University of Virginia Library

Provost Appoints Advisory Committee
To Aid In Attracting Black Faculty

By SAM BARNES

University Vice President
and Provost David A. Shannon
has appointed a special
committee and advisor to
implement the
recommendations of the
McCoid-Washington
Committee on Attracting Black
Faculty to the University.

Mr. Shannon has named
John T. Blue to "be available
to consult with and advise
schools and departments" on
attracting black faculty.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts
and Sciences Robert D. Cross
will serve as the chairman of an
ad hoc committee to consider
means of attracting women as
well as blacks to the faculties
of the departments.

The McCoid-Washington
report was solicited by
University President Edgar F.
Shannon in an effort to "advise
him on procedures and
practices" for attracting black
faculty.

Law Prof. John C. McCoid
and Religious Studies Prof.
Joseph R. Washington
co-chaired the committee
which forwarded the
recommendations to President
Shannon.

Report Makes Proposals

The committee report
proposed that the central
administration appoint a
consultant to aid departments
and schools in their recruiting
attempts.

It also called on the central
administration to "lead the
faculties to a full consideration
of the problem" involved in
recruiting blacks and to bring
about a commitment to finding
the solution to the problem.

The report further suggested
"that the faculty and their
members individually
undertake...the long and
difficult task of making the
University truly inclusive."

President Shannon sent
copies of the report to all
faculty members along with a
letter of his support for the
recommendations.

"I commend the report to
you for its comprehensive view
of the question, for the specific
recommendations we can act
upon now...and for its vision of
the University as a means of
providing enlightened citizens
and leaders of the
Commonwealth and of the
nation," President Shannon
said.

Vice President and Provost
Shannon also said in a letter to
Messrs. McCoid and
Washington that he would urge
the faculty "to proceed with
the special ingenuity and
initiative necessary beyond
the usual efforts in order to

search out and attract the most
promising black scholars."

The committee outlined in
its report several means of
searching out black faculty, the
need for the recruitment of
blacks, and the University's
obligation to recruit blacks.

"There is a moral case for
making a special effort to
attract black faculty. Since
blacks were excluded from the
University for so long, the
University has an obligation
that goes beyond being
color-blind," the committee
report said.

The University "has a rather
affirmative duty to repair the
lingering effects of past
discrimination and to assure
that blacks are a part of the
community as teachers as well
as students."

The report also said that the
contribution of black faculty is
greatly needed at the
University.

"One seeking knowledge
acquires it both from the
subject matter one examines

and from those with whom one
seeks it." Thus the black
teacher may "expose a depth
of meaning in a body of
knowledge, that extra element
that makes the difference
between the literate and the
truly educated," the report
said.

"The contributions that
black faculty can make to the
academic community argue for
attracting them."

"Beyond that, simple
association of blacks and
whites at the University should
produce respect by whites of
blacks and vice versa," the
committee report said.

The committee advised the
University to search for black
faculty through a
comprehensive effort at the
departmental level, supervised
by the leadership of the
President's office. Methods
might include searching at
predominantly black
institutions, seeking help from
minority professional
organizations, and scrutinizing
professional candidates in
private practices such as
architecture, law or medicine.

"It seems clear to us that
the effort will be a continuing
one. Whether stated in terms of
morality, law, knowledge,
learning or University purpose,
the case is a simple one. Our
society is composed of blacks
and whites. Peacefully sharing
this country requires of each
concern for the other. That
concern depends on
appreciative understanding.
And that is our goal," the
report said.