s checkout from your record. or before date due. t 'f e PLACE \N RETURN BOXto remove th'r quest To AVOlD HNES return on with ear : ABSTRACT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY: ITS FIRST FOUR YEARS AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT AND ITS ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES 0 x\ by Herbert N: Stoutenburg, Jr. This study presents an historical analysis of Oakland University (formerly Michigan State University Oakland) during its first four years of operation with particular emphasis on its development and its admin- istrative policies incident to this process. It is assumed that the establishing of a new institution of higher learning is a series of complex functions requiring a delicate balance between ideas, things and people. An effort was made to describe the dynamic quality of the people and their influence on the successful blending of these three in- gredients. Further, this history was written first to assist the in- dividual or group charged with planning a new college or university so that they may recognize potential areas of difficulty, and second to assist the future Oakland University historians to better know the early years as a base for judging subsequent action. Because the demands of establishing a new institution require a great amount of time and energy by those involved an effort was made to record the events while those individuals who made the policies and decisions were available as sources of information. Every effort was Herbert N. Stoutenburg, Jr. ‘made to capture the impressions, attitudes and thoughts of key people before the passing of time and intervening activities could dim or dis- tort their memories. Many interviews were held with planners, com- munity volunteers, students, faculty and staff people to insure that the data used represented the actual situation as accurately as possible. Primary sources including letters, memorandums, minutes, university and student records and statistical reports were examined for information pertinent to the development of the University. Secondary sources were used to expand an idea or give credence to a primary source. AThe abun- dance of data available required a careful selection of materials and subjects to be reported. Therefore, the decision was made to describe the influence of the following areas of interest on the progress and growth of the University--the Wilson gift, the summary of the preliminary surveys, the role of key personalities, the development of the philos- ophy, the establishment of the curriculum, the recognition of community participation, the recruitment of students, the progress of the "Charter Class" from freshmen to graduates, the selection of a faculty and staff, the development of student personnel policies, the planning and imple- menting of a workable organizational structure, and the review and analysis of some of the more important administrative decisions. Oakland University's success during the period of this history ‘was directly related to the influence and impact of its faculty and staff on ideas. The competence and flexibility of these individuals found solutions to problems which helped the University to justify its image of dynamism. Herbert N. Stoutenburg, Jr. A review of the university's announced innovations proved to be, as it is in so many of man's ”new ventures,‘ a repackaging of the old and tried, but it was noted that the repackaged product can be exciting and meaningful at a given point in time. It was discovered that a new institution must be promoted to be attractive to college age individuals. A well planned curriculum and an outstanding faculty are not enough to draw young men and women to an university. The unique features must be heralded and there must be a rallying point to assist the student's identification with the insti- tution. The character of any institution of higher learning is deter- mined by the people who work for it, plan for it, administer it and govern it. Oakland University's first four years is an example of what responsible, well trained and creative people can do toward making an idea live as long as men will support it. OAKLAND UNIVERSITY: ITS FIRST FOUR YEARS AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT AND ITS ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES By - l \ Herbert N; Stoutenburg, Jr. A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION College of Education 1968 Copyright by HERBERT NATHAN STOUTENBURG, JR. 1968 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer takes this opportunity to acknowledge the great debt he owes to Dr. Max S. Smith, Chairman of the Guidance Committee, for his assistance in the preparation of this thesis and for his helpful counsel and infinite patience throughout the doctoral program. Appreciation is also extended to Drs. Clyde M. Campbell, Walter F. Johnson, and John Useem for encouragement and advice. To those who have been generous in sharing their time, experience, and material on specific areas, the writer expresses his sincere appre- ciation. They are: Chancellor D. B. Varner, the late Mrs. Matilda Wilson, Dean Lowell Eklund, Mr. J. Robert F. Swanson, Dean Laszlo Hetenyi, Professor Kenneth Coffman, Provost Donald D. O'Dowd, Regis- trar Thomas H. Atkinson, and former President of the University of Hawaii, Thomas H. Hamilton. The writer wishes to express his thanks to the following people for their help and encouragement: the late Robert S. Linton, former Regis- trar Michigan State University, President Glen L. Taggart, Utah State University, Professors Floyd Reeves, Paul L. Dressel, Alfred Du Bruck, and Donald Iodice, and Mesdames Louise de Beauclair, Mary Wood, and Pauline Scott. Finally, for his wife Arlene, and children, Kathryn, Brian, and Nancy, the writer declares a singular expression of love and ii appreciation for the encouragement, understanding, and support that they have given him through the years of the doctoral program. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . LIST OF TABLES Chapter I. II. THE PROBLEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE Introduction Statement of Problem . . . . . . . . . . Purpose of the Study . . . . . . . . . The Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . Limitation of the Study . . . . . . . . . Organization of the Following Chapters . . . . . . . BIRTH OF AN IDEA Legislative Action to Study Educational Needs Planned to Be Different . . . . Need for Research and Planning . Questions Raised . Michigan State University Oakland Foundation . . . . . . . Original Curriculum Planning . . . . . Curriculum - Meadow Brook Seminars Curriculum - Michigan State' 3 Deans and Faculty . . . . . . . . Curriculum - Michigan State' 3 Honors College Students . . . . . . . Curriculum - Planning Summary . Foundation Committees . . . . . . . . . . Continuing Education Committee Community Relations Committee Finance Committee Many Assisted . Employing A Staff and Faculty . . Ingredients were There . . . . . . . . . iv ii vii Page \IU'IUJUOH 10 l4 19 20 24 24 25 36 39 4O 41 43 43 47 50 51 52 53 Chapter III. IV. HOW OTHERS HAVE DONE IT THE State Surveys Reviewed . . . California . . . . . . . . . New York . Florida Illinois . Minnesota . Points of Agreement Approaches to Institutional Control Differ . . MSUO' 8 Relationship to Michigan State University . . . . . Quantity Versus Quality New College Starts Historical Review . . . General Education Thoughts from Brubacher, Mills, Van Doren and Newman . Current Examples . . Michigan State University Oakland's University Courses Independent Study College Calendars MSUO' 8 Commitment to Year- Around Operation . Curriculum Planning . . . Curriculum Concerns Student Selection . . . . . . New Versus Repackaging . Faculty Recruiting . Summary CHARTER CLASS General and Specific Characteristics . Quality of Student Unknown . Seventh week Grades Sampled Mid- term.and First Quarter Grades Compared . Attrition A Problem Action for Change Taken . Curriculum Design and Revisions Course Requirement . University Courses . . . Effect on Students and Relationship to Faculty Loyalty to the Class Page 54 55 55 56 57 57 58 58 59 60 61 62 66 67 68 7O 71 77 79 81 88 91 92 96 98 100 109 111 114 115 116 116 119 120 122 125 Chapter Page Lack of Class Interest to Govern Self . