B.U. Faculty Votes To Support Move To Oust President

The Boston University faculty of liberal arts yesterday voted 167 to 23 to call for the removal of B.U. President John R. Silber.

Yesterday's vote follows a unanimous vote of no confidence in Silber by the faculty council last Friday and an ad hoc meeting Tuesday of 600 B.U. students and faculty seeking Silber's resignation.

The 32-member faculty council represents all of the 16 B.U. faculties.

The liberal arts faculty's motion asks Silber's removal because of "the demoralizing and disrupting effect of his administration" and the subsequent "erosion of confidence" in the administration. Silber has headed B.U. for five years.

Robin E. Esch '51, professor of Mathematics at B.U., made the motion yesterday and will present it at today's meeting of the 16 faculties at which Silber will deliver his annual budget message.

Esch, who represents the liberal arts college on the faculty council, said yesterday it is "anybody's guess" what will happen at today's meeting.

At yesterday's meeting, Lewis Paudilo, B.U.'s dean of Engineering, supported Silber, saying the liberal arts faculty had chosen the removal of Silber as a simplistic solution to larger administrative and budgeting problems.

Joseph Spiesman, professor of Psychology, said at the meeting that the Faculty's action has not been hasty, explaining that he had personally decided three years ago that Silber's leadership was failing badly.

About 200 students are expected to picket for Silber's removal outside today's meeting, Joseph Fortunado of the B.U. Revolutionary Student Brigade said yesterday.