University of Virginia Library

The Political U.

Critics of President Shannon, both at the
University and in Richmond, have expressed
deep concern over the President's statement
of May 10. They say he should not have
"politicalized" the University. Some add, the
implications of a university taking a political
stand are dangerous. How can this be so?

The foreboding allusions such men make
certainly are frightening; however, they are
not realistic. American universities have been
politicalized since their inception. During the
revolutionary war Harvard dormitories housed
Hessians. During the Civil War cadets from
VMI were killed fighting in their school's
army. Throughout the world colleges and
universities are and have always taken political
stands.

Many honest men may point out other
examples where universities have refrained
from taking a political stand. Many of us
think on the other hand that by ignoring
relevant political issues, the University is also
taking a political stand - and not an
all-together responsible one.

It is inconceivable that such a gap in
attitudes can be bridged at this time. It is not
inconceivable that men should respect other
men's convictions. This is not what is
happening at the University now.

Not a few members of our faculty have
decided that the University should not be
politicalized and that their classes should
continue in an orderly academic fashion.
These faculty, in their attempt to keep the
University out of politics, are politicalizing
their students who can not in good conscience
attend their classes or their exams. The
sacrifice these students face effects more than
their convictions about the strike. An F on a
permanent record will be around long after
the strike is over and forgotten.

Likewise, we recognize the honest convictions
of the faculty who disagree with the
majority of students at the University. These
men are to be respected for holding to their
principles at a time when they are not the
most popular.

Perhaps if the faculty did not force the
academic obligations upon the students,
which we admittedly accepted before the
crisis, the University could satisfy everyone's
goals without sacrificing anyone's principles.

A new alternative could be to allow a
student to drop a course without a grade.