Tefje Bufee Chronicle
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WELCOME FRESHMEN tEfje Bufee Chronicle Volume 65, Number 1 Durham, North Carolina Tuesday, September \bj9tfi Y-FAC designed Freshmen arrive, to aid freshmen praised as 'able' By Jim Vaughn By Jim Vaughn Assistant Managing Editor Assistant Managing editor Y-FAC Chairman Tom Scrivner says the YM-YWCA "The members of this freshman class arriving today have orientation program is needed to aid freshmen during "a the intellectual ability to tackle any problem they confront. divisive and turbulent time in an individual's life." They have the energy to stay with a problem until its Scrivner said the incoming freshman is "ignorant of most resolved," Dr. Robert H. Ballantyne, director of aspects of the University and has questions about himself undergraduate admission, said in describing this year's L and his environment. freshman class. "His contact with upperclassmen or other people who might be able to answer his questions is at a minimum at He said yesterday that the Class of '73 will be a "pioneer best, even though such contact would be greatly beneficial of the new curriculum. Its success will depend upon these to him. The Y-FAC program fills this void and gives the students." freshman someone to confide in." "They will have a choice in terms of what courses they will take which will enable them to decide whether their Although the program has retained the traditional courses will or will not be relevant," Ballantyne continued. structure, Scrivner said, efforts have been made to refine certain processes, such as the selection of the Y-Man. Forty-three states and 19 foreign countries will be represented by this year's 1282 freshmen. Break the barrier Increased selectivity He added that a new innovation is the selection of about Last year's class was larger. Ballantyne attributes the 30 Y-Girls who will speak to freshmen in House H, House decrease^ to a smaller graduating class last spring, leaving G, Mirecourt and Taylor. fewer openings, and attempts by East _^a "The barrier between East and West campuses is so administrators to provide more roor_~ artificial," Scrivner continued. "We hope the Y-Girls will Even though there are le^y number of applicants increaj (Continued on page 4) Y-Man's weary father heads doggedly for his son's dorm. number of people admitt-rf^ ;Expansion of student potential aim of new curriculum reforms By Bob Switzer learning will be increased if he is exposed to involved with research on their individual Supplements Editor more discussion groups as opposed to projects, rather than taking normal courses. New curriculum reforms, which have straight lecture classes. Alsb included in the ten proposals been called "probably the most substantial Programs I and II adopted by the UFC is a new plan to change in the history of the University" by The reforms have split undergraduate measure academic progress in terms of this year's Chairman of the Academic study into two programs, each designed to semester courses (and half-courses and Council, go into full effect when the Class of increase the student's learning potential. In double-courses) rather than in terms of the When askecn '73 begins work next week. Program I for both B.S. and A.B. degrees, a old semester hours. A semester course, now. expected of 1 student must pass a certain number of is roughly equivalent to a three or four hour academic qualifi Basically designed to allow more freedom 1 for the expansion of the student's potential, courses in each of three divisions: social course as offered in past years. "We were looking foi the academic reforms grew out of the sciences, natural science and mathematics, Directly related to the semester courses could do or had done s * recommendations of the Undergraduate and humanities. These courses can include are the new requirements for graduation. A perform in the Faculty Council's Subcommittee on upper level offerings which a student can interested in such things as worS Curriculum. take wihtout required prerequisites. programs and in positions of le_uciai.ip Headed by Dr. Donald Fluke of the Under Program I each student must pass within and without the school that required Biology department, the subcommittee's an English composition course, preferably in Weather that they make a committment." report was presented in April of 1968 after the first semester of his freshman year. Three-quarters of the freshmen have over a year of study. That May, the entire However, if a student has demonstrated Warm today, mild tonight, board scores of over 600 in English and Council voted on the Fluke Committee's proficiency on the English composition temperature in the 80's, chance of Math, roughly the same as last year's proposals, and a great majority were adopted achievement test with a score of 700 or showers in the afternoon. combined average of 1280. to form the core of the new curriculum. better, this requirement can be waived. This (Continued on page 4) 1 The program will affect Trinity and exception was a change from the old policy Woman's College freshmen directly, but on Freshman English. influence the course study of engineering In the area of foreign languages, a student and nursing freshmen only indirectly. The demonstrating proficiency in a foreign New president sought reforms apply for the Bachelor of Science, language past the level of two years of study degree as well as the Bachelor of Arts degree. at Duke can also waive the previous A major principle of the new program is requirement of taking a least one year of a that a student should not be impeded by language. Students still have to complete the while 'troika' governs basic requirements for which he can second year of a language if they do not demonstrate adequate skill or knowledge place out. before hand. To this end, many departments By Andy Parker Under the new curriculum all freshmen Policy Editor Woodhall have dropped introductory eourse are required to have a one-semester seminar Since President Douglas Knight's Appointed to the newly created post of requirements completely but a few or two preceptorials, discussion groups or resignation last spring, an interim three-man chancellor in March, Woodhall assumed departments have decided against taking tutorials during the course of the year. The team has been governing the University. position on a temporary basis. A committee such action, and maintain most of their requirement is the same for the sophomore Barnes Woodhall. chancellor pro tern, to look for a new chancellor will be " requirements. year. Marcus Hobbs, provost, and Charles Huestis, appointed in the near future. Another basic change in the new program I In his junior and senior years a student vice president for business and finance, make While teaching and practicing medicine _S is the lowering of the normal course load can work on a thesis or independent project up the "troika." Duke since the 1930's, Woodhall has been from five to four in order to alleviate some which would count as two credit courses or A search committee to look for a new responsible for much of the development r>k of the work pressure of a five course a combination of seminars and an President was appointed last May by Charles the Medical Center. Last faH he was made \A schedule and to allow the student to independent study which would also count Wade, chairman of the Board of Trustees. assistant to the president., leaving his post -*•*•: concentrate on his academic efforts on a as two credit courses. The committee includes trustees, faculty. associate provost of the Medical Center. J> smaller number of courses..' Program II is a less clearly defined line of one graduate student and one The chancellorship was created I. Though freshmen will, be taking fewer study that is open only to a limited number undergraduate. by Knight with the approval of the Boar*- of courses they will nevertheless be taRtag an oi' students. Those accepted for this program •portedly are reviewing a list of Trustees to relieve the president c increased percentage of seminars, select, with faculty supervision a line of, 200 potential presidents, though no bids are his duties, especially those dealing preceptorials, and tutorials. The curriculum study that will cover their entire four years expected to be extended in the immediate internal affairs of the University. subcommittee felt that a student's interest in at Duke. These students will mainly -fie future." (Continued on page 11) Page Two The Duke Chronicle Tuesday, September 16 Residential life: a system, in dire need of change? By Bob Entman for his upperclass living. If he wants In almost all cases, a freshman Associate Managing Editor to live on campus, he has little must go through the sometimes The residential system on West choice but to go through a system demeaning process of being friendly Campus is one of the most of selectivity in order to find a and charming to strangers whom he controversial issues that will be room. may or may not come to like, debated this year. Most In this way, one of the main simply to get a room for his acknowledge that significant criticisms of the fraternity system, sophomore year. selection of human beings on often For many, perhaps most, this is A news analysis "superficial and narrow-minded" not very difficult; but for the shy, criteria, is perpetuated throughout (Continued on page 16) » changes are necessary. Debate will the residential structure. generally center around how much and what to alter. About two-thirds of the freshmen on West campus live in freshman houses and one-third in THE BOOK EXCHANGE cross-sectionals with DOWNTOWN AT FIVE POINTS upperclassmen.