MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SENATE
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
JANUARY 9, 1970
A special meeting of the Senate of the University of Tennessee was held in the Shiloh Room of the University Center on January 9, 1970, at 3:15 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Lawrence Silverman, Chairman.
The Secretary of the Senate introduced new members James D. McComas, Dean of the College of Education, and John M. Lain, elected member from the College of Communications.
James W. Bennett, Jr. presented the report of the Knoxville Campus Faculty-Student Committee on Presidential Selection. (Report printed in the Beacon.)
Mr. Graf moved that the report be accepted. Seconded by Mr. Greene. A discussion period followed.
Mr. Milligan said the report does not appear to agree with the verbal report given by Mr. Greene to the Engineering Committee in early December.
Mr. Greene replied that he did not recall what he stated at that meeting, but it was possible he later changed his mind. At that time he thought that the choice of the president was still an open matter. He said it is not known what went on in the Board meeting, but he expressed the opinion that the vote on the election of the President was divided and then made unanimous.
The motion to accept the report of the Committee carried.
Mr. Verplanck then moved to approve the Faculty-Student Screening Committee Report and to convey the appreciation to this committee for its work.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Graf.
Mr. Milligan stated he is concerned about the motivation for the report. He said it appears to him that one could draw the conclusion from the report that just because a certain individual was not chosen the views of the faculty were not given consideration. He stated that if this conclusion is to be drawn, more factual information should be given.
Mr. Graf replied that the Committee tried to focus on the procedure used in selecting the President rather than on the person. He stated the Committee accepts the action of the Board of Trustees since it was the Board's job to elect the President, but the Committee wants to put on record its dismay at the procedure. He sees the report as a rebuke to the Board for not conducting the whole affair properly and as an expression of the hope that in the future it will not happen again. The personality of the choice is not at issue.
Mr. Verplanck expressed the opinion that the dissatisfaction with the method used in the selection of the President is not that of a small minority; he feels the Board's action was quite independent of any advice it received.
Referring to the sentence in the report, "The University of Tennessee deserves to be led by a great educator as its President," Mr. Johnson stated that the report appears to imply that UT is not being led by a great educator.
Replying for the Committee, Mr. Graf said the expression referred to by Mr. Johnson was a lead-in to the next sentence. He suggested that the report be amended to put a semicolon after the word "President" in the second line of the next-to-the-last paragraph of the report.
The report was so amended.
Mr. Milligan asked the vote to be taken by secret ballot. Mr. Silverman appointed Mr. Moore and Mr. Wolf to act as tellers. The motion carried by a vote of 37 Yes; 12 No; 2 blank ballots.
The meeting adjourned at 3:50 P.M.
George A. Wagoner,
Secretary
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