1971-12-01; Central Michigan Life

              rami
ByDALEMALEWSKA ■
LIFE Staff Writer
Tfnrfpr the guidance of Thomas Tarrant,
infea   veteran   of  CMU • and present
;JIr of Listening Ear, CMU and the
j Pleasant community will have their
tJ. personalities, and personal
S fonships developed throughTarrant's
«tw orogram, "Open Mind."-
L explained that the whole Rrogram
ie based on two levels-one; immediate
needVtnat include a medical center for
Zs overdose, venereal diseases, and
n hers One-to-two and group counseling
Jill be available, as well as legal assistance. _ .
The second level is more involved,
as it is a follow-up operation with group
inter-action and personal problem solving.
Peer-group (by age) counseling will be
used to break down any inhibitions,he says.
A personal social growth group will be
formed to help people actualize things
they haven't doner to give them a taste
of success. "AU of these ideas will be*
experience orientated," explained Tarrant.
Educational plans include, a free school
service-in cooperation with the city health
department to teach sex education for the
community and the campus. Tarrant said
that this area will be taught by professionals.
"Open Mind*' will also provide an outlet
for ordinary people to expose their talents
and at the same time bridge the generation
gap by means of each age group getting
to know each other by 'what they do
and who they are and not, as Tarrant
puts it, "by their hair and age."
For potential high school drop-outs, a
work- study program will be offered to help
the student who can't get onco-opbeeause
of grades, or obtain high school diplomas
or-: its   equivalent.     With this will be
sojne valuable work experience and a
chance at success, Tarrant said.
With the consent of Probate Court and
the police department, "Open Mind'Myiil
also have a run-away shelter, irwill
house anyone for 48 hours in complete,
confidence, with the only stipulation being
that the run-away agree to counseling.
Tarrant hopes to get The Listening Ear
involved with "Open Mind." Presently
Listening Ear mainly serves the campus.
Tarrant explained/'By including thecom-
munity with the Ear, in regards to working,
there is a better chance to get the whole
community involved and not just the-Uni-
versity." Tarrant also said, "With the
help of the community, Listening Ear could
run a full 12 months with no problem of
having to shut down during the summer."
Tarrant hopes to get mature 16 to 18
year olds working at "Open Mind " either
working at Listening Ear or in special
peer work groups.   He also said that he
would like to form a group of 35 to
50 year-olds to help them overcome their
prejudice and do something constructive
for others. Tarrant feels that in these
work groups actual life experiences Will
lead to more intense inter-action and
learning. "You learn only because you
are there and you want to be/' said
Tarrant.  "Attendance is not mandatory."
CENTRAL
MICHIGAN
Vi
Volume 52, Number 37
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48858
Wednesday, December 1, 1971
1971^/
A cademic Senate approves
proposed degree program
Organization and representation will be
by group. Each group has a representative
for funds with volunteers and paid workers
being spread throughout the organization.
Tarrant believes this will keep hierarchy
to a minimum.
Projected growth for the operation will
reach -completion within five years,
Tarrant added that the program will be
started in five counties of northern Michigan's lower peninsula with a branch
opening soon in Alma.
He is shooting for a $250,000 grant
from Health, Education and Welfare youth
services and $3,700 from the United
Fund. Presently all funds are gifts of
the public.
Before June of next year Tarrant expects the program to be in full swing.
Starting -in 1967, Tarrant began his
idea of helping people live in>a community
in the small town of Barryton ^Michigan.
Progressing to Midland, Tarrant later
established Abe's Place, a coffee house
affair where young ■ adults could gather
and talk. Here, Tarrant ran into re-
occurring problems. "The adults didn't
want to stick their necks out for the kids;
they were content to have just a coffee
house for the young," he said. " •
By JUDY SAMELSON
.LIFE Academics Editor
After two months of controversy, the
-once-titled Adult Degree Program was
passed in Academic Senate,y
Monday evening, the Senate unanimously
passed the proposed degree program.
However, members present barelytotaled
a quorum after various student and faculty
members left the meeting when their .
repeated motions for adjournament were
defeated.
"The Senate has approved the structure
of this degree program, but, not the programs themselves. Each program will
be continuously reviewed by the Senate
as they are developed," said Robert E.
Kohrman, Senate chairman.
