The Midpeninsula Free University

MFU Articles Published by The Stanford Daily
1966

Free University of Palo Alto Started by Graduate Students

With fears of creeping multiversities and time-honored criticism of college administrations becoming more vociferous on campuses across the nation, a group of Stanford students may have come up with its own solutions to the problem

Their answer is the Free University of Palo Alto (FUPA). The school will not be free in a monetary sense, though students will be asked to pay only a small fee. The free stems from the university's academic freedom which is almost complete both for students and teachers.

Presently FUPA has no place to conduct classes, no money in the bank and no formal structure. Many of the teachers will be Stanford graduate students, lecturing in their specialities. However at FUPA, it will be the students—and not the teachers—who select the courses and the subject matter to be taught. FUPA will teach a course in any subject in which there is sufficient interest.

Left-wing Interests

Although most of the proposed course titles reflect the leanings of instructor's interests, which are predominately left-wing in nature, there will be no limit to the variety of topics which might be touched at FUPA.

One of the significant features of the school is its desire to blur the barrier between students and teachers. On all major decisions students as well as teachers will be allowed to vote with majority rule deciding policy.

Among the innovations that FUPA will incorporate are:

• No prerequisites for courses.
• No grades.
• No entrance requirements.
• Teachers who will not teach but prompt an interchange of ideas among class members.
• Majority rule of teachers and students on policy decisions.
• Unlimited range of studies.

Trade Tech?

Besides the Stanford students participating in the project, members of the community have also volunteered to teach courses. Roy Kepler, active in Bay-area protest movements and the owner of Kepler's book store, will teach a course on Non-violence and Its Social Organization.

All subjects will not be of a strictly academic nature. There are presently plans to teach a course in welding and one in interior decorating.

Under the unique arrangement teachers may find themselves talking to the blackboard if their words are not of interest to the FUPA student body.

Teachers Pay Fee

Similar to European universities, FUPA will rate a teacher on the basis of enrollment in his class. Yet even the best drawing lecturers will not receive a dime for their work and may even be asked to pay an affiliation fee for the privilege of airing their thoughts.

For the present FUPA will be holding night classes only. Although the new school must compete with other night schools it plans to draw a different cross-section of students than are usually interested in after dinner education.