Clemson University - Taps Yearbook (Clemson, SC)

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Cooperative Education Offers Experience, Money, And Diversity The Department of Cooperative Edu- cation is relatively new at Clemson, though the idea has been around for quite a while. Ever since Professor Herman Schneider, a Civil Engineer at the University of Cincinatti, conceived the idea in 1906, students have been combining on-the-job experience with college curriculums to better prepare for post-graduation careers. Clemson University initiated its ver- sion of the co-op program in 1973 when 19 students embarked on their first co-op assignments. Since that time, over 400 Clemson students have gradu- ated with Cooperative Education Cer- tificates in addition to their diplomas. What began as a technically oriented program has spread to areas of educa- tion, agriculture, economics, and lib- eral arts. Work assignments have also expanded to over two dozen states. Cooperative education differs from work-study programs in that it pro- vides career-related experience. This experience enables the student to examine his choice of a major and, if necessary, correct a possible mistake. Some students who do not perform well under the pressure of back-to-back se- mesters have the opportunity to vary their schedules to include summer class sessions and spring or fall work ses- sions in the co-op program. An added incentive for the program is the aspect of a built-in financial aid system. Stu- dents in the program earn money (at very respectable rates) while working, which they may manage as they see fit. This becomes quite valuable when one considers having to pay for only one semester at a time. Though they seem to far outweigh the benefits, Cooperative Education has what some may term as disadvantages. Originally, a student is projected for three work sessions and may work as many as six sessions. By working the minimum of three sessions, a student delays graduation by only one semes- ter. Working the full six sessions delays graduation usually by one year. Also, some course scheduling problems may arise due to having to attend summer sessions. Recent developments in the program include the addition of a pre co-op program and a graduate program. The pre co-op program allows an entering freshman to spend his first semester earning money to pay for school while waiting for dormitory space to open up. The graduate program allows a gradu- ate to develop special interests and skills in his major course of study. These two new programs have suf- fered from the same ills as the expand- ing liberal arts phase of the co-op pro- gram. Jack Selter, Director of the De- partment of Cooperative Education, has cited lack of personnel along with need for computerization of records as major stumbling blocks to expanding the cooperative education program at Robert Sullivan, a Chemical Engineering major, op- erates ii photospet trometei m the dyeing department of Millikcn unci Co. in Pendleton, S.C. 26 Academics

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blacks, and that big step from a college to a university have all changed the face of Clemson. What was a lot of money in 1893 has lost much of its value today. As Clem- son University prepares for its 87th year, its physical property is valued at over 125 million. And more students at- tend Clemson every year now than the total attendence from 1893 to 1923. The grand total for attendence is now over 84,878 students. Clemson University is not merely a college; it is a public institution whose research, educational, and extension services affect the entire state and much of the country and the world. One wonders what Thomas Greene Clemson would think of his creation were he to see it today. But despite all the changes, good or bad, the purposes and condi- tions set forth in Clemson ' s will still hold true today, in honor of the spirit and determination of one man and his vision for the people of South li== J Carolina. O Sikes Hall is presently the university ' s administration building, containing the offices of the President and other top university officials. Thomas Greene Clemson, founder of Clemson Agri- cultural College, is pictured seated on the porch of Fort Hill - now a national historic site. Academics 25

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Clemson. Selter sees developing the co-op program as a matter of education of people as to the purpose and benefits of cooperative education. This educa- tion can start as early as high school by informing both students and parents of the value of co-op. Assuming that, for most, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, co-op promises to be worthwhile for its par- ticipants. In a nation with sagging economy and increasing unemploy- ment, cooperative education offers stu- dents the opportunity to increase their marketability through career- related work experience. w Ann Bechtler co-ops in the management section of Owens Corning Fiberglass in Anderson, S.C. She is a Computer Science major at Clemson. Currently involved in an orientation program coor- dinating chemical data, Lonnie Jones, a Chemical En- gineering major, ivorks at the quality control division at Owens Corning. Academics 27