Argument Preliminary to an Educational Plan for the University of Puerto Rico (1961)

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MGlfllEOT PEELIMINABY TO M EDÜCATIONAL PLM

Rexford G. Tugwell

Decejiiber I96I

ARGUMEara? PPTCT.TMINARy TO M EdJCATIOKAL PLAN FOR TOE UNIVERSITy OT PUERTO RICO

Education, John Devey has said, is democracy*s best insurance; it is its "selfrepairing" mechsuilsni^ cons'fcan'bly at voi^h to rejuvenabe lo.s'tl'tu'blons fironi vithin "feo cexrtalu thab "they are flmOy rooted^ and to see thab no danage is done to the principies of equality and liberty,»

Early efforts in América^ somevha't "tentative at first^ to mahe facilities available for the few ■váio thirsted for hnovledge^ then for those vho had a use for it

even if no thirst^ turned only very gradually into a determination that a universal Qrstem onist be created and inaintained*

But it is obvious why this change came about»

Isolated cities and settlements scattered across the countryside, txying to become

a nation^ had to have a means of comnnanication throu^ witten and printed Tíords» Face to face exchanges vere not possible in any area larger than a village; there had to be other kinds»

It is an essential of democracy that every individual shall have the ri^t of

participation in every decisión he is affected by» And this ri^t can only be exer-

cised by those who are literate, perhe^s really only those vho are appropriately educated.

more

This is because as the arguments concerning públic policy come to involve

more coniplex matters, there has to be a bacJcground of common infoimation

against vhich discussion can tahe place. Othervise there may be vindy exchanges but there can be no meeting of minds.

So education had to have content b^ond the

teaching of the three Rs in grade schools. If it did not have this content the ri^t of participation vould be lost.

This is not the only reason theare vas a demand for universal schooling. There is no doubt that this vas the overriding issue of public policy involved; but there

vas also a recognition that getting ahead for individuáis in the kind of society that vas evolving depended on the acguisition of more and more knovledge.

It vas

an extremely free and open society and cxoinpetition vas fierce and unrelieved»

7

A y

2.

Qpenlng avenvies to educatlon vas a vay of eusuring that ábili-iy vould Ise recogolzed.

It vas in effect a redefinltlon of ectualit^»

There had tended to be an Inslstence

that all men vere, literally, eQ.ual; there could stlU be a claim of fidellty to the democratlc principie and at the same time a recognition of ábilily — provided opportnnity vas egual*

A free and common educational pxocess vould enable eveiyone

to advance in it as far as his talents alloved.

As sociely became more conplex^ and the techniques of operating its institutions

became more and more difficult| year after year of advanced study had to be added.

And finally^ in logical seqoence, free education emerged even out of the tenth and tvelfth grades^ and piiblic coUeges vere established»

Ghese vere not at all the

same as the oíd private institutions^ idiich, until vell into the nineteenth century, vere largely training institutes for, first, clergymen, then lavyers, then teachers,

then premedical students^ and^ of course^ sudi professionals as physicians and lavyers»

Vlben public hi^er education came to Puerto Rico it carne as teacher-training?

Ihe University vas first of all a normal school^ and teacher-training dominated its activities for a good many years, Bub gradualiy its character changad under the

same influences that caused the ptiblic universily in the United States to e:q)aad into nev areas* States*

But the e:q>ansion took a tum vhich had been peculiar to the Uuited

Novhere else are there coUeges as a continuation of general purpose high

schools, preparing students for entrence to careers in professional schools^ in scholarly pursuits^ or ^t for good citizenship and cultivated living* It is sometimes said that such a program vas adoptad because as a people ve

vere so affluent that ve could"afford to give young people tvo, three, or four years of leisurely life before they settled dovn to the serious pursTiits of adulthoodé

But it is possible to make quite a different intezpretation: that oarhlglier educa tion is the fulfilment of an instinct to prepare foHoving generations for the tasks

3.

ahead of thenu Hiese gpow more and more demanding as knowledge cumulates and as

pro"blems "become more difficultj and just as it vas once realized that it was ixot

enouÉ^ to read and vrite, it has more lately "been realized that it is dangerous to have young people leave school ignorant of mathematics^ physics^ chemistryj anthro*" pology, histoiy, languages, literatura, constitutional law, sociolosr, political science, economics and the other subjects that mske the coUege curriculum» This is true aven of the intending engineer or physician» And the tendency

to require of the pr¿fessional student that he first become generalJy educated har. the same justification as the requirement that the admin3.strator or laborar or teacher should also be so educated»

This polic^ carne to Puerto Rico along vith the \^rush of aemocratic ideas» líhen it did it vas convenient that an institution already existed for tralning

elementary school teachers» And the enlargement of the university folj.owed veiy

quickly» The normal school orientation remained inpertantj teachers vcre still urgently neededj but the vider education that vas spreading in the ünited Ststes became indispensable to Puerto Ricans for the same reasons» It is significant that the üniversities in other Latin Amaricen countries did not change in the same

vays» They still hawe not» They do not have the same democratic intention» It vas inevitable, for a number of reasons, that the organization of the Uax-

versity of Puerto Rico should follov scmevhat the same pattern as vas evolving in the States and that its standards should be the same as those for comparable institutions. men accreditation by the mddle States Association vas applied for, and

presently granted, the comraitment became irreversible.^ ^ (1) The University vas fully accredited and admitted to membership in the Middle

States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools on April 29, 19^»

1^.

The University es^ecbs xnov "to be Judged by "fche sane "tes'bs as are appXied. "feo other neiiíbers of the i^soclatlon.*

It vas, of course, association vith the IMited States idiich set Puerto Blco on a dlffereot

traditlonj taat that this

nnai course thaxi vas folloved by other countries in the ^auLsh

it Is thls aesociation that has Isept it on that coursea It is iinporbe irecogtxized in aJJL its isplications» It constitutes an iu-

tention to provide egual educational opportunities to all, to develop the talents of every individual to the esctent of his or her capability, and to transmit to every

student the cosnoion body of cultural material en idiich civilization builds# It is not intended to create a privileged elite or to transmit sectarian or even Recial

political, econiKQic, or other, beliefsa It is intended to create a reasoning and informed citizenry c^able of iaproving its inhea?itanceo

An enoimous proportion of avalláble resources is allocated to education» It

is part of the püblic «pparatusj but it is not govemmental in the same sense that oiiier functions are, and this is recognized by its separation, to some degree, from

politically daosen administrators* Ibis is a delicate matter» And the organization proper to education has been and is being vorked out by trial and error through endless experimenta. There have been failures and there have been successes. But it is nothing nev to reexamine current arrangements to see vhether tbey are conve-

rdent and appropriate. Just nov, as a period of accelerated expansión follovs on one in vhich e:5>ansion already seemed rapid, a nev examination is at least not out of place.

II

fphta iniplied duty of a govemment "vdiich adopta universal education is to mahe T ftbie i/O every individual as much of it as his intelligence vi11 absorb. Por

various reasons his ovn aspirations may not motivate pursuLt of self-improvement

to üiis limit; but it dearly ought to be availáble to him. To cariy out this in-

5.

tention fully, all educatlon ought to be free to all who can qualify for its offer-

Ings; and theae offerlngs ou^t to be as varlous as tbe cpportunltles for en^loynent

(including self enplcyment)j and they ought to include all the svíbáects necessary to partlcipation in ptflblic decisions»

Also they ought to go as far as any siúbstan-

tlal nuníber of students may care to go« ühe tvo social determiuations spoken of here — to provlde a means for ensurlng

the continued Ufe and health of democrac^, and to furnish every individual with the means for develcping his talents —> vere and stlll are tremendous and revolutionaxy

undertakings»

It is not surprising that progrese tovard their fulfillment has scme-

times been slow»

It requires something like one-third of the piiblic revenues of

Puerto Rico year after year for instance^ and of the states of the IMion likevise.

