Evening star., 1959-12-06


time peak, but so is the short
age of clasSroomS and student
housing.
There is more basic research,
but an ever-growing shortage
of Laboratories and equipment.
There is more emphasis on
gifted students, but more worry
about poorly prepared high
school graduates.
There is increased attention
TO nucelar science, but the
schools are waging q losing
battle to find and keep quail
fed faculty members.
There is bold new expert
mentation in programs and
teaching methods, but thou
sands of qualified students are
turned away for lack of space,
facilities and teachers.
6O-COIlege Survey
This picture of higher edu-
cations problems and progress
is drawn from a survey made
by a joint Office representing the
American Association Of Land
Grant Colleges and State Uni
versities, and the State Uni
versity Association. Sixty of
the SO member institutions re-
piled to a QUESTIONABLE sent
them at the start Of the aca-
demic year.
Overall, the so schools re-
port an enrolment increase
of nearly 5 per cent over last
year. All of them expect the
trend to continue, with the
biggest crush still four to five
years away.
They report that at least
$4,000 qualified students were
denied admission. This, how
ever, is a tricky statistic and
1t may be a prime example of
where figures do lie.
There is bound to be con-
siderable overlapping. For in
stance, the same student may
have applied at four schools,
and been turned down at three
of them. He would have been
counted three times as a uuali-
fed student turned away, al
though he is enrolled in the
fourth school.
Applicants Rejected
Whatever the accurate total
figure might be, Pennsylvania
State University says it re-
jected $500 qualified appli-
cants for lack of housing, staff
and facilities. Massachusetts
Institute Of technology turned
down 1850 for the same rea-
son.
The University Of Puerto
Rico denied admission to 5,400
for lack of facilities. The Uni
versity Of Maryland turned
down between 500 and TOO out
of-State students for lack of
housing.
Another complicating factor
is that 18 of the so schools
report they raised their ad-
mission standards this year.
Thus thousands of high school
graduates who might have been
qualified applicants in 1958-59
were not qualified for 1959-60.
Thirty of the so schools in
creased their annual fees and
tuition for this year. The
average Jump was from $211I
to 1929 for in-State students,
and from $475 to $504 for out
of-State students. That rep
resents an increase of about
8 per cent for resident, 81 per
cent for non-residentS.
(State colleges and univer-
sites, as tax-supported insti-
tutionS, charge far less tuition
than most private schools.)
Board and room charges were
held pretty close to last years
level, and averaged $647 year.
Only Is of the so schools re-
ported increases, and these
were only about $39 a year.
Costs Go Up
Most schools report the in
creased fees had little, if any,
effect on the size of the student
body this year. But they warn
there will be trouble ahead if |
costs continue to rise. Most |
say out-of- State students are
hardest hit when fees and tu-
ition are increased.
Fifty-two of the so schools
are making special academic
provisions for superior stu
dents. The most frequently
cited programs are honors
courses, special seminars, ad-
vanced placement (for fresh
men who have taken college
level work in high SCHOOL, and
the waiver of certain required
courses after an examination.
At the other end of the aca-
demic scale, a number of re-
porting schools list made
quately prepared high school
graduates as the source Of |
some of their thorniest prob
lens.
Funds Biggest Problem
The University of Wyoming
puts it this way: Under our
policy of admitting all gradu-
ates of accredited Wyoming
high schools, there will con-
tinue to be a problem concern
ing the failure of many stu
dents to do college work OF
acceptable quality"
Far and away the most press