GSD Chairman's Disclaimer

Visiting committee procedures provide that notes of a meeting be taken by a member of the staff of the secretary of the Board of Overseers. These notes are not a report, but ordinarily serve as part of the background information available to the visiting committee chairman in writing the committee's report. The notes are always circulated to the visiting committee members so that they can comment on their completeness and accuracy. These notes are considered completely confidential.

The so-called report of the executive session of the Overseers' Committee to Visit the Graduate School of Design (May 27-28, 1975) together with the addendum covering discussions which preceded the executive session represent only these notes. Again, it is not a report; rather it is an incomplete collection of statements reflecting the comments of comparatively few individuals. Because I felt that these notes by no means represented the total opinion of the visiting committee and, therefore, would not be useful to me or to the sub-committee of the visiting committee, which is to prepare the visiting committee's report, on June 25, 1975 I requested the secretary of the Board to withdraw and void them, which he did. This decision was supported by a substantial portion of the visiting committee.

I deeply regret that so misleading a statement has become public. Not only is such publicity unfair and damaging to the School of Design, but equally unfortunate is the constraint it may well cause to the free and open discussion between the School and its visiting committee which is at the heart of the visiting committee process.