Sucdx an effort vas never before nade in any time or place* (1)

(l) Except, perhaps, in liie Scandinavian countries* In Westem Europe and Britain, although they too are democracies in their ovn fashion, the educational effort has been a less generous one* The "üieory there has been that only an elite, selected at about eleven years, ought to go on to further education, except that restricted

to vocational sT¿jects* The communist educational effoirb in Soviet Russia has been naxrover, although

energetic and generous* It has been meant to produce citizens useful to the communist cause in one or anolher vay, not those capable of participating in the rigors of reasoning necessary to partlcipation in publlc decisions*

Especially in the more advanced reaches of the educational procesa our democret-

cy has failed to maintain free facilities*

te and including the high school —

that is through tvelve grades — there has been no selection by econcanic status*

Beyond the tvelfth grade there is almost universally a charge to be met by the student and his famiOy; and the ábility to meet this cost ofben determines going

on or dropping out* That all of us are avare of this anomaay is shovn by the many efforts ve means*

to modiíy its rigors — by scholarships, grants, loans, and other

6»

But this reach for universality in edueation is so different in its comprehensiveness in different localities that ve mst hesitate to speaJc of it as a system

at all«

It is more a common acceptance or recognition of a du^ty to "be carried out

at a time and to the exbent that each locality feels it possihle»

It is given a

certain coherence and \xaiformity hy the aids given to localities by the States, or hy the Federal governmento

Olie Commonwealth of Pueito Rico has possibly the most integrated and viniform

public educational system availáble to citizens of the United Stalies»

Eirtending^

as it does^ under one general Supervisory Conncil to and through the University lev'.' it has more central direction than any system in the Statesa

And it comes neavest»

siso, to heing actually free» It is not absolutely so at the Universiiy levelj hui; novhere are there lover fees or a more generous provisión of scholarships»

It is this higher edueation that ve are concerned vith here» ¥e a.sh ourselves

vhether the provisión made for it in Puerto Rico is adequate for the coramunal pur-

pose of creating and sustaining a democracyj and vhether it is of the right sort te enáble its participante to lead the fullest and most useful lives. Going on, ve ash vhether there are changes that ought to be made; and, specifically, \áiat provisión vill have to be made for the University's voi'k in the biidgets of the Ccmmonvealth

if its proper grovth is not to be restricted because of inadequate support, and vhat land and other facilities vill have to be reserved for it.

other claimants the University has to remember that the resources of the

Comaionvealth are not endless and that respect and conmrehension are oved to other

public needs. Agreed aims and careful planning are called for.

III

Any plan for the University's future most take accoTant of its unusual situaticnc Alone among land-grant Colleges it is located on an island; its culture and language

are predominantly hispanic, yet its products have their richest opportunitiss in the

7.

Unlted S'batesj it has no dlstlnguished prívate instltutlon as a cióse nei^borj it is e^^ected to serve tbe pübllc needs of a comsunlty develcrping vlth iimisiifti xa/pidity.

Circmstanees have in the past determined that It shotild devote its "best

efforts to st5>plying teacbers for a rapldly e:q?anding sehool system, to tralnlng personnel for a gro'ulng commercial and Industrial ssrstem^ and^ in general^ to adapting or inventing the technlgues necessary to a rapid econonic ftyfl social evolution*

These insistent requlrements^ presenting theiuselves one after another^ in an econony with limited resources asad many demande, has made it difficult to look beyond them to a definition of educational aspirations suitable to the Puerto Rician

situatlon* Even 'vdien advanced study has become possible, it has been directed for

the most part to practical ende — to producing engineers, physicians, dentista, laidyers, social vorkers, and the like*

Ihe time is arriving, hovrever, when a new assessment of University purpose ou^t to be made«

^diat is most useful, most necessary, at one stage of develc^ment

is not necessarily -ttie most useful and necessary at a further stage* ^en the pro-

duction of engineers, physicians, social vorkers, teachers had been assinred, it is possible to ask -vdiether -vhat is being done is being vell done and vhether something more is required of the scholarly apparattis in a clvilized societ^*

.

Ihis is not to say that in Puerto Rico, under the University's auspices many valuable scholarly aitexprises have not been carried out* It is to say that these

— together vlth research, even of the most esóteric sorts — become more and more

practical as the levels of culture are raised. It becomes more necessary to explore

accepted habits of soclety, to enter entirely nev ranges of technigue, to guestlon

critically oíd valúes, and to discover new talents.

Ih Puerto Rico if the University bearing the Ccramonvealth*s ñame does not go on to these levels it vlU not be done at all*

There is no other instltutlon -vdiere

8.

It

happen. It caa^ of covirse^ be argued tbat it Is still euough for a publlc

university, and the ünlversily of Puerto Eico in particular, to bold to the purpose

of meetlng obvlous needs;

since tbis can alvays be done better tban it has been

done in the past, this is a sufficient task for the insoediate futureo

There are ins-

titutions elsevhere -- on the continent or in Europe — "vdiere the cultivation of

research and scholarhip is a first intention; and these are available to Puerto Rican^ It may be that this choice vill be made; but it should be clearly recognized

that it resigna the Uhiversity wholly to undergraduate instruction (except for the professional schools) and e:5>licite3y indicates láiat no contribution vill be made to the hi^er areas of learning and the more coinplex techniques of cultvire that are

so rapidly developing»

A tiniversily of this sort ou^t to abandon the ñame and in

dícate that it has no intention of becoming one of the institutions vhere leaming

is advanced# It otight to identiíy itself as an undergraduate institution and cultivate the appropriate cowses of instruction vithout reaching out for more# But

actually it vas long ago deteimLned ttiat the Itoiversi-ty of Puerto Rico vould accept its civilizational obligations as ra5)id2y an that could be done* Its professional

schools, such as lav and medicine, have been built on a foundation of general educationj and this clearly indicates its intention* The pattern here is one \d3lch is

already being foUoved to a certsdLn extent in the humaaities and the social st\idies* There are courses leading to Masters degrees at ^feyaguez in Mathematics, in Río Piedras in Physics, ^anish Studies, and Public Administration, at the Agricultura!

E^eriment Station in several specialized fields such as Plant Pathology and Genetics, and at the Medical School in certain fields other than medicine, sxich as Public Health and Sanitary Engineering*

Noting this, lír* Bovles, as long ago as 195^# suggested that it vas time for a

gradúate administration to be set tg> and noted the desirable machinery. (1) p, 26 ff» pyQ^•^^t1^Tlfl.yy Report to the Superior Educational Council of Puerto Rico and the Chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico relativa to the Development of a Gradúate Program at the Uuiversiiy of Puerto Rico*

9.

If it was tune then, it is past time now. And aa educational plan for the futor-e

ought to accept this as a main feature, Olie numbers of students actuaUy

ng

gradúate education, as vill be noted, are still not large; but in somewhat the same

voy that a superior highway attracts traffic, a distinguisbed gradúate faculty will attract students; so an existent demand cannot be taben as a measure of usefulness for a gradúate scboolo

IV

But firstj it is necessary to take a bard Icok at tbe éL ementad civic responsi-

oilities of tbe xmiversily — those tbat are now being met, even if not as fully as obose responsible could wisb» How mucb may tbey be e:5)eeted to e^and; wbat size

will tbe facultgr need to be in tbe years abead; -vdiat facilities must be provided?

Since tbe university bas severa! times tbe number of students, and ceveral timis tbe number of teacbers, it bad vtien it emerged fcom its earlier pbases and asstm'.ed its present organization, a presuiuption is created tbat reorganization ms^ be in orier» Sucb a growtb usually swamps arrangements and procedures adequate for smaller basks; and tbere are evidences tbat tbxs bas bappened« Ab least it is appropriate :o ask by now wbetber tbere may not be better arrangements for wbat bas to be done® L'bis is not to say tbat the universi-ty's educators bave failed to understand tbeir

íroblem©

In fact many necessary cbanges bave been made» But tbe rapid growtb of

"vbe past now seems to be about to be succeeded by an even more rapid growtb in tbe jnmediate future»

It is a convenient time for carrying out sucb furtber reorganiza-

;ion as m^ be indicated.* Perbaps tbe most fundamental cbange in tbe life of tbe Universi-ty was wben it

)ecame a general institution for education instead of one for teacber training on3y, üiotber was wben it began to develop professional scbools requiring immense efforts md large ej^íenditures» ies program»

Still anotber was tbe decisión to initiate tbe General Stu-

10.

Tbis last, in 19^3^ committed. entering students, comlng from the xiBual hi^ school, to a conmon program of courses. Aod since tben, at ftCo Piedras, all except those intending to be elementaxy teachers, and those in the t"wo-year secretaria! course, have been ensrolled In this progranu

It constitutes, in effect> a base for

the ptirsTiit, after tve years, of more specialized vork.

There vas good reason for the change. It vas stated ve3:y clearly in the

Fiftieth Anniversary Edition of the üniversity BuHetin. The program vould embody, it vas said:

•••a reaction against the confusing character of láie conventional college curriculum vhich fails to give the student any sense of lueaning and direction.««

This happened because there vas

•••too early specialization and fragmentation of the liberal studies into a set of narrov departmental courses*

And it vas hoped that this could be changed by the effort to •••orient the student in the main fields of leaming prior to

his choice of special or professional vork, thus increasing the breadth of his general education and givlng hlm the qppor-

tunity to reaffirm or modify his vocational plans.

This vas the intention* It vas to be carried out by requiring the student to

purstifi four basic courses "concemed vith general relationships and valúes". One of these vas in the biological sciences, one vas in the physical sciences, one vas

in the hunKinities, and another vas in the social sciences# In addition, the stu dent most also study ^anish and English. (1)

(l) There vas more flexibility provided than appeared at first. Por instance, students vell preparad in either of the languages might go on to more advanced vork; and those deficient in mathematics vould have to make special preparation before registering for physical science courses.

