Veritas, Vol. 14, No. 05, October 1, 1973

              ventos
university of
miomi
coral gables florido
Volume 14, Number 5
October 1, 1973
President Addresses Faculty
Robinson Joins Development
James A. Robinson was appointed assistant vice president for development affairs this fall.
Mr. Robinson came to UM from Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, where he was vice president for college relations, responsible for the management of the offices of development, alumni affairs, public relations and publications. At Simpson since 1966, he served as director of development and executive director of development before being named to the vice president’s post.
At the University of Miami he reports to Edward G. Coll, Jr., vice president for development affairs.
Mr. Robinson is a native of Richland, Iowa. He received his bachelor of science degree in industrial administration from Iowa State University in 1957, and is an Army veteran.
From 1957 to 1966 he was employed by the Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa, in Des Moines, where he served as administrative assistant to the administrative vice president and secretary.
President Stanford opened his traditional Fall meeting with the faculty September 25 by stating:
“Back in the summer, my anticipation for enrollment was pretty sanguine; housing was full, freshman enrollment was on target. I now have less sanguine information to provide you. While we did anticipate a drop in enrollment, the drop is greater than projected, due largely to the fact that a number of previously enrolled students did not return.
“While final enrollment figures have not yet been tabulated, it now looks as If we’ll have to impose a freeze again to assure that the University winds up the year in the black, as we did last year by a narrow margin.”
Dr. Stanford said that Dr. William R. Butler, vice president for student affairs, will soon be sending a memorandum to all faculty members, requesting their cooperation in “Operation Plymouth Rock.” The project is designed to encourage faculty members to share Thanksgiving with students unable to return home, by inviting them into faculty homes.
While the President applauded the publication of the fringe benefit statement initiated by the Faculty Senate, he noted as well that one or two items listed were not applicable to benefits the faculty enjoy. A revised and corrected statement will be reprinted in Veritas, with appropriate additions to cover faculty
Trustees Honor Volunteer Groups
President Henry King Stanford and the UM Board of Trustees hosted a luncheon September 25 at the Sheraton Four Ambassadors to honor nine volunteer organizations working with the UM’s Golden Anniversary Development Program (GADP) and with special University projects.
The “1973 Kick-off Luncheon” marked the beginning of this year’s continuing campaign to raise supporting funds for a wide variety of programs on the University’s three campuses. Inaugurated in 1964 with a goal of $93 million by 1975, the GADP has to date garnered $82.7 million in gifts, grants and commitments.
Organizations honored were the Athletic Federation, directed by Walt
Kichefski; the Citizens Board, headed by B. E. Miller, president of the First Florida Building Corp.; the DEED Club, headed by Erma Podvin; the Endowment Committee of the Board, chaired by Trustee Baron deHirsch Meyer; the General Alumni Association, headed by Larry Adams, southeast district manager for Florida Power and Light Co.; the six chapters of the National Children’s Cardiac Hospital, represented by J. Stanley (Buddy) Berenson; the President’s Committee for the School of Medicine, chaired by Trustee Norma Kipnis; the Woman’s Cancer Association, headed by Mrs. Raymond “Poci” Fordham, and the Women’s Guild, headed by Ruth Kassewitz, communication officer for Dade County.
benefits which are in some cases different from employee benefits.
Reviewing new buildings in progress, Dr. Stanford noted that ground has been broken for the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, to be completed in the fall of 1974, when dedication ceremonies will include the premiere performance of a composition by Dr. William F. Lee, dean of the School of Music, to commemorate the occasion.
“Plans for a building to house the School of Business Administration are progressing,” Dr. Stanford said. “We have $286,000 in the fund and a commitment of $500,000. We hope to have another $500,000 commitment fairly soon which will put us in the ball park to start construction.”
The Knight Center for Continuing Education is on the drawing board, he said, adding that the University has not yet applied to the Coral Gables Planning Board or Zoning Board.
Discussing the September 7 meeting of University officials with members of the Coral Gables City Commission to present the University’s Master Plan for the future (reported elsewhere in this issue), Dr. Stanford said he believes this was the beginning of a new era in relationships with the Commissioners. Communications between the Commissioners and the University, he noted, had slowed down with the advent of the Sunshine Law, which precluded the continuation of luncheon meetings which Dr. Stanford had been holding with all the Commissioners on campus.
Dr. Stanford also dispelled a rumor he had heard that because of the increase by approximately $1 million in costs to construct the Gusman Concert Hall, Mr. Gusman had declined to cover the total cost. “This is not so,” Dr. Stanford said. “The two-year delay, caused by a variety of factors, did indeed increase the cost from approximately one to two million dollars. Mr. Gusman has signed an agreement with the University to cover the full sum either out of his current resources or, in case of his death, out of his will.” Dr. Stanford noted that he and Mr. Gusman, now 87, have agreed to meet 50 years hence to evaluate the use of the facility.
President Stanford expressed the hope that Veritas will assist in dispelling rumors since they will continue to exist, and do at times even serve the purpose—
as in the Watergate Affair—of forcing out the truth. “I hope,” he said,“youwill find Veritas, in its new format, newsworthy and worth your while to read.
“Speaking of Veritas, I note that among the calendar events listed for the past week was a meeting sponsored by the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors to discuss with a representative of the National Office of AAUP the plans to file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board seeking a union determination election under the National Labor Relations Act.
“It is important to note that this organizational effort is not being conducted under any State law applicable to public employees as was the case at those public institutions which have elected or considered formal collective bargaining such as the University of Rhode Island or Wayne State University. A private university has been ruled subject to the Federal National Labor Relations Act under identical legislative and regulatory provisions as applied to industrial workers and other types of non-public employees. This attempt to relate the body of law and regulations of industrial labor unions to traditional concepts of higher education has caused the current uncertainties in predicting the potential effects of faculty unionization at a private university.
“As I indicated at the opening meeting of the Faculty Senate, I believe it is premature to express specific reactions to recent statements attributed to the local chapter of the AAUP either as to their validity or as to their appropriateness. However, I have been asked by a number of faculty members since the commencement of the Fall semester about my thoughts on faculty unionization at private institutions of higher education and its possible impact at the University of Miami.
“The decision as to whether the faculty at this institution unionizes is, of course, the faculty’s to make. In my opinion, it is a decision which bodes major implications for the future of this University. It is one that should be made only after a careful evaluation of the pros and cons.
“I do not regard faculty unionism as inevitable at institutions of the scope and nature of the University of Miami. However, failure to evaluate the potential
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