University of Virginia Library

The University Forum

The University Forum, which will hold
its organizational meeting tonight at 8 in
Maury Hall, is not just another member of
the ever-lengthening list of new organizations
and institutions which are springing up
all over the University these days. It is by
far the most promising and encouraging venture
we have seen undertaken here in some
time. Distinguishing it from other organizations
around the Grounds, and crucial to
its importance, is the fact that it is being
undertaken by students and faculty together,
in an attempt to implement better communications
between their respective groups-communication
which has long been known
to be lacking or insufficient.

The purpose of the Forum, as stated in
its proposed constitution, is "to promote a
dialogue among the members of the faculty
and the student body of the University of
Virginia, for we believe that our common
goal of a University imbued with a spirit
of creative experiment, traditional ideals,
and academic excellence may best be served
through a continuing process of self-examination
and debate. The Forum shall offer
to faculty and students alike an arena for
the style of communication which we conceive
to be the cornerstone of Mr. Jefferson's
vision of a community of scholars."

Mr. Jefferson's original concept of the
University as a residential institution in
which faculty and students would be in
daily contact and dialogue - as reflected
in his design of the Lawns and Range has
since dwindled to near oblivion as the
University has expanded beyond the confines
of his original buildings. We can never
hope to return to such a system without
first practically razing the existing residential
facilities and then rebuilding them, which
is obviously impractical and impracticable.
A forum such as the proposed one, however,
would be a significant step toward "making
the best of what we have," since it would
allow informal contact between students
and faculty in formal circumstances such as
is not enjoyed now. Such communication
was indeed the "cornerstone of Mr. Jefferson's
vision," and it has been overlooked
too long.

More important to many than what Mr.
Jefferson wanted are the practical aspects
of establishing such a Forum. There is currently
no way for a student formally to
express himself about academic and administrative
matters unless he speaks to his
"representative" on the Student Council.
This is obviously an unwieldy and discouraging
situation, as there are about 400 students
per councilman and because any
student so expressing himself faces the possibility
that the Council may not take up
his "cause," or that if it does take up his
cause, the Council, in all its bureaucratic
and other complications, may take weeks to
act on it.

In the University Forum, however, such
a student would be able to address faculty
members personally, on the one hand, and,
on the other, he could trust that his cause
would be more likely to be taken up by
the Forum's committees than it would be by
the already over-burdened Student Council.
In short, the Student Council cannot hope
to fulfill all our needs for student-faculty
and student-administration communication,
and the University Forum would provide
just the extra facilities needed for this.

There are certain other practical aspects
of establishing such a forum. In that it
would be a means for discussion and debate,
many of the energies now being
devoted to demonstrations for want of better
ways to communicate could be channeled
through the Forum and could thus hope
to be much more effective. Not only would
those whose voices are not being heard now
have a place to be heard, but all those
who are not hearing them would be better
exposed to them. To carry this consideration
to the ultimate, such a facility for interchange
of divergent opinions could conceivably
aid in the prevention of any sort
of radical demonstrations such as those we
have seen lately at other institutions.

Whatever the case, the University Forum
will be only as effective as those who participate
in it make it. We would like to see
the whole faculty and the whole student body
get together under such circumstances if it
were possible, and so we hope as many of
each group as are able will avail themselves
of the opportunity. We congratulate
those who have conceived and organized
the Forum at this time, we are grateful to
those members of the faculty who have
already committed themselves to it, and
we encourage everybody else-faculty and
students-to participate in it, beginning tonight.
Only good can result, both for the
University and for the individual.