Newspaper Page Text
Page 8
THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
April 11, 1963
What Makes A College Good?
Student-Faculty
Confab
(Continued from page 1)
A recurring theme in the list
of grievances was the existence
of “unwritten rules”. The fact
was brought up that in many
instances housemothers take it
upon themselves to declare a rule
which cannot toe found in any
rulebook, tout which must be ad
hered to at the risk of punish
ment for failure to do so.
A question was raised, which
has been a source of unrest since
rumors first began circulating
in September of this year. Clari-,
fication was asked concerning the
matter of the loss of a scholar
ship by a young lady who had
excelled in all aspects of campus
and academic affairs. The scho
larship was denied on the basis
of “poor citizenship.” Subsequent
discussion brought up three very
important questions. The first
was, “Why was this student
singled out for punishment when
there were others who also pro
tested social and academic poli
cies through a formal petition
(the act that was the vanguard
for the student’s “poor citizen
ship” activities)?”
The assembly was told that this
student assumed a leadership
which no other person assumed;
that she was the leader of a
“revolt” which resembled a “mu
tiny”, rather than of a protest;
and that she misrepresented the
president of the SSGA in a man
ner which necessitated a public
apology. To the points raised by
“witnesses” that the student body
president was not misrepresented,
the answer was given that the
student in question realized that
such an apology was necessary
and offered to make one.
This, of course, raised the
question, “Why was not the stu
dent allowed to make the apology
and the matter dropped?” This
question was not satisfactorily
answered. Satisfaction also was
not achieved on one of the other
important questions brought up
by this issue, i.e., “What con
stitutes good citizenship?”
To the other of the important
questions, “Do not the students
have the right to protest against
that which they feel is wrong?”
The answer was given that the
petition in question had not gone
through the “proper channels.”
An examination of the Handbook
revealed an abmiguity surround
ing what constitutes “proper
channels.” There seems to be a
discrepancy in what (is written
in the rulebook and the actual
practice, since one reading the
Handbook would assume that a
majority of students can institute
a rule. The recommendation was
made that the SSGA Constitution
be reviewed every four years,
at least, since, “rules should be
made toy those who will live
under them.”
A list of a number of “petty”
social regulations brought the
general consensus from the group
that college should be a place of
learning and students should be
allowed to make mistakes and
thereby learn from them. Spel-
man, it is felt, tries to shield stu
dents from situations which are
undersirable so that they will not
make mistakes.
A number of faculty members
were present and were asked to
express their opinions on the
subject. This they, in turn, did.
“Liberty has two jobs,” said one
faculty member who has seen
Spelman through a number of
her years, and her changes,”. . ,
(1) to prevent any restriction on
personal development and (2) to
promote opportunities for per
sonal development. . .Liberty is
relative and therefore some res-
By Albert E. Manley
Through the years, since 1881,
Spelman College has endeavored
to provide a strong liberal arts
program. Thus, the institution
has, at all times and under dif
ferent administrations, been con
cerned with the question, “What
makes o good college?” I want
to examine this question briefly
in this issue of the SPOTLIGHT
in the spring of 1963.
People make a good college.
Three groups of people make up
the college constituency. These
groups are classified as students,
teachers, and alumnae. The per
formance of each of these groups
determines whether a college is
rated as good, average, or below
average.
A college is a good one if it
has a student body with the na
tive ability to do college work
and if these students have been
throughly prepared for college.
Given native ability and solid
preparation in such fundamental
subjects as English, social scien
ces, mathematics, and the natural
sciences, students readily grasp
the ideas that are basic to intel
lectual growth. Thus, it is pos
sible for them to perform satis
factorily in general and speecial-
ized fields. Students contribute
to the making of a good college
when they have the desire to
learn and the determination and
the will to succeed. Since native
ability varies, students who are
less able than others can make
up for some lack of ability
through determination to do their
very best work.
