only as a single requirement. Simply put, it meant encouraging students to think independently.
It was to take effect in fall 1981.
Because it frequently became merely a requirement added on a course, which ignored its
fundamental overriding purpose, it became enormously unpopular both with students and
faculty. As a result, it was withdrawn three years after it began.
Economics and Psychology Degrees.
Effective in fall 1977, Clarkson's School of Management
began offering degrees in economics and in applied psychology. Students completing the 33
hours of economics for the economics degree were expected to be qualified for positions in
business, financial institutions, and public administration. With the applied psychology degree,
students were expected to be qualified without further training for entry-level positions in
governmental or industrial organizations.
Phi Sigma Sigma.
Under the leadership of Mary Viparina and Suzette Lauzon, a group of
women students created Clarkson's first sorority on September 13, 1977. These two women
had discussed the possibility with Don Dangremond, associate dean of student life; with Randy
Lamson, director of student life programming; with sororities at St. Lawrence University; and
with representatives of national sororities during the summer. Then they made their
recommendations to the interested women on campus, and their affirmative vote confirmed that
Phi Sigma Sigma had arrived to become Clarkson's first sorority.
TAE.
Under the guidance of Dr. David Bray, professor of electrical engineering, Computer
Assisted Instruction (CAI) became a subdivision of Technologically Assisted Education (TAE),
a new facet of education being developed at Clarkson.
CAI uses the computer not only as a machine to learn on, but also as a tutor. Among
other uses, it drills students in certain areas automatically by providing questions for the
students to answer. TAE also includes the use of audiovisual aids to supplement material
presented in a lecture. The electrical engineering department pioneered this step by preparing a
broad variety of video-taped lectures to help students cover material missed in class, or for
review in preparation for an examination. One area of the planned Educational Resources
Center was to house a specially equipped room for this TAE.
Academic Integrity Policy.
After five years of work and delay, Clarkson approved a new
policy on jurisdiction over alleged student cheating, the Academic Integrity Policy. Consistent
with this policy, faculty and students were required to report all accusations of cheating to this
committee. Instructors no longer could impose penalties directly on students they suspected of
cheating.
Accused students and their accusers appeared before this committee made up of three
students, three faculty, with a fourth faculty member serving as a nonvoting chair. As in a court
trial, each side presented its case, called witnesses to testify, and then retired to await the
verdict of the committee. Penalties to students for an upheld allegation of cheating ranged from
"Ethical Probation" (for the remainder of the student's time at Clarkson); an F grade for an
assignment, examination, or course; a grade sanction for the course; or the recommendation to
the president of the College for the convicted student to receive "Ethical Suspension" or
"Ethical Expulsion."
