The Savage Republican

I just re-read Lady Liberty's blog from Friday. It got me to thinking back about 30 years ago. I was Chairman of the Extension Classes Student Board at the University of Minnesota (in effect I was the Class President for all Extension Students at the U). Extension classes were (and probably still are) heavily attended by adults who were intent on getting their degree, however, were also working full time. One of the things we, and my predecessors, had lobbied for for some time were classes and graduate degree programs from the Graduate School, full credits as were the Day School classes. We asked for nothing to be cut. We wanted the same curriculum, content, books, requirements-an exact copy of the Day School classes, except taught in the evenings and/or Saturday (many classes with 5 credits were taught two days of the week. Since the U has gone to a full semester program instead of quarters and semesters, I don't know how those classes are taught, or the conversion from quarter to semester credits). Well, the ivory tower Graduate School opposed us at every, and I mean every juncture. Three of us had a much worked for meeting with C. Peter McGrath, President of the University. We wanted to put our case before him. Well, we walked into the meeting, and there was a representative from the Graduate School talking to President McGrath. And the Grad School representative didn't leave, but stayed for OUR meeting. We were SO disappointed. The establishment was talking. No, they were screaming!
What all this has boiled down to was a comment by Dean Woods back in 1975. Dean Woods was an older man who had been at the University for a long time. He had great wit and wisdom.
At one of our meetings, he said "I'd hate to be one of those Graduate School deans or administrators and tell you people, who are all taxpayers that pay their salaries, that you are not going to be treated the same as day school students."
Seems that the parents in Montgomery County Maryland grabbed their pitchforks and torches and stormed the castle.
Good for them. What is sad and of note is that they had to go to court to do it.
Sounds like they need to re-align the School Board there in Montgomery County.
Wonder if any of them know Dean Woods?