Dr. Violet Skorina (interview); Creator: Skorina, Dr. Violet ; Interviewer(s): S. Leahy and N. Wysocki; Interview location: Skorina's home in Newtown, CT ; Running time: 120 min., May 2, 1992

Coverage: 1961-1992
Topics discussed : (tape 1;side A): Background; had lived in Detroit; took classes at Wayne State while there; had four children; began at WestConn as a non; trad student in 1961; was in the teacher training program; Liberal Arts; had just started the program when she got there; Housing; girls in dorms had strict regulations; boys weren't allowed in dorms at time; they stayed in off; campus housing; Development of majors; the liberal arts offered programs in ed w/ concentrations in these areas; "Nature of Man"; required humanities course; Dr. Greenwald was in charge of the program; Younger student reaction to old students; they weren't receptive to them in beginning; many of the older students were nervous to be back; resented the older students; Classes type; most of them were lecture; Dr. Haas; had many women in important positions (like Gertrude Braun); most of her administration came from elementary education background; most of the department chairperson were women; she considered the school her family; Dean of Men and Women; were in charge of housing and behavior; Life as a non; trad student; took 12 credits per semester (full; time); her children ranged in age from 6; 14 (she waited until they were all in school before she went back); First teaching position; she was offered a job in English department upon graduation; first job was teaching summer courses; First evening classes; swing shift; called it the "Twilight Zone"; able to be done because of a state grant (tape 1;side B): Evening classes (cont); increased number of students, class size, and number of majors offered; English department; she had large classes to teach; taught American Lit I and II; Graduate degrees; was taking classes at night and summers at Trinity College; took 2; 3 years to get her Master's degree; got her PhD from UConn (while on leave here); Demonstrations; UConn students got so wild that classes were canceled there; an organization of radical students broke into Dr. Haas' office and set it on fire (little damage was done); JFK assassination; was a student at the time; it was a terrible shock and professors talked about it in classes; Minorities at WestConn; college was actively recruiting African; American students from south; remembers only one black student when she was there as a student; in 1971 began the active recruitment; black student club was formed (Afro; American CluB): Basic Studies; used to recruit football and basketball players; most didn't have skills to be in college; needed remedial skills in English and math; most professors didn't like it (told they would be fired if they didn't teach it when they were asked to) (tape 2;side A): Basic Studies (cont.); basic fundamentals of things done in high school; it was supposed to be a two; year program; after two years, they could go on into 4 year program; some students in program were good, others weren't; Reaction as a professor to older students; felt they wanted to be there to learn; bring a new perspective into the classroom; WestConn physical changes; White Hall was the high school while she was a student; Quonset Hut acted as the bookstore; Student Union came later; Old Main had education classes and library; (Haas Library came later); Roberts Ave. was a lab school for teacher training; Presidents of WestConn; Dr. Haas, Dr. Bersi, and Dr. Feldman; Dr. Haas; she retired mid 1970s, was given a year extension (age 71) to be there to help get the Westside campus; most of those in her administration had come from same background; Dean of Women (Claire Geddes) didn't want to leave; Dr. Bersi; brought in a new administration; faculty w/ their union support got the right to vote for their own chair of their departments; new ideas, like Women's Studies, were coming in while he was president; Dr. Haas and change; diplomatic, but kept her ideas; always had open door policy; Money; Dr. Feldman has excelled in this area because his business background; Dr. Haas always returned unused money back to state (tape 2;side B): Improvements; few made under Dr. Haas; classrooms had little if anything done to improve them; Dr. Haas had limitations in terms of improvement; Businesses and WestConn; both Bersi and Feldman used business to get things for the college; businesses donated money to college for improvements; Dr. Bersi developed the business department; brought in Dr. Feldman to serve as dean of the business school; business is one of the most popular departments at WestConn today; Feldman carried on what Bersi started; Bersi left to become president at a college in Nevada; Faculty/student relationships; some faculty were having "intimate relations" w/ their students, to which Dr. Haas disapproved; she made a statement to the faculty about her disapproval of it; Dr. Feldman and the faculty; rarely ever saw him; developed his own team and brought more young business men; Dr. Gertrude Braun retired when he came in; doesn't recall him ever addressing faculty; Dr. Haas and the faculty; socialized a lot w/ the faculty; knew all departments and those in them; Governor Meskill; at one point the economy was so bad he froze all salaries; they ran out of paper one year; no improvements were made; Equipment; never got help in getting new equipment for the school; wasn't until 1979; 80 they got anything new; WestConn reputation; early years it was seen as the Normal School; after Bersi came, it started to reach out to more people; became more attractive w/ wider curriculum; more from all over the state are coming to WestConn; Adjuncts; feels some of them may or may not be experienced; hired from semester to semester and are cheaper; quality might not be as good; Requirements of a professor; need to go to department meetings; grading of student papers and tests; classroom work; student club advisement; she was ready to retire when she did; Retirement; is enjoying her retirement; teaches at a senior center sometimes