DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa Afro-American Cultural Center, 1968-2009 | 1968-11-23 Daily Iowan Article: "Prof Sees Needs For Black Studies"

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University of Iowa Afro-American Cultural Center, 1968-2009

1968-11-23 Daily Iowan Article: "Prof Sees Needs For Black Studies"

[handwritten]
DI Nov 23, 1968

Prof Sees Needs For Black Studies 

By CATHERINE BORCKARDT

Does the University core course in Western Civilization discriminate? Yes, according to Robert Corrigan, associate professor of English and secretary of the Committee on Afro-American Studies, because it teaches only European civilization and does not include African and Asian history. 
   The goal of the committee is to further research and teaching on undergraduate and graduate levels in the area of black culture. The idea of instituting an Afro-American studies program originated with Willard Boyd, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, and the committee was formed late last spring.
    Corrigan said that the committee felt bound to two major areas of emphasis - teaching and research. 
   " The whole area of black studies hasn't been researched the way it ought to be," he said. 
    Since there has been little serious study, there is relatively little to teach, he said.
    The problem of lack of research shows itself in a vacuum of faculty knowledgeable in African and Asian studies, Corrigan estimated that there has been out eight dissertations by blacks on black history ever published at the University. He said that it was also hard to determine whether authors of these were black or white. 
    And there is a great demand for black instructors, Students want their classes on black history taught with "soul."
  Corrigan has some objection to this. He said that although a course in social studies or current history would justify the demand for a black who had experience with black problems, it would be impossible to find anyone alive today who has experienced the Civil War.
  Philip G. Hubbard, dean of academic affairs and chairman of the committee, agreed that black instructors were hard to find. But he said he saw the black faculty problem as one of the presentation of both sides. Since the majority of students at the University are white, a black instructor seems important as a matter of balance, he said.
   The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which ccordinates courses among all Big 10 schools, has suggested a program of active recruitment of graduate students interested in black studies. These graduate students would form, at some future date, the core of a responsible faculty in the various areas of black studies. 
   CIC, which has representatives from all the Big 10 universities and the University of Chicago, shepherds and facilitates the exchange of courses and faculty among the universities.
   Corrigan divided the studies that will be offered into three major categories: courses concerned primarily with the Afro-American experience, courses of related interest and course of additional interest. The courses in  the final listing, Corrigan said, might only touch on the black experience, and would not have the importance of the other two listings. 
    Some of the courses approved by the committee have been in the catalog for as long as five years. Individual rights in an Industrial Society has been taught that long, and its current enrollment is 32 according to the instructor, Irving Kovarsky, professor of business administration. None of his students are black, Kovarsky said. 
   Some of the courses, like Black Action Theatre, were taken from the Action Studies Program and are now included in the University catalog. 
   Currently there is no degree program in black studies nor does Corrigan expect the Unviersity to start one of three to five years, he said. 
   He said there " is strong feeling in some parts of the University that the idea of black culture as a discipline is false." 
   Some members of the faculty do not see the point of a degree program in black studies. This does not mean, Corrigan said, that a graduate student could not have an area of competence in black history or literature, or could not choose to do his dissertation in a black area of study. It only means that some faculty members do not think that a Master of Black Culture is a good idea. 
   Corrigan said he thought that when the courses were strong enough and had good instructors and a firm foundation, such a degree-granting program would be possible. 
    " But on the slim offerings we now have, it would not be educationally correct," he said. 
  There are courses primarily concerned with the Afro-American experience offered in the departments of history, literature. American civilization, law, political science, business economics, sociology and education. Courses in Corrigan's second division of related interest include the above departments and the departments of anthropology, geography, social work and urban and regional planning.

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[handwritten] DI Nov 23, 1968 Prof Sees Needs For Black Studies By CATHERINE BORCKARDT Does the University core course in Western Civilization discriminate? Yes, according to Robert Corrigan, associate professor of English and secretary of the Committee on Afro-American Studies, because it teaches only European civilization and does not include African and Asian history. The goal of the committee is to further research and teaching on undergraduate and graduate levels in the area of black culture. The idea of instituting an Afro-American studies program originated with Willard Boyd, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, and the committee was formed late last spring. Corrigan said that the committee felt bound to two major areas of emphasis - teaching and research. " The whole area of black studies hasn't been researched the way it ought to be," he said. Since there has been little serious study, there is relatively little to teach, he said. The problem of lack of research shows itself in a vacuum of faculty knowledgeable in African and Asian studies, Corrigan estimated that there has been out eight dissertations by blacks on black history ever published at the University. He said that it was also hard to determine whether authors of these were black or white. And there is a great demand for black instructors, Students want their classes on black history taught with "soul." Corrigan has some objection to this. He said that although a course in social studies or current history would justify the demand for a black who had experience with black problems, it would be impossible to find anyone alive today who has experienced the Civil War. Philip G. Hubbard, dean of academic affairs and chairman of the committee, agreed that black instructors were hard to find. But he said he saw the black faculty problem as one of the presentation of both sides. Since the majority of students at the University are white, a black instructor seems important as a matter of balance, he said. The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which ccordinates courses among all Big 10 schools, has suggested a program of active recruitment of graduate students interested in black studies. These graduate students would form, at some future date, the core of a responsible faculty in the various areas of black studies. CIC, which has representatives from all the Big 10 universities and the University of Chicago, shepherds and facilitates the exchange of courses and faculty among the universities. Corrigan divided the studies that will be offered into three major categories: courses concerned primarily with the Afro-American experience, courses of related interest and course of additional interest. The courses in the final listing, Corrigan said, might only touch on the black experience, and would not have the importance of the other two listings. Some of the courses approved by the committee have been in the catalog for as long as five years. Individual rights in an Industrial Society has been taught that long, and its current enrollment is 32 according to the instructor, Irving Kovarsky, professor of business administration. None of his students are black, Kovarsky said. Some of the courses, like Black Action Theatre, were taken from the Action Studies Program and are now included in the University catalog. Currently there is no degree program in black studies nor does Corrigan expect the Unviersity to start one of three to five years, he said. He said there " is strong feeling in some parts of the University that the idea of black culture as a discipline is false." Some members of the faculty do not see the point of a degree program in black studies. This does not mean, Corrigan said, that a graduate student could not have an area of competence in black history or literature, or could not choose to do his dissertation in a black area of study. It only means that some faculty members do not think that a Master of Black Culture is a good idea. Corrigan said he thought that when the courses were strong enough and had good instructors and a firm foundation, such a degree-granting program would be possible. " But on the slim offerings we now have, it would not be educationally correct," he said. There are courses primarily concerned with the Afro-American experience offered in the departments of history, literature. American civilization, law, political science, business economics, sociology and education. Courses in Corrigan's second division of related interest include the above departments and the departments of anthropology, geography, social work and urban and regional planning.