Weather Forecast: Mostly Cloudy, VOL. 65, No. 137 Group Considers Professor Rating System Problem By CECELIA HITTE Al least one long-enduring compl int of University stu dents v, m.ell on its \IiIV toward a soltukon. The much discussed. but ne‘er solj•cd problem of a prac tie•al method of evaluating the merit'• of University faculty has been quietly under consideration sir e 1958 by a committee appmnted by President Eric A. tl'all r. The Committee on flow to Recognise Good Teachers and Measure Teaching Ability, consisting ('1 representatives from each of the len colleges at the University, published its initial report, Evaluation of Teaching EllectiS•eness, in June, 1960. alter extensrse experience with pilot tests. This teport contains tomr measures judged by the com mittee to be important. Random Sampling "Delayed Student Opinions." one of the four methods of evalation indicated, involves "a random sampling of students' opinions obtained about two years alter they have com pleted a course... The "hindsight . ' given the student by this No-year interim period enables him to see the usefulness of the information and training, in later courses Removal from the anxiety and emotion of the course grade which might in some way influence his views was also felt to benefit the accuracy of the evaluation. The opinions ol a teacher's colleap ties, made on an over all bads such as clearness of prepdration, knowledge of subiect matter. and attitude toward students would provide a counter-balance for the first method. Also suggested as de sirable, are classroom visits, followed by interviews, provided there are a substantial number of Student Performance A more direct measurement of a leacher's electiveness considered by Ihe committee is the performance of his stu dents on examinations designed to measure achievement regarding specific objectives of the course and overall objec tives of the University. Until the development of such tests, direct comparison, particularly among multiple-section courses which have common course plans and final examinations, can be employed. The achievements of students ir. subsequent courses is a second (tweet measure of a teacher's effectiveness. As the report explains. "Almost all previous experience (instruc tion) has some bearing on the future success of students. However, the idea here is to consider only the relationships between the performance in a course, and the performance in its listed prerequisites." Concerning the total evaluation of a teacher on all four of these points, Otis E. Lancaster, Westinghouse prolessor of engineering and chairman of the committee, explained, four points. They would tend to counter-balance each other. None would be outstanding in all of them." Among the pilot studies conducted as a background for the 1960 report was an evaluation of the leaching of fifteen instructors and professors of English composition. Using the four previously mentioned points, it wa:: found that "the raw data, alone, were not sufficient to determine the best and poorest instruction. Hov,ever, if a correction were made for the curriculum Interests of the students ,as determined from all the students' records in corresponding curriculums, where the dilferences \sere as much as 14 per cent between curriculums for stu dents of similar ability, the data were found to be satisfactory for identifying desirable instruction results. To prevent any attempt to correlate the information with a particular student, the identifying numbers on the orinion noires were torn off by the student upon receiving the infor mation. According to Lancaster. "In this study we were careful to see that the students selected actually responded. The opinionnaires used were numbered sorr.ew•hat as ballots are for an election. It was found that a random sample of about 40 of all students taught by an instructor is sufficient to get a reliable rating of their opinions. When students didn't respond they were contacted a second time." James E. Wright, professor of genetics, offers this explana tion of how the procedures and recommendations in the report lvere derived: "This report is a compromise of the ideas of various and diverse faculty members .. being a committee of people from the faculty we did want to evaluate some of our ideas, so the report is a reflection of this. We did not want a highly theoretical survey, but an activity report based on actual results." Relations Important Wright emphasized the particular importance of faculty student relations on the project, saying. — This is still explor atory work, not yet in operational procedure. It is the sort of project that needs co-operation between students and faculty to get something done. "What ue essentially said (in the report) is that if we had a carefully mechanized system to reflect training received by the students. results would