This often means that extra
hours must be spent studying and
preparing assignments that will
toe acceptable to thee teachers
as well as to the students, them-
seelves. As students prgress from
a lower class to a higheer one,
there should be evidence of in
creasing ability to do independ
ent study and to make mature
decisions. Students also make
their contribution by having clear
and definite goals. Early in their
college careers, they should iden
tify the fields in which they wish
traints are necessary. . .”
This faculty member suggested
that the students . . sit down
and think clearly about which
rules inhibit self-realization and
why.” Another faculty member
agreed that some rules are ne
cessary but they should toe few,
and reasonable, not limiting per
sonal development.
A number of rules which were
cited seem insignificant when
taken alone, but when one con
siders the fact that students live
with all of these little irritants,
one can see that the widespread
discontent is not of the usual
nature (most college students
complain about the food; most
college students complain about
the hours, etc.), it is deeper and
more serious. If allowed to con
tinue, the effect might be detri
mental to the morale and loyalty
of the students, and thus to the
college.
The Social Science discussion
provided a sounding board for
many of the grievances of the
students, and also some insight
into these problems for the fa
culty members. The students
were urged to take their griev
ances to their student representa
tives, and to elect as representa
tives those persons who would
adequately represent their in
terests. The discussion provided
a good emotional outlet. Results
in the form of logical, rational
changes remain to be seen.
Jean Berrien
to specialize; thus saving valuable
time which could be lost be
hesitance to make up their minds.
Faculty members are important
members in the academic com
munity. If a college is to be rated
as a good one, the persons who
stand before the student in the
classroom must fulfill an ex
tremely important role. They
must have a deep interest in their
subjects and must have tho
roughly mastered them, for no
teacher is any better than his
background in his area of spe
cialization. Having mastered their
subjects, teachers should enrich
their backgrounds by evidencing
or expressin interest beyond their
major fields, so that they are
acquainted, not necessarily in
depth, but in breadth, with one
or more other fields.
In order to toe most effective
in their subjects, teachers must
have the ability to motivate the
student and to challene her to
do her best to master her subject.
The teachers who make the
greatest contribution in the class
room are those who are not only
interested in the subject matter,
but in the total development of
the student — physical, emotion
al, social, intellectual, and spirit
ual — in accordance with the
established philosophy, aims and
ideals of the colleg - working
within the framework established
by the administration.
A college is a good college if
its alumnae realize that wherever
they go, they carry its name;
whatever they do, for good or
for ill, reflects on the college.
To the extent that a representa
tive number of alumnae are ad
mitted to professional and gra
duate schools and make good
records which reflect creditably
on their college, they enhance
the reputation of the college.
Alumnae who go out into the
community and become good
homemakers and parents also re
flect creditably on the college
and hip determine whether it is
ranked as a good one.
Women graduates of institutions
have a special role to play in
their homes and communities be
cause they are the culture bear
ers of society, and the home can
be no better than the woman who
directs its welfare. A college is a
good one if the alumnae manifest
a continuing concern for its
growth and progress; if they sup
port it financially; if they seek
out promising students and in
terest them in attending their
Alma Mater; if they make friends
for the college. In all these ways,
they prove their college to be
a good one.
In sum, then, a good college
needs strong people in three areas
— students, faculty, and alumnae.
Spelman College has a great
heritage. For eighty-two years,
this college has been developing.
Many people have built their
lives into it and many have
made sacrifices that this school
with its spacious campus, valu
able buildings, esteemed reputa
tion, and treasured traditions
might come to its present state
of eminence as a strong liberal
arts college for women and the
oldest college for Negro women
in America. In these eighty-two
years, many generations of stu
dents have passed through these
halls and have gone out to re
flect credit on their Alma Mater.
Much is expected of you who
follow in their footsteps and who
now sit in these hallowed halls.
I am sure that the students
of Spelman College will live up
to the highest expectations, and
that all of us — students, faculty,
and alumnae — will fulfill our
roles and thus help Spelman
College to maintain its reputation
as a good college.
SHCCfU
(Continued from page 1)
Greenwood Headways
James Forman, Executive Se
cretary of the SNCC, reported
that over one hundred Negroes
tried to register to vote in Green
wood on March 20th. This is
the largest number to attempt
to register in any one day.
