Page Two

} Encampment

(Continued from Page 1)

In looking at the aims of Grinnell as
a liberal arts college, we felt the need
to instill certain kinds of Scholarly atti-
tudes at the same time that we are
transmitting a Valued cultural tradition.
Yet we also emphasized that the col-
lege should prepare the individual for
constnictivo participation in his society,
even while being able to understand and
assess it critically.

An initial goal oi the liberal arts col-
lege is to alienate the student in some
degree irom his society, by pointing
to the myths of our culture and the
inconsistencies of u ur systems of
thought and behavior.

Transmit Trudi! n

In transmitting a cultural tradition we
also analyze it so tllaL the student can
see it in a new light. He is then provided
the means for reorientation and redirec-
tion at the same time as he learns new
ways of looking at the world, new ways
of conversing and debating about the
world — ultimately creating better ways
of coping with, understanding, and be-
ing critical of the real world.

Along with this general education the
rtudent should begin a process of direc-
tion and orientation by choosing a dis-
cipline and working deeply in it. Some
transmission of how a scholar works on
a limited problem is surely part of a lib-
eral education. We hope that through
these processes will come an increase in
independent thinking and a growing
capaClty for self-education and critical
problem-solving.

Obligation to Provide Leadership

Grinnell has an obligation to provide
leaders for society; it has a responsibil—
ity, too, to prevent the intellectual snob—
bishness that hinders communication
among all types of people.

At some point students should be for-
mally confronted With the relevance of
their study to the outside world In our
concern for facts, techniques, means, we
slight the implications and ultimate
results of this knowledge for society.
Various possibilities were suggested:
senior s e min a r s, interdisciplinary
courses, freshman emphasis on these
problems, lectures on the technocrat in
society, and so on.

Academic liie was emphasized as the
concrete means to many of our goals. In
this area there were as many ideas as
people. Several suggestions, however,
were repeated, among them a greater
stress on interdisciplinary studies, max-
imum as well as minimum requirements
in the major field to prohibit overspe-
ciallzation, some sort of tutorial system,
smaller classes.

The discussion of major fields brought
a wide variety of replies. One group sug-
gested the iollowmg implications or a
discipline: (1) knowledge within an area;
(2) knowledge of a methodology; (3)
recognition of the limitations of the spe-
cific area of study: (4) an understand—
ing of the interrelationship between one's
specialty and other disciplines and, (5)
between one’s discipline and the entire
realm of knowledge and value systems.

Another group discussed a radical de-
parture from the present system of ma-
jors and disciplines. Agreeing that the
discipline could tend to be ineffiuent, as
it only indirectly involves learning about
learning, the group considered restruc»
turing the curriculum around a study oi
lysiems, relations, processes. and ends.

Interim was another widely discussed
topic. With the new schedule ending the
iirst semester belore Christmas, interim
might have a better chance of being a
time of true scholarly inquiry rather
than a postcxam recovery. Many people
felt it should be strictly voluntary to en-
courage genuine interest, Suggestions on
what to schedule (luring interim included
interdisciplinary seminars, an expanded
lecture schedule, opportunity ior inde-
pendent projects, short noncredit
“courses" in areas of interest often im-

SCARLET AND BLACK

 

possible during the regular semester—
such as intensive language study, ap-
plied music, urbanization, haiku poetry,
or any other area of student interest.

Other topics discussed in the academic
area were improved academic counsel<
ling by freshmen advisors, library pol<
icy on selection oi new books, the over-
burdened faculty, reexamination of in~
troduclory courses, the academic atmos-
phere outside the classroom, increased
awareness of dilierenl interpretations of
the same material, student tutors within
the halls, programmed leaming, class
room discussion, independent research.
and a locus on basic principles of west-
ern civilization

Discussion of the total Campus envir-
onmeni focused on the word interaction
— interaction between the academic and
the social areas, between faculty and
students, between North and South
Campus, between ireshnien and upper-
classmen, between tyrannical control
and abdication. More specifically, we
looked at rules, and found a need for is
rational, and consistent philosophy be-
hind regulations at Grinnell.

