. THE CADRE TUES,, NOV. 27, ‘1973 Page 6'

Dear Editor, .

It was delightful to att- end the grand opening of Dalton Hall on Friday, Nov. 9th. A fine job was done for the old building. In fact with all those bright flourescent lights and se- mi-glass walls I'll be su— re to wear sunglasses the next time I go over there. But that Friday saw the grand opening of another project as well. I speak here of fourth floor Main Building.

The inhabitants of the floor really did things up grand. Signs were posted to mark all the major att- ractions such as the dis— tinguished columns, the ultra modern uni—sex wash— room facilities, the hide— away skylight, the functi- onal wheel chair ramp and the boutiques dealing in rodent and fly sales. The place, I think it is fair to say, literally reeked with character.

. It was with dismay, how— ever, that upon further. examinationI I found that much of their advertising was false. A pile of lum- ber (?) supposed to be auctioned off remained in its corner, still adorning the stairwell. Professor Andrew Robb's Sauna Bath

( $2.00 per hour) didn't live up to expectations while old faithful (the radiator) seemed to be on holidays. Bob Lippen's "mice for sale" business was dragging because he couldn't catch the little critters. walter Fobes'

'dead flies boutique held

Dear Mr. Dalton:

Without wishing to de- tract from Prof. Von Dreg- er's reputation for "inno— vative, bold and humanita- rian“ approaches to curri— culum reform, I must con- test his authorship of proposed curriculum C pub— lished in the November 20 Cadre.

This scheme parallels very closely a proposal I Circ- ulated among UPEI faculty in the fall of 1969. Vete- rans of those halcyon days, when our university was struggling from the womb, may have within their fil- es a copy of my stillborn plan. It had no impact whatever upon serious cur- riculum planning at UPEI during the university's crucial first year.

Since Mr. Von Dreger was not here then, he probably never read my proposal, & undoubtedly formed his own plan quite independently. Unstructured curricula of this kind have been discu— ssed for years, but rarely

“Yeah, I got my degree. I delivered the London Express."

terrible business hours. These people, I would urge should thus be Sued for false advertising!!

Before leaving this thri- ving business and tourist area though I heard some faint remarks of criticism, by its inhabitants, on the

enviornment of fourth flo-

or Main. How dare they? Don't they realize how lu- cky they are to occupy su— ch magnificent premises? With only one phone on the floor the professors are spared having to deal with that impersonal ornament. With four flights of stai- rs to climb to get to the-

ir floor they get lots of exercise. With the dim li— ghting of the hallway they can enjoy more fully the

historic presence that su-

.\rrounds them. Sure, some rooms may encourage frost-

bite one day and malaria the next but professors should be hardy people.Th— ey should think of themse—

‘lves as pioneers and what

better enviornment would they ask for stimulating such conditions?

I really don't know why some should complain. Adm- inistration should look into this.

' Don Pridmore

adopted. They have been tried with mixed results at a handful of New Eng- land "experimental" coll- eges. I was a participant in one such experiment, as a teaching fellow at Mark Hopkins College in Vermont during the middle sixties. I am pleased that the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee has resurrected my forgotten program. The— re is, however, a joker in VOn Dreger's curriculum which I was careful to om- it from mine. - Von Dreger proposes tha» "levels of achievement(wi— ll be) stipulated by the several Departments," whi- ch will also "set down... substantive requirements

.for a...major," etc. As

all students of the polit-

Vics of higher education

must be aware, it is the departments of the chief agencies of academic orth— odoxy in the modern uni— versity. If such a "bold' curriculum as Von Dreger's were instituted at UPEI——

a most unlikely proSpect,

I am afraid—~leaving it in the hands of the depar— tments to implement would be like handing over the Palestine Liberation Move- ment to the Israeli Cabi— net.

In my 1969 version of an ‘ unstructured curriculum, the department as an inter- mediary between student & teacher was eliminated, as was that monstrosity, the departmental major. (Since academic "disciplines were to a considerable extent artificial creations of the late 19th century, the departments based upon them were largely adminis- trative conveniences that have become political fix- tures in university life: there'is no genuine need for them.) Planning and co-ordination of degree programs was turned over to ad hoc committees.

Although I did not dwell upon it, the implication

LETTERS can't to pg. 7