The Üniversity, in adopting this scheme, vas folloving a precedent by then

fairly vell estáblished in continental universities# After half a cent\iry of elec tivo offerings

alloved students to choose most of their courses themselves

11.

and so to avold large areas of educa'blon and slJlU 'become graduates of respectad institutions — the disiUusiorunent with stich freedom vas thoroxigbi»

Teachers had

long since decided that^ if tliey Imev their 'business at all, they knew the miniTrimn knowledge that educated persons

to possess in conmon. They vare convinced

that specializatlons ou^t to 'be contiuuations, offshoots, from a common body of knovledge, not siinply techniques vithout relation to a foundation. There had 'been

danger that intelligent individuáis, operating vithin closed areas, and having very little cultural knowledge, would scon hardly 'be áble to communicate with one another, and would have a very uncertain hold on the moral system eveiy socieiy must possess.

In every sansa in which educational effort can be measvired, the scheme of General Studies has been a stxccess for the first two Collegiate years. It does not form something like an adeguate base on which to build \diatever may come after in an individuales education*

The impoartance of 'tíiis disciplined content for the first two years is made greater by realizing that for nearly one half the st\adents it is all the formal

education they will ever have. This half is going no further. At the end of the

second year they will either have reached the limit of their ábilities to ábsorb \diat is offered by the üniversily, or, for economic or other reasons, they will be tinable to continué.

For these students the University can claim to have provided

something better to carry into their lives and occt5>ations than a series of unre-

lated forays into fragmented introductions to various fields. They at least have a coherent introduction to the common store of knowledge necessary to a citizen.

It might be su^ested that one change would be an inrprovement. The orienta-

tion of "tdie entire two years has been toward the past (aside from the tool courses).

It mi^t also be oriented partly to the futwe. Projections of what may happen to the world and to its various regions are being made conetantly by scientists and

planners. These would be exciting materials for study. They lack the certainty of

12.

events that have already hs^pened and cannot therefore be changad; but they siso

lack the ílnalilgr of these events. Ihere is about them an atmosphere ©f creativity.

Something is bound to he^en^ something iiM

vill affect every one of them; «"fi

something too In vdxLch each vill in some vay particípate.

Mticipations of ccming events, situations, discoveries, is a necessaxy preliminaxy to the discussion of policy conceming them» Especian y in Puerto Rico, vilái its govemmental Planning Board, mataríais for courses of this sort voxild be available. Ihey vould need only to be arranged for student use.

Also it mi^t be suggested that General Studies, as an organizad program, be confinad altogether to the first tvo years. Such e^^erlance as there has been vould seem to shov no considerable demand for i:®per-class vork under these au^ices. And

vhat there is could be satisfied by the regular program leading to the bachelor*s degree in liberal Arts.

V

Since so larga a percentage of stxidents remain at the University for no more

than tw years, it is of special interest that the enrollments of recent years have shovn a curious trend. Second year numbers have become greater than those of the

first year. This has resultad from the transfer of students afber having had a

first year else-vdiere. Ihe thlrd year fall off again to less than half the second.(1)

(1) This is not true of Mayaguez -vdiere the most startling change from the ftrst year is a loss of three-guarters of the students in liberal Arts. It should be notad also that in the first year at Mayaguez there is a pre-engineering course ■vdiich disappears in the second year.

This vohld suggest tíiat -ttiere are already other institutions -idiere many students

are pwsulng their first year of study. These, in effect, must be Jbnior CoUeges.

13.

That "bhis nuniber vlU grow is made certsiin by projections of student nunibers

into the future, These show that from a total of 18,000 in I96O-6I there wiU be

a growth to 33^000 in 1965-66 and to 37,000 in 1970-71¿ (l)

(1) From then there would be a slow decline, estimated to reach 30,000 in 1975-76» This total enroUment inclndes all registrante on all csmipuseso The assuirrptions on which it vas based may be found in the document A Statistical Research Froject on the Growth and Demand for EL^er Education in Puerto Rico compiled by the Office of Research of the Si:5)erior CoTmcil of Education, 1958-59, Táble 35»

Of the 18,000 students in 1960-61 about two-thirds were first and second year enrollees. Of these about half would go no further» Of the 30,000 in 1975-76, twenty thousand woxild, if the same assxanptions held, be registered in the first arid second years; and ten thousand of these would go no further»

The students who swell the enroUment of the second year must first have been

enrollad in other institutions. If these years of education are a rssponsibility of -Oie University it is obviously not being met.

The stvidents may not have registered at the University in their first year either because of its inaccessibility to them or because of restrictions on enroU

ment.

If the difficully was inaccessibility the obvious remedy would be decentra-

lization of University facilities — the creation of other campuses. If the difficulty was restrictiveness, there was something doübtfuL about admissions policy»

A student who can be admitted to do second year work coiild have done that

of the first year»

Being forced to do it in some other institution was an evident

injustice» How can this be remedied?

If the University's intention is to accept all those who can meet the entrence

requirements, as it must be in a responsible public institution, there is no other way than by adding another one-third to its facilities within the next few years»

They could not be crowded on to the campuses at Rfo Piedras and Mayaguez without

IK

creating almost intolerable conditions. Besides, it would practically resign the faclllties to the monopoly of freshman and sophomore students and make It iiopcsslhle to devele^ prc5>er enes for the upper and gradúate years as a genuine Btaiversity

nnxst hcpe to do»

Also it vould not meet the need of liiose •vdao^ because they could

not live in or near one of the canpuses, pursued their first year elsewhere» The onUy practica! solution vould seem to be the develqpment of a ^stem of

Júnior Colleges»

These vould need to accommodate some tventy thoxisand by the peah

year of 1969-70 — this being the probable nuiriber of first and second year enrollees It viU not be difficult to indicate vhere these institutions ought to be

situated and hov larga each of them vill need to be.

stTidents are»

They ought to be vhere the

They ougiht to be accessible, at leaat, by public transportation»

This determines iniban or near-urban locations and vill have much to do vith the

site and building plan adoptad for each» (1)

(1) A special stvidy of Júnior CoUeges (or vhatever ñame is adopted) vill be needed together vith an indication of probable costs, needed faculty, etc.

It must be recOgnized that the most urgent need vill be in the San JUan area

since that is the most populous one»

Other areas vill rank themselves by the same

test»

There is much to be said — much that has been said — in disparagement of

Júnior Colleges»

But at least part of the criticism is beside the point so far

as Puerto Rico is concemed»

It is no longer a question of best vays to carxy ten

thousand students through two years (thus having tvenly thousand altogether); it is a question of finding any practica! vay at all to do it. Either they must be refused admission, although they are as gualified as others Tdio are admitted^ or

they must be crovded on to the existing campuses. ilnd either of these altematives is tindesirable if not impossible.

J' 15.

Hhese Colleges could^ of covirsej be set

In a sepárate ^stem as has been

done in certadn states (California^ for instance^ vhere there are 79 COTmiunity Colleges outside the jurisdiction of the University and under the control of local

ed\ication boards)# But it is the sort of institution resulting frwn this that has caused nost of -ttie Júnior CoUege criticisnu Such a coUege becomes an extensión

of the hi^ s(áiool rather than a beginning of higLeí education# It is difficult, in such a system, too, to recruit good teachers since they have little chance of advancing to the higher echelons of academic life and becoming recognized scholars and academicians»

Ihe cost for each student in the Júnior CoUege vill not be less than it ■would be in the Iftiiversity. sénior cazopuses*

The physical facilities will be equal to those on the

Uso the larger classes and general crovding acceptable in the

lover classes do help to pay for the inore conmodious circumstances necessaxy to higher study \dien bo'Ui are on iihe same canipus» their coste per student have risen appreciably»

The older canipuses vill find that These are facts -vdiich must be

accepted and dealt vitii*

Ih spite of them, hovever, there are coiopelling reasons vhy the Júnior CoUege vithin the Universiliy system seems the right solution in Puerto Rico#

They have

been mentioned — the shéer lack of space for expansión on the older canpuses;

and, subsidiary to this, -ttie consideration that crovding tends to destroy -tíie genuine üniversily a-toosphere#

Another reason is that there are already so many

students vho take their first year courses elsevhere and then transfer to the

Itoiversity^

The bare fact of this arrangement must conceal a good deal of heart-

and frustrated ambition#

It lends urgency to the proposal for extensión of

the ttoiversi1y*s standards to local insitutions from vhich transfer to a sénior

campus can be made after tvo years vithout fonnality láien the academic conditions have been met*

16.

If the nuniber ot 20,000 is accepted as likely, and if five colleges are

thought of, the average of these -would "be l|-,000. But at least one-third would he in the San Juan area (according to population forecasts), "which vould suggest the need to he a smaller ene, perhaps of three thousand, to he a nei^hor of the Universi-ty. In Areciho and Caguas (or in the neighhorhoods) the size -would prohábly he ahout four -thousand. And -bhere might he another smaller one elsevhere. (1)

(l) The figures used here are approxima-fce and tentati-vej -fchey are intended to show the relative need and -the factor of numbers -that would he needed in selecting locations. Any CoUege -would he huilt to accommodate a minimum estimated number at fLrst, leaving room for expansión.

Ponce has heen omit-bed from mention hecause of -the existence of Ca-bholic Uhi-

versity. And Inter American Uhiversity in San Germán serves a population of some size in its own neighhorhood. These areas could at least he thought of as lower in priority than others \diere -there are no present facilities.

