Page 73 - TheGoldBug1969-70

gold bug Ipage 3 'march 2,1970 Interview continued - the future of the small private college cont1nuedfrom page 2) campus. And that's something I don't want to see, work. In addition, the committee must glve·.some atten- ered by a job. If it looks like the student has very good we possibility of outside aid such as a state scholarship, personally, and I think that's something most people do tion to the qualities of character, personality which not want to see. But one thing we're trying to do, is, promise effectiveness in the activities of llfe. The com- take this in to consideration as well. We are not able within reason, keep our cost down. mlt\ee recognizes, however, certain obligations to . to help everybody that applies for aid, but I would say Uhrig - I believethatis very true and of course that is the special groups; some of these are, wives and children that probably thirty five to forty five per cent of the reason that you need more income beyond tuition so that of faculty, children of alumni, particularly of those who students attending Western Maryland get some type of you can serve the student that the college started out have been active supporters of the college, foreign aid from the college. If you Include aid from both out .. side the college and Inside the college, the percentage to serve. The college very definitely had an objective students, Negro students, at least until there Is some would probably go to 55 or 65%of our student body. The in mind for ninety years and that was to provide good aquntzatton of education opportunity, applicants in cer- question also asks whether we break down aid by de- liberal arts education In a coeducationalinstitut1on to tain acauemtc areas of low numerical strength. It should partments; so much aid going to d1fferentacademlc areas children of lower middle class families and to me this be understood, even among these students, however, is the kind of constituency, for the most part, that that the committee must feel satisfied that the student --we do not attempt to do this. We try to atd those that we've had. Then I think-c-Dr', Shook would have to get has a good chance of being academically successful. are most worthy based on need and academic ability. it would be true that If a student is seeking however, In to It here,--when the crush that we knew was com- At the same time, the committee recognizes the well- admtsston to a program that needs more students we ing, It had been anticipated, of the war babies of world being of the student body and the reputation of the coll- would tend to favor helping that student rather than ege will both be Improved by the aUractionof good stu- war two came, we got very selective and I think that tnts dents from other geographical and religious back- help a student that's seeking to get into an overcrowd- is understandable because there are only so many rooms, grounds. Considerable effort, therefore, is expended ed department, one that has far more students then they there are only so many class room spaces, but my own to draw such students to the college. The reasoning could possibly accomodate, So this old idea of supply feeling Is, and perhaps I'm the cnlvcne on the Hill who Is akin, from one point of view. to the search for good and demand would naturally have a bearing. I think the feels this way, that in that serecnvty, I'll say, we_ror- foreign and Negro students, And I'll stop _there, As committee would also be influenced by any special tal- got our objective. And I believe that it Is Important to to specific academic qualifications, it is true that for ents that a student might have, whether that talent remember both, And not forget one or the other. example, the entering class of 1970 looked like most of be a vocal or instrumental music talent, whether it be Dr , Shook - I would say that the college Is putting more the students, about 85% entering in 1970 will rank in an athletic talent, whether it be a leadership quality of its own funds into scholarship aid every year. Some the top 15% of the high school class and our median of some type recognized by student government offices could perhaps argue that percentage wise we are not college board scores this year should go to a point of let's say in the high school. and so rortn. You can not increasing these funds at a rapid enough pace, but I about 595. Therefore, if you have a student who is in personally feel that we're doing "a-very good job In the second nfth of a class, with college boards let's take aU of these things in to account, but what I'm say- ing Is that when you deal with a six member commit- terms of the amount of money put in to scholarship say in the four hundred range, you would have to say tee its very possible that somebody on this committee funds. One reason that I think that we are meeting the that this student at best, is a borderline case compar- will be impressed that a young man was president of the needs of our students today is that we do have a great ed to the other students in the profile. But even this student government in high school. Or another person many state scholarships that are helping to support student could gain admission if this student is believed would be impressed that this