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Case Western Reserve University Archives

Student hangs on a flying trapeze

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1970-1979 1970
Reflecting trends nationally, student protests had erupted on campus several times. The largest demonstration blocked the intersection of Euclid and Adelbert Roads.

1971
Louis A. Toepfer was inaugurated as CWRU's second president.

1972
Greek Week continued as a campus tradition. Pictured here is the bed race on the Case Quad.

1973
The Intersession special Studies Program (known as Intersession) was held in the 4-week period between the Fall and Spring semesters. First held in January 1970, Intersession offered some experimental courses. Pictured is a student in the Circus Techniques class.

1974
Faculty member C. Donald Johanson discovered "Lucy," the bones of a new early-man species, Astralopithecus afarensis, 3.01-3.25 million years old.

1975
A flash flood dumped over 4 feet of water into the basement of Sears Library, and over 6 feet into the Wickenden Building, causing nearly $1 million in damage.

1976
Summer Renaissance offered special programs, workshops, and conferences, with topics ranging from management to modern dance.

1977
Nine faculty members discussed the energy crisis in a series of 5 television programs produced by the University for NBC-TV.

1978
One hundred four acres of Valley Ridge Farm were added to Squire Valleevue Farm in Hunting Valley. The combined farms were used for recreation, research and the President’s residence.

1979
The Persistence of Surrealism Festival was held over 2 months. Numerous University Circle institutions presented lectures, music, film, plays, exhibits, mini-courses that demonstrated how the spirit of the Surrealist movement continued to influence thought and the arts.
Intersession Prior to the 1969-1970 academic year at CWRU, fall semester classes recessed just before Christmas and resumed early in January, with reading days and final exams taking place in mid-January. Spring semester started early in February and ended in June. A proposal was adopted in early 1969 to adopt the so-called “4-1-4” calendar of two 15-week semesters (each spanning 4 months), with the month of January used for Intersession in between.

In contrast to managing multiple courses during the regular semesters, Intersession offered students one month to focus on a single topic. The Joint Curriculum Committee on 4-1-4 Calendar and Related Programs reported in September 1968 that the “educational activities that may be expected to take place during the ‘one’ of a four-one-four program are too varied to be described except in the most general terms… The intention of the January session is to offer, for a limited length of time, immersion in a subject of interest to the student and to provide approaches to learning not normally afforded in the regular semesters.” Participation was voluntary, both for students and faculty, although a department was allowed to require that its majors take a specific Intersession course at some point during their undergraduate career. Full-time students paid no additional tuition, while those who opted out did not receive any sort of rebate. Alumni could participate, as well. Intersession included formal intensive courses, organized trips, independent study, and informal programs.

The first Intersession took place from January 5 through 30, 1970. It included approximately 250 offerings from over 340 faculty. Just under half of the undergraduates participated. The organized courses included Computer Techniques for Optimum Design, Introduction to Investment Markets, Steam Engine Demonstration Vehicle, Political Poetry, Geology of the Moon, The Police and City Politics, Sports Officiating Techniques, Religious Institutions in Cleveland, Basic Swahili, Television Program Production, Art and Science of Museum Display, Racial Attitudes Change Via the Media, and Phosphate Water Pollution Problem. Organized trips included visits to Boston, London, and Paris.

In 1971, President Louis Toepfer taught a class on Academic Administration, which in addition to twelve 90-minute class sessions, had the students spend at least four hours working in an administrative office in January. Each student taking the class for credit also had to write a paper about an aspect of academic administration. A version of the class was offered by Toepfer every year through 1975.

By 1974, the Intersession Committee was at a crossroad, believing that Intersession “must either be substantially modified or be abolished.” The Committee noted that “for various reasons, [Intersession] simply does not command enough respect, enough enthusiasm or enough student and faculty commitment. The student body has shrunk, student goals have changed, academic departments have come under severe budgetary stress, [and] faculty are overcommitted.” The Committee concluded that if Intersession was going to continue, student and department participation would have to become mandatory.

Intersession’s last year was 1976. In proposing Intersession’s abolishment, B. S. Chandrasekhar, then Dean of Western Reserve College, summarized the shortcomings of Intersession, “During all these years that it has been with us, [Intersession] has failed to achieve a sufficiently coherent philosophy in terms of what it is supposed to be, so that perceptions and expectations are intolerably divergent as between the Colleges and among the students, teachers, and administrators, and it therefore commands inadequate support from all of them. At the same time, with no redeeming aspects, we have shortened the regular semesters to a dangerous point.” On January 13, 1976, the Faculty Senate voted 34-7 in favor of abolishing Intersession and adopting an academic calendar of two semesters, each with a minimum of fifteen weeks.

Sources
For more information about Intersession, see the list of published histories on our CWRU Archives Sources page. In addition to the published histories, information comes from records in the Case Western Reserve University Archives.