Alfred University - Kanakadea Yearbook (Alfred, NY)

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A Candid interview with President Rose. KANAKADEA - Did you graduate from a small college? PRESIDENT ROSE - Yes. I graduated from Slippery Rock State College in Pennsylvania, about this size, a little bit smaller, about 1500 students. The school since then has become a larger nameless faceless state institution. KANAKADEA - Do you like the country? ROSE - I run every morning and country ski from my back door, but more than the recreational aspects of being in Alfred is a sense of personal freedom, that I sense. You are not inhibited here. There is no concern for security. l've developed some lousy habits here. I don't lock my car. In fact, I leave my key in the ignition. And most of the time we don't lock our house. Probably you should, but we don't. There is no feeling that you have to worry about things. I think that creates the ideal atmosphere for learning. A girl the second year I was here, I was having lunch at the stu- dent center with some students and I was asking these kids, What do you like most about Alfred? And the girl characterized it best of anyone I talked to. She said she was from midtown Manhattan, I came to Alfred and I hated it my first term and now I love it. I guess the reason I love it is I can get up at two in the morning and go for a walk if I want to. There are no inhibitions. KANAKADEA - Considering what cutbacks have been made is the school becoming more technical? ROSE - Any school offerings follow the pattern of stu- dents interest. lf one hundred people walk up to the registrar and say we want to take Spanish we would have five sections of Spanish very quickly. We've offered sec- tions of language which none has registered for, or two or three the size very small. People lament dropping these courses, but never for language courses. A good number of language courses are undersubscribed. Curriculum development is not as mysterious as it seems. It is a relatively simple matter. You are responding towards stu- dent interest. The swing across the country now is toward more vocational oriented programs. lf I take a minor in computer science, what will that enable me to do? That's the kind of question that is being asked. When I was a stu- dent we took various courses. In the back of our heads we were concerned with what we would do for a living. The job market was open and we weren't as sophisticated. We kind of left there with our credentials and hoped for the best. KANAKADEA - In the 1960's the curriculum was more structured. How do you feel about that? ROSE - I had aspirations of a far more structured curriculum. I like to see people required to take certain courses. I think you should be forced to take more com- munication courses ... speaking, writing, listening, probably a logical philosophy course. That's fine for me to think that. I hesitate to say that's what I think. I think any time a curriculum is built on one person's notion is not a very sound idea. I have a lot of faith in the traditional method of having a curriculum committee. I still favor and I think that the movement in the country is back towards more structure. KANAKADEA - What do you think Alfred has to offer that is good compared to other small colleges? ROSE - First of all, the quality of the faculty. Second, the location is ideal for certain people. I don't think every stu- dent should come to a place like Alfred, but to some peo- ple who enjoy freedom it is somewhat self-reliant. This is an ideal place, if you don't require a lot of social support. Some people like outdoors and some people don't. If you F ' nf ll-sa-it ' .Ai fi like a neon jungle, don't come to Alfred. lt's a clear choice. We have more than adequate facilities. We don't have the research facilities of M.l.T., nor should we. The library is excellent for the size of the school. Strong computer and the best art facilities in the country. From a student point of view, the strongest asset is the faculty. Basically, you have people who like to teach. You have a fairly intimate relationship with faculty and staff. That's a form of informal learning that goes beyond the curricular structure. KANAKADEA - How do you feel about leaving? ROSE - As I mentioned, l'm very convinced now, that, looking at the quality of applicants that it is very gratifying in that regard. I really think that someone else could come in and move along much faster at this point. People feel that I don't like Liberal Arts, and I personally slashed Liberal Arts. But look at the enrollment. I think it is self- evident. Ultimately, I am responsible. I have to bear the responsibilities if they happen while l'm here. I think that's a logic behind it and a necessity. We don't have a large en- dowment. Just in the last couple of years the alumni really started to support this place. We still don't receive the kind of support a school this old and good should. I think the most encouraging thing is the most recent graduates are starting to support Alfred. This is a very healthy trend. . . .I think this campus here has a very bright future, We've raised our academic standards immeasurably at a time when, universally, academic standards went down. We've not only come back to where Alfred should be, but we've reversed the current trend. I don't know another institution that has done that. A lot of them didn't need to. Alfred, I think, needed to. I think it sets a character for Alfred that's appropriate. This isn't a school for everybody. lt's a rather unique place where students who really want a good education can get it. It requires a lot of effort and that's ap- propriate. eepexieuey