University of Virginia Library

Williams To Step Down From Student Affairs;
Plans Leave On Fellowship, Then Teaching

By PAT GRANEY

D. Alan Williams will not
continue as Vice President for
Student Affairs when his
present five-year appointment
ends this July; The Cavalier
Daily learned Friday.

Mr. Williams has asked
University Pres. Edgar F.
Shannon Jr. not to renew his
contract so that he may fully
concentrate on teaching, but
has indicated that he will
remain in his present position
until September or later if a
successor is not found.

Mr. Shannon has honored
his request, and plans to form a
committee to choose a
successor. He also indicated
that students would have input
in the selection process.

"I will move rapidly to
establish a committee to
recommend and advise on the
matter of a replacement for
him," Mr. Shannon said. "I will
certainly be interested in
looking at people from both
within the University and
outside of it."

Suggestions Welcome

"I will be very glad to have
suggestions from anyone in the
University community, and the
committee will have student
input."

Mr. Williams, who came to
the University in 1957 as a
history, instructor, was
appointed as the first Vice
President for Student Affairs
during the summer of 1968.

He will take a leave of
absence next December on a
Sesquicentennial Fellowship.
Mr. Williams will return to the
University the following
September to each a full
course load.

Mr. Williams, an Assoc.
History Prof., indicated that he
wants to use the extra time
afforded by his leave to "catch
up on what I have missed in
Colonial Virginia History
during the past seven years."

In addition he plans to revise
a manuscript on Virginia
politics between 1690 and
1750. He also said he hopes to
write a book about Virginia
history, 1607 through 1783.

"I enjoy teaching, I enjoy
the classroom work, it's what I
originally intended to do," Mr.
Williams said. "It's a good
time to break."

The Vice President for
Student Affairs felt some
regret about his decision to
leave. He said he would miss
working with student leaders.
"I enjoy the day-to-day
contact; watching students
grow, and working with them,
trying to anticipate some of
the problems they'll run into,
and letting them learn from
their experience," he reflected.

"I think that the students
and the University as a whole
can benefit from new and fresh
input from time to time." he
added. "I came to teach and I
love teaching. If what you
want to do is teach, in the long
run you go back to it."

Headed Echols Program

Mr. Williams headed the
Echols Scholar Program, 1962
through 1965, and served as an
Assoc. Dean from 1963 to
1966. He was Asst. Provost in
1966 through 1968, and
helped develop the George
Mason campus. Mr. Williams
also aided Clinch Valley
branch college in becoming a
four-year school.

Mr. Shannon praised Mr.
Williams for his contributions
to the University. "He has
done a remarkable job and has
made a real contribution to the
University as the first Vice
President for Student Affairs,"
Mr. Shannon asserted. "After
having been an Association
Dean, Assistant Provost, Dean
and Vice President for Student
Affairs, he will be very difficult
to replace."

"It is a strength of the
University that academic
people can do administrative
work and rotate back into
teaching," he continued.

CD/Saxon Holt

Vice President For Student Affairs D. Alan Williams