has been done in other universities. But at Columbia University disturbances held

up classes for weeks and that is hardly fair on students who paid their huge tuition fees and wanted to get on with their study, “Of course, if you do call in the police it’s difficult to know whether you can ever get back to normal classes.” Professor Palser is at the University of Canterbury on an Erskine Fellowship, and also has a grant from Rutgers University. A keen mountaineer (she also collects stamps and enjoys a game of tennis) she has a collection of books on New Zealand • mountains in her New Brunswick home and she hopes to do some climbing before she leaves here early next year.