Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Searcho The following Interview Is the eighth in a series of 10 articles highlighting prominent schools and departments within USC. Dr. Roger Holmes, Dean of the College of Engineering, talks about his school and its advancements. BY BOB BAKER Editor-in-Chief Q. What is the mission of the USC College of Engineering? A. We are a professional school with a purpose to graduate engineers at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. That's one. Second, we do research which often tends to be mostly in support of our graduate programs. This research usually has a national concern such as with the environment or soil, rather than simple regional appeal. Then, there is a third item we are called on to serve the state. This deals with such areas as motor vehicle safety regulations, sub-contracts on alcohol safety programs for Richland County, and trans portation plans for state - and energy interaction. Continuing education also plays a unique role, and we are going at it in a very strong fashion. Dr. Bedenbaugh, who s nationally known in the field of continuing education has come here and is directing a program designed to help those in the engineering profession requiring practitioners to update their education. We are really started offering programs in these areas last January. We have already had one on digital logistics design, and another one on ear thquake engineering. Of course, you know that this area is an area of high impact as a result of the great earthquake of 1886. During that session, we had national professionals here fr4m Cal Tech and MIT with over 170 in a tendance. I see continuing education in engineering developing as a nationwide phenomenon requiring engineering schools to start making up programs that are up to date. APOGEE - Program of Graduate Engineering Education - is one continuing education program we have started which allows practicing engineers to do Histor .SPECIAL FEATURE In preparation for the United Si Susan Cate of the Gamecock staf ching USC's history. Below is the e articles. This one deals with ch Nineteenth Century. BY SUSAN CATI of The Gamecock s Nearly everyone was disgust< Reconstruction had downgraded thi S. Reynolds in Reconstruction in:| requirements ior admission w~ regulations in this matter w4 disregarded, that the so-called univ little more than a high school who: inculcate and illustrate the social ei race with the white. The establish upon the taxpayer...deliberately name of progress and enlightenme the Federal troops marched out ii Assembly moved in, closed the pointed a new Board of Trustees. The College of Agriculture ar 'For Acc Dean Roger Holmes something which will help them in their field. We are one of the pioneers in this national program. Besides USC, four schools including MIT, Stanford, Southern Methodist, and ColoradoState were very early in establishing this program, but you might say we're the pioneers. We've already graduated 50 in this program. Q. What direction does the College of Engineering hope to take in the nexi five years? A. As you know, the state has been making a rapid transition from agriculture to a highly technological state. What the University needs a lot of when this - happens is to have a basic engineering curriculum with a leaning edge for various specialized areas. When new in dustries come into the state, they want to be insured that we have the finest facilities available to train their employes. in this field. By the way, enrollment is going up significantly with an increased acceptance of 53 more freshmen this coming year as opposed to this past year. This accounts for an approximate 30 per cent increase in our enrollment. For the next five years, we will continue to grant degrees in the four basic areas we now give y Behi Part ates Bicentennial, opened s4 f has been resear- 1880. Claf lghth in a series of college fc ange inthe atedirection ange Inthe ateAgricultu college, a boasted 6 the form taff reunion c John IV xd over the way and the < e University. John and class s.C. claimed, "The 1883 the i ere so lax, the offering I 're so flagrantly The ch ersity soon became plaining ie chief aim was to drawing luality of the black them, the ment. ..was a fraud $40, whici perpetrated in the Cooper's nt!" So as soon as defunct. i 1877, the General Despite University and ap- separate land adj< id Mechanics was experime rdemic degrees in engineering--chemical, civil electrical, and mechanical. If we were to experiment into other areas, and right now we do not have the staff to do it, they would probably be industrial engineering or industrial engineering management. I think our foremost job for the next five years is to increase t&e amount of research we do. See, have gone through about two major eras for a long time when leaders were demanding research in defense and aerospace engineering. All engineering schools, for the most part, had a heavy amount of research directed in these areas. Since about 1968-69, however, the emphasis has been on societal-technical questions philosophical, social, legal, as well as technical problems-like the environment. If we really want to clean the environment up, who is going to pay for it? We have energy options: should we try for a sizeable nuclear building program? There seems to be a large amount of technology in volved in all segments of society now. Surely, we will be concerned and working on the energy situation. But, first we have to establish new goals as a country, state, and school and then we must try to reach those goals. Also, problems in the areas of transportation, food, and food technology have bearing in regard to engineering. Today, we are facing a situation in which developing countries want their fair share of food, in line with the resources they share. Many of our graduate programs and research have a lot depending on pollution and energy, both major problem areas which clash. In addition to these areas, we also have to worry about large scale systems such as computer and electronics technology. Both these areas are information handling areas, and issues are now coming up on how to avoid the problems and horror stories on how com panies will rule the world. I think for the most part, you will find that many of the problems in the world, now facing the government are a result of legislators not having time to research enough when decisions are necessary. Un d USC: Eight >lely for whites on the Columbia ca lin College in Orangeburg was desii r blacks and was compelled to be ui of the Columbia Trustees. The Cc re and Mechhnics was a free, th: nd under the presidency