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Special Events . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Student Involvement in Extra- curricular Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Student Reaction . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Placement of First Graduates A Measurement of Success . . . . . . . . . 140 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 V. ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Historical Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 First Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Community Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 College's Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 ReSponse to A Cause . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Scholarship Committee . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Faculty Attitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Student Recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Curricular Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Teacher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Business Administration . . . . . . . . . . 172 Engineering Science . . . . . . . . 178 Student Affairs and the University's Three Deans of Students . . . . . . 181 Faculty Selection Key to Institutional Quality . . . . . . . . 191 The Administrative and Organizational Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 VI. REALITYPLUSORMINUS.............. 201 Curriculum and Objectives Draws Attention . . . . . . . . 203 Flexibility Helps to Solve Problems . . . . . 204 Local Autonomy and a Supporting Hand . . . . 205 Curricular Changes and Accommodations . . . . 207 Student Identity or Lack of Identity . . . . 209 A Miscalculation Produced Changes . . . . . . 210 Faculty Hiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Community Support Is Important . . . . . . . 213 Two Division Syndrome . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Three Important Actions . . . . . . . 218 The Image Served Both as an Advantage and a Disadvantage . . . . . . . . . 222 Legislative Support Key to Future Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 vi Table 10. LIST OF TABLES Possible allocation of time in the ‘MSUO curriculum . Enrollment statistics . General statistics by percentages . General statistics in percentages by quarter rank in high school by intended major . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seventh week grades for Chemistry I students as related to high school standing . . . . Seventh week grades for Mathematics I students as related to high school standing Seventh week grades for Western Institutions I (Section 13, 9A, 10A) students as related to high school standing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attrition figures by g.p.a. and last quarter in attendance for the Charter Class . Enrollment by term of fall entering group - fall 1959 through winter 1963 . Total score and student percentile rankings on the College Qualification Test . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Page 29 101 102 105 112 113 113 115 157 161 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Introduction No contrast could be greater than that between the early years at Stanford and the beginnings of the University of Chicago. Rockefeller as a benefactor was a model of non-interference; Leland Stanford referred to "my University," and after his death Mrs. Stanford thought of herself as its owner, as in fact she was until she was ready to relinquish her proprietary con- trol . . . . The contrasting experiences in Chicago and Califor- nia were proof that the United States was now wealthy enough to support one man's achievement and another man's folly. But they were much more than that. They were reminders of how much difference it made who the benefactor was, who his advisers were, who the President was; . . . 1 If given the choice, Michigan State University Oakland (now Oakland University) could not have chosen benefactors more interested in the progress of the University but without any hint of pressure to control. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred G. Wilson, following the gift of their estate to the Michigan State University's Board of Trustees, chose to continue to live the dynamic and purposeful lives of busy people. Their relationship with the University was one of friendship and in- spiration to the many who knew them. This freedom from interference characterized Michigan State University Oakland's beginning. The University started as if with a clean slate upon which to develop a program to liberally educate all 1Frederick Rudolph, The American College and University, (New York: Alfred A. Knoph, 1962), pp. 352-353. 2 students who enter its classes.1 The series of Meadow Brook Seminars on Higher Learning were an innovation that permitted the University plan- ners a free hand to develop a fresh new approach to education without the limitation of vested interests. The suggestions gleaned from these meetings served as guidelines for the development of a curriculum de- signed to release students from the traditional role of spectator to the potent role of participator in the learning experience. With a backdrop of enthusiastic anticipation, Michigan State University Oakland inoculated all those who came in contact with it with a sense of purpose and optimism. The "MSUO Story" like most ventures of men had its moments of success and failure. However, its resiliency to adversities was a part of the potential which gave it its dynamic qual- ity. This quality was the result of many forces being brought to bear on an idea by pe0p1e, an idea which in itself was an inert and useless thing until supported and implemented by human beings. This "idea," Michigan State University Oakland, was based on the highest motives to provide young people with the opportunity to find new insights into themselves and a means to advance the technical and scientific knowl- edge of man. The University set about molding an educational program to awaken its students to their greatest potential and to make them aware of their responsibility as educated individuals. As John Milton wrote in his paper, Of Education, "I call therefore a complete and gen- erous education that which fits a man to perform justly, skillfully, and magnanimously all the offices both private and public of peace and war." The character of any institution of