University of Virginia Library

Faculty Takes No Action
On Coalition Proposals
Due To Lack Of Time

By Jay Steer
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Debate on minor issues
occupied most of Wednesday
night's Faculty Senate meeting,
thereby deferring any debate or
discussion on the 11 Student Council-supported
proposals "to end racism."

Fredson T. Bowers, dean of the
faculty, reported yesterday that no
member of the faculty had even
presented any motion to the Senate
on this matter. "It was 5:30 and
people were leaving in droves and
there was no quorum at the time
when this motion was expected to
be proposed," he said.

The bulk of the meeting Wednesday
afternoon in Wilson Hall
consisted of debate on the proposition
to allow a Cavalier Daily
reporter to attend and make the
discussions at these meetings
known to the public.

After lengthy discussion, it was
decided that Dean Bowers should
be authorized to communicate the
results of these monthly meetings
to the public. It was further decided
that no reporter should be
admitted to any meeting.

Mr. Bowers made it clear yesterday
that this action was not an
attempt to alienate the public from
these meetings, but rather to prevent
the sometimes partisan and
subjective comments made by some
members from being made public.
"After all, the Faculty Senate is not
the United States Congress or the
British Parliament," he said.

Post-Meeting Report

"The faculty felt," Mr. Bowers
continued, "that a post-meeting report
by the Dean of the Faculty
would be more useful than a blow
by blow account of any meeting."

Edgar F. Shannon, President of
the University, presided at the
meeting which he opened with a
formal statement to the faculty on
the status of the co-education issue.
He emphasized the function of the
Board of Visitors in the last two
years in ironing out the details of
this issue, Mr. Bowers reported.

"Nothing that was not public
knowledge already was presented,
although certain administrative problems
connected with this issue
were brought to light," he added.

The resolution for putting students
on faculty elected
committees was brought one more
step closer to realization as the
Committee on Nominations gave
their interim report on this matter.
Mr. Bowers felt yesterday that student
representation on these committees
will become a reality soon
after some of the major details are
worked out.

More Advice Needed

Before any course of action is
taken, it must be decided which
committees are more relevant to
student interest. In other words,
more advice as to how many students
on which committees is
necessary," Mr. Bowers said.

Charles Murdock, representing
the Student Council, presented a
request for the abolition of the
two-day no-cut rule before and
after vacations, specifically Easter
Vacation. His argument consisted
chiefly in reading letters from other
colleges on this question.

Mr. Bowers reflected that this
presentation did not explain how
many colleges were asked to reply.
Also, responses from schools
comparable to the University were
not made known.

This resolution was referred to
the Educational Policy Committee
for further study. They will make a
report for the March meeting of the
Senate, not in time for Easter
Vacation.

Finally, the question of
fourth-year comprehensives was
raised again. This question was
referred to the Curriculum
evaluation committee.