Eccy, Literature, Earth Science, Alienated Youth
DARTMOUTH Alumni College, 1966, has been officially launched. The faculty has been selected, the curriculum has been determined, and an invitation and an informational brochure have been mailed to every alumnus.
The dates for Alumni College this summer are August 14 through August 25. The tuition charge which includes room, board, books, instruction, tickets to evening events, recreation, and other items is $325 per couple, $215 stag, and $105 for a junior.
Two of the four faculty lecturers, Professor of Economics James F. Cusick and Professor of English Harold L. Bond '42, are veterans of the first two successful Alumni College programs. The two newcomers to "Dean" Cusick's Alumni College faculty are Associate Professor of Geology Robert W. Decker and Assistant Professor of Sociology Robert Sokol.
Each of the four lecturers has chosen an area of concentration and the advance reading materials related to his area. The lecturers will read all the books assigned, as will the fifteen discussion leaders who are also Dartmouth faculty members. The four lecturers meet twice a month to prepare a program that suggests the interrelations between the specialties.
However, Professor Cusick notes, "there will be no artificial attempt at synthesis. The interrelations will be by indirection and illustration in the lectures and discussion groups."
Professor Cusick will deal with "Current Economic Problems" and will use Heilbroner's The Making of EconomicSociety and Heilbroner and Bernstein's A Primer on Government Spending as his textbooks. Professor Cusick describes his course as follows:
"The work in Economics will deal with the development, operation, and current problems of our economic system which is organized by the forces at work in the market, supplemented by the influence of government and public policy.
"Attention will be given to the historical development of the institutions of the market and economic theory will be examined in the context of this development.
"Significant current problems will be considered such as the instability of a market economy, attempts to create stability by governmental action through monetary policy and fiscal policy, the problem of economic growth, problems raised by a large national debt, the nature of economic planning and the possibility of developing a market economy in the undeveloped nations.
"An effort will be made to show that economics and politics are interrelated and that ethical and philosophic values play a significant role in the formation of public policy."
Shakespeare's drama Julius Caesar, one of the works Professor Bond has selected, will be presented by the Dartmouth Summer Repertory Company during the Alumni College session. Bond's other book selections for his course in "Literature and the Modern World" are Camus' The Plague, The Portable Conrad, and Keats' Selected Poems and Letters. His course is described in the following way:
"Through a study of Shakespeare's JuliusCaesar, Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Camus' The Plague, and the lyrics of Keats, the course will consider the ways in which the literary artist comments meaningfully on human experience. A play, two novels and poetry give us a variety of genres, and the selection of works written as much as 400 years apart will show us the continuing relevance of major literary achievements. Political idealism versus the reality of power, the darkness of the human heart, the moral and intellectual confusion of the modern world, and the poet's quest for permanence are some of the themes which will be considered."
"Science and Use of the Earth" is Professor Decker's subject. He has assigned The World of Geology and selected offprints from Scientific American as advanced reading. He has written the following about his proposed offering:
"The course will consider two aspects of Earth Science. First, an evaluation of man as an active agent in changing the earth and the implications this has on resources for the future. The age of the earth and its evolution to the present will be discussed to put man into the brief and brittle position he occupies in geologic time.
"The distinction of basic research, applied research, and engineering will form the second area of consideration. Studies on earthquakes and volcanoes will be used for examples."
Professor Sokol will deal with "Adolescence and Alienation" in the following way:
"The central focus in this segment of the summer program will be the American adolescent. While not more important than his parents or other groups in society, American adolescents have been the source as well as the target for a variety of social actions during the past several years with the result that many American communities claim to be hosts to a new social problem youth estranged from society, family, and school. The theme of the readings and lectures will be the question: Do the strains, confused identities, and values of young Americans indicate a serious level of alienation?
"The intent of the course is to examine the possible causes and consequences of this issue particularly from a sociological and psychological perspective. It will trace the social changes which characterize mass society by looking at shifts in family structure and loyalties, educational experiences in high school and college, redefinitions of the relevance of politics, and recreational styles. Patterns of differentiation based on social class and ethnicity will be examined in the light of their role in such adolescent forms of deviant behavior as juvenile delinquency and drug addiction. Specific types of collective activity will be analyzed in terms of adolescent peer group relations, delinquent subcultures, and college student demonstrations."
The reading material for Professor Sokol's segment will be Goodman's Growing Up Absurd and Man Alone:Alienation in Modern Society, edited by Eric and Mary Josephson.
Alumni College from its beginnings has endeavored to offer a concentrated educational experience for men and women who enjoy the exhilaration of studying, thinking, and communicating. This pioneering venture in the field of continuing education has been enjoyed by more than 400 Dartmouth men and their wives in the past two summers. Although participants have found opportunities to take advantage of the College's north country recreational offerings too, the Alumni College staff emphasizes again that the program is intended to be a serious striving for intellectual refreshment involving a measure of preparation and participation.
The books selected by the faculty are sent to students as soon as possible after registration. Early in the spring the faculty also sends outlines and questions to guide students in their thinking about the reading materials.
Since many Alumni College participants come to the campus as a family, a diversified children's program has been arranged to free the parents for their studies. The "junior division" is operated in three age groupings, 3-6, 7-12, 13-18. Offerings ranging from supervised play for the youngest to woodworking, painting and sculpture instruction, and special course work fill the morning hours. Recreational programs on campus and at Storrs Pond for the children are planned for afternoon hours; some special evening activities also are scheduled.
In addition to Julius Caesar, the Dartmouth Repertory Company will also present Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters and Feydeau's Take Care of Amelia. Concerts, gallery exhibitions, and special films will also be presented as part of the College's summer program.
Further information may be gained from J. Michael McGean, Alumni College Director, 205 Crosby Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H. To register, simply list names (and nicknames) of those planning to attend, adding ages for children, and send with a $35 registration fee (payable to Dartmouth College) to Mr. McGean.
Alumni College Faculty for 1966: Profs. Harry L. Bond '42 (English), James F.Cusick (Economics), Robert W. Decker (Geology), and Robert Sokol (Sociology).
For the inaugural notes column of theDartmouth Alumni College Association seePage 73 in this issue.