One group developed six criteria for
evaluation of a system of mics: (1)
Rules should help make a student more
mature. Rules which involve students
having to make decisions for themselves
will be most likely to aid the maturing
process. (2) Rules should involve a grad-
ual assumption of responsibilities. (3) A
proposed set of rules should attempt to
minimize problems of transition, but the
existence of these problems should not
preclude v a l u a b l e and beneficial
changes. (4) Rules should arise from a
community consensus, irom the entire
Grinnell community and not just one
segment or it. (5) Rules should augment,
not retard, a sense oi community respone
Sibility. (6) Rules Should reflect a desire
to minimize aversive controls. Behavior
can be regulated more effectively, and
With more profit to the student, without
structuring all facets of Student behavior
through a highly legalistic set of rules.
Students' actions should be predicated
upon responSlbllity to themselves and to
the commnuity in which they live.

Other areas of campus concern that
were discussed were women's hours,
privacy, the Forum and its shortcom-
ings, the bookstore. campus wages, open
dorms, relations among faculty, students,
and administration, the responsibility oi
the college toward sexual and other per—
sonal behavior, maturity, and the
process of social developmient.

Several words were consistently used
throughout the weekend — involvement,
excitement, confrontation, experience.
commitment. Whether these and the
other ideas oi Encampment have any
lasting value ior Gi-inncll depends on the
willingness oi all students to think Criti<
cally and to act effectively so that we
may come closer to living up to our
ideals.

pseA

(Continued from Page 1)

leges and individuals at drift neglect
basic ends and ignore hyprocl‘isies and
inconsistencies, acts and institutions be
come outmoded and lose rationality.
Yet times do change. New leaders
bring new hopes and renewed Vigor.
Tile rational, critical spirit which is at
the essence of every liberal education re-
covers primacy in thought and action.

Questioning Begins

we at Grihnell are beginning again
to ask questions. our society is open to
honest reevaluation. The challenge to
question and grow now has already been
issued. The process has begun, Faculty,
student and administrative committees
have assumed wide responsibiltles in
areas or educational policy, campus plan-
ning and student life. But it would be a
mistake to presume that these commits
tees can or should operate in isolation.
Success requires reevaluation of the
whole community. Committees are ef-

fective only insofar as they reflect and
articulate the sense of the community.

The reevaluation of accepted norms
and institutions is an intensely personal
as well as communal process. A society
becomes aimless and irrational when its
members lose sight of its rational basis
and legitimate ends. The task of com-
munal reconstruction inevitably involves
individual reorientation. No member of
the community is exempt from the pro-
cess. Each must recognize as unaccept-
able, in an essentially rational society.
justifications on emotional or traditional
grounds.

In curricular matters our narrow da<
sires to turn out the best biologist or
best economist may work against our
purpose to turn out the best man pos-
sible unless we are careful to subordine
ate and condition departmental ends to
the liberal arts ends of the college.

Desire to be lest

The desire to be visibly “best" can be
litiiltilying as well as invigorating. MaSe
sive building projects, fancy special pro-
grams and the like are iangibles easy
to sell to an undiscerning public but not
always particularly necessary or of high
priority.

Grinnell has some definite building
and programming needs that should be
recognized and fulfilled in the near fu«
ture. Recreational and physical educa-
tion facilities are woeiully inadequate.
overcrowding in residence halls, the li-
bary and stair offices is a serious con-
cern. Several classroom buildings and
all oi the residence halls require sub—
stantial renovation and improvement.
Extracurricular and psychological coun-
sening services should be strengthened.
These are areas which should always
concern but never preoccupy the college
community and its leadership.

inconsistent Social Structure

It is in the creation of a social strum
lure consistent will-l the liberal educa-
tion ends of the college Ihat individuals
iiiid it most difficult to recognize the
irrational in themselves. unnecessary
restrictions patterned on mores de-
veloped and accepted by previous ages
are arbitrarily imposed and juslified
on nimsy, superﬁcial grounds. The re-
aulr is a condition among students or
deceit, hypocrisy and moral ambiguity
where maturation and moral develop-
ment should be taking place. The erad-
lcalion of inconsistencies and the de-
velopment or a sane and sensible reg-
ulaiory structure are hampered by the
childhood presuppositions ol older geri-
erations and the genuine desire oi
younger to escape moral responsibili-
ties.

