University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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Wesley W. Posvar, Rhodes Scholar and former Chairman of the Social Sciences Division of the Air Force Academy, was named Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh June 1, 1967’ He was interviewed by the OWL March 15, 1968. His opinions and views concerning the University are as follows. 4

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The University of Pittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education is composed of approximately 7000 undergraduate students, fourteen academic and professional schools, four regional campuses and an undisclosed number of computers. Currently the University is embarking on a period of expansion not only of its physical facilities, but also its participation in finding solutions to today’s social problems. The first impression of Pitt a student forms is from the brochures and catalogues he receives before he enters. The expanse of lawn seems endless. When he arrives, he find that the endless expanse is actually one patch of grass photographed from several angles. This is the first time that the student realizes what he is told Pitt is and what he sees it as being are two different things. 3

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OWL: During the ten years Edward Litchfield was Chancellor of the University, he had a plan of what he wanted it to become. Do you have a plan and, if so, what is it? POSVAR: We have been working on a master plan for the entire University. I think it will be the first comprehensive plan involving large scale participation that has developed in the history of the University. Dr. Litchfield’s goals were very commendable; now, we must embark on a similar period of growth. However, we are currently in a period of more competitive resources. Because of this, we must make our plans in greater detail and must have more widespread faculty support. Since the quality of our faculty is more outstanding today than it has ever been, its support and involvement will be stronger and more valuable than before. This faculty is capable of bringing the institution to greatness. The master plan will be based, first, upon discussions of the style, goals and character of the University. We have asked the faculties of the schools to consider what the nature of each discipline or field should be in the next twenty years and how we can anticipate these developments at Pitt. We shall stress quality. We do not plan to add a number of new programs or schools because we already have an adequate range of academic activities. Rather, we plan to consolidate our superior programs and strengthen our weaker ones. Quantitatively, our growth will respond to the needs of Pennsylvania and our society. Numerically, I'd say this will be approximately fifty percent in the next dozen years. At another level, we have worked with architects to develop a master physical plan for the campus which will set forth our environmental needs for the next ten to twenty years. At yet another level, we have taken up a study of resource management. We intend to set up a long range planning and programming-budgeting system comparable to those adopted by federal government agencies during the past ten years. We also want to develop a complete management information system that will store data, help to schedule classes and instructors, record registration payments and so on. We hope that these systems will enable us to provide more efficient and economical service to everyone. Of paramount importance in our planning is student affairs. We want to avoid what might Ixj called the “Berkeley syndrome” —the sense of frustration and loss of identity which occurs in a bee-hive social environment. We want to establish learning-teaching-living units. These subdivisions of the undergraduate programs will provide a more healthy environment for learning and will give the students a tighter sense of l elonging and loyalty. Fraternities achieve something of the same purpose now. Dr. Critchficld’s staff is already at work; sometime within the coming months, the results of these studies will emerge and will be incorporated into the master plan. OWL: Will students be involved in this planning in the coming months? POSVAR: Yes. We particularly need student ideas and counsel in the areas that most affect them: student life and curriculum. Some students already are in- 5