Toward Unity Through Diversity (Ladd Report)

Timeline

• The committee was formed in November, 1965...
• In October, 1966, the committee released a preliminary draft of this report to all members of the University community...
• Published on February 15, 1967

Help of a different, but equally important, source was received from our families, who made our work much easier because of their generally tolerant acceptance of the intrusion of "E.P.C." into their--and our--lives. One wife, Minnie Mae Murray, did double duty by acting as secretary to the committee's secretary. Our excellent minutes were the labor--not always of love--of the Murrays.


Summary of Basic Curriculum Recommendations 

Our recommendations for the basic curriculum for all students are as follows:

1. A minimum of thirty-two courses to be required for graduation.
2. A basic skill in written and spoken English, a Foreign Lnaguage, and Mathematics. These will ultimately become entrance requirements.
3. University General Education Requirements:

Four courses in Group 1 (Natural Sciences)
Six courses in Group 2 (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences)
Six courses in Group III (All courses offered in the University including those in Groups 1 and II)

4. A major.

(70)



Reasons for Change in Requirements:

1. the present requirements do not permit the maximum possible freedom for the student bcause in large measure the time at which the student must meet the requirement is specified by the requirement. We think that the student who wishes to do so should be permitted to study in a chosen field of specialization as soon as he enters the University if he is qualified to do so.

2. We believe that confining general education to specific courses is unnecessarily restrictive.


From Summary of Recommendations

F-1. Replacement of credit-hours by courses. (53-57)

F-1.1 Thirty-two courses to be minimum required for Bachelor's Degree. (56)
F-1.2 Five courses to be maximum taken at any one time and four courses to be normal student program. (56)

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F-6: All students to demonstrate basic skill, before graduation and preferably before entrance in:

F-6.1 Written English (66-67)
F-6.2 Spoken English (67-68)

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F-10. Coordination of University and High School Curricula and efforts to improve quality of high school instruction (32-34)
J-4 Preparation of students (32-34)

J-4.1 Coordination of University and High School Curricula. (33) (F-10)
J-4.2 Increased efforts to support improvement of high school education. (33-34) (see also A-6)

A-6 University leadership in efforts to obtain sounder financial support for public schools. (32-34)


Written English

---In addition to the requirements for a general education program and a major, all graduates of the University should have demonstrated that they have a basic skill in writing and speaking English; a basic understanding of mathematical operations; and a familiarity with a language other than their own. Indeed, such skill, understanding and familiarity are essential prerequisites for university work. [W]e believe that the University should work toward the goal of having virtually all students enter the University with a level of competence in these subjects necessary for a successful experience in higher education. We do not imply that students should not study in these areas while at the University. We are here concerned with these subjects only to the extent that they are basic tools to be used in further education. (66)

We define the basic skill which all students should have as the ability to read a piece of serious writing and to write a clear and precise comment on the ideas in it. We do not believe that the foregoing means that all students should be required to take a course in written English while at the University. The fundamental skill with which we are concerned should be achieved before entrance to the university. Since this is not presently true for a majority of students, we urge that the University take all possible steps to assist New Hampshire secondary schools in working toward the goal of having all students obtain this skill before entering the university. In particular, we believe that the high school English program should include one full year of adequately taught composition.

All students should be given an opportunity to demonstrate that they have this basic skill in reading and writing before initial registration in the University. Those who do demonstrate that they have it should be excused from the required work described below. The students who are unable to demonstrate that they can read and write at a university level should be required to take a one-semester course designed to train students to reach this standard. Those students who are unable to meet this goal after one semester should be required to repeat the course. Any student who has failed to achieve competence in the reading and writing of English after two semesters of work in the University should not be permitted to register for other University courses until he has demonstrated such a competence.

The burden of these courses will fall upon the English department, but we feel that the necessity of insuring that all of our students have this basic confidence is responsibility of every faculty member. If we permit our students to write without clarity and without precision, we cannot hold the English department or the high schools responsible. The English Department should design and supervise the course, but because of the university-wide nature of the problem we recommend that a close liaison be maintained with the undergraduate council.

We believe that the courses should carry credit and be graded on a pass-fail basis. In this case, we define "pass" as meaning that the student has achieved the standard we have set. At that time when the majority of students entering the University are excused from this requirement, courses should become non-credit. (66-67)