University of Virginia Library

Questions Follow

Shannon Speaks On Growth Problems

By James Beeghley

President Shannon and a number of
leading administrators met with some 75
students last night in the Honor
Committee Room in an open "Growth
Forum" designed to answer students'
questions on University community
growth.

Student Council requested the forum
last month to explore the reasons for the
University's rapid enrollment increases
and how the University will endeavor to
maintain and improve its academic,
cultural, and physical position during the
expansion.

Mr. Shannon opened the meeting by
stating the University's "mission" and
"responsibilities to human beings" to continue
to provide high quality undergraduate,
professional, and graduate education.

He also expressed the University's desire to
continue its efforts in aiding disadvantaged
persons, blacks and women in achieving their
ends at the University. It is our primary
obligation, he said, "not to deny quality
education to those qualified students who are
applying for admission."

Mr. Shannon outlined operational
appropriations formulas used by the State
Board of Higher Education, emphasizing that
ultimately, financial planning depends directly
on perspective enrollments, and therefore he
said, "There is no alternative to growth."

Mr. Shannon called for 'constructive work
and confidence in each other so that we can
overcome deficiencies as we grow.'

A question and answer session was then held
by Ernest Ern, Dean of Admissions; D. Alan
Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs;
Paul Saunier of the Office of Public Affairs, and
Frank Hereford, retiring Provost and Vice
President.

Questions centered around the Lambeth
Field housing project and around housing
problems of students who must find
accommodations in Charlottesville.

Hugh Antrim, Vice President of Student
Council, also expressed concern with the role of
the Honor System as the University is changing
and expanding so rapidly.

Dick Andry of the Architecture School
expressed discontent with the University's
committee's actions on the Lambeth Field
8-story apartment project. He questioned the
Committee's use of a site planner for the initial
efforts in the project rather than a master
planner who would be more able to design
facilities more in line with the students' wants
and needs.

According to Mr. Andry, who served on the
Architecture School's Advisory Committee for
the project, the Lambeth Field complex is
second only to the Lawn in importance and has
been dealt with haphazardly by the committee
appointed by the University.

The committee has "ignored the
Architecture School's recommendations for the
project."