not he sent directly to the administration, but be handled on a department level Since the department head deals directly with the faculty on a more personal level, this should be in J.js hands." Copies on the committee's reports, ba.,,ic and supplemen tary, are being sent to the University Semite today. Because of the great expenses involved in such a project, It would be impossible for the University , to undergo evalua tions of all departments at appropriate intervals without spon sorship of some sort. The original committee is now dismissed at its own re quest, the members having felt their phase of the project was completed. As one member of the committee remarked. "We regard ourselves as having accomplished the groundwork for further activity supported by some outside organization, perhaps something such as the Ford Foundation." Faculty - Student Relationship Survey Fifth Installment of SAR Report The fifth and final installment of the Student Affairs Research survey report lor this term has been compiled by Miss Prem S. Dua, consultant to SAR who was in charge of the project. This installment deals with the relationship of faculty and students in an expanding academic environment. Ac cording to Miss Dua. the obligation of a university to push back the frontiers of knowledge present. to both faculty and students alike the challenge to inquire and to examine critically many of the assumptions, customs and beliefs that often have become traditions of Academe. "While the responsibility for decisions in any basic academic policies requires a vast array of scholarly infor mation, long years of experience and a Mitturity of judge ment which even the brightest of students are not. ex pected to have, yet, in recent years, faculties on most cam puses have been eager to open up to students channels of communication that permit the interplay, of free inquiry from students," she pointed out. Concern For Quality . The SAR survey that polled the opinions of University students in the areas of curriculum-making, faculty teach ing, advising and research. etc.. is predice l ted on the assump tion that students at large have a wide-spread concern for the quality of the education they receive, the report states. The report also notes that through ?:onsidered group judgement. students have a potential contribution to make to standards and goals of learning at this:institution. In recent years at the University,`,chile increasing population and a vast expansion of knowledge have com pelled a trend towards a bigger and more complex univer- 4e 5T.44„ , k co • - g i ai t:1• 1 14 r 14' • Is 56 Total Evaluation' By JUNE FIEL AN UNEXPECTED GUEST dropped into the apartment of R. T. Yoder, a former Uni versity student, at 224 Bradley Ave. Thurs day afternoon. Driver of the automobile, James J. Gregory, suffered severe injuries in the accident. Although the car hit the 100 1 000 Pennsylvanians' Drive Approaches 4500 By ANN WORRALL Enrollment in the week old "100,000 Pennsylvanians" membership drive is ap proaching 4.500. However, the Undergradua ate Student Government committee chair man, Victor Hammel predicts a still larger response when all the petitions are returned next week. The campaign was officially scheduled to end yesterday at midnight, but due to the number of unreturned petitions the USG committee ivill collect signatures next week. The fraternity area has thrown its sup port behind the drive and has raised the membership tally by approximately 2,900 The University Party executive commit tee and Androcles hat society yesterday en dorsed the program. Major Organization The USG-sponsored project now has the backing of every major campus organization. However, Hammel has expressed his dis appointment with the "apathy of 'he student body" in signing petitions available in each living area and the Hetzel Union Building desk "This is the only program on campus." he said, "that has no monetary obligation, is Goals Viewed by Hat Societies By LESLIE KAY what other people feel. "If they have not done the Just as students learn about work , then they won't get the 'People are forgetting a fact: , ” tap. If you do get the work out to get into a hat society you campus activities by_readm ' of them, it doesn't matter what have to be very active, so that The Daily Collegian and listen- the ulterior motive is," he said. you don't have time to put into ing to WDFM, they said, so Hat societies, he went on to another organization. they learn by meeting w ith say, act as an incentive. Those "The real purpose of the hat other People- in high offices, such as class society is to act as an honorary Hat societies act as forums presidents, have a good chance body. What it does over and where student leaders can dis- doof getting tapped. So they will a better job. above that is something that is cuss problems and exchange left