higher learning is deter- 1"Introductory Comments for the Meadow Brook Seminar on Higher Learning, Engineering Science," (Michigan State University Oakland, August 16, 1958), p. 4. (Mimeographed) 3 mined by the people who work for it, plan for it, administer it and govern it. ‘Michigan State University Oakland's first four years is an example of what reaponsible, well trained and creative people can do toward making an idea live as long as men will support it. Statement of the Problem All too often the demands of establishing a new institution of higher learning are so energy consuming and so varied that the daily duties and crises leave little time for recording the beginnings of the institution. This history needs to be written now to record the events of a period while those who are personally involved in making that history are available as sources of information. To wait another ten years, impressions, attitudes, and memory would be dimmed and distorted by the passing of time and the intervening activities of the university. The building and managing of a new university has mmny of the rewards and pitfalls of a more established institution. Administrative decisions whether right or wrong are the result of the staff attempting to implement the stated objectives as set forth by the planners. This study will analyze the progress of Michigan State University Oakland for the effectiveness of its administrative actions in the areas of com- munity relations, curriculum development, student recruitment, student personnel, and faculty participation. Purpose of the Study An educational history is of greatest value when it serves the individual who looks to the past as a means of planning for the future. The record can be used as a guide to indicate those things which worked, 4 and as a caution to indicate those things on which one should not waste additional energy. It is perhaps fitting in this connection to recall the pronouncement of George Santayana that "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Only on rare occasions does one have the opportunity to describe the inner actions of individuals and groups working and experimenting together to achieve the lasting aims and objectives of an university. The problem of founding a new university is complex even when it has the support of a major state university. For example, on the day it opens it is faced with the "instant services" needed by those using the facilities; the organizational structure must be complete if only in out- line form; the traditions, policies, and procedures normally available for students, faculty, and staff are lacking and must be formulated on a daily basis; and the decisions made must be flexible enough to permit adjustment by groups of individuals who are unknown to each other. This study is to preclude the loss of the story surrounding the people, events, and decisions of starting Michigan State University Oakland. Providing better educational facilities in Michigan at all lev- els has been a concern of its citizens and its governmental units since the early days of this state. The writer proposes in this study to des- cribe the progress of one of Michigan's newest state universities as a source of information for the future researchers concerned with the history of Michigan State University Oakland. However, this study may prove to be of more immediate value for those persons or groups charged with the planning of other new institutions of higher learning in or out of the State of Michigan. The elements of the University with their emerging problems will be studied and reported in the framework of re- viewing the pitfalls for the unwary and innocent. Finally, the rele- vant background needed to describe the founding and planning of Michigan State university Oakland will be presented to give greater clarity to this document. The Methodology As has been indicated previously, this study is chiefly an historical account and an analysis of the development and administrative policies of Michigan State university Oakland during its first four operational years. The method has been a conventional historical pro- cess in which all known sources were examined for information pertinent to the subject. From this accumulation of material a refining process was attempted to isolate and determine those trends and causes which affected the progress of MSUO. The data for this study was gathered from many primary and secondary sources. Because the writer was a participant in the events recorded in this history, the secondary sources are used to expand an idea or to give credence to a primary source. Of significant value to the study are the following categories of materials: Primary 1. University publications (catalogs, bulletins, and promo- tional brochures). 2. Original letters and memorandums. 3. Minutes of the Board of Trustees. 4. Personal interviews with students, faculty, administrators, and alumni. 5. Minutes of the Academic Senate and Administrative Group. 6. Student publications (The Oakland Observer and Contuse). 7. Annual reports. 8. Student and University records. 9. Statistical reports prepared by University offices. Secondary 1. Professional journals. 2. Educational reports from other states. 3. Documents from the Office of Education (Washington, D.C.), and the Department of Public Instruction (Lansing, Michi— gan). 4. Catalogs of other colleges and universities. 5. Histories of other institutions and books on educational philosophy, trends, and administration. Although the quantity of data accumulated is massive, a re- searcher is constantly alert to the possibility that particularly essential information may elude him. However, this writer believes that the kind and number of sources open to him and used by him will guar- antee the reader that a sincere effort was made to minimize any omis- sions of pertinent information. H. G. Good has said, Having collected some information upon a subject the student will desire to arrange it and present it in such form that others may get the benefit of his studies. This is partly a mechanical problem, the problem of documentation. It is partly a logical problem also, because it involves the ques— tion of the relative importance of the several items and topics. Finally, it is a philosophical and artistic problem, because every historian, deliberately or in spite of himself, interprets what he presents. In this case an honest effort was made by the writer to maintain utmost 1H. G. Good, ”Historical Research in Education," Educational Research Bulletin, IX (February 5, 1930), 78. objectivity and report term by term events and decisions without per- sonal bias or interpretation becoming interlaced with the facts. Limitation of the Study The limitations which are inherent in any type of historical research were experienced in making this study. The abundance of data available both in professional literature and University records re- quired a careful selection of materials and subjects to be reported. The more difficult task was to determine to what extent those areas chosen should be explored. An attempt was made to support these sub- jects with written documentation in order to report the actions and responses of individuals to the events of the period. This history will be a description of the Wilson gift, the summary of the preliminary surveys, the role of key personalities, the