University of Virginia Library

Finding A Replacement

Almost without fall, as soon as the annual
springtime exodus from Charlottesville is
complete, another begins. As the students
disappear for the summer months to the
distant horizons, another obvious yet sneaky
group of planners and bureaucrats, who
otherwise manage to remain invisible for the
remaining nine months of the year, emerge
from their cubbyholes and descend like
vultures upon the University to make upon it
their annual mark. Three months later, when
they have completed their work and given the
University its annual face lifting, they scurry
back out of sight. The change is rapid and
complete, and little can be done to alter or
amend the disasters they have sometimes
incurred.

Two years ago, after students and
administrators had debated for nearly an
entire year over revising the student code of
conduct, it was not until the following
summer, when student input and awareness
was at an absolute minimum that any decision
was made; then, it was hardly a result of that
input.

This past fall, after the proposal to remove
automobiles from the central Grounds had
been bandied about in and out of committees
for over a year, students returned to the
University to find the problem remedied - the
re-fashioned streets were in the now-familiar
"Pennsylvania Turnpike decor." A number of
strange, green metal booths had been erected
about the Grounds and thousands of
horrendous-looking steel "penny-pinchers"
were found sprouting up like out-of-season
dandelions to mar the aesthetics of the
red-brick sidewalks.

The idea behind these secret summer
maneuvers is to implement and complete the
plan before the students ever return; thus, no
"flack," no disagreement or debate, no
roadblocks and no delays. Everything is very
nicely, and ever-so smoothly, set into motion.

This fall once again, we are bound to return
to the University only to discover more
alterations and additions. One of those
summer appendages may very well be a
successor to President Shannon, and once
again, we students may be in for quite a
surprise.

It was last February that Mr. Shannon
announced his decision to step down as
President of the University. But in typical
Shannon style, he indicated that he would
leave the University community only after it
had had ample time to select his replacement,
his resignation becoming effective in the fall
of 1974. A short while thereafter, in response
to a Student Council request, the Board of
Visitors decided to institute a selection
process whereby both students and faculty
would have at least a quasi-voice in the
selection process.

Since then, the student and faculty
committees have met on a number of
occasions, both separately and together to
draw up lists of those criteria which they
regard as absolutely imperative in considering
a person for this demanding job. Now with
the resumes of over 100 candidates before
them they must complete the task of
measuring the individuals against the
necessary qualifications which they have
already set down. From those lists will come
those names which they recommend and, of
course, those which do not.

Since this may be our last opportunity to
comment on what we look for in the next
president of this University, we leave the
student and faculty committees as well as the
Board of Visitors with these few suggestions.

The president of this University cannot be
just another petty bureaucrat rewarded for his
years of quietly dedicated service. Likewise,
he cannot be a washed-up politico who needs
a temporary rest home where he can lick his
wounds between political campaigns. Rather,
he must be a man dedicated to education,
intensely committed to the ideals of
scholarship and the goal of preserving an
academic environment. Moreover, he must
have a thorough understanding and even more
an appreciation for those unique and valuable
traditions of this University which set it apart
from other state institutions.

During the days ahead and in the coming
years, he must have the ability to display an
enthusiastic and sincere commitment to
maintaining those traditions. He must have
the cool finesse to deal not only with
legislators and alumni but also with students,
faculty and townspeople. While he must at
all times remain fair and honest in his
dealings, he must at the same time remember
that first and foremost he is now committed
to striving for and providing the best the
University can hope to offer those who
contribute to and are here to gain from the
academic community.

Finally, we remind the Board of Visitors
that it is the students and faculty attending
the University today who have the best and
quite possibly the only idea of what the next
president would be. We are the ones who
will have to live and work under him. No
special favors, please. Make this one a decision
which we can all truly feel we arrived at and
cooperated in together.