It has heen found in certain states that -the Júnior College is a convenient

place for special puarpose programs — such as vocational courses, mechanical^

seeretarial, etc. Relief from these diploma programs is hadly needed on -the major campusas.

In any case the general effect of the introduction of Júnior Colleges would he to relieve the present campaises of all or nearly all first and second year students.

This woiald he "the start of a firmar develqpment of iqjper-class work and enlargement

of the gradúate progcam in most or all departments.

VI

The expected nimiber of students in the t©per two undergraduate years would he

ábout one-third of the total registration of regular full time students. m 1964-65 this Aoinl he expected to he ahout lO^OOOj and in 1970'"71í ahout 11^000^ after

having passed a somewhat higher peak. But this is to rely on present prcportions

17.

and to taJce no account of a probable increase in gradúate numbers as the prestige of the facully rises#

Ihere is no precise certainly about a forecast in this area. Bat there has

been a noticeable trend of this sort cver many years, not measurable in statistics but quite umoistakable to those who have Imovn the Universi'ty for some tlnej and the estimate vill not be far vrong.

There is also another probabilily which is inpossible to estimate in qtxantitative temas but which it would be foolish to ignore# llhis is the likelihood that the University will become more and more a center agreeable to Latín Americans in search of a kind of education not provided in their own institutions#

The reasons

for this are obvious from their point of view; but also the Uhited States will find, unless present policies change, that the University is a convenient and valuable asset in the cultivation of good relations#

More than that, if it is really hoped

to encourage self-development in the technologically deficient nations to the South, Puerto Rico will be the easiest place to impart the special skills of modem science and industxy#

So it may be anticipated that the increase in gradúate numbers will be consider»

able ~ not less say than 1,000 by I965-66» If this is a realistic a^jpraisal, then the can^ius at Río Piedras would be expected to accommodate in the future some six or seven thousand and that at Mayaguez sane four or five thousand#

And all of these would be upper-class and gradioate

students#

These anticipated numbers are not very different from those now accommodated,

except that in the past they have not been acconmodated very satisfactorily# There are at the present time, for instance, dormitories for oniy a few hundred women and even fewer men#

And the other facilities have not been all that could be wished for#

There has always been a shortage of classrooms#

.J 18.

It Is true that if first and second year students vere acconmodated on Jüntor CoUege catnpuses, there votild be less need for certain facilities. Hjysical edoca-

tlon classes vould be no longer needed» Previsión for tennis courts, svimmingif fencing^ hand^ball and similar athletic activities vould be sufficient* No large

gyrinasinm need be planned forj something more like a field-house vould be appropriate.

Similarly there vould be less need for ordinary classrooms and an increased

need for seminar rooms, laboratories, and special collections to be used for study, The average class vould be smaller «nfi the number of seminar and discussion gretas

vould be increased. So voiild also the facilities appropriate to faculty study and research.

The facilities called for on a campxis devoted mostly to upper-class and gradúate

vork vould not be different from the pattern vorked out recently for the School of Lav and the School of Education,

And these vould be si:5)plemented by the proposed

Gradúate Center»

The need for residence halls on the campus vould perhaps not be more than is

shovn on the Master Plan of I96I. This provides for 2,000 men and 2,000 vomen

sttidents at Rfo Piedrasí and for 2,000 men and 300 vomen at Mayaguez; but it could

be expected that there vould be more demand for suitáble quarters for married students.

It can be seen from this forecast that the füture campus vill be one vith a

very different atmospbere and orientatlon from that of the past. It elll have a more eerlous, more matare, more studioua atmosphere. Ihe usnal nndergreduate wtU he more in evidenoe at the JUntor Oolieges, itere provisión vill need to be made for the activities of younger people.

As for faculty residences, the forecast in me 1961 physioal plan, usina the

land set aside for this pulpóse some time ago, vas for more or less 68o units at Río Piedras and at Mayaguas. Ihis is certainly not too many, itatever may develop.

j 19.

.Aod tlie 'baJJ.er axtd

comiaodioiis stirucbures anticipated in "fche plan vlU ®Lv®

reslden'blal area a more metropoll'ban appearance* Tite conjunction of so maziy families vilh. similar needs and Izx'teres'ts vlll resull* In a demand for more social facl-

llliles^ also^ and 1:liese vlll need "to te provlded* Bvib "fche decisión "bo relocate flrst and second year s'buden'bs en Jlinlor College

caniptises vould make no very considerable dlfference In the outward aspect of the

present campuses as shown on the 196I plan»

educatlonal rather thsui physlcal»

The strlklng dlfferences vould be

New posslblUtles wUl appearj and the attentlon

of teachers and arlminlstrators wHl tttcn to the normal ambltlons of scholars, re-

seaaíchers, sclentists — and serlorrs T:5>perclsiss students» There vlll be rellef from crovded classrooms¿ the dutles of repetltlve teachlng^ ánd the surge across

the campuses of large numbers of younger students as classes change on hourly schedules» Hie seaalor campuses ought to become places of conslderabUy more serenl-ty.

fphta general educatlonal rule vould be that the flrst tve years In Jimlor

OoUeges vould be adjnlnlstered and taught as preparatoiy ones. Ihere vould be very llttle speelfle preparatlon for later apeciallzation. A leaalng tovard sclence, .-.<.1 sclence, or llterature nl^t be recognized in the second year by perh^s tvo courses offered to srane but not to others. But students coming on to the hlgher

vort of the Wíiversity oasjMses vould heve had veiy similar preparatlon. (1) /,\ tate account Of the tralnlng courses that may be offered by the ^of^lSSsrstSStrS these vlU, In a.^ case, be termlnatlng «.Ir schoollng at the end of tvo years.

^~^e end of tvo years of thls general cultural orlentatlon, students ought to begln thelr speclallsatlon, elther In professlonal school, or, If the professlon they elect demanda more preparatlon, vlthln the rule estabUshed by a professlonal faculty. oenerally speahlng one year should sufflce for thls. For a student vho

20.

Is certain that a four year program leading to tlie A.B. or B.S. degree is what is wanted, tlie requirements for that degree could he fulfilled hy a curriculum agreed on hy the appropriate faculty. This has for a long time heen usual; hut there have, in fact^ heea only a small aumher of these caadidates. (1)

(l) la 1961-62, ia Río Piedras, less than oae huadred; aad, ia Ifcyaguez, less -üiaa fifty.

This is hecause hy the ead of their sophomore year most studeats do have some specializatioa ia miad idiich takes them oat of the mox^ geaeralized program aad iato their professioaal school. A coasider^le ealargemeat of their aumher vould

uadouhtedly result £rom the proposed chaages. For oae thiag, doctorates have aot

heea offered ia the humaaities, the social scieaces, aad -üie aatural scieaces. If

they should he, many graduates would fiad it more coaveaieat to remaia ia Puerto Rico thaa to go else-vihere, aad, if the faculty "was a distiaguished oae, quite as revardiag.

Any lilcely ealargemeat of the aumber of these vould cause ao difficulty ahout acccmmodatioa»

Ihe physical facilities would he adequate.

VII

It caa he seea idiat would he iavolved ia geaeral applicatioa of the rule here There would certaialy coatiaue to he four year programe leadiag to the

degrees of hachelor of arts aad hachelor of scieacei^ hut only the last two years of these wotald he oa the major campuses afber studeats had had two years in oae of

the Jüaior Colleges. Their programa would he determiaed hy committees from the

humaaities, from social scieace, from aatural scieace, aad physical scieace.

Oliere would he ao more "diploma" courses oa the major campuses; these would he pursued ia üie Juaior CoHeges.

21.

Generally speafcLng, the professional schools vovild determine at -vdxat point tbeqr consldered students prepared to natrleulate. Poo? medical and dental students the mí

nimum is now eet at three years of undergradúate voris. But these undergraduate years

have sometimes been rather crovded vith specific preparatoxy courses. General Studie should be allov^d ene full year and an appropriate part of a second year to instrre that professional students have a foundation in the culture all educated citizens

should have*

The SchTOl of Law has been a gradúate school but it is hard to see "idiy

matriculates should not be alloved to enter after their third college year*

There are even more con^icuous departures foom the snile that theze oxi^t for

all students to be tvo years of general sttidies (vith some preparatoxy courses in ihe

second year)¿ One of these is the program leading to a degree in Business Administration. The other is the engineering and agriculture vork at Ifeyaguez* In these pro-

grams there are courses corresponding to certain of the basic ones in the general studies curriculum. But a student -vdio enters agriculture or engineering as a first

year student^ and progresses to a degree, vill have had less cpportunilgr to e35>lore general culture than is apprcpriate to a modem educatioru It vould seem as necessa-

ry for these as for physicians, for instance, to have had a first introduction by vay of a yessr or moro of Genorfll Studios»

Ibis si-fcuation too vtU 1» affeoted ty tlie prqposed eotabUBlmeiit of a JUntor

OoUege adjacent to or In the neighborhood of the Meyagoez oaapus. If aU first year stedents begtn as Jhnior CoUege BatrtcuXates, they sw enter the Agriculture aud Engtaeeriug Schools after t» yeers, havlng had sos. apecielization in mthematics and science in the second year*

in the long run, the trend observable la wcst Unlverslties cc«g.arsble vith Puerto

Meo. and certainly operativa here, vill detex-sine that all students should have on. fuu cultural year «id part of another, entering on professional vorh only after

this

preparatlon*

) 22,

In the years to come there vill undoubtedly be other professional schools

to tbose now part o. tbe Ublversi^ eyste^u Plannlng vilX probabOy be ene of tbese, added

and ^teoture anctber. nucW .acmtXes, togetber vitb tbe devel.pn.nt of inaay scientiflc fields far beyond their past ins>ortance, vill aake It likely that special schools vlll cluster about these .pedal disciplines. There vill perhaps be ythers. Education may, vell be one of these, gcanting the Ed.D, degree such as is awarded, for instance at Coliaribia and elsevhere.