development of the philosophy, the establishment of the aims of the curriculum, the recognition of community involvement, the recruitment of a student body, and the progress of the Charter Class from freshmen to graduates. Also included will be a review of the administrative decisions dealing with the selection of a faculty and staff, the devel- opment of short and long term student personnel policies, the choosing of the appropriate courses for the curriculum, and the planning of a workable organizational structure. Onlyminor attention will be given to the subject areas of the University's administrative structure which includes the financing aspects, the physical plant, and the clerical-technical-labor staff. Any reference to these areas will be done only to clarify the narration at a specific point. Organization of the Following Chapters Chapter II is to provide information about the early develop- ment of Michigan State University Oakland and to identify personalities with their contributions to the planning and organizing of this new in- stitution. Chapter III describes the similarities and differences of other new four-year institutions (Hofstra University's New College, Florida Presbyterian College, the University of South Florida, the University of California's Santa Cruz, Harvey Mndd College, wayne State University's Menteith College, Grand Valley State College, Florida Atlantic Uni- versity, New College, Sarasota, Florida) compared to Michigan State University Oakland. An effort will be made to relate these comparisons to administrative concepts and principles. Chapter IV will describe the moments of elation and periods of despondency of the Charter Class--its attitude toward pioneering and establishing tradition, its flexibility and elasticity to change, its lack of cohesiveness as a group, its stubbornness to achieve as indivi- duals, and its value in decision making to the faculty and the admin- istration. Chapter V pertains to the University's administrative action as it deals with the following areas as they are related to the student body, faculty, staff, and community: 1. Curriculum development 2. Student personnel programs 3. New student recruitment 4. Faculty selection 9 5. Community relations Chapter VI will examine the administrative actions which guided Michigan State University Oakland from an idea to reality. The Uni- versity's progress will be reviewed in light of the following elements: 1. Institutional philosophy 2. Community relations 3. Student recruitment 4. Curriculum development 5. Faculty hiring 6. Administrative effectiveness Finally, a projection of the University's future development will be made with a prediction of its chance of success. CHAPTER II THE BIRTH OF AN IDEA The late Russell Wheeler (Mitch) Davenport, former managing editor of Fortune Magazine, declared that, "every human undertaking is at some point an act of faith." The generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred G. Wilson, in January 1957, to give to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees their Meadow Brook Farms Estate, was such an act of faith. The 1,400 acre gift was to become the site of the first four- year publicly supported institution of higher education in Michigan in 54 years. (Western Michigan University, formerly the western Michigan College of Education, was established in 1903.) The acceptance of the Wilson gift by the Board of Trustees on January 13, 1957, the Michigan House of Representatives on January 23, 1957, and the MiChigan Senate on January 24, 1957, identified the use of the land and pledged the support of the State to make an idea a reality. In the intervening short period of 32 months, the idea was transformed into an operating entity of 570 students, 24 faculty, and approximately $3 million worth of buildings. The story of Michigan State University Oakland had its begin- ning in the spring of 1955 when the Oakland County Planning Commission, chaired by J. Robert F. Swanson, of Bloomfield Hills, became convinced that the time had arrived when MiChigan's second most populous county should acquire the educational services of its own institution of 10 11 higher education. As Chairman of the Oakland County Planning Commission, Mr. Swanson carried the responsibility of pursuing a vision to the ultimate gift. The Commission, in its deliberations, considered for awhile the possibility of a junior college which might eventually become a four- year college or university center. The fact that Pontiac had had a junior college from 1917 to 1936 was the reason for the Planning Com- mission to think along these lines. However, it was soon realized that because of the potential student population in Oakland County, the loca- tion of a campus near the heart of Michigan's industrial center and the knowledge that ultimately a local community would find it financially impossible to support an institution of the magnitude being dreamed, it would require a broader base for support than that which could be ex- pected from this county alone. Oakland County was fortunate to have Mr. Swanson, who was na- tionally known for his leadership in college and community planning, on the Planning Commission. His interest and talent included the develop- ment of the cultural values as wlll as the physical aSpects of a project. Because of his total commitment to this idea, he willingly provided the resources of his architectural firm, in the normal course of its daily work, to gather the data needed by the Planning Commission for their deliberations and decisions. The first question to be raised by the Commission was where should this campus be located? Following an intensive information gathering period and after considering all facts, the conclusion was that such a facility should be built someplace between Square Lake Road on the south, Walton Boulevard on the north, and east of the City of 12 Pontiac. This area had within a radius of fifteen miles, including a portion of Macomb County, a potential student population of 103,000 by 1970. The logical site within this area, where sufficient contiguous land existed to handle the potential higher education needs for this locale, was Mr. and Mrs. Alfred G. Wilson's 1,400 acre Meadow Brook Farms. When Mr. Swanson discussed this plan with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson in late 1956, they revealed an immediate interest. Mrs. Wilson (the widow of John F. Dodge, co-founder of the Dodge Motor Company) told Mr. Swanson that she had had numerous suggestions for the eventual use of their estate, but this one, which offered the opportunity to serve the youth of this State and the nation through an educational institution, had the greatest appeal. Mrs. Wilson said that some of the suggestions were rather bizarre but the one that she found the most humorous was to convert Meadow Brook Hall into a rest home for tired and broken down automotive executives. On December 1, 1956, the Wilsons came to a personal decision that they would give their estate to the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University. The public announcement was made on January 3, 1957, at Bloomfield Hills Country Club. President John A. Hannah, of Michi- gan State University, accepted the gift and told the group of 32 county business, educational, industrial, and political leaders, It is difficult to put into appropriate