University of Virginia Library

Growth Forum

President Shannon, accompanied by a
number of the leading administrators, will
appear before Student Council to answer
questions and clarify policy on growth of the
University. After President Shannon released
his Report to the University Community on
Growth last month, Student Council
requested an open forum with him to explore
more specifically the reasons for the
University's rapid enrollment increases and
how the University will endeavor to maintain
and improve its academic, cultural, and
physical position during this expansion.

President Shannon will refer some of the
queries to the men responsible for particular
aspects of growth in individual fields. The
Dean of Admissions, Ernest Ern, will field
questions on subjects like admission
standards, out of state enrollment, admission
qualifications for athletes, black and women
admissions; D. Alan Williams, Vice-President
for Student Affairs, can supply answers for
housing development, especially the Lambeth
Field project; Frank Hereford, retiring
Provost and Vice-President, can give students
a clearer picture of the academic future of the
University and the financial considerations
that will determine direction; Paul Saunier of
the Office of Public Affairs is certainly
capable of presenting the complicated master
plan.

Members of Student Council will
individually question the Administrators
during the first round of questions. All
students who attend the 7 p.m. meeting in the
Honor Committee Room on the fourth floor
of Newcomb Hall will have the opportunity
to have members of Council present their
questions to the Administrators.

Students now are perplexed by the
necessity of growth. They see the crowded
classrooms, the lack of parking spaces and
even housing, the generally crowded
conditions around the Grounds, and yet they
read President Shannon's Message on Growth
which seems to call for more deteriorating
conditions. The seeming paradox could be
resolved if students understood the financial
and academic necessities which currently face
this institution. Tonight they will have the
opportunity to press home the dissatisfaction
they feel about the results of overcrowding.
They can get some answers and hopefully get
an overall conception of the future thrust of
the growth of the University.