Faculty Delays Voting On Freshman Seminars

The Conway Committee to study Freshman Seminars urged the Faculty to continue the program at yesterday's Faculty meeting, and although no formal vote will be taken until next month, several senior members of the Faculty said last night that the Committee's recommendations stand a very good chance of being adopted.

Dean Ford said that members of the Committee "got the debate off to a good start" and that arguments to continue the Freshman Seminar program and create a standing committee of the Faculty to supervise it were "well presented, in a sensible way."

The Faculty had only about 45 minutes to discuss the Conway report, and thus no definite steps could be taken yesterday. But by the March 5 meeting the committee will prepare a 50 to 60 page study complete with detailed statistics of the Freshman Seminar program.

Although there were no objections to the academic nature of the seminar program at yesterday's meeting, Faculty members did question the eventual cost of a continually expanding seminar program.

Donald R. Griffin, professor of Zoology and the member of the committee who seconded yesterday's motion that the report be adopted, said last night that "the proliferation of seminars will not be a problem."

Griffin said that the Committee's final report will show that demand for freshman seminars has leveled off in the past two years, and that there is little possibility of a continuously expanding program.

"The seminar program should continue to enroll no more than one quarter to one third of the freshman class," Griffin said, "and at that rate financial resources and Faculty interest will not be a problem."

Department Heads Appointed

The Faculty also approved the appointment of four men as department chairman or acting department chairmen, effective July 1.

Calvert W. Watkins, associate professor of Linguistics and the Classics has been named chairman of the Department of Linguistics. Thomas H. Wilson, associate professor of Physiology, will serve as acting chairman of the Faculty committee on Medical Sciences.

The Faculty also approved Rogers Albritton, professor of Philosophy, as chairman of the Philosophy Department, and Roger W. Brown, professor of Social Psychology, as acting chairman of the Social Relations Department.