words the gratitude all of us feel toward Mr. and Mrs. Wilson for the generous gift of what had been their home for many years, and for the additional endowment to get this new educational project under way. It is a gift which surely comes from their hearts, for no one lightly gives into the care of others a property which means what Meadow Brook Farms has meant to them. This, the most generous benefaction ever received by Michigan State, reaffirms the abiding interest in young people and the desire to help them achieve their full potential which characterized 13 her service as a Board member and her subsequent activi- ties on behalf of Michigan State.1 (Mrs. Wilson served on the State Board of Agriculture, the governing Board of'Mich- igan State College, from 1931 to 1937). It is unaccountable how Oakland County has been by-passed in the development of MHchigan's outstanding system of higher education, but despite this handicap, it has grown in population and wealth. I am sure the Legislature, which must approve the establishment of branches of existing in- stitutions, will agree that it is high time that the young people of this major economic area had educational opportu- nities equivalent to those provided in other parts of the State. It is to the eternal credit of those who live in this area that they have combined their thinking and their resources to make available for the young people of Oakland County and vicinity what in time can become one of our State's outstanding educational, cultural, and technical centers. Mrs. Wilson, Speaking for herself and her husband, revealed their pleasure in turning over to Michigan State University their vast Oakland property. She said, My long association with the University has shown us the tremendous contribution it is making to our education and cultural life. Mr. Wilson and I have admired the in- ,stitution's policies and believe it to have great possi- bilities for this area. We are very happy to help achieve this objective.3 For 15 or more years, President Hannah had been warning the State of Michigan and the nation that higher education should prepare for the bulging enrollment ahead for two very sound reasons. The first was the increase in birth rate immediately following WOrld War II. The children born during this period were now reaching college age, and the first year to feel this bulge would be 1964 followed by a crushing en- rollment in 1965. The second was a trend established during recent 1News Release from Department of Information Services, MiChigan State University, January 3, 1957, 12:30 p.m. (in the files of the De- partment. 2The Birmingham Eccentric, January 10, 1957, p. 2-A 31bid. l4 decades of a higher percentage of students in each high school's grad- uating class going on to college. This trend was the result of the mobility of our nation, the continued high level of our national econ- omy, and the rapid advancement in technology since the turn of the century. Although this may sound as though the sociological patterns of our people have been fashioned only by recent events, the fact is that these and many other factors have been working on America for de- cades. Even in the days of Jefferson and Jackson, higher education for those who could benefit was promoted. However, the signing of the Merrill Act in 1862 was the action which gave impetus to the popular view of higher education today. Legislative Action to Study Educational Needs Michigan, in some of its legislative actions, has been among the more forward-looking states in planning for higher education. ”In 1955, the Michigan Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution #30, creating a joint committee of ten members with an equal number from both the Senate and the House of Representatives."1 The Senate members were: Don Vander Werp, Chairman, Frank Beadle, Patrick Doyle, Edward Hutchin- son, and Carlton Morris. The members from the House were: Allison Green, Vice Chairman, Charles Boyer, Arnell Engstrom, John Penczak, and Frank Williams. The Committee's charge was, "to study and recommend ways and means whereby the increasing needs of the State for higher edu- . I C l 2 cation may be met 1n a most effective and economical manner.” 1John Dale Russell, The Final Report of the Survgy of Higher Education in Michigan, Michigan Legislative Study Committee on Higher Education (Lansing: 1958), p. v. 21bid. 15 After several meetings and two additional resolutions, Senate Concurrent Resolutions #2 and #36, 1956, the Michigan Legislative Study Committee on Higher Education was established. This joint legislative committee then added ten citizens-at-large from the State who were not involved directly with any of Michigan's institutions of higher education. This group was named the Citizens' Advisory Committee on Higher Education. In June 1956, Dr. John Dale Russell, Chancellor and Executive Secretary of the New Mexico Board of Educational Finance, was appointed director of the survey. His full time assistant was Dr. Orvin T. Richardson, then on the faculty of Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. The Legislative Study Committee outlined the reSponsibility of the Citizens' Advisory Committee as follows: The Legislative Committee recognized the necessity of pro- viding adequate opportunities for an increasing number of young people who will be wanting to continue their educa- tion in the years immediately ahead. There is no question that the burden of providing adequate support for the facil- ities of higher education will increase, and it is hoped that an equitable distribution of this load through public and private enterprise and at local and state levels can be encouraged.1 A statement made by Russell in the preliminary report to the Michigan Legislative Study Committee on Higher Education, significant to Oakland County and Michigan State University's Board of Trustees was, The highest rate of college attendance in Michigan is found in counties that have a state-controlled institution. The presence of a privately controlled college in a county also tends to raise the percentage of young people attend- ing college but not so markedly as in the presence of a state- controlled institution. 1John Dale Russell, Preliminary Report to the Michigan Legis- lative Study Committee on Higher Education, P. O. Box 240, State Capitol, (Lansing: 1957), p. 12. 16 The significant conclusion from the study of the county origins of students attending Michigan colleges is that an important stimulation to college attendance arises from the presence of an institution in the locality. It seems clear that, if the goal of the State is to provide the widest possible opportunity to young people to continue beyond the high school, one of the important means of achieving that goal is to distribute facilities for higher education as widely as possible. . . . It seems much wiser to create new institutions at strategically located centers in the State where facilities for higher education are not now available than to attempt to concentrate more and more students at the existing centers as enrollments increase in the future.1 Russell's statement was not true for Oakland County, because here was the county with the second largest number of students in the State attending Michigan colleges without a post-secondary institution within its boundaries. However, the two primary reasons for this anomaly of college enrollment were: (1) Oakland County's suburban re- lationship to the City of Detroit, and (2) its high average socio-econ- omic status. If the Board of Trustees was looking for a rationale to establish MSUO, Russell's statement was ready made for influencing the people of the county. Dr. Russell and his associates finished their work in September 1958, and submitted to the Legislature a preliminary report, twelve staff studies, and a final report to meet the legislative charge. Staff Study #11, "Institution Planning for Higher Education in Michigan," dealt with the need for new institutions. This included private, public, community, and branch colleges. The study had two specific recommendations regarding branches of existing state-controlled colleges and universities. The first was, ”It is recommended that it DOC be the policy of the State of Michigan to make further necessary extensions of the facilities for publicly controlled higher education 1Ibid., pp. 58-60. 