The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 07, 1975, Page Page 5, Image 5
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The following interview is the
last in a series of 10 articles
highlighting prominent schools and
departments within USC. Dr.
Chester Bain, acting Dean of the
College of Humanities and Social
Sciences, talks about his schools
and its advancements.
BY BOB BAKER
Editor-in-Chief
Q. Dr. Bain, you have only been
Dean for about three weeks, and
the new College which you are
heading is only five weeks old.
From your short experience, would
you briefly state the purpose of the
College of Humanities and Social
Sciences?
A. First, I'd like to preface these
remarks by stating how this new
college was formed. Four years
ago the old College of Arts and
Sciences was split into three
colleges--Arts and Letters, Social
and Behavioral Sciences, and
Science and Mathematics. This
new school was established July 1
of this year as a merger of the first
two, and it took in the 15 depart
ments included there.
Our major mission is to provide
educational and applied training in
the traditional humanistic and
artistic sciences. The departments
within this college offer different
undergraduate degrees and
graduate degrees. Also, beyond
our own departments, I am sure
you realize the great number of
courses we offer for completing
requirements in other schools and
colleges of the University.
Q. As a new college, what
direction does the College of
Humanities and Social Sciences
hope to take say, in the next five
years?
A. There are two or three things.
One of the goals I would like to see
fulfilled which we must constantly
SPECIAL "EA
Histor
At a time when the people of this
understand the American Revoluti
ment of the U.S. in preparation fo
tennial, Susan Cate of the Game
researching the history of the I
Carolina. Below is the last in a s
school's history. This article dei
Twentieth Century.
BY SUSA N CA
of The Gamecock
Memorial trees were planted alon
streets, several monuments were r4
dead from USC soon rested in the di
along with other men from other wA
With little legislative cooperatior
staff and students, the "return t(
University proved to be a very slow
The Trustees felt the R.O.T.C. prog
"inconsistent with the traditions o1
they ended it in 1921. Who needed a I
after the "war to end all wars" had b<
Because of the stalemate USC hat
President Currell was pressured int(
IIis successor, W.D. Melton atteni
conditions by following an "educati
Melton went to the legislature
apologetic plea for funds. lie sii
money--and he got it--$406,O00, all
propriation of the year before. Melti
student body rise from 621 in 1921 to
from his efforts and partly from the
schools in the state.
The fall of noton pries insianted
For Aco
strive for is to give courses which
provide meaningful relationships
for students which contribute to
new curricula for there is always
going to be a constant search for
improving in academic excellence
and scholarship. Another area we
should be striving for is in the area
of the applied phases of the liberal
arts. We must recognize the needs
and the changing interests of
students , who are new to the
University and also those who
might be interested in going back
to school as a means of renewing a
job requirement. There is also a
growing interest in the general
environment, and a need to
respond to this demand.
But, with all of these, we ad
ministrators have to find ways to
operate with the budgetary con
straints we have.
Q. Is this need for getting more
applied curricula a result of
society becoming more specialized
or is there something else we
should attribute it to?
A. There are two forces which
demand applied studies. First,
there is a demand for special
training programs which could
help meet new job requirements.
On the other hand, there is also a
need for studies which will bring
together in different areas an
adequate background for liberal
and cultural development.
I see a need by both faculty and
students to develop experiential
training in the curricula. Also, I
am getting a clear impression that
a lot of the students who are en
tering now for the first time are
much more ready for degrees
which are more job oriented than
those associated with the
traditional liberal and cultural
disciplines in the past. In many
instances, now anyway, em
ployers are looking for a student
with experience. But, this trend
TURE
Behinc
W"W'% in S.C. an
country are trying to The atn
on and the develop- students u
r our nation's Bicen- School in
cock staff has been capabiliti(
University of South part of tho
eries devoted to our dorm, wa
is with USC in the amendme
: t rtcof Melton
so the Tru
establishr
E Universit;
taf The Dej
taffcut 29 pei
tuition wa
g Green and Pickens 1934 unde
ised and the 28 war reinstatec
isty annals of history built. The
ars. but the st
and lack of funds, With th
normalcy" of the snobbery
and painful process. life was e~
ram on campus was men and i
the University" so occupy si
nilitary organization seemed ft
een fought? In 1940,
l seemingly come-to, 'cut in hal
> resignation in 1921. program
pted to ameliorate years and
on for all" policy. 1947 br
without the usual education
nply demanded the pressed fo
nost double the ap1 basement!
n saw the dwindling Under
1,419 in 1925 - partly c'onstructi
development of high The Rluss(
name.
an early depression 'rhe nas
idemic
Dean Chester Bain
also tends to lead to a growing
request- by former graduates to
come back and either pick up more
specialized materials taught in
some of today's course work or to
get the more traditional kinds of
courses they did not get when they
were first here. Now, this kind of
study may be job oriented, or it
may be leisure oriented. For in
stance, a Master in Public Ad
ministration helps a person
already in public administration to
learn about developments and
insights into the present.
One thing very interesting in this
college is a program for mature
students under Phyllis Fleischel,
assistant dean for special
programs. The program is
designed to allow all persons to go
to college who may have been
hindered in their earlier years or
who may have had their college
education interrupted.
Q. Well, as society grows larger
and larger, and job opportunities
become more and more diverse,
I USC: 1
d the legislature's generosity soon c(
losphere was one of hostility towari
ntil two co-eds were graduated from
1918. When the female scholars pro
!s they became an accepted and sou
University. Wade Hampton, the first
b huilt after the influential passage o
nt.
nt D).M. D)ouglas was brought in after
with a salary higher than that of the (
stees were forced to lower it. Douglas
nent of Wardlaw College of Educ4
'High School for the practice teacht
ression hit USC hard in 1932 with appr
cent, special scholarships were dist
s raised and salaries were slashed. Ai
r Roosevelt's "New Deal." Scholars
Sims, Preston and McKissick Libr
first "natatorium " was const ructed at
udents referred to it as the "swairr mi
e departure of the Depression when
associated with the Columbia insutut
trefree as the stock market began tor
vomen had cars, cigarettes, jazz and L
are time. The imepending war ir
ir away.