up to the individual," said ideas, Bruce Miller, president "We're not stepping on any- John Gilliland. past president of the Hat Society Council, ex_ one's toes," Miller added. "In a of Delphi. Gilliland led off a plained. In addition, many have sense , everyone is a status discussion about the purposes other worthwhile projects such seeker. If someone has really of the hat societies at a Coun- as ushering at campus events, done something, there is no rea cil meeting held Thursday gymsuit sales, and scholarships. son for him to feel embarrass night. Concerning the charges that ed when he fills out a tapping Opinions countering recent students become involved in card attacks against the hat societies campus organizations solely came with rapier -like speed. for the purpose of being tapped. Just as honor societies in The various representatives Don Klein (9th - psychology- fields such as advertising and seemed to agree unanimously Ringoes, N.J.) replied: 'Stu- engineering exist to recognize that the biggest thing to get dents won't be successful in students in their respective out of hat societies is friend- the activity unless they put fields, the members concluded. shp, to develop a feelng for something forth. (Continued on page three) site, students have been heard to lament the immense pres sures of mass education. Reaffirmation Asked They ask that the university reaffirm the individual nature of the educational process as it is experienced by students and they insist that there is a wall between them and the faculty which must be broken down, the report continues. In this context, the 380 students who were polled were asked to comment on the accessibility of the faculty to students. Sixty-three per cent of them endorsed the idea that the faculty "is readily accessible and keeps regular office hours." Asked as to the extent of personal assistance received by them from faculty in the general domain of educational and vocational planning, 56 per cent of the sample dis counted the significance of any "valuable assistance" re ceived in planning their education. Valuable Assistance Twenty per cent, however. acknowledged that they had been the recipients of valuable assistance from their fac ulty advisors "in planning their vocational and occupational future." With a view to gauging the extent of personal contact between students and their faculty advisors, the que:,tion was asked whether students perceived then• faculty advisor as "knowing him well enough to be able to give to his prospective employers an accurate evaluation of him." Only 21 per cent of the respondents felt hopeful about such an interpersonal relationship with their faculty ad visors, the report notes. FOR A BETTER PENN STATE UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 29, 1965 4,1 . 1 —Photo by Dick Brown, Centre Daily Times crib of Robert Todd Yoder. baby son of the Yoders, the child was not injured. The car was involved in a collision at the intersec tion of Atherton and Pugh Streets and was propelled down Pugh Street into the apart ment house. not controversial and provides a chance to support your home state and the University." A list of those signatures collected before the end of spring term will be sent to Harris burg to be officially enrolled in the "100.000 Pennsylvanians for Economic Growth" pro gram. Members will receive a certificiite of membership, an automobile bumper sticker and th e project's quarterly newsletter, "Pennsylvania Ambassador." Total number of signatures collected will be available to students in the fall. The goal of the USG project is one hundred per cent enrollment at the University. According to Hammel, petitions are still available at the HUB desk and in each resi dent hall, sorority and fraternity. Those groups which have shown con siderable support are: Sororities: Alpha Gam ma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Phi Epsi lon. Kappa Alpha Theta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Sigma Sigma. Theta Phi Alpha, Zeta Tau Alpha. Fraternities: Acacia. Alpha Epsi lon Pi. Chi Phi, Theta Chi. Tau Kappa Epsi lon. Independents: East Halls and North Halls. Numbers in Fall For Recognition With regard to the broad question of interpersonal relations between faculty and students, one general obser vation that emerges from a rather preliminary view of the data is the greater overall satisfaction regarding faculty accessibility and assistance expressed by the students sam pled from the College of Agriculture. Roughly 72 to 85 per cent of this sample had a favor able commentary. A greater overall dissatisfaction with the level of faculty accessibility was indicated by roughly 72 to 76 per cent of those sampled from the College of Business Administration. The report states, however. that a much more detailed breakdown and analysis of results in terms of teacher student ratios in these colleges would be essential to point up any conclusive factors that may account for major dif ferences of opinion. In part. the academic interests of today's students focus on exploration with faculty members, of the meaning of facts and ideas encountered by them in their education, both in and outside the classroom. With respect to such a mutual exploration. 