of William 6 students. The college's brief dural ttion of the Alumni Association du f the Class of '46 in 1880. .McBryde took office after Niles ollege began drifting back to the tr ical curriculum of the old S.C. Coil ;outh Carolina College was officially wo year as well as four-year degre urch colleges across the state beg that the free-tuition system at S away prospective students, so to SCC trustees eatablished1 a token ti i was refundable to needy students. ideal of a free college was not the fact that farmers were callir agricultural college, SCC bought 70 ining the campus for the expansia ntal farm. Exceller fortunately, many answers to our problems are not at the right person's fingertips, and this forces our legislators into having to wade through more paperwork than they can handle. Q. Are graduate enrollments at the College on the rise? A. Yes. We are beginning to see an Interesting rise in graduate students. A lot of students here on our APOGEE program realize the college environment is not that bad, and it forces a lot of them to want to stay here and work on their Ph.D.'s. National statistics show that around 45 to 50 per cent of undergraduate students eventually go on to get a masters degree. I guess it's really getting to a point that you are special if you do not have a masters. Q. With South Carolina now becoming a strategic area for nuclear plant sites, can you forecast this school ever gaining programs in nuclear engineering? A. Most nuclear engineering programs are masters level programs. Already, there are sizeable programs at Georgia Tech and North Carolina State so I do not foresee it right now that we should start a masters degree in nuclear engineering as such. Of course, though, we do offer some courses now in this area. But to establish a program, you really need a full-blown reactor which we do not have. Anyway, the industry is very similar to the airplane industry in that you do not just need aeronautical engineers to handle the problems. Say, a containment system in a nuclear industry which could be safe from earthquakes for instance would need well-developed electrical, mechanical, and structural engineers. And many of these things tend to be done in teams. In any industry, you will find people who are experts in certain areas also have a strong interest in related areas. Q. Can you foresee the College of Engineering ever gaining the national prominence of such schools as MIT, Illinois or Stan ford? A. I think we will achieve a prominence of sorts. We are very, very accreditation conscious in this school, so we are all interested In 1885 the collel began dropping Therefore, the Tru second S.C. Collegc of South Carolina. Columbia campus remained black. Under the univer dean and faculty. courses for the 12 When Clemson A University lost nea loss prompted Gov, rupus in a means for a nated a guessed it--a third ider the SCC College, offi< liege of remain within the ee-year law, literature anc Niles it great need for cow ion saw her farm land to ( ing the At the resignatioi became president. -esigned 68 in 1893 but sudd aditions added attraction of age. In act the preceeding reborn, In 1897 Presider is. Woodward, who fu an corn- Benjamin Sloan. XC was the abolishment of appease linking up of the uition of sewerage system Thomas students. entirely At the centennial the proposal that i g for a horizons in the forr acres of The 101st year < n of its ficial--and hopefl University of Souti tce in prominence. You are probably aware that there is a high level of quality in engineering schools nationwide. But, as for that thing that leads to reputable prominence, the school would need to devote a strong emphasis on graduate programs and research. I think to reach the level of prominence of the three schools you mentioned, would take a matter of decades. A school's prestige develops over a matter of time and is based on the large number of distinguished graduates we are producing. Right now, with regard to innovative programs, especially APOGEE, we are right up there with the nationally prominent schools. However, in the area of research in terms of quantity, we just do not have that status. In terms of quality of in dividual research we can be mostly good or bad. But chances are that you will find more good research at MIT or Berkeley (U. of California) then you do here. We will try to achieve a national prominence by 1985, but I really do not think we will make it. We have been complemented here about our facilities. As far as I know, for instance, we are one of the few universities (15) we know of to secure programs of research in web. growth. If we get programs like that here, then I consider that's a fame of a kind. Q. Do you have any personal dreams for the College of Engineering? A. Some of it's happening now. While we'd like newer and ex. panded facilities our present building is being renovated to keep us up with the times. We have an excellent faculty, but as with any school, people are perpetually leaving. My most important single job is to get and keep excellent faculty members. We have ex cellent faculty now and we also have good resources to provide. If there is one thing I would like to see, it would be more young people in engineering. South Carolina does not provide its per capita share of engineers, and it's a shame the state has to import them from other states. I am glad to see women and blacks coming in. In absolute numbers, these are small but at least they are on the rise. ,e had 213 students but enrollment repidly each successive year. stees agreed to expansion, and the gave way to the second University McBryde remained President, the remained white, and ClaflinCollege sity system each college had its own There were 28 teachers and 148 degrees and 6 certificates offered. gricultural College was founded, the rly 25 per cent of its students. The Tillman to suggest the formation of 'cheap, practical education"-you South Carolina College. The new 'ialized in 1891, was required to boundaries of theoretical science, I the classics. With no longer any s and fruit trees, SCC relinquished ilemson College. ri of McBryde, Dr. James Woodrow The student body dropped as low as enly rose to a high of 184 with the 13 co-eds, admitted by a legislative year. it Woodrow was replaced by F.C. aur years later was replaced by C'hese last two administrations saw fraternities by the legislature, the campus with the new Columbia and a peak enrollment of 301 celebration in 1805, alumni toasted te college might expand to broader ra of a university in the near future. if the institution ushered in the of ully final--establishment of the a Carolina.