THIRD ROUND

Today the Faculty convenes in a session which may produce a revolution of major proportions against Administration policies. The situation has been growing steadily more heated, and it is about time for the lid to blow off. Yesterday the English and Government departments met in long and stormy meetings which may well have been preludes to this afternoon.

Fortunately, out of the tremendous complications of the problem, there are emerging some clear-cut and comprehensible issues. The crux of the matter might now be stated as follows: The Administration is persisting in its general policy of creating associate professorships only when there are predictable vacancies--over a certain span of years--in the full professor bracket. In accordance with this policy, ten assistant professors were released last spring, since no positions higher up were seen to be open for them within the next ten years. This action was taken in spite of the fact that several of the men were widely admitted to be of Harvard quality; and also in spite of the fact that two departments were seriously crippled by their loss.

On the other hand, the Committee of Eight envisaged a considerable expansion in the ranks of associate professors. While there was no mention of the matter, this suggestion carried with it the inescapable implicit assumption that many of the increased number of associate professors could never be advanced--that they would have to be appointed without predictable vacancies ahead of them. In view of this, President Conant could easily have appointed the men in question to permanent positions, after having made a few simple salary adjustments. The Committee, in recommending no hasty action, may well have intended this.

Here is an issue which can be brought out into the light of day. And one thing is clear: that the Administration will have its hands full dealing with the advocates of these men who have been wronged, and with faculty champions of efficient undergraduate teaching.