MAY 1968
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2S April 1968
FACULTY FORUM PAPERS
Oregon State University
Dear Colleagues:
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The paper by Messrs. Wilkins and Hull sought reactions to
proposed
amalgamation of Science with Humanities and Social Sciences. My
reactions are admittedly unpolished, but I feel they are c~gent.
For the proposed College to succeed, we must FIRST have anJ-, and
preferably two, preexisting conditions.
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First, a Dean willing to accept the post, who 1s endowed w~th proper
aggressiveness and a suitably broad academic outlook. The1aggress!ve­
ness must be tenacious without belligerence.
The breadth ~ust be
across lines of professional traditionalism, across l1nes f teaching
and research, and across lines of graduate and undergradua e emphasis.
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Second, we Deed a much more substantial University commitm~nt to the
Honors Program already in existence. Until we can show th~ little
College will work, leave the big one alone.
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I am delighted the Faculty Forum Papers have
debate.
come
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May 1968 Faculty Forum Fapera
Student Draft Deferment
Should college men have a draft deferment '1
A Presidential candidate speaking to aBU students recently ques­
tioned their right to deferments and broadly charged diBc~tm1natlon
on the basis of wealth or race. Hs.ving, "let them have it t according
to the press report, be ealled for a Itlottery to replace ~he present
deferment system". Thus t ~ college men students got ubsettl.ed in
their confidence that their deferments reallY have the Ju¥titication
of future. more needed. all:d d'tective national service tb~ they could
have rendered upon graduation from high school. His verb~ battering of
the student deterrees here -at aBU and elsewhere shoved onto these young
men a burden of '-mplied: guilt tor social "imbalance" in ,*ltorDl. caused
by factors (like reenlistment) beyond the control of infl:\J.enc~ of the
individual students struggling to find. themselves and to "tt&in excell~nce
in their own callings.
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We on the committees which sponsor convocation speakers, needless to
say, cannot take reaponsibili,ty 'for all that such speaker say. But all
of us on the faculty do have to prepare ourselves to advi e students to
avoid impulsive responses to such flights of purple rheto ic as that of
the speaker cited above.
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In time of war &Dy' deferred man might feel pangs of ,elf-doubt be­
cause of 'his status. But the entire concept of deferment, supposes that
they will large17 result in maxim! Zing the direct or supp.prting military
effectiveness of the nation's manpower. either in uniformed or in civilian
roles. We cannot af'for.d to pl", roul~tte with the nation ts brainpower t
which should study first and serve later.
The draft does not pretend equality of' peril, comfort. or glory. Io­
tended as selective service, the dratt .system aims at a Wf.'-time need for
each man to serve where and when the national needs and h s personal
~ualifications best place him.
Non-shirking college students need the steadying £Dt~uence of faculty
adviSors to offset florid- oratory of' visiting politicos. ,We have the op­
portunity to encourage the 8uccesstul student in his acel!mlplisbment and
also to help the uncerta.1n student find the ,area in which i education can
enhance his ability .for later service. M&ny' of us have s1l.eered young men
into alternative programs when they got discouraged about:their academic
accomplishment and felt inclined to "enlist and get it ovtr with". We as
faculty member,S render a, tangible national se:J;"Vice when
thereby keep
these young men advancing toward higher service functions~
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Pase 3
Hay 1968 Faculty Fo.... Papara
One can hope that individual. students will set deferred to stud1' as
e1tber undergraduate or graduate atudents so long as they ILdvance in
needed categories, and we can hope 'that no arbitrary cut-aU will torce
all of them, ready' or not, into uniform without regard to ~he nat10n t 8
defense need tor some men or the most highly advanced edue~tion.
Each aBU commencement sees Dl8l17 graduates dotting acaj:iem:1C regalia
and assuming the uniformed responsibilities tor which theyl prepared while
deterred. Many aau alumni serve todaJ more effectively Inl either the
active or the reserve forces because of their preparation to do 80 while
attending OSU.
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We can all raiBe some valid questions about the draft: and national
policy. such as the matter of' trade and aid for nations wblch materlalJ.y'
support the enemy who killS' our draftees and volunteers. But let us on
the faculty bolster the'morale and constru~tively advise t~e young men who
conscientiously improve themselves to serve America while
college.
~ef~rred
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to attend
Fred W. Decker
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Associate ProfeBsori of Physics
Member, Convocationp and Lectures
Committee and Pre-M~dical·Advi.ory
Committee
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May 1968 Faculty Forum Papers
Why
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!! Teaching?
Page 4
G. II. Maloof
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With more emphasis each year on research actifities on
campus, should a corresponding de-emphasis on teac~ing and
advising be a consequence? One is tempted to stat a flat
" no "_ and argue, if pressed, that research ,is "lear inq" and
"keeping up". certainly this view is valid, when ept in
context.
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But the current policies of one of our larger! schools
seem to go.much beyond simply recognizing the valu~ of re­
search with reference to the basic responsibility of this
Universityt to teach its students.
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Despite the large and growing research budget r most of
the support for this institutioq still comes from ~he Oregon
taxpayer, who thinks his money is going to bUy thelbest pos­
sible teaching for our students. Moreover, our stndents are
still mostly undergraduates~ Whatever else, the, Mosser a­
wards were a clear statement of the views of the otegon Leg­
islature on this point.
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How, then, does an administrator discharge hi. obliga­
tion to evaluate and promote teaching?
Does he deny a professor tenure who has received multiple
and recognition for teaching?
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Does he refuse to promote several others even 'when they
have professional stature and current publica'tiona in "good ll
journals?
Does he substitute number for quality in evaluating pub­
lication records?
feel that it is partly because of " administ.t:'ation"
like this that students across the nation have begun to feel
that only the students can save our' Uni vers!ties ~
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I agree that we want 'people primarily interes~ed in re­
search, I say only that we also need people primarily inter­
ested in teaching. Above all, we need administrators sensi­
tive to. the difference, who respect both talents~
Giles Wilson Maloof
Assistant Professor of
Mathematics
School of Science
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