17 through the establishment of branches of the state-controlled colleges and universities.”1 The second was, It is recommended that, as rapidly as it is feasible, each of the existing branches of the state-controlled institutions in Michigan be set up as an autonomous state institution, with its own board of control and administrative staff. It is recognized that a con- siderable time will be required to carry out this re- commendation and that the solutgon reached may be different in various locations. Russell summarized, based on his experience in other states, the advantages and disadvantages of establishing branch campuses. The ad- vantages he listed as follows: (1) The branch may benefit by adminis- trative and instructional ”know-how" of the parent institution and thus may avoid mistakes in its early operation. (2) If some kind of physical plant exists, the operation can get underway without the usual wait for construction. (3) Costs for maintenance of a major central services can be reduced if handled at the parent institution. (4) The branch's accreditation is assured and immediate through its affiliation with an established institution. (5) The prestige and glamor of the parent in- stitution furnishes a "halo effect" for the branch which provides im- mediate acceptability . (6) Local citizens benefit from the increased dollar resources added to the community as well as an educational insti- tution easily accessible to its young people without the great burden of financing it alone.3 Among the disadvantages, he cited the following: (1) The parent institution is reticent to give a branch much autonomy over its own affairs. This action usually curtails the strength and individuality of 1Russell, The Final Report . . . 138. 21bid. 31bid., p. 136 18 the branch's educational program. (2) When the power of decision rests at the parent institution an absentee landlordship is felt by the ad- ministration, faculty, students, and community. (3) If re-entrenchment is necessary because of the lack of resources, the branch will usually suffer disproportionately to the parent institution. (4) Educational opportunities on a branch campus are usually inferior to the main campus because the programs and services are less broadly developed at the branch. (5) Little creativeness or individuality is allowed at the branch campus, because generally the curriculum parallels that which is taught on the main campus. Community needs are not considered. (6) Branches foster a Spirit of competitive empire building among the major universities. (7) Duplication of some services on a distant branch campus increases costs that reduces resources for institutional purpose. (8) The Legislature's authority to establish new institutions is taken away when parent institutions create branches.1 In the case of MSUO, it was possible for Michigan State univer- sity to establish this new institution without the Legislature's per- mission because of its constitutional power. However, Michigan State university, like the University of Michigan when it established the Flint and Dearborn branches, courteously referred the question of estab- lishing these branches to the Legislature. Politically, this was the only sensible approach to take if subsequent financial support was to be expected. This Legislative study ran concurrent with much of the original curriculum and planning sessions for Michigan State University Oakland. The Board of Trustees was interested in the study and its recommendations, 11bid., p. 136-138. 19 because one of the locations identified in the study needing a four-year institution was the area of Oakland and Macomb Counties. The reinforce- ment received from the study assisted the Board of Trustees in proceed- ing with transforming the nucleus of an idea into a reality. Planned to be Different As will be seen later, the curriculum of Michigan State Univer- sity Oakland was to differ markedly from nearly all of its contemporary public institutions in purpose, philosophy, and attitude. It was felt by the several groups that worked on developing the curriculum that its design should be away from the increasing trend of vocational training in college. President Hannah said, ”Its advocates intend Oakland to be a liberal arts college of quality but one aimed at developing the abil- ities of good high school graduates, not a highly selected elite."1 Dr. Thomas Hamilton, one of the original planners of the new institution, said at the Charter Class Convocation, "Here, if ever there is an oppor- tunity for a fresh start-~a chance to choose wisely from that which time and experience have proved valid and to clear away the rubbish of super- ficiality which certainly clings with at least the tenacity of ivy to many older universities."2 In other words, it was decided that Michigan State university Oakland should be a university of the highest quality dedicated to the liberal arts ideal. It would be free to go its own way in search of better methods to do higher education's job. These thoughts and ideals have been stated many times in many 1"This is Michigan State University Oakland," The Michigan State university Magazine, XX, No. 11, November 1959, p. 12. 2Michigan State University-Oakland, Convocation of Charter Class (Rochester, Efichigan, September 17, 1959), p. 17. 20 different ways. Each new college or university feels the responsibility of setting the world right. Some have developed their curriculum to meet the immediate needs of their constituents, while others feel that their students will be best served if education is oriented to the past and approaches the future with theory at its base. What is correct or best probably will never be discovered but man's eternal optimism will lead others to try. Michigan State Univer- sity Oakland hoped that its approach to developing a curriculum would be the secret combination that all past colleges and universities have sought but failed to find. Need for Research and Planning The Board realized that before any new venture could become a reality there had to be extensive research and planning accomplished and coordinated. 