44 per cent of the pollees expressed a strong desire to share with the faculty "their personal, social and other non-academic in terests," and only 16 per cent were rather indifferent in this matter. In the context of a "community of scholars" in which traditionally faculty and students have lived intimately and shared generously. 68 per cent of the respondents take the attitude that "how members of the faculty conduct themselves in their private life is of no concern to the student body." Election Code Squabble Cressman Says Revision eede • Edward Creasman, Under graduate Student Government elections commissioner. soul yesterday, he will remain in his post in order to work foi a congressional acceptance of an election code revision. Thursday night, at the last USG meeting of the term, a revision Cressman presented met complete deleat. The re vision sought to place the prob lem of election campaign cx oenses within the hands of the Election Commission. Under the defeated proposal, the commission would have ac cepted bids from local printers and would then name the print er to receive campaign orders This section was entirely cut by congresc, Thursday night. The congress briefly consider ed raising the party budget. and then tabled the matter until next fall. Procrastination Speaking for Congress action on this mall cc Croi-sman said, "I think their action regarding the elections code was the epitome of indecisive pro crastination.'' He also stressed the expedi ency of elections revision. "Re putting it off until the fall," he said. "Congress will not have enough time to imple ment it for fall elections." Cressman said he will not compromise on this issue. If the code is not passed by their congress, he said. "I'll \kalt until a new congress is elect ed." The main argument put forth against this revision. Cressman said, was that it %%as an infringement of "u ir'v responsibility ' Pi • this is that "parties are not responsible, the,, been and they will continue not Applicants Finish Screening By D'EB HAUGHT The first three applicants for the Penn State in the South project have success fully completed the prelinu nary screening, acording to Egbert H. Donovan. chairman of the project's screening com mittee. The three are Linda Bankes (6th - arts and letters - Elm hurst), David Tanner (11th psychology-Erie), and Lever ett Millen (Grad-psychologi- Brookline, Mass.). They are scheduled for more intensive interviews as well as orienta tion session during the com ing week. Beaufort, South Carolina, will be the site of the Penn State in the South project. It was chosen after the local committee had studied some of the areas seeking assistance from the Summer Community Organization and Political Ed ucation (SCOPE) project of the Southern Christian Lead ership Conference. County Population Negroes represent 37.4 per cent of the population of Beaufort County. 48.3 per cent of them are registered to vote. The county has experienced the highest percentage in crease in population growth in the state during the last decade, due mainly to the es tablishment of the Marine Corps Air Station. The public education of Ne gro pupils has caused concern in the community. 81 per cent of Negro students enrolled in 1950 dropped out before grad uation. Almost half of the adult Negro population is illit- Academic Interests all to be a loin; as they keep playing their little games." Party Irresponsibility Political parties on this cam pus, he said, are not run like parties "For e\ cry election I've ever been in here, the parties hove shown nothing but irresponsibility " The parties would not gain their responsibility by lifting the campaign budget, he said. "Campaigns aren't poor lor lack of funds'' lie added, "it's a matter 01 using funds the right way and organizing cam paigns efficiently." Another argument used against the revision, he said, was that it placed 100 much power in the Elections Com mission. But if the code was not passed, lie stated, the "many infractions that have Penn State In The South crate, yet Ihe schools spend anticipated integration of the less per Negro than for white public schools. They may also students. be involved in voter educa- Tlanv people hope that the iron campaigns in the urban voting rights bill now before and rural areas. the U.S. House of Representa- All work will be carried tives will insure the registra- nut in cooperation with local lion of new voters. Negro leadership. University Beaufort Integration students