University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 11 text:

When considering how Pitt is different now than it used to he, two separate but related processes can be observed. Change is one such process, and the composition of the student body has been radically altered. Within the academic environment a student may want an opportunity to sharpen analytical tools for creative thought, rigorous job preparation, only a passing grade, or may not really be sure of what is desired at all. What is critical for the University in terms of change is that the number of values being expressed has increased, and that these, and a whole bunch more, coexist in the same classroom Similarly, within the social environment, a student may want to get deeply involved in bringing about change in the distribution of power; or, to spend only a few hours a day at school and the rest of the time with the same group of friends that had been together since high school; or, to concentrate on finding someone of the opposite sex to hold on to; or, to stay pretty much alone and pay attention to the business at hand. Again, what is important is that the number of desires being expressed has increased, and that all these desires, plus many variations, seek expression on the Pitt campus. The impact of state-relatedness was felt most directly on the kinds of students who came to the University. The following table illustrates how the geographical distribution of the Freshman class has looked before and after state-relatedness: 7965 7970 Pennsylvania 62% 93% Other States 38% 7% Allegheny County 36% 55% Other Pennsylvania Counties 26 38% In addition to there being differences in the kinds of commitments students make to themselves and to the institution according to where they come from, the backgrounds of students, both economically and socially, has become much more varied. In terms of the college experience, the Freshman Year is of special significance, and the percentage of freshmen who share the common denominator of dormitory residence has decreased from 70% in 1965 to 48% in 1970. Again, this means that there are fewer widely shared frames of reference among students.

Page 13 text:

The changes in University philosophy and in the makeup of the student body have resulted in many more and varied demands being placed by students upon the institution. Related to the process of change, but remaining distinct is the process of reform, and it has been true that most reforms have been in keeping with the University philosophy of Pitt as a service station, and have acted to reinforce the changes which have been taking place. Reform, meaning the creation of options for the expression of different values, and the removal of policies which restrict and add requirements on to the exercise of self-direction, have touched virtually every area of campus life, from the Housing Office, to the Student Affairs Office, to the Greek system, to the Student Association, to the grading system, to the form of the classroom, to the choice of how one should live and learn. What The 1971 Owl must bring out is the wide variety of values which people are expressing at the University of Pittsburgh, and how certain very important parts of the life of the entire campus have changed in response to these expressions. The articles and pictures which follow attempt to show what is different about Pitt, and to explain why. We fully realize that any individual student experiences only a very tiny part of the life of the entire University, and that anyone who attempts to serve as historian is subject to the limitations of a very personal past. This is why we have sought to involve as many students with different, yet highly relevant experiences as possible. In this way we will try to present the University of Pittsburgh in as fair a way as we can see.