University of Virginia Library

No Room To Move

President Shannon's statement on growth
has sparked criticism and garnered praise from
many different quarters of the University, but
both the critics and advocates must agree that
a considerable number of answers should be
forthcoming from the Administration if we
are to understand their expansion perspective.
What President Shannon assumed from the
outset ("The question of growth is one which
American public universities can scarcely
afford to debate") is that the University will
continue to grow both in terms of numbers of
people and physical plant. We firmly concur.

So the question is really not one of growth
or no growth, but how is the University going
to accommodate future growth. What
provisions will the University make for the
short-term growing pains that we are now
experiencing and what will be our extended
outlook? Will we stay with the dormitory
concept or move to residential colleges? Will
the requirements for in-state applicants rise to
keep our out of state ratio nearly the same?
What does the Administration consider the
University's most critical areas due to growth?
How will these areas receive aid? What is the
breakdown for the next five years' enrollment
by schools? By sexes? These are all questions
that are perplexing the average University
student as he unsuccessfully searches for next
year's housing or vainly tries to find a parking
place.

We would like to second the Student
Council's invitation to the Administration to
participate in an open forum by speaking on
the specifics of growth and answering the
queries of students and faculty alike. At
present we suspect that most students
received the President's statement rather
poorly. They hear him extol the opportunities
for a growing University, yet are daily
frustrated with the practical inconveniences
and obstacles of this growth. They do not
understand why the University should grow at
all, especially faced with the current situation.
In short they need to be educated to the
absolute necessity for the University's growth.

Students must learn, just as alumni have
had to realize, that the University can not
afford to freeze in the exact way that if was
during any individual student's stay there. To
remain in our current academic position,
much less to improve, the University must
expand from purely a financial standpoint. If
the University refuses, the flow of capital will
dry up and the University will wither on the
vine.

Even if students finally accept the
inevitability of growth, they must also
understand that the University must not lock
itself into inflexible short-term capital
programs (i.e. building inconvertible
dormitories or apartments in Lambeth Field).
Once a sizeable outlay is made, it is often
difficult, if not impossible, to change tracts
for a wiser program in the long run. Students
must be reassured that the Administration is
sensitive to the difficulties that are now being
experienced to our expanding community and
must believe that the Administration is doing
something to alleviate these problems without
committing the University to long-term
programs detrimental to its overall interests.

What better way for students to be
educated and Administrators to improve their
public image than the proposed open forum.
It could get many students out of the dark,
and let the Administration get a better feel
for student worries.