its scientific and technical professionals, a policy 
reinforced by this century's emphasis on formal 
higher education and degrees and by the post-World 
War IT use of the universities as large-scale centers 
for both research and the training of researchers. 
The American concept of the university played a 
major role in this development. American higher edu- 
cation has Jong been flexible and willing to start new 
programs. During and after World War IT the uni- 
versities were able to expand their graduate programs 
to meet the Nation’s personnel needs. Furthermore, 
American universities were well prepared to produce 
what the Government needed most: researchers. Un- 
like some other countries, for example France, Ameri- 
can universities have long combined research and 
graduate education in the same institution. This goes 
back to 1867 and the creation of Johns Hopkins 
University. Inspired by the scholarly accomplishments 
of German universities, Hopkins put its emphasis on 
research, a precedent which greatly influenced the 
early graduate school programs that were created in 
the late 19th century.*® 
This emphasis on combining research and educa- 
tion in the same institution has certain implications. 
One is that many of the Nation’s best scientists—the 
university professors—are not involved in full-time 
research, because they spend some time teaching. 
Yet, it is an advantage from the Government’s point 
of view that this also means that young scientists are 
well trained and active in research while still in school. 
The number and types of assistantships supported 
by the Government’s research programs have impor- 
tant implications for professional education. One is 
that students are trained in those specific areas where 
funding is available during their graduate years. This 
is beneficial in the sense that they are prepared for 
research in areas of interest to the Government and 
where there may be jobs in the future. Problems re- 
sult, however, if Government priorities exclude some 
important area, or if the agencies shift funding pri- 
orities rapidly, thus training people in fields where 
subsequently they may not be employable. 
There is concern that some marine areas are being 
neglected. For instance, in ocean engineering some 
feel that Federal research programs have funded re- 
search and education adequately in certain areas (ship 
hydrodynamics) and not in others (ship structures 
and marine propulsion and control systems). Be- 
cause post-masters degree studies usually can be sup- 
ported in an academic institution only if the related 
research is externally funded, these research policies 
affect education significantly.** Federal research poli- 
cies and priorities continue to influence greatly what 
kinds of marine professionals are trained in this 
country. 
# Adolphe E. Meyer and “others, op. cit. note 2, pp. 366-367. 
u“ T . 
Marine Tec nialons Sociely™ 
7395 
5225, Juli, 
silvie, “Education for the Marine Industry,” 
a 
There is also some concern that .an overemphasis 
on research exists, at the expense of undergraduate 
teaching.?° 
Some other observers are concerned about the 
present health of the university-based educational 
system. Professor Alyn Duxbury of the University of 
Washington has voiced concern about the lack of 
standardization in the marine science programs which 
now exist around the country, especially the fact that 
there are two kinds of programs. One is essentially 
based on traditional disciplines, e.g., physics, chem- 
istry, and biology, the other is marine science- 
oriented, and students from one sometimes have 
difficulty in applying to the other. He suggests, “that 
an inter-institution academic group rise to the chal- 
lenge of bringing order and guidance to those pro- 
grams of marine science and to establish rules for 
standardizing course work programs in this field.’?° 
In addition, some professors in the marine field 
share the concern of their colleagues in other fields 
about the general problems now facing American 
universities. In particular, they feel that financial 
support is eroding and beginning to affect build- 
ing maintenance and Jaboratories, problems that do 
not show up immediately but can do harm in the 
long run. There also is concern that applied research 
is being overemphasized at the expense of basic work 
(See Chapter VII, Marine Science and Technology.) 
These are not strictly issues of Federal policy, because 
university funding comes from a variety of Federal, 
State, and private sources. But because Federal re- 
search policies play such an important role in uni- 
versity life and education, this concern does raise 
questions about the adequacy and course of present 
Federal policy. The marine scientific community is 
likely to raise this matter in the future.'* 
There are also other implications of relying on 
universities to provide both research and personnel. 
One is that while academic departments are often 
isolated from each other, universities nonetheless 
offer opportunities both for interdisciplinary research 
(and the training that goes with it) and for inter- 
disciplinary courses. This point is especially relevant 
in light of the third, and still developing, policy 
objective in the field of marine professional training. 
Marine Afiairs 
Growing concern about environmental damage to 
he oceans and increasing use of the ocean’s food, 
nergy, and mineral resources has affected both ocean 
15 The pp. 295_ 26. 
a Alyn C. Duxbury. ‘Marine Science Education—Some In- 
equities,” in Marine Technology Society and Institute of Elec- 
trical and Electronics Engineers, Oceans ’77 Conference Record 
1: 22B-1 to 22B-2. 
" For a statement of general concerns about the health of U.S. 
basic research, see National Science Board, Science at the Bicen- 
tennial—A Report from the Research Community, Washington, 
DIG. oveInmeDt Printing Office, 1976. See also P. M. Boffey, 
Sciences 2 2 October 1976, pp. 409-410. 
VITI-8 
