_ j __ ___ Continuous MtT News Service Cambridge Since 1881 Massachusetts Volume 97, Number 17 Tuesday, April 12, 1977 Fac ulty register supportfor ritin g By William Lasser members ti2t that it w.as necessars A growing group of MIT to inform MNIFT President Jerome I), faculty is organizing to insure that B. Wiesner that there are a the Writing Program will be number of concerned faculty 'judged on its merits and not on members who feel that open dis- i personal or political grounds." cussion of the Writing issue is es- according to Assistant Professor sential. I IL of Humanities Murray Biggs. Wiesner told The Tech that I Several faculty members. many although he was interested in the i LINSIDE of whom have no connection with -developing situation, he had 1 either the Humanities Depart- made no commitment to any The W\riting Progrant has been ment or the Writing Program. course of action. the center of controversy for were apparently spurred to action Robinson learned of the con- manv months, and recently-ac- b, a position paper prepared by trovers, when he received the cusations and counter-charges members of the Program and cir- Writing Program's position have been flying in both direc- culated to the facult) in early paper. "I knew nothing about it tions.The Tech proposes in an March. (the ProgramL" he'told The Tech editorial that it is time for a Others who have expressed in a telephone interview, "but I complete faculty investigation concern include Associate Profes- thought that some sort of due I into the situation. sor of Humanities William process was being violated." He Watson. Professor of Manage- explained that he had spoken with I ment Richard D. Robinson. others xwho responded to what he ---- p4 Nobel Prize v6inner Salvadore described as the Program's "cry Luria. Professor of Biology. and for help." of the Writing Program con- \\ wtson are planning t) mtcc to- The Nlusical Theatre (juild's Professor of Humanities Wood said. "I like the Writing tro,.ers,. "There seems to be such dx,, to con.lider pii,-,ihc ~.our', c' highly successful production Theodore Wood. Program in its present form .. .t misunderstanding of this 0i alctti)on ,\moi!n the ,tJ'crt ;- of G(itpell opened last Friday Ntrong Biggs told The Tech that the, hapc faith in the people I know \\ orkilng for the e-.t bJhslhcmn: c't nieght to an enthusiastic problem that it seems that it are seeking a "non-partisan in- over there who hai e been should he further investieated." .tIculjt ta,,k fotrce. .ppointiCd audience. The presentation quiry into the situation so~that teaching - I like w,,hat they're he noted. adding that "it'\ the cither b'. the faculet. itelf or h., continues this 'rhursda% decisions can be made with the doings" amnihiguit', of the situation that President \\ icsner:r and caiiniE lor throuh SaturdaN in Kresge w idest possible consultation" Fie WAood declared that he would hothers me. a .pecial meeting of t the la'cu. t A\uditoriumL added that a number of faculty like to see it facult\ investigation Bizgs., Robinson. L.ura and he held. most IOMet\ . in carl\ %',. _p6 I News Analvsis UPDAiE Sivin Report, om(munication vital staff hiad been infOrmcd in ()- High En:nere Astronomy By Darid B. Koretz importance of removing the l.eo Marx is the W'illiam R. In June 1976, the Report of the Writing Program from the aegis Kenan Jr. Professor of. nAmerican tober of the Septcnmher dci;i,,n Obsmervaory-A.the largest un- - Cultural tlistor. tiet is one of the to keep the Progr.ini ithin the rmanned saefliite to date. will Committee to Evaluate the of the Hutiminanities Department. be launched by the US in late Writing Program was published. "We recommend that the Writing tfour professors gti.en chairs in l)epartment. Program be attached directl to H}umanities last ,ear as part of tianham seem, to think that April. Scientists are hopeful Known simply as the Sivin 3 there i-, no problem. IIc said thai new data collected by the satel- Report. the 83-page book stated to the Office of the Dean." the the New Colleec Plan for "thlie telslion)l hetw.