The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1961-03-02

tain a provision for students who
are now in or who will enter teach
er training in the future, to con-
tinue to do so at the present board
and room rates. In other words.
any student in teacher training
under the provisions of the bill
before the Legislature can do so
Maryland in Frostburg for the
same overall costs as they are now
paying at Frostburg State Teach
ers College. In all modesty | am
glad to say that I had some part
in having this special cost feature
incorporated in the bill The plan
to convert the college into a branch
of the University will not, there
fore. create any additional hard
ship on parents as far as costs are
concerned. In addition, a branch
of the University SO close to home
will provide cheaper liberal arts
education for students in pre-laW.
pi e-medicine, business education,
etc, than it is now possible for the
same students to obtain such train
ing elsewhere, and they will not
have to go 200 miles from home or
leave the state to do so.
The special rate feature in the
bill to convert the college into a
branch of the University should
also dispel any fears that the pres
ent teacher training program will
be impaired. This feature should
serve to encourage more young
people than ever to take the teach
er training programs. 1t should
also encourage more students from
other parts of the state to come to
Frostburg for their teacher train
ing rather than attend the already
overcroWded College Park school
This would serve an added pur-
pose of the conversion plan which
is to reduce the enrolment pres
sure at the College Park campus.
AS for the teachers at Frostburg,
as l understand it, the same adj
ministrative and teaching staff
would be retained, and at the high
er salaries paid University profess
sors. The Thomas G.. Pullen prac-
tice school would be retained as
part of the teacher training pro-
gram as well as the present nurses
training program according to a
recent report in The Cumberland
Times.
| believe that as part of the Uni
versity of Maryland the Frostburg
branch would receive over the
years greater support from the
Legislature for funds for eXpan-
sion and improvement than would
be received by the school under
the present organization. l do not
believe as has been indicated by OPP
ponents of this proposal that this
move is an attempt to do piecemeal
what was proposed by the Warfield
Committee. This move has nothing
to do with Towson or Salisbury,
and l doubt if any move is ever
made to convert these institutions
into branches of the University I'M
less there is a strong demand from
the people in those communities
to support such move.
l have respect for the State SUI
perintendent of Schools. State
Board of Education. President of
the University of Maryland. and
Board of Regents, Which of the
two groups is better able to admin
lister the college I believe to be
relatively unimportant to the tax
payers who will pay the bill. But
if through our state University
this area of the state can be pro-
Vided an institution Of higher learn
ing designed to more readily meet
the needs Of the greatest number
of boys and girls from our county,
and will provide greater stimula-
ton and interest in college train
ing for a greater number of our
Young people, then l believe it will
be good for our county.
Basically. this proposal is a
Western Maryland move for West
ern Maryland-and teachers, pu-
pills and parents should benefit
The arguments in favor of the meas
ure seem to far outweigh those
against it, and this is particularly
true now that there will be no cost
increases for students in teacher
training. The move appeals to me,