AU these, hovever, are schools granting professional degrees or .pedal doctorates. The Doctórate in Philosophy, eamed traditionally by doing advanced verk in the huoanities, the social sciences, and some of the natural sciences, mightr be approached in altérnate vays vhich also have strong precedente.

There might be a Gradúate School on each najor canpus hawing a special location vith a segregated faculty organizad into its ovn divisions. Or the existing depart. ments might be alloved to retain the re.ponsibility for the vork of students electing their disciplines. They vould determine gualifications and admissions to candidacy, organiza and direct the students» vork, conduct examinations and recommend candidatos

for degrees. A Gradúate Deán vould slaply sx5)ervise the administratlen -rand fürdsh a certeuLn standardization.

This is another instance in idiich the serious and carpíate acceptímce of the

Júnior CoUege vith eúLl its inplications vould make a really inportant difference in

the ltoiversity»s direction and even in its physical prograo of development. If fnly the ipperclass and more advanced students tised the oanpuses nov in existence at JEtto Piedras and Mayaguez, and nev facilities vera provided for underclassmen in Jhnior

CoUeges;, there vould be less reason for developing a segregated Gradúate Canter.

Such a physical entily has one of its strong Justifications in removal of the more self-directed azid indivldually demandiz^ vork of advanced study from the envlrc»ment

^ch is domlnated by the routizm of classes, of student gatheríngs, and the general bu^ turmoil of undergraduate life»

23.

Another Justiflcatioa for sxich a center Is the Inevitable difficully researéb*

orientad professors escperlence In ccc\:qpylng a statua dlfferent firan thelr tea<dxlng' orlented eollea«^8«

If flrst and second year studenta ehovild be vlthdrvn £roni the uajor eanpuees^ hovever, and the \diole of the B£o Piedras and Hayagues caiis>U6e8 are orlented to

self-dlrected vork^ "Uie remalnlng teachers and students vould i^read thenselves ovex all the facllitles nov planned* The present atudent-center^ nov almost \dxolly

monopollzed by fresbmen and 8q;du3i&03:es^ vould take on a very dlfferent daaraciMírw And the professors -would have no difficulty In belng accepted as a select groiq?»

This^ of course^ assumes that iq>percla88 students will have taken en the coloration of self-directed candldates for degrees* But e:)g?erlence has shovn «lat

thls is a reallstlc e:gpectatlon*

vould certalnly beneflt frcm thelr assoela»

tico vith gradúates vorking for hlgher degrees« And thelr relativa naturlly and interests ought not to Inteirfere vl-Ui the lives of the graduates*

It la not thouf^t that the cosnparlsons Ingplled here are at all incvldlous*

aire the

result of naturlly and recogolzed talentsí So far as the professors

are concemed, one idiD is directlng the vork of advanced students niust have a dlffeT rent sort of academic schedule than one vbo Is dolng more éleiBentaxy teaehing. It

Is not more Inportantj it is slapOy different- He cr she viU have fever olass hou|

during the veek and more ffee time for the research expected of chosen acholaras also the hi^icr salary necessary to attract and hdd recognized talent, Ih the year ahead miAb persona are certain to be inmensely enhanced in prestige and to be in

strong and it viU be harder and harder to recruit and ke^ a dlstlní^iished facul*^ statíi as the Uhiversi-ty vill vant. Tbis is because of the e^^sion evezy^diere of hi^ education and the more Intensive hunt, already evident, for coapctent professors.

Because óf the pecuUar position of the Ifaiversity of Puerto Bico it víXL be

necessary to treat thls recrultment prtíhlem as a special one. ttioe «lob a program

J

j 2lu

as is contenplated here is begun it vill have its ova momentum; bat It must be vell

begun. Dlstinguishfid scholars attract others in thelr ova field. But it vill not be se eaqr for this to he^en la Puerto Rico "vdiere there are ao cióse academic

neigKbors aad -váiere iabreediag is fostered by geograpby* It does aot aeed to be said that this vill be fatal if alloved to take charge; it raust be Jíesisted. The

Tjniversity should become a respected nieniber of the academic vorld comnuni'ty» iMs means that Puerto Rlcaas should have caireers in oüier places cfpen to them — as

they vill be if their preparation has been adeguate — aad that outside scholars should be velconed in Puerto Rico*

Diere is something further to say about this* Die ovendielming aeed in the

nations to the south of Puerto Rico aad of those in the Caribbean is for technolo-

glsts In great vartety. If tiiese are not si^pUed tliey have veiy Uttla chance of overcomlna economic aifflcultles and attalnlng a hliSier standard of llvlng say,

noüllns of cultural advances. These technologles are nost tntenelveJy cultlvated in the ttoited States and in Westem Burope. -¡bey can isost easUy he acqjiired froB the United States id«.se stated poUcy it is to assist in the developsent of lees fortúnate nations, and eapecially of cióse nei^orss and the fact is that in the united States the language ia English and in nost of the nati«is to the south it is either ^anish or Portuguese*

Bis educational task inplied hy this difference is tiiat of transnitting knov-

ledge firon En¿Lish-?peaking specialists to ^anish-speahing students. If the

Sp^deh-speaking students do not understand English they vill not he ahle to ccs^u, nicate vith the sources of the knowledge they seek. ttis is to speak veiy generally, Of course, hut in any nassive attei^t to hetter «ie situation of other nati«.s it

^S is a reason Vdiy poerto Eico has a unigue cppormnily, hcing in the.half.

must be recognized to be true*

vay situatic» that is often spoken of. Ihe ttilversiiy vould se«. aOnost Inevltably

25.

to have a missj-oa in thls exchaoge. But in order to caarry it out, it oug^t to preserve carefulQy its Tsi-lingual unlqueness» This is not to suggest at a going over to Engllsh as a cultural laiaguage* it is, hcwever, to suggest thst greater em» phasis on the ccusnaiid of Engllsh vill ntahe it easier for the lAiiversiiy to fulfiU its role as intermediary and mentor, if that command sbould he lost, the opportunily vould be closed.

There is no otiier place vhere a latin culture is traditional

idiere a Univer

sity of the sort ^poken of here mi^t possibly be estahlished. Ihere is, in fact, no other place idiere so many practicing professionals have had their training in Engi1sh-^eaklng Ihiiversities* Ihls indicates that there is already a of inportance*

Ibis leads on to the fact that there are also economic ties* Ihis need soot be enlarged on*

Obe economles of Puerto Pico and the United States are intertulned in

macQr vell-knovn \rays*

Ibese relationships, and the professed detezmination of the nation to move

energetically to relieve the dlstress of less fortúnate neigbbors and to set them

on the vay to economic iioprovement, ougbt logically to result in recognition that

Puerto Blco occig>ie6 a strategic position* Ibe nation in the past has recognized

its responsibiliiy for the sz^port of Puerto ftLeaa institutions; it wuld be no innovation for it to stgjpoxrt the ttaiversily in an effoirb to supply at least part

of the technological deficiency of the neighbors it hopes to help» The effort to establish the Mnd of first class gradúate program discussed hexre

vould be b^ond the resources of the Commonvealth govemment alone; and indeed it vould hot be mostly the responsibillty of the Ooinnonvealth. This raises the question of outside funds* Possible sources of these vould seem to be three. There are con-

tributlons ftom prívate individuáis or corporations, such as have created the endowments and financed many of the ®terprises of the prívate colleges and universities in the United States and Burope. Harvard, Ocauaibia, and Chicago, for instance^

26,

amíMag uni sities, and WiUiams, Anherst, and Beniaington^ anong smaller coUeges, do not solicit, and probabiy vould not acc^t, govemmental contributions exc^t on contract feo- specific purposes»

But they do aocept contributions from Foundations» übese bave grovn enonuously in recent years, and by now are a major reliance of many such private institutions.

