Response denied to McKenna on ND Placement Bureau recruiter policies

The recommendations o f the e x p e r i m e n t a l c o l le g e subcommittee o f the Notre Dame C u rric u lu m Revision C o m m itte e c o n ta in in g the proposal that the university b e g in an e x p e r im e n ta l so p h o m o re ye a r p ro g ra m emphasizing “ a process and methodology rather than subject m a tte r o r ie n ta tio n ” is not radical enough, says Edward A. Goerner o f the Political Science Department. G o e rn e r whose 10 page proposal entitled Experiments with Truth: A Radical Proposal appeared in the May 16 issue o f the Scholastic and began much o f the current talk on campus about experimental colleges expressed dismay al the results o f the subcommittee’s work. O f t h e i r i n i t i a l recommendations, still to be discussed and approved by the e n tire C u rricu lum Revision C o m m it te e b e fo re be ing forwarded to the Academic Council, the politica l scientist said: “ It just doesn’t speak to the problems that generated my proposal. It is not a serious answer to the problems we (Dr. G o e rn e r and other faculty m e m b e r s s u b m i t t i n g experimental college proposals) presented. The problems, as outlined by Professor Goerner’s proposal last spring, centered around the “ obscure but deeply fe lt and genuine alienation from their collegiate experience o f so many o f our students,” and the fact that a student’s life is “ in great, n e a tly landscaped barracks where he is largely cut o f f from any rounded contact w ith older scholars whose life o f wonder and study he might have an opportun ity to share, to test Professor Gocrner’s proposal was that a five year resident college w ith in the university be set up w ith no more than 200 s tu d e n ts (1 0 0 m e n , 100 w o m e n ), and 30 fa cu lty m em bers. J u n io r scholars (students) and senior scholars (facu lty members) would live together, would share a life of work, reflection and growth together-the thesis being that “ some young men at least may p ro fit from spending a part of their growing up among a comm unity of learned and holy men.” T he proposal fo r having students live fo r one year in a co-ed d o rm ito ry and w ith freedom to pick their own courses is not enough, said the professor. “ It is irrelevant to the issues brought up about life at Notre Dame last year,” Goerner contended. “ None o f the people who wrote proposals are happy w ith i t . ” The recommendations to be vo te d on by th e en tire Curriculum Revision Committee have indeed reworked Goerner’s ideas such that lit tle o f his ideas re m a in , a d m itte d B arney Gallagher, a student member o f the CRC. “ The ideas are too radical fo r N o t r e D a m e ,” G a lla g h e r explained. “ They are radical, but conservative,” he continued. “ He fe lt that he presented a r ig id , s c h o la s tic view o f education,” said the committee member. “ Goerner wanted to dictate what students should take, but the subcommittee was in favor o f giving students greater freedom in this regard,” said Gallagher. Also, in regard to faculty living w ith students, 'Gallagher said, “ It has been tried in colleges. It doesn’ t work. It isn’t realistic,” he said. Discussion on the Goerner proposal is just beginning, say faculty members and students in s u p p o r t o f the p o l it ic a l scientist’s thesis. Among campus faculty members known to be b e h in d the Goerner live-in university idea are Professors Joseph D uffy , Frank O’ Malley and Donald Sniegowski o f the E n g lis h D e p a rtm e n t and Professor Peter Walsh o f the economics department. Professor Goerner o f the Political Science department CAP director. is acting Finance Committee meets