University of Minnesota - Gopher Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 20 text:

loll to right: Ooinay, Molkoooo, Skyboig, Neumoiei, MiiWIcbrook, vito-prci , buiiooit odminiilrolioo. WilUv, vi o-p««t., ocodomie titlmlimbotioo; Morrill, proj,; Qyinlivon, choirmon; Gfiggt, lowton, 2nd vi e-pr»».; Boll, Olton. Moword, Coigiovr, Moyo regents Rising numbers create challenge l ltc President, Vice Presidents, Regents. Senate and the entire administrative body of the University of Minnesota have been giving, and will continue to give, much thought and effort to a problem that is currently facing the University. The problem is that of rising enrollment. Much has been written and said about the problem this year anil right h so. I-or the problem, if not solved, could mean unprecedented increases in tuition and the stiffening of entrance requirements so that onl a select percentage of college students could actually attend college. One might question the seriousness of the problem, since the University's enrollment has gcneralK been increasing for many years. In fact, it has actually decreased since the Veterans' bulge of the late forties and early liftiis. I hc Uni-versitv has handled rising enrollment before why not now? The current problem of increasing enrollment has some rather ominous features that make it unlike anything with which the University has prcviousK had to contend. During the years of the Veterans' bulge, the Univcrsits operated on an emergency basis. Special tuition payments were made In the federal government; teachers carried an extra-heavy load; classes w ere exceptionally large; temporaries w ere constructed. Staff and students were able to operate under unsatisfactory conditions because it was for a tcmporar period and the enrollments were concentrated at beginning levels 16

Page 19 text:

 ADMINISTRATION On the cover of this book is a simple line which curves onto the cover and off. It’s part of a larger circle, too large to hr onto the maroon cover. Ir represents the incomplete job that this yearbook does—incomplete because the University is too large to be described in the about — 400 pages. And if a pictorial history of the year is difficult, administering the “U is a big job, a 24-hour a day job for a staff of highly trained specialists. These specialists have wonderful machines to aid them in their tasks. The IBM machines on this page are one example of these devices —machines w hich extend human brains and enable them to store and process data in a profusion and w ith a rapidity that is both w onderful and bewildering. Bur though the card-sorters flick their cards with ever-bewildering speed and though the tabulators spew forth their paper ribbons of data, all their mechanical industry will still not give a complete picture of the people, the ideas, the equipment from linear proton accelerators to dictaphones. thousands upon thousands of books. The busy machines w ill not be able to count the wonder of a student first discovering Plato or the stars. I hex cannot measure snow crackling under the feet of the students as they go to class in the cold air of winter. All the industrious machines and the people who use them can hope for is that as few mistakes occur as a hardworking administra-tion can avoid, that as many students get as good an education as is possible within the limitations of man's devising. And it a temper now and then trays, if a mistake is sometimes made, if an individual is once in aw hile trapped in psychological maze, it is because even ’T administrations are human.

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president ONE Of President Morrill's duties os hood of the University is to lead the spring Cop and Gown Day procession. in college. There is nothing temporary about the present increase, and all levels at the University arc now filled. Nor is enrollment increasing at the average rate. I hc school age population in this country has been increasing steadily and at a rapid pace. In addition, persons are placing more and more value on a college education with the result that each year in Minnesota the proportion of people who desire an education beyond high school increases by about one per cent. I hese facts add up to some rather startling statistics. Il 1970 there will be approximate!) 48,000 in attendance at the University — more than double the present enrollment. This figure means that the University, already cramped for space, will have to provide additional facilities to house and feed these students as well as provide needed space and facilities for research. Thc mean that the University teaching staff must be enlarged. One of the firsr tpicstions to be considered is how can the Universit get full use of present facilities. At least two faculty committees arc at work on the problem. One of these is the all-University scheduling committee. In its report of January twentieth this year, it recommended that more classes be scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays and during the afternoons of all five school days. This would help alleviate the strain on parking and transportation during the morning hours of Monday. Wednesday and Kriday. Providing teachers for the increasing number of students presents even another problem. According to I . W. Me- PRESIDENT Morrill presides over alt the Senole meetings. Here he prepares to open the meeting. PRESIDENT MORRILL chols amiobly with members of the board of regents before he opens meeting for serious discussion. 17