'MSUO was no exception. Among the things to be accomplished before the first students enrolled were: (1) study of the demographic information about the area the institution would serve; (2) a survey of the population to deter- mine the attitude of the people toward the establishment of an institu- tion and the educational aSpirations these people have for themselves and their children; (3) the selection of interested and influential in- dividuals who would lend their support and their names to promote this new enterprise; (4) the creation of a basic educational philosophy that would guide the institution; (5) the preparation of a curriculum appro- priate to the philosophy; (6) the establishment of channels of communi- cation which would make the idea grow in the minds of the people that the institution would serve; (7) the selection of the staff and faculty 21 which, during the early years of the institution, should be responsible for transforming the image into reality. Of course, in all of this, the ingredients which are necessary to cement these parts into a whole are the personality, imagination, and resourcefulness of the individuals involved. In the history of higher education in the United States, the success or failure of an in- stitution has depended upon the perseverance of the president and his associates. There are many examples of men (Thomas Jefferson, the Uni- versity of Virginia; Eleazor Wheelock, Dartmouth College; Andrew D. White, Cornell University; and William R. Harper, University of Chicago) who breathed life into an idea and created an institution of higher learning. The founding of Michigan State University Oakland was a rather unique situation in the history of higher education in Michigan in that it was assisted into being by a long established and successful univer- sity but was not relegated to a role of a branch. This institution was planned to be a four-year undergraduate college, free to plan its own curriculum, set its own internal procedures, select its own faculty, and to be free from departmental or divisional control of a parent institu- tion. However, the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University re- tained its right and continued its responsibility to act as the legal' body for ultimate decisions. In addition, the Board of Trustees charged President Hannah with the reSponsibility for the success of this new college but delegated authority to Vice President Durward B. Varner, first Chancellor of Michigan State University Oakland, to take the necessary action and to make the appropriate decisions to establish this new institution. The creation of new campuses in Michigan by other 22 colleges and universities was not new. In 1946, Northern Michigan College of Mining and Technology at Houghton, established a two-year branch (freshman and sophomore years) at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The University of Michigan created the Flint College of the University of Michigan (junior and senior years) in 1956, and the Dearborn Center (junior and senior years) in 1959. In each of these cases, the admin- istrative control, the curriculum, and the faculty were determined and approved by the parent institutions. As a first step in the planning of Michigan State University Oakland, the College of Education of Michigan State University was asked in January, 1957, to do a study of "selected population characteristics of Oakland and Macomb Counties, Michigan." The summary of this report indicated: (1) even by conservative estimates, the population of these two counties would nearly double between 1957 and 1970 (from approxi- mately 750,000 to 1,445,000); (2) the birth rate and migration patterns predicted that the college-age population (18 to 24 years old) would likely increase at an even more rapid rate than the total population (from approximately 73,000 to 166,700); (3) the increases in population will have a resulting effect on the urbanization of the entire area; (4)' the population of the area is largely native-born white with the ex- ception of the urban centers where the Negro population is increasing; (5) the majority of workers for both counties are clerical, craftsmen, and operative occupations related to the automobile industry with a core of professional workers which was somewhat greater proportionately in Oakland County than in Macomb County.1 1Selected Population Characteristics of Oakland and Macomb Counties, Michigan (East Lansing: Michigan State University College of Education, January 1957). 23 Following the demographic study, the College of Education was then asked to study the "post-secondary education in Oakland-Macomb Counties." This study involved tallying answers on over 60,000 ques- tionnaires. The group surveyed included parents of second, tenth, and twelfth grade students as well as tenth grade students and educational personnel in Oakland and Macomb Counties' schools The conclusions of this sample revealed the following informa- tion about the attitudes of this area toward post-secondary education: (1) there would be an unmistakable and persistent demand for a post- secondary program (the number of people desiring programs was increas- ing at a rate greater than that of the population. The Michigan State University Oakland enrollment should be expected to increase at a rate almost three times that of the total population during the next fifteen years ); (2) the number and percent of persons desiring non-degree programs ranged from two to three times greater than those presently preferring degree programs; (3) both degree and non-degree programs appealed to people of a variety of ages; (4) many individuals did not seem.certain about their post-secondary school education goals, so it seemed prudent to provide programs for the potential as well as the initial degree students; (5) no one program seemed to meet the variety of education needs indicated by the respondents; (6) a need for a gen- eral education course seemed apparent; (7) the answers of the reSpon- dents indicated a compelling challenge for program development to meet the problems created by rapid urbanization.1 1Post-Secondary Education in Oakland-Macomb Counties (East Lansing: Michigan State University College of Education, 1957). 24 Questions Raised These two studies raised several significant questions about the readiness of this community of two counties, to establish an institution of higher education in this part of the State. The potential growth in population and the impending urbanization would suggest that a college organized to meet the needs of the community should be assured success. However, in a population where a college education is not part of the family tradition, it would be necessary to know the educational aSpir- ations of the parents for themselves and their children. What is the "college consciousness” of the population? What educational materials may be found in the homes of these families? What readiness is there on the part of the people? What is the possible enrollment? If the poten- tial student has been deprived of educational opportunities, this factor could have a definite effect on the immediate and ultimate curriculum development of the institution. There would need to be a "continuous variation in experimentation with instructional methods and techniques."1 In other words, what planning, organization, administration, and develop- ment of educational programs are needed to serve this community? Michigan State University Oakland Foundation The philosophy or goal of this institution, based on the results of the questionnaire described above, would seem appropriate to a compre- hensive community college. But this is not what happened, because shortly after the survey was completed, a group of 50 citizens from Oakland and Macomb Counties were appointed by President Hannah as a 11bid., p. 15. 