tl19690919-000 "Fisher calls for � complete Towson reform At an 8 p.m. faculty meeting on September 8, Towson State's new President, Dr. James L. Fisher, de-livered a speech calling for the de-termined and prompt restructuring of higher education in general and Towson in particular. Education is failing Dr. Fisher commenced his lengthy call, entitled Animals at the Cross-road, with a quote from British historian Arnold Toynbee, saying that the ""traditional system of higher education does not meet, any longer, the educational needs of a more and more rapidly changing society."" We must turn ""History reveals a lag between social and educational needs and the structures that reflect them,"" observed Dr. Fisher. He continued that, ""We are literally in a race between survival and suicide and if we proceed in our ostrich-like behavior, we will surely commit suicide We must turn . . . a turn involves dramatic change�change in terms of basic definitions, . . . changes in behavior and practice, in the most rapid sense of evolu-tion. Modifying our present road will not suffice . . ."" Impersonal colleges ""The American university and public college is . . . the frighten-ing prototype of impersonality . . . apathetic to the need to examine the basic operating assumptions of its predecessors."" Dr. Fisher compared today's sit-uation to three animals, a wolf, a dinosaur, and a lion. The wolf cor-responded to the revolutionary, who sees the need for change and uses Vol. XXII, No 1 TOWSON STATE COLLEGE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21204 September 19, 1969 Fisher appoints Shaw as Dean of College Towson State opens its 1969 fall semester with a major change in administration. Dr. James L. Fish-er, the new president at Towson and former Vice President of Il-linois State College, has appoint-ed a new Acting Dean of the Col-lege and Assistant Professor of Sociology. He is Dr. Kenneth A. Shaw, former Assistant to the President of Illinois State Univer-sity. Responsibilities As Acting Dean, Dr. Shaw is responsible for the academic pro-gram at Towson, with Depart- Free U earns name when it enters second � season this year The Free University, begun last year by the Student Government Association, will become more re-laxed this fall as it reorganizes its approach to education. More freedom According to Ron DeAbreu, SGA Director of Publicity, last year's Free University defeated its own purpose; it was, indeed, not ""free"" Instead, it became bogged down with formal registration and class-room structure. As it stands now, Free U will offer ""space and time for people to teach courses that would not be allowed under a reg-ular system."" The courses offered will be sem-inars centered around a ""core group"" that, rather than having lectures, will evoke discussion. It will be up to the individuals in-volved as to what will be discussed. Ultimate purpose According to DeAbreu, ""the ulti-mate purpose of the Free U is to get the students and faculty accus-tomed to this new learning exper-ience and to take some of the ideas back into the classrom."" There will be no formal registra-tion, but look for notices and pub-licity next week regarding the Free University. ment Heads, Director of the Grad-uate School, Director of Evening and Summer Division, the Regis-trar, and Directors of Admissions and Institutional Studies, report-ing to him. Dr. Shaw has a PhD from Pur-due University, where his major study areas were sociology, coun-seling, and psychology. He has also done postdoctoral study in university management at the Uni-versity of Michigan. He was formerly a teacher of sociology and history and counselor at Rich Township High School in Dr. Kenneth A. Shaw Park Forest, Ill, a resident hall director and instructor at Illinois State University and a counselor on the staff of the Dean of Stu-dents at Purdue. He became as-sistant to the President at Illinois State in 1966. Has written articles Dr .Shaw has published a num-ber of articles in professional jour-nals on subjects ranging from en-vironmental influence and college success to the problems and pros-pects of minority group members in college and society. He was the principal author of a recent Office of Economic Opportunity grant for $15,000,000 to assist in the operation and evaluation of the high potential student. any method to bring it about. Dr. Fisher did not minimize the importance of the ""wolf"" or its in-tentions. "". . . this Fall, unless the war is resolved, their intent will be to create hell on campus like we have not yet seen. And to deny that the force and fire of a few can effect radical change is to deny every successful revolution in the history of man . . . it is also to deny any hope of changing Amer-ican public higher education."" Dr. Fisher continued to the ""din-osaur, oblivious to the world around it,"" which characterizes ""most of American higher education . . . es-pecially the emerging state colleges and universities."" According to Dr. Fisher, a big problem is that ""for years the ma-jor univeristies have . . . discrim-inated against the undergraduate students."" An incompatible gap exists between graduate programs and undergraduate education. ""Most emerging public colleges Photo by Quante BREAKFAST TIME was a chance for good food and more conversation at the first Interrelations Seminar, held last April 18, 19, 20 at Belair Fresh Air Camp. SGA begins work on fall Interrelations Seminar On October 17, 18, and 19 the Student Government Association will sponsor a retreat for Tow-son faculty and full time students at Belair Fresh Air Camp. The theme of the weekend will be the problem of communication inside and outside of the classroom. Some of the tentative events will include a panel discussion with Dr. James Fisher, faculty members, and stu-dents participating. Discussion groups on the theme will be held and a film, possibly La Guerre Eat Finie, will be shown. Added en-tertainment will be provided by a band, either The New Breed or the Revelations. Apply early Because of the success of the retreat last year, it is important that interested students apply ear-ly. They should fill in the forms available in the College Centre and place them in boxes found in the SGA office, in temporary 1A, and on the IS table in the College Centre. The selection of all par-ticipants will be made at random. Last year's IS was held at the Belair camp on a weekend in April. It was the first attempt and was begun as an alternative to the Leadership Conferences, which had been held in the past but never really fulfilled their purpose. More information can be found at the SGA office, or from Louise Stagmer, committee chairman, at P. 0. Box 908. According to Miss Stagmer, ""The college is changing so rapidly with new faculty, ad-ministrators, and students that there is a great potential for a truly academic atmosphere, and this is what IS is concerned with. We want a community of people, not a collection of roles."" Photo by Quante Towson's new Associate Direc-tor of the College Union is James E. Duffy, who comes from New York University where he spent two years as director of its stu-dent center. Duffy is in charge of the general operation of the Col-lge Centre and is an advisor to the College Union Board and universities aspire to the same ends which have led . . . the Mich-igans, the Berkeleys, the Colum-bias, the Harvards . to the brink of disaster."" These schools, said Dr. Fisher, have created systems that obstruct the education of under-graduate students. They build grad-uate programs at the expense of undergraduate studies and spend a lot of money doing it. Battle for survival To these antagonists, the wolf and the dinosaur, said Dr. Fisher, there has to be an alternative�the lion. ""We're in a battle for survi-val because the wolf won't reason and the dinosaur can't turn back."" He envisions ""students and fac-ulty bent on a common purpose. ""We must toss our notions of sup-periority and at the same time pre-serve those of wisdom."" According to Dr. Fisher, the re-form will have to cover all facets of the college. These include em-phasizing undergraduate education, maintaining the autonomy of the college, making Black students feel welcome, building a strong and pro-gressive curriculum, granting stu-dent independence and power, reor-ganizing residence halls, evaluat-ing college administrative and gov-ernmental effectiveness, organizing college growth, revitalizing depart-ments of study, and evaluating graduate programs. Hurnan;�ta neededi Dr. Fisher specified the type of people needed to create reforms� ""men who do not think it beneath their dignity to teach . . . Human-ists with a genuine concern ,.for persons, men convinced that the world truly needs civilized men; men who involve students in arriv-ing at solutions to their questions. General education is failing . . . for want of men of general intelli-gence to teach it."" Dr. Fisher warned that persever-ance will be needed 'because, even-tually, the established educational system will entrench itself and fight back. With its money and ""estab-lished reputation,"" it ""can threaten us with all kinds of hell."" He urged his audience to move forward, ""human beings dedicated to a better society of men, and to making Towson State College the prime vehicle for our contribution."" INSIDE At the National Student As-sociation's Convention held this past August, a militant Black student faction took over the speaker's platform . . . Read a Conventioneer's reaction on Pg. three. Editorials Letter from Dr. Fisher Picture Page SDS split Virgo and virgins Warren Moore "
