University of Virginia Library

Shannon Talk
Views Britain

Last night President Edgar F. Shannon
presented to a small collection of
students his impressions gathered on his
two-month tour of the British higher
education system.

The President spent the major part of his
time at Merford College, Oxford, but spoke of
visits to York and Sussex Universities.

President Shannon made a 30-minute
introductory speech in which he made many
comparisons of the problems facing British and
American universities.

Stresses of higher population have induced
similar strains on the walls of the existing
universities in England and have created great
pressures in areas of admissions and in the
building of new universities, he said.

The President also mentioned that our
counterparts in Great Britain are facing similar
experimentation in curriculum reform. The old
established universities such as Oxford are
introducing new degrees to match major
experimentation at the newer "plate-glass"
universities such as Sussex and York, he added.

The British university student. President
Shannon says, faces similar social perplexity in
the areas of student participation in university
governance, racial injustice, the Vietnam war,
and drugs.

The last topic of the President's speech was
one that seemed to have the largest effect on
the gathered students. He reviewed the new
stresses that have been put on the budgets of
both British and American universities because
of the great increases in present and prospective
students.

To cope with these problems both sides of
the Atlantic have needed to seek government
support for their programs, the President said.
Since the government is a major source of
income it also expects to be a major role in
university policy.