(THE CADRE, OCTOBER 8, 1974, PAGE 3

The issue is the goals of the University, what the University should be about. A good question to be rais- ing and one that I think most professors and students have sadly neglected is individuals. A purposeful university only exists.with directed, purposeful, res? ponsible individuals — per— sons who are aware of what they are seeking from the University experience, or who are working to become aware of what they are seek- ing at the University. If you're aware of the fact that such confrontation with goals and motives is lack— ing in the U.P.E.I. admin— istrative, faculty and stu- dent communities, well, at least that's a start.

I teach freshman, sopho— more and upper level courses. In each of these courses, I often ask my students such questions as why are you here, what do you want to investigate, what's import— ant to you here, what would you like to do, or know,etc. The answers are disheartening? ly predictable. Freshman reply (after significant silence, gentle prompting, considerable discomfort), "We don't know anything about psychology. You tell us what it is, then, we'll know better what we want and what is important to us. After all, we're just Freshman."

Fair enough, lets proceed to abnormal, the sophmore course. "Well, I've only had one psychology course, just Intro, so I don't really know anything about abnorm- al psychology or what inter— ests me about it. You teach me what it involves and then I'll know better what I want and what interests 'me. After all, I'm only a (lowly perhaps?) sophmore and you are a very wise man." Hmm, I say to myself, flatt- ered by his misplaced all— egation of wisdom, but be— coming dubious of what seems. to be occuring. Ah, but clinical psychology, filled with juniors and seniors (and majors, too, now these folks will clearly know more about what they want from this experience). "Uh, well, you see sir (3!), I've never really had a course in clinical psychology be- fore, only in intro, abnorm— al, personality, research methods, developmental, holistic, creativity, learn- ing experimental and stat- istics. So if you'll teach

then I'll know better what interests me and what I want. After all, I'm only

a senior — you can't expect me to know much."

A trend seems to be emer— ging here. Tell us what to do, tell us what ygu_want, professor, tell us hgw_to do it, and we will obedient- ly follow.

Such a trend might also be related to such phenomr ena as hesitantly stated personal opinions, seminar silences, preoccupations with requirements, etc.

And of course, there are always a number of students who are more self—directed than the majority. But un- happily, in my experience,_ there are almost as many self—directed freshman as there are self—directed seniors. Four years of un— iversity education seems td have little effect on the development of self—directed, self evaluating, personally responsible learners. Often, at the end of four years,

a student may not even be able to tell whether or _ not he understands something unless he is tested on it. Perhaps, one might predict that such persons will con— tinue to be dependent on future teachers, bosses and supervisors for defining their needs and interests.

-I don't really blame students (anymore than I would faculty or adminis-

"'Be what you would seem to be' — or if you'd like to put it more simply — 'Never imagine'your- self not to be otherwise than what it might appear

to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you would have been would have appeared to them

to be otherwise.'“

"'I think I should understand that better,' Alice said very politely, 'if I had it written down.'"

me what it is all about,

Andrew Robb History

, Ideas ongeducationfrom- the op:

’ Psychology

trators) for this unfort— unate chain of events. The development of responsibil- ity for oneself and one's education does not come automatically with four years "maturation" as some

- would contend. My observav

tion of freshman - senior similarities seems to be— come self—directing and personally responsible th- rough experience. I feel that a viable goal for the un-~ iversity Should be an att- empt to development per—'

sonally responsible, self—‘

'initiating learners, able

to identify their individ- ual goals, motives, and, interests and able to generate plans and methods of study and experience to meet these goals. A viable goal for the University, therefore, becomes the creation of an environment that enables students to contact their own (and I assume, varied) individual goals. - Lest I be misunderstood, ' let me say that I am not referring only to the abil- ity to take one's place in society, or to select a \ major, or to choose one's courses when I refer to ’responsibility and self— direction. A personally responsible learner may

decide that courses and I

majors are an obstacle to

pursuing his interests. In order to work on the

goals I am discussing, we

Alice's dilemma is all/\ too commOn for those who devote a great deal of thought to the University of the. latter 1970's. What is the University? What should the University-be? Everyone has an

answer, but for those who would be so bold as to attempt to de— fine the nature and goals of any university, especially with some

degree of implementing their, ideas,‘it does help to~have it "written down." ~H- . My own view, which by no means offers any panacea for the real of imagined ills of the University, is built on a number of premises: 1 1.The University must remain a place where dialogue and ideas form the basis for existence. / 2.The University cannot remain apart from the community. This does not mean that it becomes the handmaiden of society,

.y\_

I

need to become sensitive to the university as an environment. Our present university atmosphere does not facilitate the devel- opment of responsibility _ and self-direction. The profeSSOr who defines what the student needs to know is creating the same pro- cess as the student who will rarely make.a move unless he knows what is expected of him, i.e. an

: externalization of values V and evasion of responsibility, An environment filled with' the pressures of external evaluation (grades, dead— lines, required courses) may produce the~individual who is only responsive to external pressures, who is unable to contact his own

. goals. The student who is trying madly to respond to the demands of five courses

away not even have the time to ask himself what he is interested‘in, and certainly ‘little time or energy to pursue it if he knows. Fur- thermore, deep involvement in an intellectual interest would likely result in poor— er performance and less attention to course require- ments. Given the choice between interest and requ- irements, most sensible students choose the latter. But one might speculate that reducing the pressuring , anxiety—provoking aspects of the university environ- ment might facilitate the

but that it must never be-l “come so aloof that it . ,, ceases to have any meaning for society. ' 3.The University must be a7 place where students and professors can operate in a humane environment de- signed to provide maximum Opportunities for individua fulfillment. ,L . All of this is, I suppose,. not very novel or startling.' The difficulty is in imple- menting ideas in the real world of structures, com—' mittees, conflicting opinion{ and all those other impedimen to our Utopian visions. It is in this stage that the most 'attractive‘sounding schemes begin to founder. But despitet the obvious rocks and shoals, it is still possible to steer* course for change. Some of my own modest suggestions include: v — Doing away with the depart4 ment as thecprimary basis ' "Board of Governors, Senat;