University of Virginia Library

Faculty Defers Senate Decision

University Professoriate
To Settle Constitution Issue

By Donn Kessler
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

By a vote of 51-47, the Faculty of the
College of Arts and Sciences decided last
night not to consider any reform of the
constitution of the University Senate but
to refer the matter to the General Faculty
of the University.

The decision came during a discussion
of a faculty committee report making
major changes in the Senate. The
committee had been formed last
November by the College Faculty to
strengthen and revitalize the Senate.

The University Senate, formed in
1925, is an advisory body to the
President of the University and is supposed to
perform all "functions and duties now
performed by the General Faculty with the
exception of granting degrees."

Senate Functions

Included in the functions of the Senate are
legislation affecting athletics, regulations
concerning student clubs, and advising the
President on "any matter affecting the welfare
of the University."

The committee, chaired by Laurin Henry of
the Government Department, voted, among
other proposals, to change the membership of
the Senate to include students. According to
the report, the reformed Senate would have
consisted of 60 faculty members, 20
administrators, and 20 students.

During meetings last spring, the faculty
debated the issue of membership provisions in
the committee's report but reached no
decisions to amend the recommendations.

Following the presentation of the report
for debate yesterday, John Moore of the
Economics Department proposed a resolution
that the matter of the consideration of the
revision of the Senate Constitution be referred
to the General Faculty of the University.

In support of the resolution, one faculty
member stated that the faculty had more
important matters to attend to and that a
consideration of the committee
recommendations would be a waste of time. He
added that the College faculty had "no
authority to legislate for the Senate or for the
other faculties of the University.

He continued that any decision by the
College faculty would "not be binding on
anyone" and that the General Faculty might
resent the fact of the College legislating for
them and therefore reject the proposals.

Jacob Levenson, a professor in the English
Department, stated that the College Faculty
should discuss the committee's
recommendations so that when it went before
the General Faculty "most of the spade-work
would be done."

'Meaningless Document'

Another faculty member said that if the
College did not decide on the report, the
"document would be meaningless."

Before the faculty members decided upon
the Moore Resolution, David Shannon, Dean of
the College Faculty, and Mr. Moore explained
the group that if approved, the resolution
would mean that only last year's resolution
calling for Senate reform and the Moore
Resolution would be sent to the larger faculty
body.

Mr. Shannon continued that although the
Henry Committee Report would not be sent to
the General Faculty, many copies of the report
had already been examined by some of the
professors in the other schools.