Uniwersytet w Białymstoku in statu nascendi (1968-1997). Przegląd źródeł

Abstract

The volume entitled Uniwersytet w Białymstoku in statu nascendi (1968- 1997). Przegląd źródeł (Overview of sources) concerns the origin of Warsaw University Branch in Białystok and the process of its transformation into independent university. It is the first attempt to publish the most important available source, regarding establishment, functioning and changes within the organizational structure of the Branch WU during the years 1968-1997 and the attempt to show various initiatives and actions taken by local community to establish independent institution of the university. The author of the selected sources penetrated archival resources stored at Białystok University Archives (Archiwum Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku), Warsaw University Archives (Archiwum Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego), the Archives of Modern Records in Warsaw (Archiwum Akt Nowych w Warszawie), State Archives in Białystok (Archiwum Państwowym w Białymstoku,) in Archives of the Board of Education in Białystok (Archiwum Zakładowym Kuratorium Oświaty w Białymstoku) and in Statistical Office in Białystok (Urzędzie Statystycznym w Białymstoku). The materials were chosen so that they would illustrate the history of Branch WU - to illustrate not to exhaust. The documents were grouped into five chapters: Establishment of Warsaw University Branch in Białystok, (where the followings are shown: The birth of concept of the school of the type of university and The first recruitment and inauguration in WSN), Structural-organizational development of the Branch (here: Organizational units of the university and Administrative changes), Academic community (here documents are presented regarding: University authorities, Academic staff, Students and graduates and Public Grammar School at the Branch WU in Białystok), University facility and material base, Transformation of the Branch into University in Białystok (materials printed in the last chapter refer to: The assessment of the university potential being fully independent, The concept of merging Białystok higher education institutions, Public initiatives, i.e. actions of Civic Committee for the University in Białystok and the Association of Friends of the University and Findings regarding the status of Alma Mater). For each part substantive introduction was prepared relating to the presented issues. Within individual sub-chapters of all five chapters of the study the chronological order is applied. Reflecting on the use of archival sources, the guidelines of Mr. Ireneusz Ihnatowicz were taken into account, based on Draft instructions for publishing historical sources of the XIX and beginning of the XX century. („The Study on Sources” - „Studia Źródłoznawcze", Warszawa-Poznań 1962, t. VIII). Published set of source materials is important for the history of polish higher education and for education in general in connection with duties and role of the Warsaw University Branch in Białystok. The published study is designed to provide potential researchers of the university history with 3 wider access to the sources without the necessity of conducting individual research and may become an inspiration to prepare a full history of WU Branch in Białystok. It would require many years of research and work of the whole team, but the collected and published materials could by the starting point.