Arts and Letters Colloquium : The University in Peace and War

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https://hdl.handle.net/1794/309

This collection contains student papers from the Clark Honors College course HC 421 Honors College Arts and Letters Colloquium: The University in Peace and War. For more information on the course and the Honors College program, consult the College website

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Browsing Arts and Letters Colloquium : The University in Peace and War by Author "Barth, Laura"

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  • ItemOpen Access
    Robert D. Clark at San Jose State College and the University of Oregon
    (Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, 2003-12) Barth, Laura
    The 1960s and 1970s were turbulent times all over the world. The Cultural Revolution introduced freedom, rebellion, and protest into the minds of the young. The war in Vietnam and civil rights issues provided the perfect opportunities for young people to practice the new freedoms that they were acquiring. Civil rights protests and protests against the United States’ policy in Vietnam became commonplace. College campuses were ideal locations for protests because they were full of young, idealistic, educated students. Officials of higher education had to deal with a generational clash that involved parents who wanted an authoritarian college president and students who wanted more freedom. Robert Clark had to deal with these conflicting interests when he was president of San Jose State College and the University of Oregon. At both institutions, there were many trying issues that challenged Clark to please both the parents and the students. In his five years at San Jose State, Clark dealt with three large issues: black student civil rights, the Dow Chemical protest, and the AFT strike. At the University of Oregon, the three main problems that Clark dealt with were the Weyerhaeuser protest, the Johnson Hall sit-in, and the ROTC looting incidences. Clark handled these situations at both schools similarly by listening and talking to students and by making changes in school policy when he deemed it necessary.
  • ItemOpen Access
    University Political Ideology
    (Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, 2003-12-08) Hoffman, Carson; Barth, Laura; Bellis, Tyler
    Throughout the history of the University of Oregon, issues have come and gone that, at the time, seemed to play a vital role in the very nature of the institution, such as budget cuts, protests, and student power. But there was one issue that captivated public attention in 1970, and continues to do so today: how does the University respond to political issues? Should the University, as an institution of open dialogue and debate, ever take sides on an issue that is holy contested? Has it in the past? And should it in the future? In my research I have found this to be a thoroughly unexplored subject even though it has popped up so frequently in the history of our institution. As our country moves into the 21st century, and begins to encounter new perils and issues that may well threaten the very core of our ideological convictions, these questions will only become more and more pronounced, especially as we move into a period of unprecedented international involvement. As we present our system of government as the one shining beacon of truth, democracy, and national righteousness, the world’s eye will be focused on our domestic policies as well as foreign, and the example put forward by our universities may well be an important indicator on the direction our country will take. Thus, these issues hold resonance far beyond our tiny community of Eugene, Oregon, and will reverberate throughout our nation, and indeed, the world as a whole. Consequently, we must take a prudent course of action, or risk not only our national integrity, but corrupting the entire world through the significant influence our nation exerts throughout the world. In 1970, we were faced with the same issue, and the administration of President Robert D. Clark, effectively, for the most part, maneuvered our University through a time that was absolutely critical to the integrity of an institution dedicated to open debate, justice, and the rule of law. So what were these critical issues?