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Trotter on settling into new job
Editor’s note: The following
question and answer session is
an exeerpt from a conversation
between Red and Black
Executive Editor Steve Bills
and the University’s newly
appointed Vice President for
Academic Affairs Virginia
Trotter. See related story,
page 1-A.
Q. What I'd like to ask first
is about your first impressions,
general impressions of the
University, flow do you like
Georgia?
A. Well of course one of the
reasons I’m here is because I
really felt vey good about the
whole climate and possibilities
and the excitement of what is
going on at the University of
Georgia When I first came to
campus I felt that you really
are in a state of development
that is storng forward move-
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ment, that you have a faculty
that we have $very right to be
proud of and where there are
great possibilities for a for
ward momentum that I would
like to be a real part of.
Q. Your job is newly created,
as you know. It’s a combina
tion of the provost’s office with
the vice-president for instruc
tion.
A. I do understand this, and
those two functions were put
together so there could be a
feeling of coordination and
strength in terms of direction.
I feel this does mean that we
really can work together, that
the faculty and the adminis
tration can work together even
more closely than they have.
Q. You come to the
University at an interesting
time. I'd like to put a few
questions to you about the
immediate problems that face
us.
A. I hope we can do this in
perspective, in terms of this
university as you look at ii and
then look at other universities
across the United States,
because I’ve visited many
campuses in every state. I
think there are problems here,
but I want you to know that
there are a lot of very positive
aspects to this university that
are not true of others. And I
feel you all should be aware of
that.
Q. Another problem—I don’t
know if it's a problem, but it is
a transition that the University
is going to have to make—in
May, Secretary Califano
signed into effect Section 504 of
the 1973 Rehabilitation Act,
which mandates access for
handicapped students.
A. And that there be equal
opportunity for all handi
capped students. This is not
going to be an easy program to
put into effect. It’s going to
take eveyone working very
hard. One of the things that
some of us felt is that this may
have been signed a little
prematurely, because all of the
details were not worked out as
a part of the plan. This is going
to involve money—federal mo
ney—and compliance, very
much as you had compliance
with Title IX. I think that is
something we have to put our
minds to and do everything we
possibly can to work with HEW
in this respect. And I think it’s
going to take understanding on
both parts, both the University
and HEW.
Q. More recently, again, I
think HEW mandated greater
racial integration of several
southern college systems, and
Georgia was one of them. The
Board of Regents has been
working this summer to come
into compliance with those
regulations. What’s being done
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here at the University to
comply with the new race
guidelines?
A Well, of course we’ve been
working very hard with the
Board of Regents, the Univer
sity has, to set up the goals
and objectives so that they can
comply with this direction.
Again we hope that what
finally comes through is
something that is attainable.
There isn’t any question about
the fact that we want to
cooperate in every way we
can.
Q. What do you see as the
major problems facing the
University in how it's coming
into compliance with those two
new sets of regulations?
A. Well, I think that one of
the problems is that we hope
that the goals that are set will
not be so unrealistic that
they’ll be impossible to comply
with. I think they need to be
realistic enough that there is a
real opportunity to reach the
goals that are set. I think this
is going to be hard work on
everyone’s part. One thing that
I feel strongly about is that we
should not lower our stan
dards. After all this is an
institution of excellence, and
we want to build on that
background of excellence. I
think we have to understand
that this is the capstone
university of the state of
Georgia, and with all of this in
mind we work together to see
that we comply in every way
that we can.
Q. In particular, the 504
regulations are going to
require some structural mod
ification in a number of
buildings.
A. That’s true. We would
hope, and I really think there
is a federal responsibility to
help fund this part of the
program. Universities general
ly—and I know this is
true—have been asked to take
on a load—particularly when it
comes to staffing and carrying
through programs that have
been mandated by Congress-
in such a fashion that it's been
very difficult for them to do
this without making inroads on
other parts of the budget. I
think the federal government
does have a responsibility to
reinforce and help fu.id these
programs, so that they can be
accomplished but not taking
away from the other programs
of the University
Q. Do you think the
University is going to be able
to get federal money to help?
A. The intent was that there
would be federal money
available, and it probably will
be available on a formula
basis. One thing that we do
know is that there’s never
enough, regardless of how
much money there is. But I do
think there will be money
available to start this pro
gram If Congress passes a
law, they have to take the
responsibility to see that there
is some funding to help
reinforce it.
Q. How much do you
anticipate this compliance to
504 will cost?
A. Well, I haven’t any idea,
and I have not seen the plans
for the University of Georgia
and what this would mean. I
doubt that we really have this
put together at this time to
know in any finite scale what it
would cost. It is going to be a
costly program. We’re all
concerned in doing this in such
a way that we comply and that
it does not affect our ongoing
programs and still gives an
opportunity for equal treat
ment regardless of what
physical condition, at least
complying with 504.