girl has a very fine sop- .our students and then on top of that we also, for the 'to attend a very competitive high school, !fthls student rano solo voice andsoforth.Socertainlyoutside talents tirst time in the past few years, have added federal could have a hearing on the type of decision made. funds that can be used to help students. Back In 1958 is believed to have more potential than a single test Uhrig - If you give a student aid for athletics, not an ath- was the start of this with the Federal Loan program. score could indicate. So we're very willin!: to make tete scholarship as such, and he getslnjured,accord~ But we now have federalloans and federal scholarships. exceptions, but we do have a general concept of what Ing to the NCAA, you still have to continue the aid don't With these two types or reoeratrunds we can now actually academic qualifications a student should have. you? give complete aid to students who can not pay a penny. Goldbug - Is this a year by year profile? Mowbray - WeU, thts has changedr. rassenttany, thtsls If we did not have the federalscholarsh1ps and federal Shook - Yes, we have a new profile every year. And 1 still true out were were some changes In It. What most loan funds it would be almost impossible to oller com- might mention that during the two years of the expan- schools do now is to give awards for one year only, so plete aid to students. So 11anything, I'd say we are bet- sion, we brought in unusually large classes, and any that if you are no longer performing in the field you ter able today to offer complete aid to the student who time you increase your entering class by one hundred no longer get aid. This one thing we have been very needs complete aid than we could have ten years ago students, you do not get the hundred students at the careful about. First of all, there is no such thing as an top of your profile, you get them at the bottom of your when I first came back to this job. If something would profile. So your median college board scores wiU nat- athletic scholarship at this Institution. There is money happen to cut off these federal funds in the form of urally drop, your median rank in class will naturally scholarships and loans this would very much hinder us drop. This coming year we are cutttng back the entering for athletes, the same as for any other students. But in our efforts to draw people from the low income fami- they must meet the same criteria as everyone In terms lies. As long as we have those two sources, I think we class by more than one hundred students, so it will look of need and In terms of academic ability. can continue to draw a very nice percentage of students like on paper a far superior class, butthis is mislead- Shook - And I might mention when a student; let's take a tng-fts only because we have cut off the bottom quarter from that group. By and large, we sun attract most of student who is a good athlete, to illustrate this. If that our students from the middle Income familles.lt'strue of last year's entering class. student submits a financial aid from the athletic depart- that their incomes today are higher than they were when Mowbray _ And I can add to that. Although on paper, I ment always comes to the financial aid office to ask us I first became financial aid crncer but this Is under guess, last year's freshman class looked weaker In what would be the need. They do not take it upon them- standanle because all Income levels have gone up. So terms of college boards, they had the highest grade selves to say, "Well we think this student should get I don't feel that we are drawing from a very different point average of any freshman class In five years. this." They always come to us seeking our advice. The segment of our society; they have a higher income but Goldbug - Last year's freshman class? coaches realize, that if they talk to a boy about financial I think that's Inevitable. I do think In the future how- Mowbray _ The present freshmen class at the end of last aid they do not have the authority on the spot to give the ever, If we're going to try to put more of our money, semester. aid. All of these matters have to come back through now I'm talking about our college's money that we put Goldbug - How about last year's freshman class? me to the financial aid committee. So we do have,! in to the scholarship program, Ii we want to give more Mowbray _ Uh, they do not- But thIs freshman class that think, a very close check on this, and I think our coaches of that money to low income tamtty students; If that's theoretically should not be doing that well is doing better do a wonderful job contacting boys and working with what we want,thenwe'Uhave to take some of the money than any freshman class in five years. At this point. them. away that we are giving to the middle income family Goldbug - How does Western Maryland's financial aid to Gold bug - Let me ask a que stton here , and this may be a students. And in order to do this, we may have to try students work? How is it distributed? Department, black little bit of a curve. When alumni make contributions, etc.? athletes, students, underprivlleged, to attract more people from h1gh incomefamUies. This Dr. Shook - Students seeking financial aid are Instructed can they designate