There are problems aasociated vith tbese» They tirequently ci^eate a burden of overhead, not provided for in the grant, idiich the institutiro inust neet from its ovn

fünds. ünd the habitual way of giving is to diminish Idie size of the gift year by year, eventually vithdrawing altogether from the project being financed» This ex pense then has to be taken on by the institution itself»

Ihese policies are difficult to change and even more difficult, often, to solve* They vould seem to indicate, for the IMiversity, a policy of self-protection» It might be vell siioply to adopt a rule that fuiids vill not be sou^t, and vill not

even be acc^ted, -vdiich do not accord vitdi the long-run píaos of the l&iiversity Itself* But this presv5>bse6 that the Universily vill have such plans, that th^

vill be carefuUy considered, and that certain ones of Ihem can be eatpanded viiliout doing violence to the others*

But for a long time it has been obvious that althOTi^ the Uhiversity of Puerto

Meo bu a flrst reaponslblUty to Puerto acans, It has also a recosplzed mtssion of onoUier kind, Its posttKsn, geogr^cally, and its relatlon to the Carihheaa

and to central and Sovtth Anerioa, mates It a natural canter of resort fOr students of dioeree It la this mission that the Itaiversity has good reason to ex-

peot hel® in camying out. It mi^t come from the Poundations, víiioh, after all, hs« shoun tíiemselves interested in furthering the efforts of the nation to asaist

«aderdevelcped areas and those idiose freedím is threatenad.

27.

But aJ.so assistance may come fi'oia "tlie Federal governinent. It is inevitable that if an educational assistance Bill should pasa the Congress, Puerto Rico vill "be included»

This vill, however, not "be massive help«

Puerto Rico will have to

share vith fi:fby states in the distribution, But it will be regular from year to

year and can be the basis for a certain esspansion* íChis however muat be a matter for speculation \mtil it is knovn that Federal aid will actually be forthcomingí

It has to be recognized that private contributions are \inlikely in Puerto Rico.

There are various reasons for this; but eaperience shows that it is so. This may

changa in the future, but lacking some changa in the Puerto Rican tradition of giving, it cannot be counted on«

So far as the provisión of needed facilities is concemed, there is one very

fortúnate circumstance. Ifiader the unlikely classification of housing> the Univer-

sity may borrow at low ratas of interest for residence halls, facully housing, and even for facilities si®plemental to these such as student centers rflich nw toclude

cafeterías and aining rooms* Oiis leaves, to te paid for out of local ^ropria-

tions, class rooms, láboratories, litraries, and all the other neceasities líilch cannot te classified as ■■eelf-li4uldating" tecanse they proance no revenue.

It is this fflissing assistance that it is hoped a Federal Act for assistance

to hiSier education vill help to renedyi snd perh^s in a neasure it majr. Nevertheless any considerable expansión of the líiiversily's facUities venid haire to depend on other sources - legislative ^ropriations, or Poundation gifts.

Unless these can te foreseen no firm plan for adyanced stn^r can te nade. It ÍM» to ml^t include if the ítnds vere avaUis, however, possible to aay say itot wnao Sttch a plan iable*

1

S8.

VIII

Such a putative and reasoaable plaa for v^per class and gradúate vork on two canpuses; vouXd have at least soné features that appear to te so spproprlate as to te almost inevitable»

There would first of all be a gro\;g> of professional schools: law, nedioine and dentlstry, nursing, social work^ phamacy, education, püblic healtb, physical and occi^tional therapy^ engineering^ agric\jlture and perhaps otbers* In their later professional phases these vould be segregated and occi^y their ovn enclaves»

In

their preparatory phases they would be part of an v^per class student-body using the facilities of the nain can^juses»

At this stage it would be best to avoid segrega-

tion in the interest of that mutual education which is so iinportant a part of intellectvial development»

It would be desiratole at the later stages, also, to groig) social scientists,

those worhing in the humanities^ and those working in the natural and physical sciences. Each would need bviildings equipped with whatever inpedimenta the craft

requires — seminar rooms, Recial collections of books and documenta, laboratories,

offices, reading rooms and studies, and lecture hallsj and, of course, living quarters» But in the earlier stages, in the preparatory years after Júnior College,

the resiirements TOuld be more general - resldenee halla, for Instaoce, not yantad for the JUnlor CoUeea caa»U8ea, and class rooms, although uaually for amaller classes. The other reqnirements vould not dlffer moch ITom those for gradúate

students. But in this tóíole matter of advanced education -- meaning that beyond the first tvo college years -- there «iU probably be a revolutionanr change in the

lUture. .ae object of the change «iU be to give the student mora freedom and

responsibility. He viU have more p««ra to «rite, projects to carry out, and Invesprocesa the techniques of research and tigations to malee; and lac he txni will leam leam in in the uu i. schol€urship« There will be oe fewer rewer lectures and recitations and less directed laboratory worlu

J 29-

The lo st educatioa at this level is apprenticeship, Aad something of the sort can be attained for n«ay studeats ^en a group of productivo scholars are vorking in the sanie vicinity aad can have students '«orking vith them ard sharing theirproblems. It Is not iii^iossihle, also, to have them share their social facilities to a reasonahle extent, and previsión ought to be made for it,

m&t is described in tiiis -vray for the ideal upper class and gradúate institution, is -what exista to the degreee resources have alloved at many continental colleges and universities, But lack of definition of vhat has really been vanted has ofben prevented satisfactory realization, It is the pressure of mass teaching that usually destroys the aplooib of the scholarly vorld, But for this mass teaching too there need to be planes in "vdiich a different sort of approach can be made perhaps with new techniques and new devices.

If mixing vith lover class students is

bad for more advanced enes; the reverse is eqxially truc,

The opportunity to build

freshly planned facilities, making tise of nev discoveries, ought to be vonderfuUy

stimulating to professional educators. This is the opportuniiy offered by the Júnior Colleges,

There has been only a limited amount of advanced vork offered outside the pro

fessional schools, and so there has been only a limited att3?action for students.

For such reasons statistics from the past cannot be taken as a reliable indication

for the future, i^art from the special fields of social vork and püblic adminis-

tration, the social sciences have had only a fev candidates for Masters degrees and

hme not attenfpted Eeotoral programo. Tbe same la true of the humanitles, eroept for some speclaX work in gpanish Studies.

At Mayaguet, in 1960-61 «lere aere only 20 graamte students of any sort. m a report in 195k Mr. Itank Bovles eonoluded that there vas a veiy amaU

cíentele for a gradúate school even in Río Piedras. He estimated the total demand at that time to he 200. He arrived at this hy ineluding all Baehelora uith a B

average hoth from the oniversity and from other Puerto Riean inatitutlnna. Of theae

J 30.

ad conti.^ in graduóte studdes; Wthirda .aat inte tha ^ofesaic«al ,d»0l8. Bds, at that time, left only 35 studants to eortlnua In tha arta, =aen==s, ewatloa, coamerce, sootal studias, aad so on. Mr. Bolles oonstdered thls too gnoU a number to justiíy a gradúate program. He thou^t it should te at least doubled tefore sucli a School should be started. But he did say that since this vas less than half the perceutage usual in continental universities there vas indication of a potentially larger svg)ply of candidates.

Bie figures for I96I—d2 — seven years later ~ are somevhat more encouraging» The gross nuitiber is about fifty percent larger* But the percentages remain about the same; still nnich lover than for other institutions* As Mr» Bovles vamed in

195lf, soiae serious measures voxald have to be taken if the weight of gradúate studies leeidlüg to the Doctórate in the humanities and the social sciences, for instance, should be assumed in order to iniprove the Universily's attraction for advanced students.

Those serious measures are not hard to define. Ihey involve the provisión of

considerable sums; the addition of distinguished scholars to the facullqr, and the measures necessary to insure that the change would be permanent* %at the actual figures shov, mostly; Is vhat the preoco^ation of the institu-

ttou has beea - has had to boj Tbe most deraadiog tash has baen tha orgsnisatton •v, +>.0 -Pir-at tvo vears* IJhis it can be said to have and administration of edvication xn the fxrsn uvo

a. .j. ..-.ssT/q not be realistic to argüe that so far there

carried out faithfuUy. But xt vould not be reajn.

suDborted attenpt to go as rauch further as is

^ been a persistent and suffxcxently sx^ppori^ "low suggested.

. -un «Aventures, some of ^ch have succeeded and some of

There have been admirable adv

Tna+itute of Research in Tropical Agricultura

^ch have not. There vas once an Instxtute o

.4. discredit to the University but because it ^ch vas abandonad not because xt vas dx eeened to the then Gcveanaor an

justified compense. Ohere has been for some years

a Center for Social Research vhose lis-h atpresent an Institute for Caribtean TQStitute of Lahor Relations, The«ií»

«

31.

i Q^coirplishments is inpressive^ There is

Stxadies vhose futura is hqpeful, There is an

» are examples of the kind of effoarb made in the

past. But it must be said that at best they do not offer the picture of a concertad plan of developmeat. Such ad hoc enterprises are vorthy; but it is time they vera merged in a progranmed approach to research and education vith a purpose agreed on and si5>ported as something permanent rather than teniporary. Beyond these efforts mentioned, and a few others of a simiiar sort^ the Itoiversily baa

only a «man

Inipresslon on the vider vorld of scholarship» Its speciai virtue has been its contribution to the economic and cultural revolution vhich has so transformed Puerto Rico in the past tvo decades»

IX

3ii view of

the needs and circumstances it is clear that the develqpment

plan for the University in the years immediately ahead is likely to enphasize tvo elements: the Júnior Colleges and the gradúate progranu Ihe rapidii^ of this deve

lqpment viH depend on severa! variables but perhaps most of all on an agreement •

among all concerned that these are the achievements most desired. íEhey vill require üsortant ^prcrprlatloos by the Ccmtonvealth leglelature, end asslstaace trcm out-

Siae soeces, but BK>et of ell au energetlo pureuit of the objeetlve - a unifled university uith a broad base in louerclass studies shd a gredually aore selectiva one as gradúate study Is ^proached and pursued» „ -.1.™= tbere -uould seem to be no other source of funde than

Rjr the Júnior Colleges tnere vouj-u.

e-f dersble nart of the facxlxties vill be obtain—

the oomnonuealth legislatura. No conslderanja pam

ahle under the fandUar houslhg act uhlch le conflned to self-U^datlng proíects.

