Marquette University - Hilltop Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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ACADEMICS: Dialogue in a multiversity

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The University must cater to a multiplicity of publics In a university the size of Morquette, many divergent forces exist to moke the University o living ond growing concern able to relate beneficiolly to both the student body it serves ond the teaching service it employs The University must olso coter to o multiplicity of publics, both internol ond external, in order to exist as a functioning business enterprise dedicated to the advancement of knowledge The Marquette of ten, and even five years ogo, hos seen a revitalization, o resurgence of power under the direction of University president, the Very Rev. John P. Raynor, SJ. A new, involved, relevant Marquette, so emphatically called for two years ago by the Jesuit Superior, hos emerged. Within the three years of Fr. Raynor's presidency, Marquette hos entered into an era of development. This year the Greater Morquette Program substantially exceeded its mid-point goal, allowing optimistic hopes for even greoter progress toward building an impressive campus. Further developments within the academic milieu included a shakily defined speakers policy, the introduction of a pass-fail course option in liberal arts, and the additional accreditation of several graduate programs The speakers policy debate, which had flamed sporodicolly for severol years, reached an unsteady compromise, Academic commitments and the rate of academic growth have never been so high. With the full accreditation by the North Central Association of doctoral progroms in biology, biochemistry, phormocology, physiology, philosophy, ond religious studies ond with preliminary accreditation extended to the doctoral programs in microbiology, pathology, education, electrical engineering, materials science, and English, MU has moved into a reolm of diverse graduate progroms. The first doctorates in religious studies ever granted by the faculty of an American Catholic university were conferred at Marquette's 1967 commencement. Prior to this time, all such degrees were granted by seminaries connected with the University. New theology courses were offered at the undergraduate level relevant to the Christian personality in contemporary society. The doctoral program in education, established in 1965, has recently odded courses toward higher education specialization. The six courses comprising the program prepare the candidates for high-level teaching and administrative posts in colleges and universities. Marquette is one of two Catholic universities to offer this series of courses On the undergraduate level, the pass-fail option went into effect for juniors and seniors beginning with the spring semester Ideally, this system prompts the student to seek the more challenging disciplines. In receiving either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, the student risks no grade point drop He has the privilege of electing one of the more stimulating, but possibly more taxing courses. The system was tested first in liberal arts courses, the most popular and most diverse, exposing a maximum of upperclossmen to the opportunity. Under the supervision of the student senate, this year's responses to the program will be evaluated for possible extended use. The option, although only an experiment, is nonetheless on experiment in progressive education. 18