University of Virginia Library

Whatever Happened To Leadership?

News Analysis

By Walter Bardenwerper

Stuart Pape, in his recent article
on the parking problem, stated
that, in solving that problem. "The
University has an opportunity to be
a leader." Surely, this is true as it
pertains to this problem as well as
many others presently facing us.
But to be a leader, it is essential
that a University have leadership
within itself. In pondering the
actions of the various elements of
the University, one comes to the
sad realization that well-directed,
concrete, active leadership is
lacking in all but a few special
areas.

What leads one to that dismal
conclusion? It is indicated in a
general way by the far-reaching
irritations that are being felt ever
more often by every member of the
University community. Specifically,
the housing problem is now critical,
and will soon be desperate. The
registration mess which now
requires almost complete reliance
on the Add/Drop card was
incredible this semester, and show
no signs of improving.

Other problems are treated by
writers in this paper every day: i.e.,
the sad state of an outdated,
overburdened Alderman Library,
the multifarious problems
associated with growth and
overcrowding (including class size,
parking lots, housing, and even
U Hall at basketball games), the
depersonalization and
bureaucratization of every phase of
a student's life, harassment of black
students, and the satisfactory
implementation of coeducation, to
mention some. All have
commanded their share of rhetoric
and newspaper print. But few have
commanded many good ideas for
their rectification. What is needed
to deal with this lack of ideas and
action?

Latent Talent

One is hesitant to believe that in
a community of 10,000 scholars
there is not a great deal of latent
talent for problem-solving going
unnoticed. If that talent were to
make itself conspicuous much
could be done to mitigate the
possible crises we face. In
conjunction with specific talent,
overall leadership is needed. For
what we have now is a divided,
undirected, and uncommunicative
complex of organizations and
individuals calling for action.

The Cavalier Daily reiterates the
problems. The Student Council
launches a "Spring Offensive"
trying to get action from a paper
bureaucracy that can never seem to
be organized well enough to move
forward. The University President
issues statements, orders studies,
and waits for reports and reactions.
The State Legislature is busy in
Richmond, and makes its non-help
a reality every day.

Bright Spots

There are bright spots, to be
sure. Mr. Pape's proposal is one of
them. The aid that the library
receives from Groups such as the
Seven Society and Circle K is
another, as are the attitudes on
housing by men like Messrs. Titus
and Whitebread. But there must be
more people in this University
capable of helping. There must be
new ideas, and with them, strong
leadership to transform proposals
into action.

It should not be inconceivable
to consider some of the following
proposals. It seems that advantages
could be reaped by better attitudes
toward each other by all elements
of the University community. To
reap these benefits it should be
possible for the Board of Visitors,
the Administration, the Faculty,
and the Students to meet in open
session at least once to listen to
each other. A well-organized
well-publicized meeting of this sort
would do much to furthering the
understanding by everyone of the
problems of the other segments.
Furthermore, through such an
encounter new, as yet-unexpressed
ideas could reach the proper
channels.

Hopefully, it is not insanely
naive to believe that legislators in
Richmond might be impressed if
students indicated to them, through
lobbying or other "respected"
means, the widespread concern that
the unique personality of this
University is in danger of being
destroyed by the rapid and
underplanned growth we are
experiencing. Many of the most
revered traditions of the University
will be endangered in that process.

On another front, there is no
reason why students should not
express their concern for specific
problems by supporting Mr.
Mannix's "Spring Offensive." If one
finds the Student Council
bureaucracy too inefficient, there is
always the opportunity to use the
good offices of the Council to help
reform itself and its committees.
For, whatever one feels about the
Student Council at this University,
at least it is an open elite; and, as its
new series of posters indicate, only
apathy prevents any student from
influencing the decisions and
actions taken by the Council.

Crucial Point

The University is at a very
crucial point in its history, as is
often indicated. We can no longer
afford to divert our attention to
trivial issues or escape our
responsibilities here by only
focusing attention on external
events which we can not control.
Anyone who cares about the future
of the University, and has some
ideas that may help to alleviate
problems through new
interpretations should express them
now.

The above proposals for
communications through meetings
and lobbying are serious, and seem
to be needed. More importantly,
our duly elected and appointed
officials must start to become
leaders. Truly effective leaders are
rare, as Machiavelli realized. But he
also realized that they are essential
to seize the opportunity to create
better institutions out of bad
situations. The situation is
deteriorating here, and there mus
be some of these rare individuals in
this University.

Phrases such as "academical
village" and " 'community' of
scholars" can hardly apply to an
educational factory of 10,000
spread all over Charlottesville, living
in any shelter they can find, never
meeting each other except in traffic
jams and registration lines. It would
be nice if more people gave enough
of a damn to lead, or help those
who try to lead, us into logical
growth which preserves us as a
unique, maybe even a model
University.