University of Virginia Library

Appendix A
The Overloaded Condition of the Presidency

The position of President is overloaded. The President has too many matters to deal with, too many decisions to make, too many public occasions to attend, too many ceremonial functions to perform. He has insufficient time for reflective thought, too little opportunity for planning. There is also evidence that communications within the University suffer because of this condition. There is need for improved coordination of fiscal and academic decisions before they reach the highest administrative levels.

While any relief which can be given the job will still leave it an unusually demanding position, some amelioration of the overload should be attempted. Two suggestions have been advanced:

1. Create a new administrative position directly under the President, e.g. an Executive Vice-President.

2. Provide relief from ceremonial duties by creating a new position, perhaps known as Chancellor, with the responsibilities of attending public occasions, performing ceremonial duties, and delivering speeches as the University's representative.

The creation of a new chief administrator under the President is favored by some but is opposed by others. Proliferation of administrators is disturbing to many faculty members; it further isolates the President from the faculty, and it tends to build a schism between faculty and administration which happily has been avoided here.

The creation of a ceremonial representative is an interesting innovation not yet tried by American universities, though this division of function is familiar in Britain. Such an office would require a distinguished figure of impressive credentials; he might be a retired faculty member or an eminent alumnus. Residence in Charlottesville seems necessary. This person would have no administrative authority; he would function at the President's direction. His substantive pronouncements would be written by or cleared with the office of the President.

The extent to which the problems stemming from overload are tied up with the personality and style of the one who is President is not clear. For that reason it seems wise not to decide what ameliorating steps should be taken until the new President has been in office at least a short while.