News Scrapbook 1980-1981

LOCAL NEWS U -::>

LOCAL NEWS

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PAGE B-1

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 8, 1981

113th YEAR

TRADITIONALISTS VS. NON-TRADITIONALIST:

Alternative Universities Weather Criticism, Proliferate 'It's just plain offensive ... I object to them calling themselves universities, and , ·object to them calling whatever it is they give out a degree. It is misleading. ' - Thomas Day, San Diego State University By :"\UCHAEL SCOTT-BLAIR Education Writer, TIie San Diego UniOII When David Chigos graduated from United Stales In- ternational University almost 10 years ago and two years later opened National University, he really started som~- thing. 'There are too many people who need help and the big universities will not bend down to help them. We will not desert them. ' - Bertha Gonzalez, San Ysidro University

_ _____._,...,_~· Withm a few years, a National University graduate had opened California Pacific University. which produced a graduate who promptly opened La Jolla University.

Thomas Day, left, of San Diego State is a critic of "------ -~-------· the "new universities," saying, ~the extent to which they go in trying to equate what they are doing with

Thus, in less than a decade, USIU begat NU, which begat CPU, which begat LJU, and they have become a painfully growing thorn in the sides of the established, traditional campuses around the city. They have spread through the community in banks, furniture stores, abandoned bakeries, clapboard houses and office buildings. From Maharishi In ernational Uni- versity, which uses transcendental meditation, to CPU, which uses the U.S. mail, the universities have grown, their degrees have proliferated and the more traditional university campus presidents have been forced to sit by mfrustrated anger. "It's just plain offensive," said San Diego State Univer- sity's President Thomas B Day. "I don't mind them being here, but I object to them calling themselves universities, and I object to them calling whatever it is they give out a degree. It is misleading to the pub,~·~• ;,;,-~-=,-,=~-"-! "They are just credenl1aling o . . ' be said, 'They give a person a credential based on what he has done in the past. They don't equip a person with the knowledge to perform better in the future. "To equate that with what a univer ity does .. . borders on the edge of being unethical because I believe it is a deliberate confusion and is knowingly misleading," he said ''The extent to which they go in trying to equalc what they are doing with the wo k of a traditional university is mexcusable. That does not I ean they should not exist or that they don't have a place in society, but they are not universities and they should not be handing out degrees." But UCSD Chancellor Richard C, Atkinson does not feel as strongly. "I agree that I would like to see a little more truth in the advertising," he said. ''There is a tendency for some people to be misled sometimes, but I think the public is smart enough to know what these degrees are worth, and those who get them know deep down the value of what they have been given" The debate boils down to the definition of a university, and there is little agreement on that. "A university is a collection of colleges with a perma- nent faculty and a well-defined curriculum along definite lines of study for students who must demonstrate entry and exit qualifications before being granted a degree," Day said. USD's Author Hughes believes that it is the process of a university education that is the important distinction. "Education is an intellectual process. The method and apparatus for achievmg that mvolves personal contact with other inquiring minds. It involves reading, analytical studies, visual exposure, a meeting of minds and it must all happen over a period of time that permits the assimi- lation of that input. "If that is traditionalism, so be it. I am a traditionalist. But that is what it takes to generate a 'university' educa- tion. You can't just take one or two bits of it to :uit a given purpose at a given time," he said. The vice president of one of England's most hIStoric campuses during a recent visit to UCSD said loftily that "of course, most of the places called universities here would not qualify for that title in my mind. To be called a university, at least 50 percent of the campus commitment must be to research." (Continued on B-10, Col. 1)

the work of a traditional university is inexcusable." Author Hughes of USO believes that it is the process of a university education that IS the important distinc- llon between the kinds f school . Non-Traditional Colleges Expand (Continued from Col. B-1) The dictionary is much less demanding. It says a uni• vcrsity is "a body of per ons gathered at a particular place for the di. eminatmg and assimilating of knowl \ edge in advanced field of tudy.' "There's an r lg problem," Day said "Wi hin lilt traditional universities, a they ar being called, there 1s agreement as to what an MBA degree or Ph.D. or bache- lor of arts means, and a student who has completed the study for one of these degrees has met some generally accepted and understood conditions and completed a course of study. "These new places not only di,5agree with what we say, they don't even have a common standard among them- ·elves. It's just a matter of do your own thing. ''I don't object to them existing, but I do object to them usmg the same words I use when talking to the same audience," Day said The principal targets of their crit1C1sm are the new campuses, including 2-year-old La Jolla University, the correspendence courses for master's degrees offered by Califorma Pacific Umvers1ty and San Ysidro University. I knov. the establi bed un1vers1lles don't like us," said Bertha Alicia Gonzalez who heads San Y 1dro University. "The} won't even recognize that we exist ... But just because they don't like us does not mean that we will go away. There are too many people who need help and the big universities will not bend down to help them. We will not desert them." Throughout the city, institutes, colleges, schools, gradu- ate schools and academies for a variety of specialist or professional studies have opened over the years offering diplomas and credentials. United States International University falls well within the definition of a traditional campus, though it some- times has been criticized or granting degrees too easily The extremely succe sful National University undoubt- edly has become the biggest target for traditionalists though in recent years the campus has made efforts tc meet many of the qualifications demanded of the regula1 universities. Those efforts have left National University somewherE between the two philosophies - despised by the tradition- alists as an interloper banding out degrees that do not meet the standards of traditionalism and rejected by the non-traditionalists who believe National has surrendered too much independence in an effort to meet the demands of traditionalism. "I'm not too upset about these degrees because the recipients must still go out and prove they are worth their hire," said UCSD's Atkinson "There are lots of degrees granted all over the country that are not worth the paper they are written on. Maybe in tead of trymg to regulate or squash these places, we ~hould spend time showing the public just what higher education JS" SU]JIJllllett w hat d nu> .. :ms amL what value. it should have," he said. "You never find these non-traditional places turning out doctors, dentists or engineers because we have a system of checks and balances to protect the public from that kind of thing. ''But I am not so sure that an MBA from National University is all that bad. All the degree does is get the person an interview. If he or she can't perform, they will get fired and the degree has proved worthless in the marketplace," said Atkinson. Supporters of the non-traditional campuses argue that Atkinson is right in that the university degree has now become a necessity for anyone trying to get an interview for a good job. Many highly qualified people can't even get their resumes read in applying for a job just because they don't have a master's degree or a doctorate," said Eli Djeddah. the founder of La Jolla University where a master's de- gree can be earned in about six months and for $1,694. ''Today, they are being passed over by new graduates who stayed in the university long enough to get their master's or doctoral degrees, even though the degree doesn't mean they can do the job. . .. The older apphcants have the qualifications. They have often proved it on the job. That is why we give them a degree so they can get in there and compete on a fair footing," he said. "So society is using (the degrees) as some kind of mea- •uring stick," Day said "That is a problem in society, not in educalion. You don't start changing something that is the end product of thousands of years of expenence. which is what universities are, just to redress some short- term problem in society." Hughes, however, is not convinced there is a problem. ·The argument that the lack of degrees keeps thou- ands of people out of jobs thev deserve i overplayed, I think that often, it 1s u. ed as an excuse" he said. And while the debate goes on, hundreds of non-tradi- tional degrees flow from the non-traditional campuses in the city each year. "They're not de ees," snapped Day. "They are Boy Scout merit badges tu prove the recipients can tie knots. '

