University of Virginia Library

Shannon Asks Cooperation
Among State Universities

By BUCK COLE

University President Edgar
F. Shannon called for greater
individuality and cooperation
among the colleges and
universities in the
Commonwealth yesterday at
the installation of Donald L.
Dedmon as President of
Radford College.

Mr. Shannon was
encouraged by the new
Commission on Higher
Education's decision not to
institute a "rigid system of
central control of all public
institutions of higher education
under a single board."

He said "a top-heavy
bureaucracy separated from
the people actually involved in
the experience of education
can scarcely be expected to
improve the quality of
education."

While calling for
individualized institutions
rather than "institutions of
stereotyped redundancy," Mr.
Shannon cited the need for
cooperation among the state
colleges.

The University Center in
Richmond exemplifies
economy and quality through
cooperation according to Mr.
Shannon. The center purchases
books and schedules films and
speakers.

The Asian Studies
Consortium, begun by the
Richmond center, serves
fifteen institutions by
interchanging ideas and
information in this vital area of
study.

The University, VPI, and
Central Virginia Community
College are cooperating in a
Federal pilot project for health
care delivery.

The University is providing
the resources of the Medical
School, Nursing School, and
other health services.

VPI has the responsibility
for the long-standing country
network and Central Virginia
Community College is offering
a special training course for
new workers in this field.

The inexpensive ceremony
was noted by Mr. Shannon as
an example of focusing "on the
central object of education, the
human being." Mr. Dedmon
dedicated the money saved by
not having a traditional
ceremony to scholarships.