OCR Text |
Show Many people claim that an engineer receives an excellent technical background to the neglect of the humanities-justifiably so. An engineering student is primarily concerned with the solving of problems, not with discussion of them; and he concerns himself with being a success, not with being some variety of glorified debator. His only concern with ivory towers is the construction thereof. There will always be problems to overcome, and someone should know how to go about de-featingthem. The College of Engineering is an excellent institution for the education of those willing to deal with problems related to the physical world. Strict adherence to a system of prerequisite series courses insures the novitiate engineer a solid, useful background of technical knowledge from which he can draw in learning a speciality. The college has been experimenting with a problem-oriented teaching approach where the pupil is assigned a problem to solve using the resources of the lab, text and teacher. This method seems to teach well, but has a tendency to make the overall pattern of knowledge spotty-a student doesn't learn principles not involved in his own set of problems-if the comprehensive course is ill planned. On the whole, students and faculty share only common interests or work. Technical subjects have a notable lack of compassion. Engineering is a world of its own, set apart from the rest of the campus by more than geographic bounds. The aspiring applied scientist at this university best be prepared for difficult and often boring preliminary study, leading, however, to interesting specialty work and a highly profitable degree. O en LU LjlJ o Whose concern with ivory towers is the construction thereof Max L. Williams-Dean |