25 permanent advisory group to assist the Board of Trustees in a supporting role to develop the University. The Michigan State University Oakland Foundation, as this group was named, included educators, captains of industry, business leaders, labor leaders, government officials, and interested citizens. The Advisory Committee members initially took the stance that "the institution should not attempt to take care of the junior college needs of the area. The community or junior college func- tion should be met by the development of local institutions."1 The group leaned "toward a broad base of general education leading to spec- ialization indicated by area needs."2 The establishment of this group and the subsequent working com- mittees was an old continuing education and agricultural extention approach, used successfully by Michigan State University many times to involve people at the grass roots of a problem or a project. The founda- tion members soon added other community-minded individuals and each meme ber was quickly assigned to one of the following working committees: program, continuing education, community relations, and finance. These committees did "a great deal of spade work and planning"3 and took an active role in studying the direction and assisting in the creation of the image of this institution. Original Curriculum Planning MSU's Vice President Thomas Hamilton, subsequently president of 1Minutes of January 26, 1957, Oakland/Macomb County Advisory Committee to the Michigan State University, Rochester, Michigan (in the files of the Committee). 2Ibid. This is Michigan State University Oakland, The Michigan State University Magazine, November 1959, p. 13. 26 the University of Hawaii, had prepared, on December 29, 1956, a pro- posal entitled, "The Matilda Wilson College of Michigan State Uni- versity." This proposal was the original curriculum thinking for what was to become MSUO. However, as discussions increased and more infor- mation became available, some of Vice President Hamilton's basic ideas gave way to new concepts while others continued to permeate the thinking which is described below. Chancellor Varner said in May, 1959, the development of the cur- riculum "is the product of four separate but related approaches to the problems."1 On June 18, 1957, a small group of Michigan State University faculty members were assembled by Vice President Hamilton, Hto do some preliminary planning for the curriculum at the Oakland branch."2 Dr. Hamilton had prepared a "list of assumptions stated in a doctrinnaire form"3 to start the discussion. ASSUMPTIONS ON WHICH CURRICULUM PLANNING FOR MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AT OAKLAND MIGHT PROCEED. l. The quarter system will be used. 2. All courses, regardless of the curriculum, will be five credit hours and a normal student load will be three of these at any one time. 3. One-third of each student's total program will be devoted to general and liberal studies. This third will not be confined to the first two years but ex- tend through all four. Thus, each year a student will take throughout the year one five-hour course known as general and liberal studies. These need 1Curriculum (Rochester, Michigan: Michigan State University Oakland, May 22, 1959), p. 5. 2Letter from Thomas H. Hamilton, Vice President, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, June 17, 1957. 3Ibid. 27 not necessarily all be required integrated courses, although probably some should be. There may be merit in letting some of these general and liberal requirements be satisfied on an elective basis. There will be no separate course in written and Spoken communication but these skills will be taught as a part of the general and liberal studies. In short, students will write and Speak and be graded on these skills but in relation to the content they pursue in the general and liberal studies. In the general and liberal studies, natural science will be included, but rather than being a laboratory course it will be concerned primarily with the history and philosophy of natural science and will utilize demonstration laboratories. This seems justifiable since most students who go through this institution will have a laboratory science in any event. For the present at least, there will be no military unit nor will physical education in its usual sense be required. However, some thinking might be done concerning the possibility of developing, on a non- credit basis during the first two years, a skill of some Sport or physical activity which the student might carry on after graduation. At least in the beginning there will not be funds for an elaborate gymnasium or physical education facilities and the resources which exist on Meadow Brook Farms plus the resources of the community will need to be utilized. In the beginning, curriculum planning should contem- plate the following: a. The necessary courses in liberal and general studies. b. A concentration (approximately nine five-hour courses) in the field of business. c. A concentration, again defined as nine five-hour courses, in elemen- tary education. d. The auxiliary work necessary for the preparation of secondary school teachers, contemplating, in the be- ginning, only a teaching major in math- ematics, chemistry, and physics. e. A concentration in engineering science as non-specialized as relates to hard- ware as is feasible. f. The necessary supporting work in the arts and sciences for the above. 10. ll. 12. l3. 14. 28 In planning this curriculum, the fact that these are five-hour courses should not mean necessarily that each course must have the student in class for five hours. Emphasis should be placed on the largest pos- sible measure of responsibility being placed on the student. All planning should bear in mind that this institution will be faced with a shortage of college faculty just as others will be and are. In this con- nection, and also in terms of it being a sound educa- tional practice, students who can demonstrate that they have mastered the content of a course should be given credit and moved along. A normal teaching load will be defined as two five- hour courses. Registration Should occur only in the autumn. No university-wide final examination period will be planned. It will be the responsibility of each faculty member to evaluate the work of his own students. The grading system will be Honors, Pass and Fail. Real attention in planning this institution should be given to the idea of simplicity as far as the in- herent demands of the disciplines will permit. Knowl- edge is sufficiently complicated in its own right as to need no unnecessary compounding in either curric- ulum or adminstrative procedures. Attached are some schematic presentations which might be helpful. POSSIBLE ORGANIZATION OF MSUO The Division of General and Liberal Arts and Sciences. (This would include not only such integrated and elec- tive courses as might be needed but also the natural and behavioral sciences, mathematics and the humanities which would be needed as supporting and related studies.) The Division of Engineering Science. The Division of Business. 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