It nay be ensected that a certaln a^unt of asalstanca vUl ccoe from tha Federal govemaent uhen en aot le passed vlth speclfle grants and loane to educatlonal Instl-

-

tnX'bXonS

dSLSS rooniR

1

a-

•

9 laDoratorxes, and other facilities. But this is not lilcely

tO flUmlsll mOlTQ "fcliail a nmol T

^ P^oportion of the urgently needed funds*

s not been generally realized how rs^idly the demand for Unlversll^ en trence is rising and "wiH rise in the inmediate fature» At leeist the legislature has not been apprised of the approaching crisis; and this ou^t to be done at once.

At the same time ^ecific study and planning ought to be begunj and for this purpose initiaJ. funds ou^t at once to be solicitad «nd a schedule of

set

e3^enditures

"vúiich vould be calculated to meet the rising demand* Prom past es^erience it is only too certain that from conception to ílnished

project — say a Jtmior CoUege — severa! years are involved* In a fLrst year it

is unosual for more than planning and site acquisition to be accoraplished; the next

years -- one^ tvo or three -- vil! be consumad in preparing and letting contracts, in construction, in equipping and getting the facility in running order*

As this goes on it is the responsibillly of the planners to estímate and sTirvey

the sources for the funds necessazy to maintenance and operation* In the case of an

educational institution this includes a faculty to carry out the mission assigned to the project*

Ule sad truth Is that a begltmlng made at once camot now resiilt In facilittes

Aen they tóll he e^st In demand, three and fonr years from now. Bat latenese does not excttse evea more delay*

tte sltuation la stlU more dlsconraglng: even en admlnlstrative fremework te one was suggested In "A Memorendnm on the ®ednate School", a p^er pre.. advxce „ of of Pennsylvonla State Unlversily in 1960. pared with the of Deon Deán sohiulng tocxix 4 Ihe suggested stirucbur® s

+bat mi^t well be adopted vhen the Gradúate School

is formalized*

. , ^ j.,.

s.u

tííll cost considerably more per student than those

Gradúate School facilit es Also the faculty-student ratio vil! be rauch lover

for students at lower

even though the faculW members wl

neeesserUy be hi^r paid. These are the oon-

33.

ditions of advanced studv abmi+

j.'u

liicli "fcliere ou^l; to be perfecfc firaolaiess frcM the

start.

ppropriabe to repeat that the Júnior CoUeges, being built and organized

altogether de novo, will offer educators the Isind of c^portunity they are seldom presented vlth« AH "üie accepted iiiiprovenients in teachlng methods can be uaed; «.nfl the physical arrang^nents that are most sppropriate can be enibodied in the desiga.

Provisión can be made for audio-visual vork, for counselling, for language laboratories, for laboratorios suited to elementary vork in physical and natural science, for geographical and anthropological vork, for bringing the future into the present to be examined by vay of models and designa, for debate and discussion — all that sort of thing.

These are, of course niostly adaptations of the traditional classroom vork;

but th^ are inipoirtant adaptations, to be vorked out by planners and architects

vorking in conjunction vith the educational specialists» There vlll be a chance too to make the iniprovements in physical education \diich

have been so difficxilt to attain on the oíd campuses. E^ecially in Río Piedras there has never been adeguate facility for gyainasium vork or for classes. A bullding

for these on the traditional plan used on more northern campuses vould not be useful

in Puerto Rico; and an entirely nev approach could be made to the problem. If imagination is used the results might be quite startlingly effective.

Staffing the CoUeges to teach large numbers of students vill not be easy. But

the próblem vllX not be greatljr aifferent then tt elU. be for edncationía system elserfiere. AU bave a similar problem of e:g)aaston. Ibe traintng of teachers siU have to be considerábOy enlarged and especially the preparation of those for Jbnior College vork.

■n.For +I1IS xnis the School of Education ought at once to assume a certain

,«u 4= oDuortunity responslblllty. OHere Is «n aa cipporOTu. y

here for those \ñio elect the teaching

4.V -s,» «ork under university anspices and for the most successfül

profession to begin their voris.

th university system as they accumulate eaperience and eam advanced degrees.

I

o 3^.

A 6iii5)le calculation from the estímate that 20,000 students will te accommodatea in tto Jtolor Colieíses shows that at a ratlo of 1(0 stadents to eaeh teaoher flve hundred teaohers wlll be needed. Biis may not be the eventual ratloj and of course

there Is a staff now in charge of general studies ooursesj but the e:»ansion would

be a considerable one. And no teacher would have less than a bachelor's degree and a speolal preparatlon In educatlonal technlques. ^For this pvccpose» en» txi© rolle/» coxi-es® of Kducatlon and the Gradúate School ought to offer 4. 4. at .(■ nleht and durlng opportunities for study aigtt ana aux e the Sumners but also there would need to •u-u 4-4.-1 «al líaaves for advanced •work elsevhere than in

be continuad the program of sabbattlcal leaves for aa 4-1— V/iit in every measuráble way it has been worth Puerto Eico. This has been oostly; but in every "vdiile,

X

4 ,oua Ítems one Of the conspicu^ it^ of ewenditure from university funds in the recent (ast has been these payment^ ^ ^

(ndbUng them to study db«ad ^

^

las been advantageous.

luoscribe the education

.f teachers. ^se ,dlo study and

^^

ihen teach at one institu (tatus feel themselves

gradúate with a higber degree

(utional system. «lis is a ^ lasier and more necessary ¡omraunication* puerto Ki

^ professorial ^ ^ troadening and deepening of the in-

lividual, contact with other^ ^ /ffective teacher than

^.o^nities la most deslrable. Such a

^

ia Uhely to be a more

all his tralning in one instl-

Intercultural relations are made at once

t^^aportation and eaae of

longer an Island of interest only to Puerto RicanB. -«en vider*

4. nt he cloaedí they must alvaya open vider.

fer doors must not

^

o 35.

It Is to be e:5)ected that the improvement and e:5)ansion of gradúate programs

wiU draw advanced students from otber lands, aud e^ecially £rom the Itoited. States, and that Puerto Eicans wiU continué to have part of their educational experience else\daere«,

It is sometimes suggested that the considerable sum expended each year in

assisting staff members to stuay elsewhere mi^t be used to e:5)and gradúate facilities and enable them to study at home. But it mi^t be possible to keep i®) this

program of assistauce for study abroad by reguesting funds for it from those sources

vhich have opened so generously to students coming to the United States ñrom other

parts of the world»

funds in the amount now used to send Puerto Eicans to ofclírj,

institutions could be used for expansión of the Gradúate School®

If the University is to meet the demand for first and second year courses on

the e:5)anded scale indicated for the almost immediate future, and if it i.s simultaneously to develop advanced study, expenditures will have to be on a scale not heretofore taom. ttls Is true both for out^s bad for aanual budgets.

capital outlaya adght be «t borrowlbg. If the Oc-onaealtb goverament haa and meeting the payments inthe intention of issuing bonds fnr for -Dublic puoxic iraprovements i/

volved out of Ita ovn revenuea, the tWveraity «ight vell e^ect to particípate la

the expansión, Such outlays «ald be partlcalarlor ^proprlate for the dhnlor vaixr Bn exiaent. Ohe priorities set ip in the past

Colleges where the need is suddenly so exxgent.

