College Trustees Weigh Planning Of Curricula

The trustees of the Washtenaw County community college began preliminary discussion of factors involved in planning educational programs at their working session last night. The five trustees also discussed having a site analysis study made by the Washtenaw County Metropolitan Planning Commission and methods of selecting an architect. Present for the working session were Samuel T. Harmon Jr., Evart W. Ardis, Ralph C. Wenrich, Kenneth L. Yourd and Richard C. Creal. Trustee Edward Adams Jr. is on vacaition. Wenrich, who is a University professor of vocational educatión and practical arts, told board members that the board should restrict itself to making policy governing programs and leave the actual development of educational programs to a professional staff. He outlined several sources of control of program development, including state law, accreiiiting agencies, occupational controls including licensing. aoceptability to transfer instituItjpivs and to employers.
He stressed the importance of counseling and placement services, calling these "t h e Ki I stone of the education I gram." i Wcnrich s,aid that the general I edueation and liberal arts proI grams would be determined by I vvhal the students bring from Ijtheir high school training andí liw h a t the four-year colleges] I 1 would expect of students j I ferring to them. ín extablishing technical and livocational programs, the colI j lege must develop a relationIjship with the employers in the: ■ área, Wenrich said, pointing I out that other colleges have ■ iused advisory committees to ■ idevelop programs in various I technical fields. Some of the issues which I will face the board will be adI mission standards, the amount I of the educational cost to be I bom by the student, finding I a staff competant to teach in I the vocational programs, and I use of educational technology I including programmed learning I and teaching machines. Wenrich commented that he I favors "open admission with I selective placement." Most I community colleges expect the I student to pay about one-third I of the usual $600 per student cost, with one-third coming each from local taxes and from id federal funds, Wen 'eachers of vocational subjects need experience in the l'occupation for which they are training employés, he said. He urged the setting of standards which are realistic in terms of that purpose. The trustees agreed informally that one board member and the firm's attorney would meet with the county planning commission this week on a site analysis study to be prepared by the commission staff. This study would examinei blocks of land within the six township area which has been designated by the trustees as aceeptable for the college site and would describe the eristics of each bloek. Among factors to be examinéd are availability of land, land prices, soil conditions, externa] influences such as highway noise and congestión, availability of public services, access to the site, and área congestión. The board will begin its search for an architect by ! piling a list of architects experienced in designing schools and colleges. It will visit the buildings and interview staff personnel now using buildings designed by the architects who are under consideration. This process is expected to take two months. The board also informally approved an announcement for president calling for the holder of a doctoral degree with five years experience in a leadership role in education, business or government, knowledge of vocational-technical education as well as general education, and knowledge in the fields of legislation, financing, staffing and curricula. Salary was left open r and a deadline for applications I was set for May 1. The board will-Tneet in I mal session at 730 p.m. next Tuesday in' Cllib,;Itoom No. ll at the YM-YW