Minutes of the General Business Meeting of the RMMLA Colorado State University October 9, 1965

get a high school diploma. The problem is that now everyone comes to college. Our freshman English courses are equally ineffective in teaching the students how to write. We are ineffective because students come to us with an immunity to both grammar and theme instruction. The partial source of this immunity is the current insistence that no student drop out of high school regardless of his poor performance and even poorer attitude as well as conditions which enable the poorer student to detract from the learning efficiency of the better one. The average pre-college instructor teaches a multiplicity of things, writing being only a hurried part of the total program. The pre-college instructor spends 30 hours per week in the classroom, the college instructor 12. Preparation time for the high school instructor is negligible. He is so busy widi extra-curricular activities and responsibilities that he barely has time to check his 150 weekly themes for grammatical errors. He does not have time to teach content improvement or implementation of rhetorical principles. The average high school principal mistakes quantity for quality in theme requirements. On the literature level, high schools are much more successful. The freshman comes to college from a "literature oriented" background and finds himself in a "rhetoric oriented" course, taught by "literature oriented" graduate assistants and instructors. We should utilize the talent available and switch to a literature oriented course, using literature as our subject matter. Critical and analytical analyses of literature should replace die traditional theme. And perhaps by seeming to run away from our failure to teach writing, we will simply be finding a way to encounter our problem more meaningfully. MINUTES OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING OF THE RMMLA COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY October 9, 1965 The business meeting was called to order by Dr. Wilmarth at 10:50 a.m., Saturday, October 9, 1965. The Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. George McMurray, reported 217 new members diis year with 206 in attendance at this meeting. There were 120 at die luncheon on October 8 and 149 at the dinner. The balance in the treasury was $1337. The treasurer's report was accepted as read. The locations for the next meetings of RMMLA are 1966 — University of Utah; 1967 — University of New Mexico; 1968 — U.S. Air Force Academy. The officers for the next year are Dr. Clarice Short, President, University of Utah; Dr. Robert M. Duncan and Dr. George Arms, Co-Vice Presidents, University of New Mexico; Dr. Jim Fife, Secretary-Treasurer, University of Utah; and Dr. Richard J. Cummings, Editor of die Bulletin, University of Utah. On the motion, the slate was adopted. It was moved and seconded that the members go on record as favoring a permanent secretaryship for die RMMLA. After discussion and questions, die motion was unanimously carried. In order to choose the secretary, Dr. Fife moved to establish an ad hoc committee to consist of 5 members (past presidents and the current president or dieir representatives). This committee is to receive applications from universities and colleges which could support such a facility, by January 15, 1966, along widi die nominations for die position of permanent secretary of RMMLA. In die spring, this committee will meet and interview the candidates.* The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Committee members will be Dr. Short, University of Utah, Dr. Duncan, University of New Mexico, Dr. Portnoff, Arizona State University and Dr. Priest, Denver University. The foregoing motion was amended to read that as many states as possible be included on the 5-man *[This recommendation was not followed because it seemed desirable to treat all candidates alike, and one of the nominees was in Europe.] 19 committee with a representative from the University of Wyoming, since Dr. Wilmarth will be away on sabbatical leave and therefore will not be able to be present. Dr. McMurray moved that dues be increased from $3.00 to $4.00. The motion was seconded and carried. The dollar increase will be matched by MLA. It was announced that names of the section chairmen and abstracts are to be sent to: Dr. Jim Fife, Department of English, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 841 12. A...