All but two of SNCC’s Missis
sippi workers are now concen
trated in Leflore County.
Freedom Singers
The Freedom Singers appeared
here in Atlanta on March 28th
and 27th at Mount Moriah Bap
tist Church and the Big Bethel
A.M.E. Church at 7:30 p.m. and
11:00 a.m., respectively. The
four young people are all SNCC
workers and have participated in
anti-segregation and voter regis
tration drives throughout the
South. They are: Cordell Reagon,
Nashville, Tenn.; Charles Neblett,
Carbondale, Illinois; and Rutha
Harris and Bernice Johnson, Al
bany, Ga.
SNCC Confab
The SNCC’s annual conference
over the Easter weekend, April
12-14, will bring over three hun
dred Southern students together
to form workshop sessions on
nonviolence, Voter Registration,
Direct Action, and the History of
the Protest Movement.
At present, SNCC has drives
against segregation in Arkansas,
Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi,
Florida, and South Carolina.
The fifty SNCC staff members
each receive from ten to thirty-
five dollars per week. This is
very little payment for the
twenty-four hour job of integra
tion. Support the SNCC and join
in the fight for equality.
Wanda Waples
ATTENTION
We urge you to carefully
consider your SSGA repre
sentatives and dormitory
counselors for the incoming
academic year.
Co-eds Make
Honor Society
(Continued from page 1)
teen persons (12 students and
four faculty members) were in
ducted into the society. Those
initiated from Spelman College
are the following: Damaris Allen,
Annease Chaney, Margaret Hamp
ton, Brenda Sue Hill, Lucia Hol
loway, Betty Stevens, and Electa
Twyman. Marilyn Pryce was al
ready a member of the society.
Faculty members of Spelman
initiated as honorary members
were Mrs. Elizabeth Burkley and
Dr. Zygmund Rukolsky.
The initiation ceremonies were
conducted (in French) by Dr.
Edward A. Jones, Morehouse
College, faculty adviser to Beta
Epsilon Chapter.
Beta Epsilon Chapter was
granted to Morehouse College in
1956 with the authority to take
in qualified students as Spelman
College and Atlanta University.
Last year the Chapter was given
the approval of the national body
to become Center-wide in its
functions' by serving students in
all of the Colleges of the Center,
Clark, Morehouse, Morris Brown
and Spelman Colleges and the
Atlanta University Graduate Gra
duate School. This was the first
initiation on a center-wide basis.
Pittsburgh Seeks Teachers
Pittsburgh Public Schools are embarking on a large re
cruitment program to interest talented teachers in the ad
vantage of living in the “Renaissance City” and teaching in
a large progressive cty school system with one of the best
salary schdules—-$5,000 teo $9,250 in twelve increments.
The Pittsburgh Public Schools will have 400 teacher va
cancies in its 115 elementary and secondary schools in Sep
tember 1963 and they are attempting to fill these positions
with highly rated personnel. Pittsburgh teacher needs are in
art, chemistry, physical education for girls, physics, elemen
tary and secondary special education, science, mathematics,
industrial arts, foreign languages, vocational education, and
all elementary school fields.
Miss Anna E. Bingham, assistant director of personnel,
will visit Atlanta Universty on April 19, 1963, to interview
college seniors and experienced teachers in the area who may
wish to consider opportunities in the Pittsburgh public school
system. Candidates interested in an interview should contact
the Teacher Placement Office at Atlanta University for an
appointment.
TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE
Effective September 1, 1963
Bachelor’s Degree
Minimum
Maximum
or Equivalent
$5000
$7720*
Bachelor’s Degree plus 30 credits
or Master’s Degree
$5200
$8000*
Master’s Degree plus 30 credits
$5400
$8290*
Master’s Degree plus 60 credits
$5600
$8600*
Dostor’s Degree
$6020
$9250*
*In 12 Increments.
NOTE: Salary credit for prior experience in teaching,
military service, and related work will be
granted.
United States citizen ship not required for
teachers of foreign language or exchange
teachers not perma nently employed.