1,+ if íf PT50ssible to be accelerated also. But a considerable for the oíd canpuses ought «íoiiv for student and faculty housing, can be met —

part of that expansión, especially for s-du B^if-liauidating loans. Ihese are offered at a favoraand is being met - through1, self-lxquiaa fullest use ought to be made of them.

ble interest rate, and the

If the pollcles and arrangenents suggested here are accepted, It then becones ,lble to go forvard ulth an estímate of the costa Involved end the actual poaal-

o 36.

bllity of aohievlns goals In a phasea program. But such a decisión is the neoessaiy

. preltalnary to the mahlng of hoth a financial and a physlcal plan. Beeause the ttilveraity of Puerto Elco is a publlc Institution this Mnd of agreea^nt ts especiaUy necessary®

If the JUnior CoUege idea is adopted, and if the CoUegea are to he ready for the «sansion of the student pqpulation as it occurs, somethins lihe energenoy «easurea are necessary, It la already late. iO ac^aire sites, plan their use,

iesign huildings for a purpose sonieyhat - though not entirely ~ different from 1 facili»^^6S^ 4, -n too engage sxisting educacional us & staff and organiza operations, is a pro-

undertaJsen over a long period. But there is >3raia which could more confxdently be be um ■parj' vpars a flood of candidatos for admission, the fact that there will he in a very

+.tiedto quite qiialified, and. entitled to aneducation. an

It is the clear re^onsibility 4. v of

4. ^ their coming, a responsibility which wxll not be

the PoTTimonug»alth to prepare fo

ttieet imless immediate decisions

OT.Í, taken with action to foUow,

The There can he only one praoticahle procedure. Bie

funds needed raust for tne

•a d hv ^antead hy theandgoven^nt ^at part he provided hy the the issuance of honds^,,.^,^dating so «y not hethe

Conmonvealth. Bia facilities ar^ tlnanced under the anthority use^^^^^^

If the gradúate program is het hest hy interesting some

„„,lderahle costs can he ,„^,tion, the federal goverr»ent) ^ University. Mhatever the Co-on»ealth

In the uni,ue position ^ han do uill he the Bost re i

to ar^, as indeed has

the oniversii^ serves a ar

But the miversity is entitled projects) that

p^rto Eioan one. Its central

^ ^o^aphical fact of

hositlon in the Carihhean ^ a^gunent ought to he nade persistently Wse iaportance to the ttuted ^eepting the ohligawuu. toa vlth au poasihla forcé that xr xneMecuately s-^orted in carrying them out.

tions Of its position it cu^h to he ade^uately ®

-

—-

-

——

^

'

o

o 37.

XII

The

ob=°8®s imrolved in the advent of several Jtoior OoUeses and

an e:®anded gradúate progrem ulU mate it convenlent to reexemlue the uuivereity's administrative arrangementso

It le perh^a I>est to defer ^eclfic suggestloue until ao»e largor issuee haue toen eettled so that it oau te taoun iu *at coutert operatlng prooedures utU aceev,eer.ai «-hRfirvations caa "be made aad some policies outtually function» But some general o-bserva^icns cau lined fcr discussiono

(Che Jvinior Colleges t.rin wiH seriously serxciisxy

disperse the University operations. The prop j „+

Pie-dras and San Juan vill "become

tlem offered ty the cai^uses at Mayaguee aud at EÍo Piedras aa

+« -ho mflde -will he the extent to which

tore sukward. Jtod oue of the first declsions to he ^e eiU

oeutral control fro. the Office of the Chancellor should he attee^ted.

Ihe desirahle principie here may he hriefJy stated as a central centro . « n^aessary standards, and the procedures necessary to their maintenance, together vith such

decentralisation of aerial OPerations as till allou for local differences aud .11 encoura^ initiative initiatrve

and e:^eri»entation. ^ese last tvo guelities are ^elvsya de-

Birable hut ulU taco»®

=°

®

Studies program, several specialized diploma progra«.

• this leed it is Ppossihle to s^ that the mversity ChanceUor s

,.U0.ng this leed

Office should he devoted

«„ce vith the

to the ^intenance of outside «

^

legielature), and ^ the^S-^^ tOrin oversigl^'ts»

„,ponsihiUty for cer-

His

íroperly he left to the local

errangea.nt

Chancellors for each of the ca»u-

,,^,ttonal system has a Principa^ there vould.

ees much as each hi^ schoo i 1 Of. for EÍO Piedras

ccurse he one also, ^rrangement*

notable omissions in the present oüe oí uu

o

o 38.

There are severa! unlverslty ftmctlons to

the principie of decentraliaa^

tton ney not be thou^t to apply - such, for instance, as manageaient ftnctions onttide of the noadendc sphere, edialssions, scholarshlps, etc. Bnt it is alvaya posslble to arrive at a sensible qualifieation of any principie If praetical considerations

require it. It is thou^t, hovever, that decentralisation ou^t to be respectad so as is possi"ble«

por pbysical planning, for financial nana^nent. for anditing, for record-heeping, íor reporting to piiblio authorities, and all snoh fonotions, the ohancellor wo ..esnonsible. B-ere vonld be sepárate acadeaio Deanships at each casona to be in

.^ge Of professional schools and specific profane. Bie present Peanship of Stadies n. o+ n/n Piedras «"d one at Mayaguez, each ovdd give aay to one of ®aduate Studiee at Bío Piedras am

■esponsible to the «prqpriate Vlce-Ohancellor.

„g the principie of decentralisation. the Peanship of adninistratron ^ cave shhstitnted for it an dssistant to the Vice «lancelXor on each caapns r^spo^i for an non-acadenic operations. «.er these vonld be placed all — tions except those of anditing, record heeping, and other general staff

rirript L the Chancellor.s Office nnder a .rector of dd..strative

tte title of .an vould bebe reservad „ald hale it reservad for academic functions «^3 and vonld indícate

the re^cnsible headshi. p^^ PoiiPses or professional schools, innecessary to have a

Thxs vouxa m

^

^e dispersad ovar several caapus ,

<.™mittee vlth members from

. fouov a co»on cnrricul , it ahould be sh«ed ^by a cainattee vitn^

=ach canpus nnder a aaimans Wellor's Office to be cal e

Wellor". 3he

J

'^ancellor's staff in addxtion

^

^

..^^ational Mvisor to the ^ „aa.acadehic Und.

«>«

^istrative Services, there

o 39.

TOUld te a consultant for plaimlng if one

needed In eadltion to the regular

plereleg office, one for public relatlons, etc,

The geaerel arrangemeat auggested here «uld effect certain otber r^atters, There are nov certaih ftmctiona aasxs.ed to I^ans of Studenta. la not an

«ade^c fUhction; ard it ahould he carried out on each ca,^ua hy an aaaiatant to the Vice-Chaacellor for sttjdent relations#

It vould he underatood that the O-ancellor retained the ultímate anthorit. j +vo+ flii other officers derived their under the Superior Comcil of Educatxon, an -aajadates from him*

o SUMMART

Tn this üaner there bave beeu raised certain questions of policy which mst form the Se^of S ed^aSonal plan, ttey .x-e tere for purpoeee of disouseron.

1. tte lW.versltyU goal of aoceptlng all «uaUfied applieaats'add providing educafaolUties for them to the level of thelr capaoitles, interests, Ohd

ao=ot!pllslMehte - thie for the dual benefit of the conBuMty ahd the individual.

2. Ihe ünlverslty's gradúate program: Is a^develqped gradúate prosram to be one of the oaln features ofanew educational plan ~ or valí the üniversity ohooee to Identlfy Itself prlmarlly as an undergraduate Instltutlon! WIU there

be a separata gradúate faoulty or uUl the varlous deparments offer both upperclass work and gradúate programe?

3o The desirability of Júnior Colleges: Will Júnior Colleges, lócate •«nv near Juan urban areas (especialOy near San ban tju<a.u

and Mayaguez), based on the educational

-ral Studies and concept of rGeneral Studies - 6"^

also housing the speclal diploma schools ^ ^ -^ rin-nff crisis of num nuDÍbers and become the other mam feature of best meet the iratpending crisis oí a new educational plan?

h general Studies: Vdll Oenersl Studies, the core of the v.rh of the proposed

'gunlor coueges, beccee as preregplslte (vlth soné latltude In the second^ar) ^ an .vanoed ,»rh In aU departnents of the «nlversl^i-the specin dPPor■hv orienting part of the study content to the

+nnities to enrich the program by orient g p ji

viTr -ir» "funeral Studies" be elimi'*

P^ture be taiven advantage of; vdll advanoed uorh In Oeneral h is. ®e 5. professlonal schools.

Th

relatlon of General Studies and tiualng of matricula.

be determinad, tlon, „how Ulll van the time of matrlculatlon .«^erslty at an levels: Beyond thls being

- -r1, rr.

"""7* teachlng of technlcal skUl .

c 2.

7« Increased Faculty needs: the role of the CoUege of Ediication in preparing and

and training University faculty; the need for enlarged numhers for the Júnior

Colleges; the need for a distinguished gradúate facvatyj the desirability of

continuing advanced study in the United States and ahroad for the facullgr.

8. Time: the urgency of formulating a plan - informing the Legislatura - planning for financing»

9. Physical

- for the new carpuees (vith the chaoce for eSucatora to taha

advaatage of atartlhg freah to ehcoiporate the heat edocational arrahgamanta), and for alteratlona In the phyalcal plant and plana for the sénior oaapuaea.

•-0, Flcanolng, reoognitlon that Júnior OoUagea uiU not result in lover costa per student and that the cost per gradúate student uiU he higíu Júnior Colleges:

1. Classroom facilities through Commonvealth bonds.

2. living facilities through self-liquidating loans.

3. Pósatele later general Federal aid for classroom facilities and operational costs.

a.aduate progi-ac: the prohlen of financingj the likelihood that outside resources must te looked *bo»

U. Aiministrative arrangements: the need for reorganization in viev of prospeetive

ezpansion and the development of nev caaipuses; the possteilities in deeentralized management vith increased central staff.