University of Virginia Library

Politics vs. Academics

The war goes on and no end is in sight.
Thus, the Moratorium will go on, not only in
Washington, but in communities and universities
all over the country on Thursday and
Friday of this week. Few expect that the
work-stoppage aspects of the moratorium will
be as massive as last month's when the idea
was novel and the duration was only 24 hours.

But there will still be those who wish to
withdraw from normal activities for the two
days of this month's moratorium. Last month,
estimates of class attendance at the University
on October 15 ranged from 30 to 50 per cent
and it may be safe to assume that some of
those people will wish to observe the
moratorium again. But last month was
comparatively free of academic responsibilities
in most cases. This month, a high
percentage of undergraduate students will face
the prospect of one or more mid-term
examinations on Thursday or Friday. Thus,
the decisions that both students and faculty
will have to make regarding attendance
policies on Thursday and Friday will entail
the consideration of more than a mere class
cut. Many instructors regard the mid-term as
an integral part of the student's semester
grade; it is often scheduled well in advance of
the first class meeting.

One professor, Inis L. Claude of Government
and Foreign Affairs, has dealt with the
problem in a reasonable fashion, one which
may serve as a guideline for students and
teachers caught in the moratorium's dilemma.
Mr. Claude informed his class:

"The examination was scheduled for
November 13 well before I could have known
that Moratorium activities might occur on
that day. Moreover, I want to say that I would
not deliberately set an examination in order
to pose difficulties for students whose views
may impel them to take part in such activities.
The conflict between the examination and the
Moratorium is an unplanned and unanticipated
one.

"My own view is that students at a
university should consider their academic
responsibilities as having first claim upon their
time and attention, and arrange their other
activities accordingly. The examination will be
given as scheduled. The taking of an
examination is not normally a symbolic act,
but under present circumstances it may be;
for a supporter of the Moratorium, taking the
examination may be regarded as a symbol of
the view that the pursuit of higher education
is a serious and highly important enterprise. If
one does not take his educational opportunity
that seriously, I should think that he might
properly begin to wrestle with the question
whether he has the moral right to occupy the
place of a student at the University and to
enjoy the draft deferment that goes with it. In
short, I think the moral problem is not a
simple one; the moral urge to express one's
convictions about Vietnam must be considered
against the moral obligation to prove
oneself a genuine student, so long as one
purports to be a student - for, make no
mistake about it, a non-student at a university
is not simply a nuisance, but a fraud.

"I will not purport to judge this issue for
you. I respect the right, and insist upon the
responsibility, of the individual student to
resolve the moral dilemma for himself. If you
decide that your conscience compels you to
refrain from taking the hour examination on
November 13, I ask you to give me a letter,
not later than November 6, setting forth in
reasoned fashion the way in which you have
resolved this complex issue and have reached
the conclusion that you are morally obliged to
use non-attendance at the examination as a
means of declaring your position on Vietnam.
Your task in the letter is not to persuade me,
for my agreement or disagreement with your
position is immaterial. Rather your task is to
demonstrate to me that you have carefully
and soberly thought the matter out, weighing
the various considerations that should affect
your decision. For those or you who fulfill
this requirement, I shall prepare a special
examination and arrange for you to take it."

Mr. Claude has contributed a reasonable
evaluation of the situation. On the one hand,
he has discouraged a potential minority of
students who might be inclined to use the
moratorium as a lark. On the other, he has
upheld and accommodated those students
who might undergo a sincere and conscientious
conflict between political viewpoints
and academic duties.