Richard Reimold (interview); Creator: Reimold, Dr. Richard ; Interviewer(s): Eric Gamari and Joseph Danielowski; Interview location: 4th floor Ruth Haas Library; Running time: 50 min., Apr 21, 1998

Coverage: 1968-1998
Topics discussed : (side A): Changes at WestConn; country was in turmoil when he began in 1968; most professors gave "A"s and "B"s then; the 1980s brought in the "Me Generation" and less cohesiveness; Student activity during 1960s; some demonstrations held after assassinations of Dr. King and Kennedy; he was involved w/ some marches; FBI was here taking pictures of activities; some strong student organizations; Changes in faculty; seen many retire over the years; considered "new blood" in beginning; came to start theater department primarily; weren't many who were forced out then; comfortable w/ each other; easy to get a job when he began; School size; school was small and everyone knew everybody; not this way now; the two campuses divided the departments/faculty further; "Nature of Man"; once a required course; specialization of courses ended the program; Name change; had been called Danbury State College before arrival; became Western CT State College (university in 1980s); Teachers union; the arrival of the AAUP and the collective bargaining agreement greatest point in WestConn history; Dr. Bersi and Westside campus; breaking ground was a significant moment; Ancell School of Business and the dorm; Sports program; development of the football program under Paul Pasqaloni; wasn't much to see aside from baseball when he first came; Richard Sullivan oversaw the building of the athletic programs; not many students go to games today; used to be different; Non; trads; numbers have increased; loved to have them in class; Worst time and biggest problem at WestConn in his time; when Steven Feldman became president of WestConn; he put most money into business school; Theater department; was part of the English department in beginning; 2 years after arrival, broke off from English department; studio theater named after him (Reimold Studio Theater); hired many of the initial staff; developed the department; some students who have been successful in theater; Job security; not much in theater, especially production; wanted to be a professor because it was more secure; Changes he would make; better off if they had better physical plans (facilities); when college started growing, administration didn't want it to grow; Central and Southern really grew; the administration wasn't aggressive to seek expansion; dorm situation in beginning (only women allowed); Music department; was one of the best programs at WestConn when he first came; Adjunct faculty; the large numbers of adjunct employed; many departments because cheaper w/ no benefits; some are really great, but they are paid poorly; hired to save money; few hired in the beginning; Campus changes; Haas library not here, White Hall still being renovated; Ives Concert Hall not here (music department still in Berkshire); Fairfield Hall and Litchfield Hall only dorms on campus (women only); Changes in faculty; Dress code; always had to teach w/ a tie first few years he was here; business like; strict; today dress code is relaxed; dress codes for students who were becoming teachers; Student changes; students in the beginning aren't better, but were more interesting; during the 1980s, he wished for those students; most students in 1980s were money oriented; grades are important to students (perhaps too important); Grades; most distribution of grades in beginning; today many teachers are just giving higher grades to satisfy students; Discipline; never had problems w/ students; never had to discipline students; Knowledge of students; students are much more informed to world events; Technology; was limited when he began; today everyone has a computer; when he retired in 1992, he would have received his first computer; Information Age; in 1968, library and that was it; today it is vastly open; has changed education (side B): Information Age (cont.); it is good, but he still has his prejudices against it; likes the interpersonal communication better than technological; Classroom reaction/environment; used to hear applause to lectures of professors; don't anymore; used to be all lecture; now discussion and other techniques; Overall experience; great place to work; wouldn't have wanted to work anywhere else; very rewarding for him; great track record for placing grad students; developed many great teachers; business professionals as well