will be joined by Beaufort will begin Integra- students from schools and col lion of its public schools this legcs in South Carolina. fall. Both white and Negro According to Clifford A. citizens expect an orderly Nelson, treacurer for the proi transition. ect, the first contributions Last I%Tel:end the Ku Klux have been received, Checks Klan held a rally in Beaufort, have been received from the which was reported as a fins-llel Foundation and from co. the University Christian Asso- The University workers elation. The latter raised mon inay be tutoring classes in cv by a student tvork day or order to raise the level of ed- ganized by the Student Coun ucation in preparation for the cil for Christian Concern. Concert Blue Band To Perform Outdoor Music Program Sunday The Penn State Concert Blur , Band will hold a concert at 3 p.m. tomorrow, on the steps of Pattee Library. James W. Dun lop will conduct with the assist- ance of Ned C. Deihl. Also featured in the concert The numbers on the program mill be Finland in (Tone Poem) in order of presentation are The by Lucien Caillict, America the National Anthem. Semper Fidel- by Lucien Gailliet, America the is by John Philip Sousa. Ruy Beautiful by Samuel Augustus Bias Overture by Felix Mende Ward and arranged by Carmen sohn and arranged by Wesley Dragon. Ok erture to "Funny Shepard, Piece for Trombones Girl" by Jule Styne and ar by Eric Leidzen, Procession by ranged by Robert Russell Ben the Knights of the Holy Grail nett, The Stars and Stripes For by Richard Wagner and ar- ever by Sousa. The Marine's ranged by Bruce Houseknecht, Hymn. Anchors Aweigh and the The Gallant Seventh March by Blue Band Entry March. Compiled Miss Dua's report notes that this is indicative, perhaps, of the students' interest to communicate with faculty in areas that peitain only to his public academic not non academic life. In a period of youth that deplores the extent to which university professors and faculty are involved in research to the detriment of instruction, almost 60 per cent of those polled were willing to subscribe to the idea that ''faculty is justified in devoting considerable time to research ac tivity, book-writing projects and off-campus lectureship," according to the report. This they perceive as essential to the faculty's contri bution to the academic environment of the University. Asked to comment as to whether faculty show an interest in sharing and discussing their research and related ac tivity with the students, 40 per cent indicated such an in terest as forthcoming on the part of a majority of the Uni versity professors who teach undergraduate classes. Beller Teaching Among a generation of students calling for better teach ing, less emphasis on research and more attention to under graduate education, the students polled took the following stands: Ninety-two per cent of the student body polled were decidedly of the opinion that the University faculty should devote no less than half of their time to "teaching and in struction of undergraduates." Seventy-five per cent of the student body agreed that a faculty member should contribute no more than a quar ter of his time to research and almost unanimously they ate of the opinion that a faculty member need devote no (Continued on page four) It's About Time characteniied the past elec lions h ill be allmk ed to meet CRESSMAN Sousa, Pageant Overture by Ronald Lo Presti and Ilow the West Was Won arranged by Rob ert Hawkin,.. --See Page 2 SIX CENTS Petty Politics The re , ult of this Cres•man soul kkould he that "the slit ednt body will regard USG as they done in the past. As a group of indecisive unimagina lice students playing at petty. " fiecei‘ing bids from printers in State College, he said, was not an inconvenience. - The only body this. ‘k ill incom en tenye.- he added, "is the Elec tions C-mmission, which is obviously ❑•tllutq to take on the respon , ibility." Speaking of the section on party 11 , ts, fib.° defeated by congress, he said this was placed in the cock as a direct result of complaints from par ties. Membership lists, according to the revision, would have been olaced in the hands cf the Election Commission. and made available only to parts chairman "If they don't want it." said Cressman, "that's the way it is It was for their benefit •' obert Katzenstein. USG president, and Jim Caplan. town congressman who op posed the revision at Thurs day's meeting, were unavail able for comment. Cresslll an said the vice chairman of the Election Com mission, Daniel Katz. vas presently looking into obtain ing voting machines for fall elections Katz contacted Cen tre County officials and Was turned d own , h e sa id . T wo companies in New York, he said, were willing to cooperate for a ''nominal charge" and the matter is presently being investigated.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers