Western Front - 1969 September 30

              WELCOME SACK .'.'
Enrollment limit near
A shortage of funds may
cause Western to limit its Fall
1970 enrollment, President
Charles J. Flora announced last
Tuesday.
He plans to appoint a
c o m m i t t e e to make
recommendations on how much
and in what way enrollment
limits for Fall 1970 can be
effected.
The committee will be
required to present a proposed
enrollment policy to the
president by Dec. 1.
"When we suddenly and
arbitrarily limit our enrollment,
we have limited also the right of
young people to attend the
college of their choice.
"In this we must not be
capricious," Flora said.
The Planning and Community
Affairs Agency funded Western
for a projected enrollment of
7,900 students.
However, Flora indicated in a
letter to the college community
that the enrollment for Fall
1970 may reach 9,500.
The problem of money
shortage has been apparent since
1968, Flora said.
Last Fall quarter, the college
enrolled an estimated 500 more
students than had been funded.
"An appeal by myself for
emergency funds from the
governor's reserve could not be
granted for lack of money and
we (the college) absorbed the
additional burden," the
president said.
"This absorption led to
exhaustion of our local
reserves."
The problem is more serious
this year, he said.
The enrollment was projected
at 7,000 but through a protest
from Flora the number was
increased to 7,500.
"It was our view that a
minimum projection of 8,150
was in order," Flora said.
The state legislature and the
governor nevertheless funded
Western for the projected 7,500
for Fall 1969.
Prior to the enrollment of
transfer students and returnees,
the college estimates that 8,465
students will be enrolled by the
10th day of Fall quarter.
"This represents an unfunded
excess of 915 students, roughly
equivalent to our absorbing
Whitworth College at no cost to
the state," Flora said.
To accommodate the present
enrollment, an unusual effort is
required of the college, he said.
Flora announced in his letter
last Tuesday that three measures
have been and are being taken.
1. The academic dean met
with department chairmen and
appraised them of the situation.
Western will attempt to meet the
student load by enlarging
sections, adding sections and
effecting economies that will
allow hiring part-time assistance.
2. The community was
advised on Aug. 27 that any full
time position that became
vacant would be held open for a
month for evaluation to
determine if the funds could be
better used elsewhere.
"Under this approach some
monies have been recaptured
and made available to the college
instruction program," Flora said.
3. Savings are also being
sought through reduction of
rental equipment, printing costs,
etc.
"These funds will be
transferred to those areas where
the need is greatest and most
fundamental to our instructional
program," the president said.
However, unless the state
legislature makes a substantial
adjustment in its enrollment
predictions during the January
special session, Western will be
in even more trouble next year,
Flora said.
"There are two possibilities
open," he said.
1. Seekand receive a
substantial appropriation during
the 1969-70 academic year and
continue the traditional
admission policies.
2. Curtail the Fall 1970
enrollment.
Flora said the latter action
would be taken only if the first
fails.
Fairhaven College
housing shortage.
construction has been delayed,
—photo
causing a
by walker
the western front
Vol. LXII no. 8 Western Washington State College Bellingham, Washington 98225 Tuesday, Sept. 30, 1969 10c
Miller Hall to be dedicated this week
JIM AUSTIN
copy editor
Western's first symposium on
learning will pay honor to the
late Dr. Irving Elgar Miller, the
man for whom Miller Hall was
named.
Miller Hall will be dedicated-in
ceremonies at 7:30 p.m.,
Wednesday, Oct. 1, the first day
of the 3-day event, in the music
auditorium, Ramon Heller,
college director of public
relations, said in an interview
Sept. 15.
Dr. Neal Miller, psychologist
at Rockefeller University in New
York and son of the former
chairman of the combined
education and psychology
department at Western, will give
an acceptance speech on behalf
of the Miller family, Heller said.
Dr. Arthur Flemming,
president of Macalester College
in Michigan, will dedicate the
building.
The former Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Health,
Education and Welfare, will also
discuss the function of society as
it relates to teaching and
learning.
Dr. Paul Woodring,
distinguished service professor at
Western and a member of
Fairhaven College's faculty, will
c o m m e m o r a t e Miller's
contributions to Western during
the ceremony.
The naming of Miller Hall is
an appropriate recognition of
the great contribution made by
Miller to the combined
department of education and
psychology, Dr. Charles J. Flora,
college president, said.
"For more than 25 years Dr.
Miller taught Western students
and gave leadership to the
educational efforts of the state,"
the president said.
According to a biographical
sketch, Miller was born in West
Springfield, Pa. in 1869.
He graduated from the
University of Rochester in 1894
and received his doctor of
philosophy degree from the
University of Chicago in 1904.
Miller taught in the education
and psychology department
from 1917 until 1942. He was
named emeritus professor upon
his 'retirment in 1942.
He was the first chairman of
the Curriculum Committee from
1923 until 1942.
Miller Hall houses the
departments of education and
psychology, formerly a single
department until 1961.
"It seems appropriate that
the symposium on learning be
dedicated along with the
building," Dr. Merle E. Meyer,
chairman of the psychology
department, said.
Meyer indicated that if the
symposium is successful, it
might become an annual or
semi-annual event.
The symposium is concerned
with the application of learning
p r i n c i p l e s to classroom
instruction, Heller said.
The six speakers are all top
psychologists, Meyer said.
Thursday's program includes
Dr. Jerome Bruner of Harvard
and Dr. Launer Carter,
vice-president of Systems
Development Corp.
Bruner will lecture at 10 a.m.
and Carter at 2 p.m.
The last day of the
symposium will include Miller's
lecture at 10 a.m., Dr. John
DeCecco of Columbia University
at 2 p.m. and Woodring at 3
p.m.}Heller said.
The symposium is opened to
the public.
Construction delays cause temporary housing crisis
MIKE GOWRYLOW
editor-in-chief
Due to delays in the
construction of Fairhaven
College, special arrangements
have been made to alleviate the
housing shortage, Gerry Brock,
director of housing, said.
Only 200 of the 550 beds
that were to be available at
Fairhaven will be completed by
the opening of school, and,
because of a recent strike the
completion' of any more than
the 200 units could be as late as
the beginning of Winter quarter.
Fairhaven College had been
planned to house 350 Fairhaven
students this school year. The
remaining 200 beds were to
house regular Western girls, he
explained.
In order to house the
s t u d e n t s , the following
arrangements have been made:
The 350 Fairhaven College
students will be housed in the
four units that are completed in
the mobile homes by assigning
six women to each unit rather
than the usual four, and by
allowing a few students to live
off campus with faculty or
friends, Brock said.
The 200 Western students
will be housed in the following
manner:
Edens Hall South will receive
75 by assigning three per room;
Mathes and Ridgeway Halls
will each get 14 through the use
of the lounges and resident aide
rooms;
Two temporary housing
facilities (Western Terrace and
High Street Terrace) will house
66 students.
All Western students assigned
to temporary housing will eat
their meals in the Viking
Commons dining hall.
There presently is a utility
tunnel being built between the
physical plant and Fairhaven.
This tunnel supp.Ues the
electrical power to the complex.
This link should be completed
by Sept. 30, Brock said.
A 20 per cent discount of the
regular room rent wil be made to
all students affected by the
situation, Brock said.
"The real sacrifice, however,
must come from you
individually in being willing to
live in temporary facilities. This
can be accomplished with your
generous assistance and fullest
cooperation." '