Christian Tenure Policy Unresolved ByHUGHMOOKK again before the faculty, the suggesting that Davidson lacks the committees donot predicta interview. "Davidson cannotbe' ContributingEditor Educational Policy Committee intellectual freedom and diver- recommendation concerning all things to all people. presentedanother resolution in sityof opinion." tenureuntil springof nextyear. Hall pointed out that David- (Ed. Note: This article is the May of this year which put the Inaddition the resolution en- Moreover, the final decision on son should continue to be an first in a two-part series on tenure requirement in the couraged and broadened the any proposal will be made by alternative to colleges and Davidson's Christian com- larger context of Davidson's scope of discussions on the Board of Trustees and few universities which do not main- mitment. It focuses on the Christian commitment. The Christian commitment. Sub- are willing to anticipate how tain a Christiancommitment. faculty tenure requirement. faculty passed this resolution sequent meetings which have they will act. On campus,supporters of the Next week's article will deal May29. included the Faculty Religious It is generally believed that tenure requirement have not with other expressions «■ this The proposal stated that con- Policy andProgram Committee the trustees are more opposed been as vocal as their coun- commitment.) scientious recruitment of as well as trustee members, than any other segment of the terparts. FEC member According to the Trustee By- faculty members should "ob- havelargely dealt with areasof college community to the Malcolm Lester, believed to be laws, "Any faculty member viate the necessity for the Christianexpressionother than deletion of the requirement. in favor of retainingthe restric- given tenure must be an active present By-laws specifying a the tenurerequirement. Board Chairman Warner L. tion in some form, declined to member ofaChristianchurch." religious requirement for The upcoming October Hall'sopinionbears thisout. make any comment. This sentence is possibly the tenure, which,we feel, is likely meeting of the Joint Com- "Davidson is a Christian Likewise, college President most controversial item in the to inhibit the recruitment of the mittees, though, will probably collegeand itis appropriate for Samuel R. Spencer Jr. has entire document. best faculty and student body address the tenureissue. it to have a Christian faculty," hesitated to make his sen At least since 1969 strong ef- that could be obtained by Even optimistic members of Hallsaidrecentlyina telephone (See CHRISTIAN,page12) forts have been made to have this requirement deleted. In that year a commission was established to study church- collegerelations. Its reportedopinion was that Davidson's Christian com- Hauibsoman*" Eh? KklirlyJWmUv fVivuicAn Ct\\\Mqm £twlAMt& mitment should be maintained by informal methods rather Vol.LXIII,No.Four Davidson College, Davidson,N, C. 28036 October 5,1973 thanby By-lawssuchas theone dealing withtenure. Although there was a change in the wording of the Electronic Theft-Prevention Devices requirement after the com- mission's report was received, the restriction stillremained in ToBe ConsideredFor New Library theBy-laws. Little InNovember of last year the ByALECHOON operation in the Charlotte missing approximately 312 done asitisdoneatmanyother issue was raised again when Editor-in-Chief Public Library, and the "Tat books. libraries,"Davidsonsaid. Professor of Religion Alexan- Itisnow a distinctpossibility tletapes System" used at UNC- "While some of these books In the Checkpoint System, der J. McKelway submitted a that the new E. H. Little C. (notably rare Southern Im- electronically detectable plates resolution to the faculty which Library will operateon an elec- In the memo, Davidson prints) wereundoubtably taken areplacedinthe books. Whena called for the deletion of the tronic detection system to pre- stated, "It (an electronic by professional book thieves, book is carried between two sentence in the By-laws on vent the theft of more library system) is worth our con- others seem tohave been taken screenson either siide of a tur- tenure. books. siderationfor possibleuseinthe byamateurs. nstyle, abuzzer soundsand the resolution was signed by locks. check His Inamemo tomembers of the new E.H.LittleLibrary". "An obvious example of this turnstyle To out 11othermembers of thefaculty Library Committee,Director of According to Davidson, the is the fact that wearepresently a book, it must be passed and staff, most of whom were reason for even considering missing 10 odd volumes of aroundthe screen. clergymen. theLibrary ChalmersG.David- ordainedChristian included on two such a system is the alarming bound periodicals. These would In the Tattletapes