"Probably the most significant force is simply the increased attention that is being given to this topic throughout the university by the President, the faculty, and by the students themselves." 18 <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>News</strong>
Sproull on Undergraduate Education The Vice President for Academic Affairs talks with Thomas L. Tobin and Arthur W. Brodeur, Director and Assistant Director, respectively, of the <strong>University</strong>'s Public Information Staff, about the steps being taken to improve the quality of undergraduate education. • Over the past several years the students, faculty, and administration of <strong>Cornell</strong> have indicated mounting concern over the quality of undergraduate education at the university. In two earlier articles, [December 1965 and January 1966] the NEWS outlined major areas of concern and some of the changes being studied as a means of enriching the undergraduate program. In this article, the NEWS interviews Robert L. Sproull '40, PhD '43, vice president for academic affairs, to determine what progress has been made in this critical area. In addition to his duties as vice president for academic affairs, Sproull serves as both a member and the planning staff of the <strong>University</strong> Commission on Undergraduate Education. The commission, made up of students, faculty and administrators, was formed in October, 1965. Since that date the commission has met almost on a weekly basis during the last and current academic years. Q. Is concern for the quality of undergraduate instruction new at <strong>Cornell</strong>? A. Certainly not. My own experience dates back only to 1938, but then it was perfectly clear that the individual faculty members, department chairmen and deans were giving tremendous attention to this. The difference is that attention has been focused in the last three years partly by events off campus, but partly by our student protests in the spring of 1965. It especially became focused by the Kahn- Bowers faculty committee which devoted the summer of 1965 to taking stock of inadequacies, wherever they could be found, in undergraduate education. Q. What is the relationship between the university commission on undergraduate education and the Kahn-Bowers committee? A. The Kahn-Bowers committee was a committee to investigate, to appraise, to recommend. It was not intended to make changes in undergraduate education. Its report, however, since it was full of careful appraisal and wisdom, deserved to be followed up. And that's where the university commission comes in. The commission is acting as a continuing organization set up to improve the quality of undergraduate instruction. Q. Who are the members of the university commission? A. There are three students, three faculty and three administration members, plus the President or provost who presides. The faculty members were chosen by the dean of the university faculty; the students by the Executive Board of Student Government and the administration members by the President. Q. Who decided to include students on the Commission? A. The university faculty voted on the crucial question as to whether students should be included. There was some uneasiness among many of the faculty about including students. I have to admit that I was somewhat uneasy myself. The students, in fact, have been highly productive members not only in telling us of student attitudes and evaluating probable student reactions to suggestions, but also as a source of productive ideas. Q. Is the commission the most significant force working for the improvement of undergraduate instruction at <strong>Cornell</strong>? A. No. The commission is only the most visible. Probably the most significant force is simply the increased attention May 1967 19
- Page 1 and 2: May 1967 Cornell Alumni News
- Page 3 and 4: General Motors is people making bet
- Page 5 and 6: perpetuating existing injustices an
- Page 7 and 8: Qornell zAlumni Howard A. Stevenson
- Page 9 and 10: Announcing the New Cornell Alumni D
- Page 11 and 12: ^ : : " • • ; & - • : ' " •
- Page 13 and 14: Is this all you think of when you t
- Page 15 and 16: Kodak advertises to the engineering
- Page 17 and 18: Gentlemen: I am interested in caree
- Page 19: the protection of balanced houses a
- Page 23 and 24: There is also a question of numbers
- Page 25 and 26: guaranteed of this involvement, for
- Page 27 and 28: works by others. One is the tremend
- Page 29 and 30: I " 1U A daughter snaps Gold on a g
- Page 31 and 32: uilding. Two neighbors who risked t
- Page 33 and 34: awarded Woodrow Wilson Fellowships
- Page 35 and 36: BOOKLIST: • A selected list of bo
- Page 37 and 38: a man of any perception should pay
- Page 39 and 40: Some new, one old, and others on th
- Page 41 and 42: this generation of students is not
- Page 43 and 44: the length of the rink to put the B
- Page 45 and 46: Alumni Children Legacy percentage r
- Page 47 and 48: Generations GRANDPARENTS Kimball, H
- Page 49 and 50: THE FAMOUS CLASS OF 1912 RIDES AGAI
- Page 51 and 52: Rink has paid off hugely in 10 year
- Page 53 and 54: happy going to our club, playing br
- Page 55 and 56: We looked around but didn't see Ear
- Page 57 and 58: Lear Worth (Mrs. John H.), who spen
- Page 59 and 60: 63rd St., New York, and wife are re
- Page 61 and 62: un into some Cornellian, either her
- Page 63 and 64: daughter Julia Hardin Foote to Alan
- Page 65 and 66: ing the top spot in sales as monthl
- Page 67 and 68: " 'Tug' was appointed to the World
- Page 69 and 70: Class Reunions in Ithaca June 15-17
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a full report on Miss D'angers' dan
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frosts A Guide to Comfortable Hotel
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which took two of our children. We
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eth. Lorna (Baldwin) and Clarence T
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Carolyn Spiesz, State College, West
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esident engineer with the Calif, st
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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY OF CORNELL A
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