Passage for the degree program has
been a long, tough wait. It. was originally -
recommeded last October that the Senate
endorse the establishment of programs
for the Development of Human Resources
and Career Development. .. *      /
Presented by CMU ProVost Charles J.
Ping, the report asked for approval of the
establishment of a council for adult degree
programs with the authority to: "initiate
and give preliminary approval to degree
programs for adults; define graduation
requirements in these programs; approve
unique instructional procedures and
student evaluation patterns; approve short
term appointments forj-egular and visiting
faculty to carry out programs."
The proposal   Continued   to- .suggest
specific constituencies from which council "
members would be chosen, their terms on '
we committee, and the various duties and-
Transfer deadline
for dorms tomorrow
Tomorrow at 5 p.m. 'is the deadline
Z ?°y dorm residents wanting to trans-
J to different dorms for second semes- ..
^inTdSr.'0 0eoxee- *• iea^es;
tim°rm residehts wil1 be informed some-
ne next week as to whether the move
«; been apprx)ved'by the housing office.
f6r» t °nly facfcor J^-WiU be looking
■    Jennings explained,- 'hs if space
to tro  ?Ie  Where tne stu<*ent wishes
tranSfer.   We wm ^^ ^ movg
tion* s before Christmas vaca
tes
§e£terhLTepti°n °f Barnes> second
to anJ• m.reshmen willbeabletdtransfer
KftrrW d°rmitory   including Saxe- '
,    ^ *S> a co-ed dormitory.
dorni?1!,8 Wishing t0 si^ ^ for different
may do so ■ in 302 Warriner "Hall
areas in which the council would be involved*' ""-'■,
Senators.voted in favor of the recommendation to endorse, in principle,-"the
development of distinct degree programs
to serve groups and individuals whose
career and family responsibilities limit
their access to higher education."
They did not, however, agree to support
the structure of the plan which, as
indicated, sets up the machinery to -put
the program into1 operation.
At the time it was presented to the
Academic Senate, Ping stressed that the
proposal detailed a concept and was not
a completed program. He also indicated
that the program was of a self-supporting '
nature, deriving aid from other schools
professing the same type of program,
as well as some governmental agencies.
Ensuing discussion pointed out that many
Senators wanted further clarification of
the program before taking final approving
action. '"   • ;
For this reason, it was decided to send
the proposal to an ad hoc committee for
review and subsequently, present a-revised
edition in one month.
,ln the meantime, student government
passed a resolution against the program.
In their denouncement, they indicated that
the original aim of the program had
changed from attempting to assist those
groups of people unable to receive structured University training to serve the
military, and big business interests.
On Nov. 8, the committee report, presented by John Schmidt, acting chairman
of the Speech Department, came once
again before the Senate.
In the presentation,.Schmidt explained
the importance of automony of the-
programs. Each could be terminated at
any time; the programs are basically fit
around those people who come to the
Central with a specific need, and the
University would have complete control
over the entire program.
The Senate meeting, which was heavily
populated with interested students and
faculty other than Senate members proceeded to discuss the proposal. Questions
were raised regarding- safeguards
designed for the program.
Other questions centered around who'
exactly would be. served by the programs
and what the possibility was of the military and large business interests obtaining too much control over'the program.
. Discussion at' each meeting carried
Well into two hours before members
decided to postpone final action until all
questions had been answered. Special
sessions were called and opened to the
entire _ University community to share
in questioning the degree plan.
The    basic    "recommendations   were
lishment of a council for the development
of programs. The title of Adult Degree
Program was amended to read External
Students' Degree Program, attempting
to define the concept of an "adult student."
Finally, the vote was taken Monday
evening after another two hour session
of questions and answers. Many Senators
Continued on page 16
km
Tarrant then got the idea to form a
corporation to teach people how to live
in a real community environment.
Albert S. Miles, vice president for
student affairs, summed up the University-approved "Open Mind" program by
saying, "The one cool thing about this
is that it is a community and Universityv
project."
Until 5 - warriner Hall - ine     oasic     recommeuuciiiuuo    wwc
^»»n-?4f,»f*VtomorrowV   '     .'    •   . amended to include, students in the estab-
SANTA GLAUS' fairies and elves, now    hustling to make toys for all good boys
'and girls will" have no trouble guiding his little sleigh through the snowy hills of
Mt, Pleasant. Decorations such as these at Robinson Hall are beginning to appear
throughout campus. .,       LIFE pHo.tO by  Brent;P,9tJPP
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