Q. The regulations on racial
discrimination should not be as
expensive.
A. Not by any means,
because that doesn’t mean you
have to do physical remodeling
to facilities that you have to do
with 504. But it does mean that
you're going to have to take
special recruitment efforts to
see that young people under
stand that the opportunity at
the University of Georgia is a
great one.
Q. Let me move on then and
ask you a few questions about
your experience with the
search committee. Dr. William
Owens chaired that committee,
and he made lots of efforts to
be fair. Do you think your
treatment at the hands of the
committee was good?
A I think it was very fair,
and I wouldn’t be here if I
didn't think so. As far as I’m
concerned it was done in a
very orderly, professional way.
I had an opportunity to meet
the search committee, to meet
the deans, and the vice
presidents, to meet the admin
istrators and to talk to the
faculty, which I felt was
important as far as I was
concerned. It gave me a feel
for the institution. And I had a
very good feeling about the
insitution.
Q. I understand that after
you had received a recommen
dation from the committee that
you received what was vari
ously called harrassing mail,
derogatory material about the
University and so forth.
A. Well I hadn’t spent as
much time as I have in
Washington without knowing
that there sometimes are, that
there is harrassment. I didn’t
really put much credulance in
some of the mail I did receive.
Q. Could you tell me a little
bit about what kind of material
It was?
A. Well I really think that is
not germane or important in
terms of what I'm doing now,
and as far as I’m concerned I
Photo by DAVID CROSBY
NEW V.P.A.A. VIRGINIA TROTTER
Former II.E.W. assistant secretary of education
feel that’s water ovei the dam.
Q. I also understand there
was a period between July,
when I understand President
Davison decided to forward
your name to the Hoard of
Regents and a period in
September, when they actually
acted, that for a time there you
were kind of hanging in limbo.
A. Well this is true with
anyone that is appointed to any
higher office educational insti-.
tution, because any appoint
ment you are offered is offered
at the discretion and approval
of the Board of Regents. This
is not any different here than it
is anywhere else. I’ve made a
lot of offers to people with that
caveat as a part of the office.
Q. Now you’re here. You've
been settling in for three days.
What sort of problems have
you tackled so far?
A Well I really haven’t, I not
really tackling problems at the
moment, I’m trying to get an
understanding of the total
university and to meet as
many people as I can. I started
meeting with all the colleges
and schools. This gives me a
feel for the institution and
gives them an opportunity to
tell me some of the kinds of
things they want me to know
about their programs I feel
this is important because this
is the academic part of the
intitution and these are the
types of things I’m doing right
Q. Your job as I understand
it is to be a liason between the
central administration and the
schools and colleges.
A. Well certainly my job is to
work with the dean and the
faculty and with the adminis
tration. My job description
does say that this is the
number two position and I do
act in the absence of the
president. I work closely with
Davison still
recuperating
the president. I’m under his
direct supervision.
Q. The University is in a *
period of transition. Many of the
professors, especially those
who teach undergraduate
courses, feel to some extent
that undergraduate instruction
is, in some cases, being
short-changed, that research is
receiving the lion’s share of
attention, that classroom in
struction is not as heavily
considered for promotions or
whatever. Ilow much attention
do you think should be paid to
undergraduate education?
A. Well, the only reason for a
University in the first place is
that it impart knowledge, not
only impart knowledge, but
find new knowledge. So that
really means that research and
teaching go hand in hand, and
the importance of teaching
cannot be over-emphasized.
Without a good strong
teaching program in every
academic field, there would
really be no reason for an
academic institution of higher
education. At the same time,
the impartation of new know
ledge and the search for new
knowledge has to be a part of a
great institution, if they are
going to reinforce what is
being taught. So each on is
important in its own way.
The thing that you want to be
really careful about and that
you want to be concerned
aobut is that one does not
overbalance the other, that
there is a healthy balance of
the research and the teaching
area, but I think we want to
keep in mind that the students
are an integral, important part
of any university, and they’re
the best evidence we have as
they graduate of the kind of
job that we are doing, so I
can’t overemphasize the im
portance of a str ng teaching
program.
University President Fred C.
Davison is “progressing well”
after surgery for removal of
kidney stones on Sept. 15,
according to Public Relations
Director Barry Wood
“He will remain in St. Mary’s
Hospital tor a couple of days
more and then recuperate at
home for an indetimte period
of time. There have been no
problems and everything is on
schedule,” Wood said
However, the president is not
allowed visitors, since it has
only been a week since his
surgery, he said.
The administrative structure
of five vice presidents and
deans have acted for the ■
president in some situations
and normal functions are being
carried out, according to
Wood
“President Davison is not
being inundated with everyday
details, but we have had
contact with him. He is being
briefed all along,” he said.
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