SAN DIEGO UNION

I ,CHAMBER ORCHESTRA - I or.chestra, under the direction of Henry Kolar. will present a concert at 4 p.m. next Sunday ,n the Camino Theater, University of San Diego. The University of ...an Diego Chamber

SAN DIEuO UNION

James Sotiros has been appointed direc- tor of corporate and foundation relations at the University of San Diego.

EVENING TRIBUl'JE A 9

EVENING TRIBUNE

IAR1019El1

Aztecs win, Toreros beaten in finales

The University of San Diego's Weekend Tennis Clinic, April 4-5, has room for more participants. The $40 tax dedecutible enrollment fee includes lunch both days. It is open to players of any ability. All funds raised will be used to assist the USO varsity and its ambitious tennis program.

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Thus, the San Diegans I ended their season 15-12 I overall and 8-8 in the West- I ern Athletic Conference. I Cage concluded his terrif- I ic freshman campaign by I scoring 24 points and grab- bing 15 rebounds. Gwynn closed out his career, scor- I ing 16 points and dishing out I 16 assists. I For USO, it was an un- I happy ending to an unhappy 1 year as the Toreros lost an- other close one, this time to Santa Clara 80-74. The losers got to within a point at 71-70 on a basket by Bob Bartholomew, but the Broncos pulled away, hit- ting seven of eight free- throw attempts down the stretch. USO, which ended the season 10-16 overall and 3- 11 in the West Coast Athlet- ic Conference, was paced by forward Rusty Whitmarsh with 17 points. I

San Diego State and the University of San Diego ended their 1980-81 basket- ball seasons Saturday night, but only San Diego State came away happy, The Aztecs, down by 16 points in the first half to the University of New Mexico in the Sports Arena, battled back behind freshman for- ward Michael Cage and sen- ior guard Tony Gwynn and defeated the Lobos 92-84.

SAN DIEGO UNION

Several members of the University of San Diego and UCSD women's swim teams will compete in the AIAW Nationals Thursday through Saturday at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. USD's group is led by Mary Lightfoot and Val Skufca, who qualified in seven and five event;s, respectively Other Toreros to make the trip are Diane Sims, Trish Dauer and Mary Walsh. UCSD sends five swimmers, including Vicky Barker Claudia O'Brien, Jackie VanEgmond, Sandy Groos, Mary Thorsness and diver Mau- reen Kavanaugh. • • • The University of San Diego baseball team, on a four-game win streak following yester- day's 6-4 victory over Puget Sound, will host San Diego State in a 2:30 p.m. contest today at USD. Following today's game, the Toreros (7-8) travel to Long Beach for the Southern Califor- nia Baseball Association (SCBA) preseason tournament Thursday through Saturday. USD opens against Pepperdine, then meets Cal State Fullerton Friday and Loyola-Marymount Satur- day ... Starting second baseman Martin Harris is out indefinitely with a broken leg . . Right- hander Jamie McDonald, who earned yester- day's victory, is 5-3. Point Loma, which lost to the Aztecs 1-0 last week, hbsts Puget Sound today at 2:30, then goes to Occidental Friday and Cal Lutheran for a double-header Saturday. The Crusaders are 5-5 . .. UCSD, struggling with a 1-11 mark, is at UCLA today, then meets Puget Sound at home Thursday

EVENING TRIBUNl

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HAZEL TOW TR.IIUN! Society Ed..,,,

Dr. Philip Hwang of the University of San Diego faculty will speak on "Stress" at a brunch meeting of the USD Auxiliary next Tuesday at Tom Ham's Lighthouse. Mrs. 'John Athaide is brunch clfairman and Mrs. Lawre~ce ~liver, co-chairman. Mrs. George J. Soares 1s takmg reservations.

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