system, a son a report strip is placed The student Senate endorsed electronic systems for the increasein thenumberof books be of little value to a sensitive metal stolen last yearas compared to professional thief as he would inthebooks.If aperson tries to theresolutionandsent their en- preventionof book thefts which of the the Board of might be in the Little thatofpreviousyears. want the whole set," Davidson smuggle a book out dorsement to utilized library, virtually the same Trustees. Plans were then Library. explained. "Previous to last year, we Davidson said that he would thing happensas in the check- made for discussion of the The report, compiled by would lose about 250 books by be "extremelyreluctant" to in- point system. To check out a tenurematter the officers of Reference Coordinator for In- during the year,but we would book, the Board and the Faculty dependent Study Mary Beaty, stitute any type of closed shelf there is a small machine recover about ISO.However,af- system for several reasons, which can desensitize thestrip, ExecutiveCommittee (FAC). related findings on the "Check- ter a final tabulationlast year, point System" presently in notably that skilled thieves so the book may be taken from But in order to put the issue we discovered we were still could probably beat it anyway, thelibrary. and for the implications to the In the report it was indicated DavidsonHonor System. that such systems were by no Poll "Both Bevan and Spencer means foolproof, and that Shows Faculty Opinion thieves could have expressedreluctance for professional beat such a drastic step because it theminseveraldifferent ways. would undermine the whole Davidson indicated that Regarding GovernanceIssues Honor system here, and Icon- sometime in the future the cur with their feelings; but if Library Committee willmake a this is what is necessary decision on what kind of a ANALYSIS necessitated questions of a in matters of faculty personnel to AN generalnature. policy?" Fiverespondedyes,15 prevent thecostly theft of more system will be instituted in the Library. By TOMBRUCE Yet the questions were no,andfournocomment. books, then it may have to be Little TODDEADES designed to be an entree to Some said the number of ALEC HOON discussion which would provide student votes would be in- a fuller understanding of the significant or indicated that (Ed. note: This .article, the contextin which the responses their response might be dif- third in a continuing series weregiven. Fifty-twomembers ferent if asked about a faculty dealing with the governance of the faculty were interviewed assembly system. Others crisis at Davidson, focuses on for thispurpose. believed that only teaching faculty should vote faculty faculty feelings toward student Twenty-four members of the in participation ingovernance.) faculty were asked "Should meetings. In an attempt to promote students attend and participate Twenty-eightprofessors were asked, "In your opinion should discussion of college gover- in faculty meetings except for nance questions THE DAVID session?" students attend faculty assem- executive bly in a non-voting capacity?" SON! ANconducted a pollof the Many of the professors an- extent question yielded faculty regarding the of swering "no" took pains to ex- The a mixed student participation in each of plain that although student in- response: 14 were in favor of systems un- student participation, while V mm the twogovernance put to faculty meetings was 11 I*£L^*W^^^5 der consideration and the desirable, faculty meetings opposed it. Three professors desirability ofanoffice ofchair- were not deemed the best hadnocomment. manpro4emporeofthe faculty. Although the sample is not mechanism toachieve this. conclusive,this The complexity of the issues Faculty integrity body finding appears as a of to and the fact that responses professionals was often cited, flow logically from thecoun- were often dependent upon that many ter-part response of the other as was the fact group. which system will be im- faculty concerns areof little in- plemented inevitably (Faculty More faculty members are in terest to students. favor of student participation committees were often men- in Senators of securing the "collegeassembly" context tioned to a means than in the of faculty studentparticipation.) context In Wednesday's SGA Others mentioned the un- meetings aspresentlydefined. runoff elections for fresh- favorable repercussions of The reasons for this finding Senalors-at- are multiple and complex. man - class regular student attendance and l.aiu< . coed Julie Deck was that in the Some professors argued that pointed out past place elected Senator and students have been invited to students have no in President of the freshman professional meetings. Others (Staff PhotobyGoodman>