Faculty Cut

IN the expectation of a sharply reduced enrollment next year, the Trustees at their fall meeting asked that Dartmouth's staff requirements be reviewed with the objective of making economies that could be effected without diluting the quality of the College's educational program or violating any of its commitments or principles of tenure relating to the faculty. In late December a small number of instructors were informed that their appointments would not be renewed at the end of this year, and the Hanover grapevine being what it is, the report soon got around that Dartmouth was dropping fifty or more men from the faculty. This exaggerated story was picked up by one daily paper and then given wider circulation by a national wire service. The next day Prof. Donald H. Morrison, Dean of the Faculty, rounded up some exact figures and the following statement was given to the press in order to set the facts straight:

"Nine instructors have received notices that, because of anticipated loss in student enrollment, their services will not be needed after the current academic year. Four men have been notified that their appointments will end with the academic year 1951-52. This total of 13 represents about five per cent of the faculty of the undergraduate college.

"Unless the drop in student enrollment is much greater than is now anticipated, it is unlikely that the total number of men released because of national mobilization will exceed twenty. This estimate does not include instructors holding temporary oneyear appointments as replacements for professors on leave, men who were given terminal appointments two years ago, or those in the graduate schools who may be affected."

The reviewing of staff requirements for next year, such as has been undertaken by Dartmouth, is now in progress on college campuses all over the country. Dartmouth's faculty cutback, although publicized more than others, will probably be a good deal smaller, in both number and percentage, than that at quite a few other institutions.