University of Virginia Library

Rector Appoints Committee
To Pick Shannon Successor

By SCOTT TOLLEFSEN

CD/Saxon Holt

The University Prepares For A Presidential Change.

Rector of the University
Joseph H. McConnell
announced Saturday the
formation of a seven-man
committee of the Board of
Visitors to nominate a
successor to University
President Edgar F. Shannon,
Jr.

In letters to the Faculty
Senate, the president of the
Student Council and the
president of the Alumni
Association. Mr. McConnell
requested recommendations
for a successor from each
group and established
procedures for communicating
these recommendations to the
Board's Special Committee on
the Nomination of the
President.

Board standing committee
chairman appointed to the
Special Committee by the
Rector are C. Waller Barrett of
Charlottesville; J. Hartwell
Harrison of Boston; W. Wright
Harrison of Virginia Beach;
Lawrence Lewis Jr. of
Richmond; and William S.
Potter of Wilmington, Del.

Seventh Member

Donald E. Santerelli of
Alexandria, the youngest
continuing member of the
board, will be the seventh
member of the Special
Committee. Mr. McConnell of
Richmond will chair the
committee.

Government Prof. Weldon
Cooper has been appointed by
the Rector to serve as the
Special Committee's secretary.

In a letter to Mr. Shannon,
Mr. McConnell asked that a
Faculty Committee
representing each of the ten
schools of the University "be
elected from the membership
of the Faculty Senate."

The Rector charged the
proposed Faculty Committee
with the following
responsibilities: "(1) examining
into and reporting to the
Special Committee on the
nature of the office of the
President of the University; (2)
determining the qualifications
of the person who will
fill the office and submitting
the proposed qualifications to
the Special Committee; (3)

commencing the construction
of a list of likely nominees; (4)
assisting in such other ways as
may be requested by the
Board's Special Committee."

Student Committee

Mr. McConnell suggested
the same charges for a
proposed student committee in
a letter to Jim Rinaca, Student
Council President. The Rector
asked that Council "organize
and conduct an election from
the student body of a
committee representing the ten
schools of the University."

Mr. McConnell also asked
that "the efforts of the
Student Committee and those
of the Faculty Committee be
coordinated." Under his plan,
Student Committee findings
would be reported to the
Faculty Committee, which
would then "incorporate the
recommendations of the
Student Committee in its
regular reports to the Board's
Special Committee."

Students' Role

When asked if he felt that
students might tend to get shut
out of the selection process
from having to report to the
Board's Committee
"second-hand" through the
Faculty Committee, Mr.
Rinaca said that he was "not at
all worried about student
participation" being effective.

"There's no reason to think
that students won't be able to
have all the input they want in
helping to choose Mr.
Shannon's successor," Mr.
Rinaca continued.

The Council President
declined to comment about
how the election of the
Student Committee might be
organized.

Mr. McConnell also has
requested Eli W. Tullis of New
Orleans, President of the
Alumni Association to "ask the
Board of Managers and each
chapter president to submit
advice regarding the office of
President and specific
recommendations to the
Board's Special Committee"