Volume 68, Number 36 Utah State University, January 13, 1971
8 pages
Courses scheduled by student choice through SILEX SILEX, a proposal passed by the Undergraduate Assessment Committee and affirmed by the Faculty Senate, is now merging into action. SILEX (Student Initiated Learning Experience) has two important functions: (1) It provides for subject matter not available in the present curriculum to be investigated. (2) It provides a means whereby students themselves may initiate
courses on campus according to their desires and needs. The program has been derived from an experiment in the Richards-High Rise dormitory_ complex which began in winter and spring ,rtJarters 1970. The dormitory subcommittee started student interest classes held once weekly in a somewhat unstructured fashion . The class was taught by a series of different professors on intellectual subject matters chosen by the students . Out of this, SILEX was developed as a more extensive manner to fur• ther its success.
The director will work along with the innovators to promote the proposed SILEX course, facilitating discussions between the group and the department heads leading to the presentation before the Curriculum Com• mittee. The Departm ent Heads will be notifi ed by the director of the impending presentation . More Recommendations The proposal is then presented by the director to the Steering Committee of the Und ergraduate Assessment Committee. The Steering Committee aids by attaching its recommendations to the proposal. The proposal is then forwarded to the University Curriculum Committee for action. If the proposal is passed the course is scheduled for a one to three quarter period, and. a course number is then assigned. Course innovators may include students and • or faculty.
Real Education Stressed
In establishing a course through SILEX , the innovators The rationale behind the must provide the following in• proposal of SILEX is that formation: (1) A course nam e students today need "Realtime" and a clear description of the education. With the existing course. (2) An explanation of the world issues and an American purpose of the course. (3) A need to be aware of these im• syllabus (4) Innovators must portant issues, education should arrange for faculty support to provide a means for students to instruct the course. The in• learn through discussion and structor would need to be willing immediate feedback. The fact to teach the course on an that most universities don't overload basis . (5) An ex• provide such a means, increases plan a tion of the intended the potential of a program such • structure of the class: will it use a as SILEX. lecture presentation , or will it be a seminar; will it use field trips, The initiation of a SILEX have guest lecturers, etc. (6) A course is handled by the in· decision must be made on the novators of the proposed class. attendance restrictions of the lnn0vators inquire to the director course. Will it be restricted to of the program or his assistant; student or community at• Stanford Cazier or Chris Eyre. tendance? (7) An approximation The SILEX office is located in the must be given as to the extent of basement of the High Rise student support concerning the cafeteria and the phone exte nsi on course. An estimated enrollment is 7770. From here the innovators must be given. learn the proper form for the presentation of the proposal. Count As Electives
President hosts foreign students USU president Glen Taggar host a reception for al oreign students, on Friday. Th ception will be held i resident Taggart's home on the iversity campus from 4 to 6:30
will
.m.
All foreign students are invited attend .
Credit hours are to be arranged by the innovators of the SILEX courses. SILEX courses will count only as elective courses. The potential of the SILEX program has fantastic future possibilities . Its utilization could bring about a definite change in the amount of student control concerning the curriculum on this campus. Any opinions or questions concerning SILEX are welcome at the SILEX headquarters.
Photo by Tom Coswell
FIRST it was cold, then it snowed, and then it all ended in big puddles covering the campus . Tired of forging miniature lakes all day, one coed defied the weather and jumped right th rough.
Solons tackle vote issue Reporting: Ward Marchant Associated Press Writer Salt Lake City (AP) - The Utah Legislature opened its 39th session Monday with a host of new faces.. but only a minimum of new issues . One of the old issues to be resurrected during the curr ent session will be the 18•year•o ld vote, but this time there is little reason to believe the meas ur e will fail. Eighteen•year•olds a lready are eligible to vote in a II elections involbing the President, U.S. senators or congressmen, thanks to congressional action last year which was upheld by the U.S . Supreme Court in December. But it will take an amendment to the Utah Constitution to allow anyone under 21 to vote in state races - from the governor down to local school boards . That means the Utah Legislature will have to approve a resolution calling for a con• stitutional amendment. If that is successful, Utahns under 21 still would have to wait until after the 1972 general election before they could vote for state or local of• ficers. It also means the state will have to set up some sort of dual balloting system for the 1972 elections so 18•year•olds can vote for the President , but not for the governor. Utah legislators were asked
la st month if they would support Utah, feels the 18-year•old vote a bill to allow 18•year•olds to vote will help curb cam pus violence. an d the vast majority of those who responded said they favored His remedy for ca mpus unrest su ch a proposal. is to "end the War, the draft , Many of the responses were make educatio n educational, quit drafted before the U.S. Supreme treating 18•year•o lds like Court decision upholding the children by wit hholding the vote, national }8.year•old voting act. make all our institutions more A few legislators sa id they democratic, address the needs of could n't go along with lowering the poor, r ed uc e defense budge t the voting age to 18, but probably and decentralize American would go a long with dr opping it to government." 20 or 19. Sen. E. LaMar Buckn er, R Rep . Robert 0. Bowen, D . Ogden, says he has supported the Spanish Fork, echoes that sen • IS•yea r•old vote for some time, timent by recommending "a n eve n though, he claims, "o ur end to our involvement in least responsive voters per • Southe ast Asia with an ac• centage•wise, seem to have be en companying realignment of those between 21 and 25. values and priorities.' ''The mere lowering of the age will not guarantee that these new Generally, however, Utah voters will use the privilege ," he adds. "I am not worried about legislators seem to agree Utah their ability to determine ; I do has not been beset with campus become concerned about their problems , and the answer to stemming disturbances is more being exploited by emotional strict enforcement of the law, radicals." Rep. Peter Grundfossen, D· storng university administration and better communication with Salt Lake , an assistant dean of students at the University of students.
Discussion planned today A new series of lecture • discussion are scheduled to begin today in the Sunburst Lounge at 12:30. "Problems Facing USU" wi11 be discussed today. Suggested topics for them are the grading system, un• dergraduate requirements , and
intellectural atmosphere of the campus . "The committee has suggested some topics," Miss Howard said, "but this does not mean that a student can not ask the panel about any question that they feel they are qualified to answer."