2.000 students were enrolled, a figure
f by 1943. WW 11 started an intensi
vith classes being held year-round.
140 USC alumni killed in battle, the we
aught forth hundreds of veterans
under the G I. Bill. With 4,700 students
r space and classes were being held in
P~resident D)onald S. Russell, the
an program as we know it today wa!
11 House Student Center, built in 1955
two decades have brougoht more caa
Exceliet
don't you think there will become a
need for more job-oriented
professional learning?
A. I really think the liberal arts
can hold their own on this. While
there will definitely be some
response to increased diversity,
there will also be some employer
looking for someone with perhaps
an English or philosophy
background because that is
something which cannot be taught
on the job. You really need some
kind of degree for entry level
positions within direct em
ployment.
Q. The market today is too
glutted with graduates who have
liberal arts degrees. Isn't there
something in the back of your mind
which tells you there's more of a
need for specialized training'.
A. There is really nothing in the
back of my mind of that sort. What
I see is a response to trends and a
need for traditional courses as
requirements for other schools of
the University. I'm sure you are
well aware that there will even
tually be a decline in the general
base enrollment of students in the
future. Also, I might add, I have an
impression that right now there
are quite a few young people today
who are really skeptical about the
whole idea of a college education.
Combine those two factors, and it
doesn't look too good fcr Colleges.
It may eventually be that many
persons will be coming here to
simply satisfy themselves with
courses of their own interests. We
see a trend now in which the ratio
of undergraduates to graduates is
shifting toward the graduate side
of the scale. But, as the shift oc
curs, we will probably have
problems getting ample resources
as graduate programs are ex
pensive.
Q. Dr. Bain, what sort of in
formation do you have which leads
you to believe that many young
art Ten
!ased. University than any bo
I women Allen University stud4
the Law acceptance to USC aft
ved their not admitted until the
ght after of the student body c
women's election of Harry Wall
f the 19th of the student body in I
The apathy prevel
the death volvement of the '60'
ov'ernor's "Dixie" at games bec,
urged the to sell beer on campui
tion and survey showed that 10
~rs. class bra-less and th(
>priations dispense birth contre
'ontinued, relatively peaceful Vi
d came in Kent State deaths evo4
lips were boycott of classes was
ary were the Russell House. Pc
this time the protest was quelle
ng pool." The past few years
he social campus with the co
~n. Social stadium, a new nursin
ise. USC building, the health e(
owling to few.
Europe The resignation of P
1974 came as a shock t
that was time and thought to
ve Naval Controversy over the
ifter four came to USC in 1962'1
ir ended. 7,695 on six campuses.
seeking campuses and was nal
UJSC was Year "by WIS Radio
ittics and March of 1974 came l
new fad rivaled the
extensive stuffing and panty raid
begun. number of streakers re
bears his lit night, one seriously
nude runners ever e<
gue to the thiecery.
tce
people are doubting the worth of a
college education?
A. I have received personal
information, read statements in
the national press, and talked with
students. In many instances
students who graduate and are
looking for jobs are appalled at the
lack of opportunity available to
them. I've heard a lot from
students as to "What good is my
education. I can't even find a job."
It's unfortunate that they tend to
be discouraged easily because in
the long run they don't understand
how their college education helps
them in everyday living and
gainful employment. It's also
clear that freshman enrollments
are down across the country. With
more and more high school
students graduating each year,
what else can you attribute this
declining freshman enrollment to?
Q. As far as I know, there is
really no comparable means for
ranking liberal arts schools around
the nation for one is just about as
similar as the next. If you could
rank them, where would USC rank
in relation to the best?
A. At the present time we are
suffering from time lag. In other
words, our level of ac
complishment is considerably
above what image people
previously have had of the
University. One thing all depart
ments in this college have is
strength, vigor, and excellence in
its faculty which would place them
very high in anyone's national
rankings. Of course, just like most
things, there are some depart
ments at some Universities which
are better than some of ours. But,
there are a great many depart
ments we have that we should be
proud of. As we continue to stress
academic excellence, and as more
grads get out across the country,
our reputation will increase very
rapidly.
4ore. In January 1958, eleven black
!nts threatened legal means to gain
er they were refused. Blacks were
fall of 1963. By 1970 only 6 per cent
Dusisted of black students and the
cer, a black man, to the presidency
971 made national television.
ant in the '50's gave way to in
s. Protest against the playing of
ime a major issue. Whether or not
was also a point of contention. A
per cent of the 1969 co-eds went to
student Health Center refused to
I pills. Students gathered for a
etnam Moratorium in 1969, but the
ed a more violent protest in 1970. A
Urged and angry students took over
lice and troops were called in and
d and classes remained open.
has brought a new look to the
nstruction of the Coliseum, the
g center, a new law center, the BA
nter and new libraries, to name a
resident Thomas Jones in January
many. He left to devote his "full
the teaching-learning process."
real reason still remains. Jones
w'hen there was a student body of
He helped it grow to 26,342 on nine
ned "1966 South Carolinian of the
and Television.
vith streakers across campus. This
goldfish eating, telephone booth
s of the past. And even though the
ached a phenomenal 508 on a torch
doubts the excitement caused by
iualed that of the 1800's turkey