their money to goto specific depart- may be one of the solutions that we seek •. ments or areas? Mowbray w Let me make tWo points on what he said, If I to first apply for admission, show that they are accept- Uhrig w on, absolutely. In fact, you might be Interested may. One-he was talking about the fact that to aid the able to the admissions committee, and then at that point to .xnow that the first designated gift for a swimming lower group we may have to take some more away from we're very willing to consider the application for fin- pool came from Dr. Clower. His annual alumni fund the middle Income _group and I might state that this is ancial assistance. At Western Maryland we have a com- contribution was designated "Swimming pool." not just a matter of taking five hundred dollars away mittee consisting of live or six people, the majority of Goldbug _ Can I write you a five dollar check for a new theater? from one and giving it to another because the lower In- these are faculty member-e.we meet InMar ch and April. Mowbray - Yes, but it may sit for a while. the March meeting Is completely devoted to the ccn-: come student usually needs tremendous aid. So It means side ration of applications from incoming new students, Goldbug _ At the present time Western Maryland has a that you have to take aid from-three or four other stu- and In April we consider applications for assistance dents to do It. And I think that this should be known. In from students already In college. The money being good faculty with many outstanding teacnersvon a scate other words, if you take one lower Income student, we're vacated In forms of scholarships loans and so forth, by rating teachers salaries from A to D, WMC ranks C. cutting aid from say four middle income students who seniors can naturally be re-awaroeo because the senior How will this affect faculty composition in the future? otherwise could not come here. So, the proportions will not be returning. The money held by freshmen, Mowbray - First of all, I'm not sure that you're correct. are cnrrerent. And the other point, not only are we Its been changed. In fact, its no longer on this scale, I giving more of our funds, each year, but we've been sophomores and juniors would normally continueon into might add. The AAUP changed its scale last year. We are active In getting state funds many times that students continue on into the next year provided a student is now on a scale which is a numerical scale and It has a making satisfactory wider range and we were not ranked C on the different toward graduation. The progress themselves would not have gotten. But which the ad- financial aid committee had many many more applica- positions. I think the total ranking may have been C, but missions office, or financial aid office, in this case, tions then they could possibly agree to offer aid, so there- had sought and gotten for the student. state funds didn't fore one of the first procedures would be to eliminate we rank A on our instructors rank, I believe, and you'U always just came to them. This is particularly true In the students who do not need assistance and there are have to check me on this. We were B in all other fields the case of senatorlals. We've been very ecuve.t think, some people who apply because they feel their acacemtc except full professor, C only In full professor. in helping students get the senatortats. Goldbug - Well, we don't have many of those, though. Goldbug - Let's go to another question; what sort of record is very good and they deserve aid even though Mobray - No. student is Western Maryland College looking for? the need may not be present. We eliminate those people Uhrig _ A lot of P~.DS but not many full professors. Dr. Shook - Well I might just refer to a statement which right away. The second group that would be ellmlnated Mowbray _ Right. And there's a lot of reasoning behind border this. The scale has changed In recent years so that the right away would bethepeoplewhoperhapswere is entitled Admissions Policies and Procedures, In line academic cases; people we feel that we could not people coming In are getting the benefits of the new in- Feb. 1966 the admissions committee at Western Mary- justify Investing large financial aid grants. The remain- creases. And the professors are getting raises, but not land issued a written statement which summarized the Ing students would be academically qualified for aid and fast enough to keep them up to "A." My understanding main points of admission polley and procedures. From which J quote, "The purpose of the committee is to al~o showing some financIal need. It is then the job of was that this year we would try, under the old scale, to provide the best possible undergraduate student body this committee to decide wntch of these students can be see to it that all of our proses 'ior-s at least, all of our to Western Maryland college." In as much as the pur- helped and what would be the breakdown in terms of faculty I' should say, were In the B scale. Rut the scale pose 01 the college is to give superior preparation to 'what portion of this aid would be in scholarship, what (continued on page 4) potential leaders, Is defined as most able to academic portion in federal loan, what portion of their grant cov-