Student emphasis on academics is one of several “positive” trend changes apparent on campuses throughout the nation this year, according to Mrs. Sharon Drake, who attended a seminar on higher education at the Arkansas Education Association Convention in Hot Springs last week.
Studies which indicate that high school and college students are more involved in learning and are studying more now than in the past were cited by several convention speakers, Mrs. Drake said.
One survey revealed that a furor over longer library hours has replaced protests over administrative policies at a number of institutions.
The new concern with library facilities was reflected at one Midwestern university, where last year about 200 students went to the library to study at a given period each day, as opposed to an average of 670 students who went at the same period this year.
To meet increased needs, many colleges have expanded library seating capacities which had not been filled in years, with the result that all seats are occupied most nights.
Keynote speaker Dr. Tilman C. Cothran of Governors State University in Illinois pointed out that the heightened interest in academic matters is an outgrowth of several influences.
The economic situation has made students more aware of the necessity of higher training and more determined to get the maximum out of education.
Because of this increased awareness, students are also beginning to realize that they no longer have all the answers, which they are now seeking from educational sources.
In addition, veterans, who tend to be more settled and interested in educational values, now constitute a significant number of the student body of many colleges.
Perhaps the most significant reason for the changed emphasis, according to Dr. Cothran, is that “in the past educators haven’t expected of students. We are getting more academic output now because we expect it.”