Evening star., 1961-05-13
1862 Freshmen
To Take Exums
At IS Centers
BY JAMES B. ROWLAND
Star staff Writer

new SUuQ6IlLS Will uC lCdUAACO
to take a Nationwide place
ment test.
The Board of Regents voted
yesterday to have prospective
freshmen take the American
College Testing Program, to be
given at 13 centers throughout
the State at a cost of SO per
student. This will sapply to
freshmen entering in Septem-
Der, 1862.
The newly adopted testing
program will replace tests now
given by the university, some
of which are outdated or no
longer being published, accord
ing to DR.. Wilson H. ElkinS,
university president. He noted
that the growing number OF
freshmen has made it in
creaSingly difficult and eXpen-
sive for the university to give
its tests around the State.
Test results will help in the
future to determine the place
ment of new, borderline stu
dents required by the university
to attend a six-week summer
school. Students in the first
session June 26 will be gov
erned by the old test.
The new pre-college summer
session was adopted by the
regents last December and is
required of high school grad
yates whose average falls be-
low a C. To earn admission to
Maryland, they must attend
the summer school and receive
at least a c in one subject and
a D in the other.
900 Advised to Atted
One of the summer subjects
will be English and the other
will be assigned according to
the individual need, which will
be based. in part, on the re-
suits of the American College
Testing Program.
DR.. Elkins. reporting on the
first summer session to start
next month, said about 600
students were told they would
have to attend, but that the
university expects only some
$50 prospective freshmen.
DR.. Elkins emphasized the
initial ACTP is not a general
admission test, but rather a
guide for the university in
placing individual students in
the academic program. He noted
that students who take the
test can use the results in
applying for admission to other
colleges.
The university already has
received 1900 applications for
admission next September, 900
more than last year, DR.. ElkinS
said.
The regents agreed to con-
tinue using endowment funds
to finance sorority and frater-
nifty house construction in spite
of strong objections by one
board member, Richard w.
Case, chairman of the groups
endowment committee.
RapS Investment"
He said such use of con-
tributions and requests, while
legal, constituted an "unsound
investment,
Il just don't think a person
who would give $1,000 to the
university wants it to go to a
private club" Mr.. Case said.
Mr.. Case said the endowment
fund was supposed to yield an
increase. He said no banker
could make such a loan as the
university does for this type of
construction.
Market value of the endow-
ment fund stands at $6.8 mil
lion, of which 6 per cent is
tied up in sorority and ffater-
nifty house construction. There
are spaces for five additional
houses, whose construction
would require an additional 4.9
per cent of the endowment
fund.
In house construction, the
school provides $4,000 or so
per cent of the building cost
at an initial interest rate of
As per cent, and the sorority
or fraternity pays the rest.
Houses cost about $4,000
each.
Regents who spoke for con-
tinuation of the policy argued
that land was a safe investment
and that the procedure helps
ease the housing problem on
campus. The university retains
title to the house and property,
To Buy 8 Acres
| In other business, the board
agreed to:
Try to buy eight acres off
Metzerott road. in College Park,
to give access to a 55-acre
tract already owned by the uni
verSlty.
Agreed to accept bid to
start construction on a 50 mil
lion addition to the student
union building at College Park,
which will more than triple
cafeteria space, add meeting
rooms and provide space for
later installation of bowling
alleys.
Use unexpected income of
about $150,000 for expanding
zoology and microbiology lab
oratories, increase administra-
tive office space, and improve
walks and parking facilities
all in College Park.
Pay $336,250 for the Bilt-
more Hotel, on Packer street.
Baltimore. located on the north
east boundary of an urban re-