University of Wisconsin Oshkosh - Quiver Yearbook (Oshkosh, WI)

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1959. Roger Guiles has been President and Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh since His term of office has; been both exciting and controversial. Enrollments have skyrocketed, and new educational philosophies have gained popular acceptance. Usually Dr. Guiles is pictured as a dark and sinister conservative by students. No one would dare think of him in liberal terms. Still, this interview, while picturing a man who believes in the importance of details, reveals a side to Dr. Guiles that few people realize exists. A few of his ideas are certainly liberal, and some sound as if they could have come from either Mark Mitchell or Dave Crusius.

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Dr. Roger Guiles, Chancellor A University needs to be Sensitive . . . I graduated from Platteville (which at that time was a State Teacher’s College) after having had some work in pre-engineering at another school. Following that I taught math and science very briefly. Prior to going to Platteville in 1924 as a Dean I was involved in public school administration inSuper-ior. After having been at Platteville for 17 years, I was invited to accept the presidency of this university. Both my masters and doctorate are from the University of Wisconsin where my emphasis was on higher education. During my 17 years at Platteville I was given a special assignment which involved a study of higher education in Wisconsin for the Board of Regents, and which ultimately became a report to the legislature focusing on the role of state teacher colleges, and the direction in which they should be developing. When I started putting all the facts together I realized that Oshkosh was particularly well situated to develop into a strong university. This was true because of its population base, its location, and its strong liberal arts tradition. Also as a part of that report we made a number of rather important recommendations which were later implemented by acts of legislature in the sessions which followed. We recommended, for example, that these institutions become multipurpose institutions rather than single purpose institutions. We also recommended they become involved in student service programs like counseling, and provide housing and food services for students. I think an idea has to be inherently sound or it will never be brought to fruition. I don’t think an individual or a small group of individuals can create a strong institution until certain 20 elements are present. One of the important factors to keep in mind is that a strong multipurpose institution tends to add strength to each segment of that institution. In other words, our School of ’Education, which has been a strong institution in terms of Teacher Education over a period of many years, is today stronger because we have a strong School of Letters and Science. If you’re going to have a multi-purpose institution, this type of strength, you need to be able to offer students a great many different fields of study. This becomes practical only in a situation where you have a large enrollment. So one of the concerns I’ve had from the beginning, and one of the concerns that has been shared by many others on campus, is the desire to make this university responsive to the needs of the university’s growing population. There is one other very important factor in the building of a multi-purpose complex. An institution is no stronger than its faculty. But if you’re seeking strong, well-qualified people , especially in a time of strong competition as existed back in the fifties, it becomes necessary to offer such persons an opportunity to work in the field where they are well qualified. A strong faculty member has no desire to become a jack-of-all-trades, to teach subjects in which he or she has had little preparation. At Oshkosh we have been able to attract faculty members because we have been able to provide them with an opportunity to work in area specialization. All of this accrues to the benefit of the student because he in turn is able to have at his disposal persons who are well qualified. It’s been especially gratifying to me and many others to note that even the new schools, the School of Nursing and School of Business Administration, have won so much recognition. For example, the School of Business Administration, is only 7 years old. At the end of five years it was accredited by the National Collegiate School of Business. Normally a five year period is the very minimum amount of time required for consideration by the accrediting agency. This is rather good evidence that this university has genuine strength. Similarly, the School of Nursing, which is about the same age, has been accredited nationally and locally, and has won much recognition. I cite this because I believe it’s important for students to be assured they’re spending their time in a university program which has recognition in the marketplace. I believe very strongly that the university needs to be sensitive to the needs of students, and that all of us need to be concerned with the relevancy of the program we're offering. I also believe the university ought to be a place where students of limited economic ability may be able to advance themselves, and prepare for the demanding situations they’re almost certain to confront. My own experience with students has been very pleasant. This may seem a little strange to some people, but it’s true. As I look at students today I sense a very serious concern about life. This is not a result of a change in students, but a growing awareness of the world in which they live, and the kind of competition they are going to face. We’re bringing to the university a much broader spectrum of student abilities, interests, and career goals. continued on page 25

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Members : D. Carley N. Christianson R. Dahlstrom J. Dixon C. Gelatt O. Fish W. Kahl W. Kopp J. LA VINE B. McNamera E. Murphy J. Nellen M. Neshek F. Pellshek W. Renk J. RUey Mrs. R. Sandin J. Solberg Mrs. R. Williams J. Zctncannaro B. Ziegler EXECUTIVE: VICE PRESIDENT FOR Academic Planning GOV. Lucey ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Acad. Prog. Review (VACANT) Research Coordin. LEGISLATURE: Student Affairs 2 b Alb n UNIV. of WB. SYSTEM BOARD OF REGENTS PRESIDENT Weaver EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT L. HAAS E N T R A J. S T A F F VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUDGET PLANNING AND ANALYSIS Percy VICE PRESIDENT AND CONTROLLER Lorenz Budget Planning, Preparation and Presentation Information and Analysis Systems VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADMINISTRATION Winter Faculties Ping., and Capital Budget University Relations Personnel and Employ. Relations Legal Services Coop. Special Svcs. Univ. of Wisconsln-Oshkosh Dr. R. Guiles-CHANCE LLOR Fiscal Planning Accounting and Financial Reporting Internal Audit Trust Office Auxiliary Opns. Analysis VICE CHANCELLOR for ACADEMIC AFFAIRS R. V. Ramsden Dean of School of Education D. Bowman Dean of School of Letters and Science A. Darkon Chairmen Depts. Chairmen Depts. X Dean of Academic Administration (VACANT) I Dire Heat | A. D Director of Reading Center A. Dahlke Director of Testing Center E. Cech Director of Counseling Center T. Hocking Director of Libraries H. Wahoskl Dean of School of Business C. Larson Dean of School of Nursing H. Dorsch Dean of Continuing Education H. Crouse Assistant I Assistant II J. Wedergren D. Marlent The a dm listrative structure of thv. merged state university and University of Wisconsin is complex and confusing. The following charts trace the flow of power downward from the President of the combined systems to the department chairmen of this university. The names of the individuals who partially control student livos are included down to the coordinators of the various academic schools. The general affect of the recent merger has sofar been a tremendous Increase in both paperwork and the Dean of Graduate School E. Pyle amount of time needed for requisition requests to be denied or approved. Requests which were at one time acied upon in a matter of weeks are now running into numerous complications. Madison has become the center of the whole system, as the charts point out, and sometimes up to eight or nine people are Involved in making one decision. When the decision is a highly Important one the number of people involved in the final approval or disapproval mushrooms. The jury must wait for more evidence before a Judgement can bo handed down on the merged system, but right now the mass of faceless names and tangle of lines tracing the structure of power appear to have complicated further the lives of those Involved with the UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.