525

495

"Because of this, it will be necessary to call a special meeting of this
Board of Trustees to secure action on a nomination. I shall ask the
Assistant Secretary of the Board to send notices of this call meeting as
soon as I have a recommendation to submit to you.

A Look Ahead

"Mr. Chairman, I would like now to turn from these essentially informa-
tional matters and consider the University in relation to its assets as well
as problems that may be counted liabilities. Let us reflect upon its responsi-
bilities and the legitimate requirements for meeting them.

"Surely, the asset of greatest magnitude is the historic devotion and
loyalty of the people of North Carolina, including its alumni. This attach-
ment of the people of North Carolina to the state University is not without
cause. Their admiration is the result in many instances of personal
gratitude for formative educational experience received on one of the Univer-
sity campuses. But in a larger sense the respect that the University enjoys
among the people is based upon a knowledge of the important services that
it has rendered in improving the welfare of the state.

"It is perhaps a manifestation of this confidence that the 1963 General
Assembly made clear the University's singular responsibility in the state's
program of higher education and differentiated it in important respects from
that of other state-supported institutions.

A second great asset is the excellent reputation of the University in the
nation and in the world at large. This is again the result of demonstrated
achievement in intellectual endeavors of teaching and research, of positive
accomplishments in the realm of social service and the advancement of
human welfare, of courageous stands against bigotry and provincialism.
The standing of the threefold University is a source of genuine pride to the
state and a credit to the state among thoughtful and informed people
everywhere.

"We might profitably examine morefully the elements underlying these
intangible but also invaluable assets. We could cite the generous and steady
financial support that the people and their legislators and executive officers
have accorded education generally and the University in particular. We
could point to the good fortune of dedicated and enlightened trusteeship, to
years of devoted labor among faculties and employees for an institution that
they respect, to the devotion of generations of students to a tradition which
they cherish and enjoy. We could point to more concrete assets, but where
universities are concerned, these are but the material result of the influence
that I have mentioned.

"Let us look now to the current status of the University in respect to its
admittedly fine tradition of leadership and social usefulness.

"I will not here repeat the more-or-less familiar statistical evidence
that could be marshaled of growth of physical plant, growth of enrollment,
growth of increasing effectiveness of faculties, growth of budgets and of
educational programs. Rathe, let us focus attention upon problems that
must be met in order to insure viability of the University values and tradi-
tion. We cannot detail all of them, but let us look at a few.

"Inherent within the changing nature and function of universities there are
problems of natural growth, problems of social change. Modern science and
technology, increasing world relationships in commerce and government,
authomation, the space program, organization, and other significant changes
and advances are creating demands for a kind of higher education unknown in
earlier years. These are demands that will not be denied. Indeed, the
dependence of the nation upon the universities and colleges for leadership
in determining national policy, for basic and applied research, and, most
important of all, for the training of those who as teachers, scientists,
engineers, doctors, lawyers, editors, statesmen, and many others will
shape the future of this country, is almost complete.

"The effect of changing function upon the practices and even the structure
of universities is significant. The number of agencies which are in some
sense exterior to the university but whose interest is in one way or another
related to and perhaps vital to our own purposes grows at an astonishing rate.
The increasing demands that these essential relationships levy upon adminis-
tration has accentuated the old division of labor between teachers and adminis-
trators and caused a further detachment with the creation of layers on layers
of administration.