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"The campus was interested in recruiting minority students, but the campus wasn't prepared for us."
- Tony Stevens, reflective comments from the 25th Anniversary of the Culture Center
Like most changes in the culture of a campus, the development of the cultural center began with an informal conversation. In the fall of 1967, a Black graduate student gave Dr. Charles E. Quirk, an assistant professor in the History department, an article describing the Center for Inner-City Studies in Chicago, an extension of Northeasten Illinois State College. Quirk shared the article and his feelings about the article with several colleagues and they decided to request permission for a delegation to visit the center. At that time, the 1st vice president of academic affairs, Dean D.F. Howard, and Dr. Clifford Bishop , Head of the Department of Education, believed the visit would be worthwhile. On December 7th and 8th of the same year, Quirk, a graduate student, and five faculty members spent two days at the Chicago Center. Following their visit, their enthusiasm let to proposals to incorporate many features that had contributed to the Center's success.
The first steps were initiated. The group proposed to President J.W. Maucker that there should be an inclusion of teaching material on the disadvantaged and minority groups in existing courses and the addition of new course, related to the same matters, in the professional education sequence. There should be an in-service program to acquaint Iowa elementary and secondary school teachers with the materials and techniques of instruction for minority groups and disadvantaged children and youth. Thirdly, they proposed the creation of an extension center of SCI in East Waterloo (eventually UNI-Center for Urban Education) and the development of a program for recruiting minority group students and staff. The group also requested the University to conduct a survey to investigate the possibilities of securing financial support from foundations or the federal government to carryout these proposals. The conclusion of the member's proposal was a declaration of the "urgency" in getting the Institution involved "directly in a current domestic problem." The goal of the committee was to develop a "program of urban education and desegregation for the schools in Iowa. After considering the proposal, President Maucker met with the group and promised to take immediate steps the suggestions made.
Next: The development of COURIMGE
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