University of Virginia Library

Cormier To Hold Reasoning Session;
Faculty Changes Attendance Policy

By Peter Shea
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Raymond Cormier, an assistant
professor of French who
twice stormed out of Wednesday's
faculty meeting is organizing
a meeting to discuss the
problems facing the University
in student-faculty relations.

The meeting will be held at
4 Monday afternoon in the
South Meeting Room of Newcomb
Hall. Mr. Cormier heads
the ad hoc committee which is
sponsoring the session. He has
invited Dean Fredson Bowers,
Robert J. Harris, former Dean of
the Faculty, and Professor
Lawrence Cranberg. He has also
invited Tom Gardner and Thurman
Wenzl and has tried to reach others.

Reason Together

According to Mr. Cormier, the
purpose of the meeting is to "get
together and reason together so
that relations don't deteriorate any
further." Mr. Cormier said that the
topics will include the question of
students attending faculty meetings
and the academic procedure leading
to tenure position.

Mr. Cormier stressed that this is
not to be a gripe session, and that
he hopes the meeting will reach
some concrete ideas. The meeting is
open to all students, faculty and
administrative officials who would
like to attend.

Students Ejected

Dean Bowers began Wednesday's
meeting, after the students had
been ejected, with his report to the
faculty. As reported yesterday, he
brought up a Student Council
request that student reporters be
allowed to attend the faculty
meetings. As the meeting closed,
Mr. Bowers agreed to form a
committee that will review the
request and report next fall.

Dean Bowers also restated his
idea of drawing up a description of
the University policy concerning
promotions and hiring practices. If
he does so, he will distribute it to
the faculty by the examination
period.

Seminar Courses

Finally, he issued his third
appeal for faculty members who
would teach seminar courses for
first-yearmen. Dean Marcus Mallett
sent letters to all College faculty
members asking them to volunteer
their services. His letter said that
"the response has thus far been
disappointing."

A motion sponsored by the
Committee on Educational Policy
and the Budget which would
change the attendance requirements
was passed by the faculty. The new
policy which will be inserted in the
college catalogue reads:

Attendance

"Regular attendance in classes is
a vital part of the educational
process. At the University of
Virginia, each student is expected
to accept the responsibility of
attending classes regularly and
promptly. Instructors are encouraged
to state their policy on
attendance to their classes; they
may refer to the Dean any student
whose attendance record they consider
unsatisfactory."

Although the policy seems to be
more strict that the previous one,
Dean Bowers said that it was
noticeably more liberal. The teachers
will decide what they consider
the proper policy and they have
been usually quite liberal in the
past.

The Committee on Nominations
released the names of the students

who will serve on the various
faculty committees next year. The
list of names supplied by the
Student Council was not received
by the committee until it was too
late to review them, Dean Bowers
explained.

Wine To Serve

Bob Fisher and Bruce Wine will
sit on the Committee on Academic
Legislation while Kevin Mannix will
have a position on the Committee
on Admissions Policy Bob Cullen
will serve on the Committee on
Athletics and Shearer Bowman and
Ron Cass will take seats on the
Committee on Community and
Branch Colleges and Extension
Centers.

Bill Fryer, Paul Hurdle and Al
Sinesky will be on the Committee
on Educational Policy and the
Budget. The Faculty Rules Committee,
the Committee on Personnel
Policy and the Committee on
Special Programs do not have any
student members.

The Committee on Athletics
reportedly said that Athletic Director
Steve Sebo "assured...that the
Department of Athletics is still
trying to recruit black athletes but
so far without success." There is
presently one Negro member on the
track squad.

'Number Two Athlete'

Mr. Sebo told the committee
that "his coaches were not permitted
to recruit the 'Number Two
Athlete,' black or white, and
therefore the lack of success is not
due to trying to sign only the star
black players." One Negro basketball
player is still interested but will
not make his decision until June.

The Athletic Committee has also
started investigating the requirement
of one year of Physical
Education for the Bachelors Degree.
The findings will be reported
next fall.