It's “in” these days to decry the lack
oi critical discussion on campus concern-
ing the unjust and irrational in American
society and in the world. Statements
have been made to the effect that what
is needed at Grinnell is more critical
thinking, but, please, let it be directed
at the society beyond the campus which
"really needs it". This is impossible.

c cal Sp t

As stated before, the liberal, critical
spirit cannot be compartmentally ap—
plied. What goes ior the ouiside world,
needs to go ior Grinnell as well. The de-
gree oi our effectiveness in criticizing
and reconstructing along rational lines
uul own Grinnell community will be in-
dicative or our chances of success in
dealing critically and constructively
with the outside world.

Only when we wholeheartedly chab
lenge the irrational and irrelevant in
society at immediate levels, Le. at

Tuesday, October II. I?“

Grinnell levels, only then, can we hope
to challenge meaningfully its blunders
and inadequacies at the more remote
levels of Washington or Viet Nam.

)Aws

(Continued from Page 1)

which expresses trust in students and a
confidence in their ability to learn and
grow if provided proper incentive and
informal guidance.

Unrestricted Women's Hours

Specifically this leads to the sugges.
lion of unrestricted hours for all Grin-
nell women, the opportunity to live in
oil—campus apartments i! they wish,
and a confidential sign out system.

More importantly, however, it implies
the necessity for trained personnel to
assist individual counselling and social
programming, a procedure to educate
students in the facts and obligations of
premarital relations, and a student com-
mitment to the challenge of individual
informal creativity in social, extracur-
rlcular and academic endeavors.

Standards oi acceptable conduct can<
not and need not always be prescribed
in the form of specific regulations or
limitations. A student may gain signifi-
cant benefits from having substantial
responsibility ior his own progress in a
system that allows for individual differ~
onces.

The social environment, too, may be a
constructive influence toward education
after college. There is undeniable Value
to patterns which favor the development
of personality and the integration of
young adults in a general learning Sitil<
ation — but these patterns must not be
imposed,

A system of hours which functions
not only to protect women, but in ac-
luality acts to segregate the sexes by
isolating women, is at best a negative
and misleading iorm oi paternalism.
The college must have confidence in
its men and women to respond mature—
ly in an atmosphere of trust while at
the same time realizing that there
may be healthy turmoil involved in the
maturation process and that mistakes
will be made and can be valuable in
any educational endeavor.

Guidance Needed

ll structural restraints are of limited
value, it must still be realized that they
do serve the purpose of providing some
guidance. Merely removing these re-
straints would be a wholly inadequate
solution. A constructive effort must be
made to replace slructllrai limits by in-
formative types of informal personal
counselling. Hours alone do not help
freshmen answer their orientation ‘
questions or anyone solve the normal
problems of adjustment and growth.

Opportunities are needed for commu-
ous discussion within the halls and
channels must be clarified ior directing
serious academic or personal problems
to qualified iaculty or administrative
cuurces,

in ailempiing to overcome the moral
ambiguity of the present system we must
not be satisfied merely to accept eiiher
the dictates of conventional moral stand-
ards or moral views under the gum or
sex education or orientation. A lack of
factual information and confidential as-
sistance for the student in coming to
understand the psychological and social
implications at his actions is inexcusable.

The peer group relations is primary in
the maturation process and students
must share equally in the requirements
of devising ways to provide this needed

 

GRINNELL COLLLGE
Stacie! and Black ennui. i...
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nail Conllnlllee on student eiibliauilons. Rcvrosentcd toi national adver—
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