%een the \. rI:.l lite , ill resolve the debate over clearli and repeatedly. "We Report stated. iiumanities at IlIT. Kenneth Kenniston. Mellon Protgra; and the [)Dp.rtmrncn tit the existence of black holes. recommend strongly that the Writing Program no longer be Committee warranted 'Pldessor of Huuman Develop- lumainities is largel? rctr)osnec- mnient. and Robert IMorison. tl.c." Thi, is an incredibl` odd -Nantucket officials talked with part of the Humanities The Report further proposed that "direction and supervision Visiting Professor of the class of tatcment to make aIt aI limle wkhenl New Hampshire Governor Department." for the immediate future [bel] by a 1949. are the other two. Mori.on ail relations bctwccn the facult' Meldrim Thompson Monday Last September. Harold J. sniall Steering Committee of is from Yale University. as Is ind the l)epartment and School concerning the island's possi- Hanham. Dean of the School of ha.c broken down comnpletctx ble annexation. Nantucket Humanities and S6,-ial Science, tenured professors from different Gerald ,Holton. a Visiting Profeis- sor of the I-Histor', of Science w.ho 1Ihere is nio co ni unic,i:iO. n residents. who voted last week decided that the Writing Program Schools of the Institute." would remain in the Humanities Hanham told The Tech that his is onl% here for one 'ear. between the Protram and the 1725-404 to secede from Mas- decision was made because he i)can or the Program and it,, ow. n sachusetts. noted New Department. The decision w\as could not handle the increased The New College Plan -\cting lDrecr. , (.)n creratl occa- Hampshire's low.er taxes and made with the approval of Presi- administrative workload which The Neu Collee Plan has sions Acting l)ircctor Hreak,tone smaller population as dent Jerome Wiesner. Chancellor would have resulted from placing never has been clearl'. explained has been accuscd ot rlol faworable qualifications for Paul Gray '54 and Provost W-ater Rosen blith. the Program directly under his by the administration to an. one representing the :dC-droL'r.t that state. The administration thus moved control. in the NIT communitn. It is ap- quatel,c and ,of .ing to the t.ifl in direct opposition to the report The reasons given by the Sivin parentli a plan awaiting onlx t',sualtl the'\ sax that the,. arc not LOCAL of a Committee the5 had Committee for Wanting the funding before it can begin to be being intformcd of admi. n mtr,,:t'c previously valued very highly. Program placed out of the implemented as the Humanities decpisons thtt affctiet thceir los- ,otid Oer ,100 Metropolitan The Committee contained profes- Humanities Department dealt curriculum at MiT. It i,, intended their Plrotr District Commission sors from MIT. Harvard Univer- mainlyv with concern that "it is to serve as a drawing card for employees are facing dis- Program vs. Breakstone sity and the University of Mas- unreasonable to expect the MIT, one that will make the In- ciplinarv action due to sachusetts. Department...to give strong stitute's Humanities program RLcent'Ix })''lt.],ha) absenteeism. and poor work The Committee, chaired by and enthusiastic support to a comparable to that at Har-.ard l.ccturcr Santord K i:xc that performance. The crackdown Humanities Professor Nathan program that is seeking to and other lI., League Schools. Krcak ~to~ne :.ut rathlt ![', de,: led comes after a series of expos6s Sivin, stressed very strongly the become an Institute-'.ide However, the plan has three know !edgc ,,f ,an exp .t.,r. published in The Boston Glabe facility." times requested from the ad- ,. rtin,2 colurse ha. co: :, e i-:ht over the past few weeks. ministration the S15 million dol- k~it.e claimed that lire,:ksr,,ot Director to be appointed lar., it needs, and three times the told the Progratm .ita . c:':, n I Other aspects of the Sivin administration hits failed to find \Iarch 23 tihit he knc ;:::% h NATION Report have been ignored by the necessar` fundinu. ahout such ,: coure, trc.a: ,Inc Saturday night the United Hanham and the administration. Meanwhile. the three professors ,aild that he dmd not d,.:: States Coast Guard seized a The Committee recommended have offices on the second floor of know lcOMc of thIIICe I r-, C. r : Russian fishing trawler that, as the reorganization of the Building 20D until the project mcrcl ihad nm t had an'. do,,.Jten- southeast of Nantucket. This Program progressed. the gets underw.ax. ,ation on: the courc o,%thh,!:, is the first vessel to beseized "Program and the Steering Com- The problem that remains is the [IhC e a p p a li 1n e! da.~ kI ! L. nt-, by the Coast Guard although mittee consider a tenured faculty lack of communication within the mu nI ct ion1t stein s frtom hC kit- several Russian trawlers have appointment to provide a School of Humanities and con- C LIMl 'S I i! CC x · U r r O U.1 d .~ ! been cited for violations of the chairman for the Program." cerning the \\ riting Program in Brek,,iktonc', appointment I te new,2002mile fishing limit. Hanham told The Tech last particular. Any concrete plans for wa.ts named Acting Dircctor ;n .1u- week that a committee to search a ney. curriculum in Hurnanities l 197h.0.