Letters of Support for Dr. von Meier - UCLA 1967
Enclosed is a copy of a resolution passed by the undergraduate student legislative council on January 25, 1967, relating to Dr. Kurt von Meier and the need for a new interdisciplinary course at UCLA. The necessity of this course has been particularly shown by the popularity of Dr. von Meier's Art 110A course during the past year.
The university is constantly evolving, and with these changes there is a growing concern among the student body and faculty alike in the type and quality of education which is being disseminated. The traditional departmental structure at UCLA has restricted the number of courses in which large numbers of students from a variety of fields can come together and receive the benefits of various areas of expertise. Dr. von Meier was a step ahead of his time in presenting such a course.
The decision not to rehire Dr. von Meier is deeper than the man himself. The basic issue of academic freedom definitely relates to the decision. The ability to criticize society in an academic environment must be maintained.
For this to be true, the capability to conduct classes must be left primarily to the discretion of the instructors with as little outside interference as is germane to the overall purposes of the university.
As educational policy commissioner and a representative of the student body, I hope that you will very seriously consider Dr. von Meier's case. Your decision will not only affect this one man as a teacher, but many others as students.
Respectfully yours,
Gary t. Rowse
Educational Policy Commissioner
Student Legislative Council
Prepared by: Gary Rowse
Educational Policy Commissioner
January 25, 1967
Interdisciplinary Arts Course Resolution
WHEREAS imaginative and creative teaching methods should be encouraged rather than stifled, and
WHEREAS Kurt von Meier is, to many of his students, both an imaginative and creative teacher who brought the subject of contemporary art out of the textbooks and museums and into an open arena where it could be viewed, studied, analyzed, and criticized, while also bringing into the open arena both the political and sociological forces which constantly play on the subject of art, and
WHEREAS there is an increasing need in our curriculum for interdisciplinary courses, as there are extremely few fields of interest which are isolated from all others, and
WHEREAS art is certainly a field of interest which crosses into many disciplines, and
WHEREAS an inherent component to a "marketplace of free ideas" is the ability to criticize society, and
WHEREAS the principle of academic freedom is essential to any true university, and
WHEREAS Kurt von Meier is recognized as one of the leading authorities of modern contemporary art on the west coast,
Be it therefore resolved that the student legislative council call upon the department of art to seriously reconsider their decision to not renew the contract of Kurt von Meier, and
Be it further resolved that the student legislative council call upon the department of art to institute a permanent interdisciplinary course of contemporary modern art in the curriculum.
Respectfully submitted,
Gary Rowse
Educational Policy Commissioner
Co-sponsored by: Ron Javor
Community Service Commissioner
Dwight Smith
General Representative
To: The Editorial Board of the Daily Bruin
Note: At the risk of being superfluous and/or anti-climactical---a few more words on Dr. Kurt von Meier.
It sometimes seems that the IBM cards (do not fold spindle or mutilate) are handled with more care and/foresight than the students in this "intellectual marketplace".
The primary aim of an education is, or at least should be, to teach the student to think and evaluate---broaden his intellectual horizons" as the cant goes. In some departments these words are mouthed with a pious air and nothing more. The Art Department is particularly guilty of this in stifling one of its most outstanding professors. A stand that seems to have been emulated in other departments as well.
In Dr. von Meier's classes there are no sacred cows--and there should be none. To paraphrase one of his own articles: (on Andy Warhol "Art International" October 1966) "The art of others behaves according to the rules, [Kurt von Meier's] does not. Of course, that is part of the reason it is so important."
Von Meier's art of teaching is important because it presents modern art in context---today. Art is a dynamic and influential force and because of its breadth and constantly changing and inter-related character cannot and should not be taught conventionally, severely regimented and stifled in a lot of dates etc.
In Art 110A we didn't get a lot of dry, predigested pap that was to be obligingly burped back at the end of ten weeks. We had questions thrown at us: what is it? what is the artist doing, saying? is it art?
We were provoked and put on the defensive, exorted and encouraged to think. It was a friendly defensive, invoked by a provocateur who gave us some ammunition of our own (Fallacy), and the guidance of wit, and sincere interest while looking for the answers. Some of the answers didn't come too easily. As Dr. von Meier pointed out, important issues take time, they aren't geared to the quarter system. Dr. von Meier isn't geared to the system either, for which we are profoundly grateful.
Unlike some of his colleagues who can't or won't look beyond art with a capital "A", Dr. von Meier sees art with a little "a" too and consequently sees life. (On of those notorious four-letter words, love is another four letter word you come to associate with Dr. von Meier, you know as in "thy neighbor"---a dangerous idea to instill in the minds of young impressionable Students in an impersonalised academic environment where teachers are railroaded and students for the most part ignored.)
There are no limits to art a la von Meier, he keeps the doors open. He lets in new ideas and concepts. He is not afraid. He says look at it, you don't have to like it, but try and understand it, what is it? what does it do? always the questions, the provoking.
Slides and guest lectures give added material and viewpoints and provide an immediacy of experience and student involvment in "what's happening".
He doesn't believe in sheer mechanics and this is one reason he advocates that students buy the class notes. He wants their full attention on the subject matter and not on the pen-scratching. For this reason he tapes his lectures and carefully edits the class notes before they are sold to the students.
Dr. von Meier is a wise, witty, and altogether wonderful professor, and a credit to the Art Department, it is a pity that the reverse is not also true.
He is being eased out of his position---perhaps it is just as well. He's certainly out of place---a dynamic, involved, brilliant, and communicating individual among a number of hide-bound, embalmed dictating machines and departmental politicians, who if they looked to their "laurels" would probably find instead the mold of stagnation.
Dr. von Meier doesn't need us. His publishing record alone would insure him of a position where hopefully he would be appreciated. His loss to us will be immeasurable---because of the humanity and learning he had to give, but most of all because of its stupid senselessness.
He knows "what's happening" and "where it is". Only at UCLA the verb tense is wrong---it looks soon to be a case of "where it WAS".
Karen Jensen,
Junior, English
R. John Slosser
Junior, Theater Arts
cc: Chancellor Murphy
December 19, 1966
To the members of the Academic Senate;
I have just completed what can only be described as one of the best academic experiences in my four years at UCLA. There is a teacher here who makes education not a boring obligation but a vibrant, exciting adventure. I have been a student for most of my life, 24 years, and I have achieved a feel for brilliance in teachers. This man --Kurt von Meier of the Art department --- is certainly no less than a genius as a teacher. Furthermore he is that rarest of academic creatures --- a very warm, concerned, and wonderful human being, I feel very strongly that Dr. von Meier deserves some kind of official recognition. I do not stand alone for I have talked to a great many students who hold views similar to mine about this man. This letter is written in the hope that you, his peers, will so honor him,
Sincerely,
Stephen G. Creason