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The Facuity Council profoundly appreciates the deep interest in the
welfare of the University, its faculty and students manifested by the Board
of Trustees. We believe that the objectives of the Trustees, Administra-
tion and Facuity are identical and may at least in part be summarized as
follows:

(a) The best possible classroom instruction in all subjects necessary
for an excellent curriculum.

(b) The best possible facilities for study and research out of class, and
development in the students of a desire to learn, which will result in maximum
use of those facilities.

(c) An extra-curricular program designed to provide maximum benefits
to the students in terms of spiritual growth, cultural development, physical
and mental health, and training for responsible citizenship and productive
leadership.

(d) Maximum opportunity for the faculty to engage in research and writ-
ing - this not merely to enhance individual and institutional prestige among
other scholars and scientists, but because it contributes directly to the improve-
ment of teaching in the classroom, and to the enrichment of society.

(e) Development of maximum opportunity for advanced students to engage
in intensive, rewarding study and research at the graduate and professional
levels.

It is against the background of these objectives that the Council has approach-
ed the matter of providing Saturday classes. We have already adopted a recom-
mendation calling for such classes within the framework of the semester system.
In this connection two things should be pointed out. First, without regard to
Saturday classes, there is a substantial group in the faculty which favors the
semester over the quarter plan. Second, whether to provide Saturday classes
on the quarter or semester plan has been a difficult question to answer. The
faculty is far from unanimous in its recommendations. This would be true
even if all purely personal preferences could be laid aside, because the teach-
ing problems of our fourteen schools and numerous departments are extraordi-
narily diverse. Over the years we have reached working solutions for a number
of these problems which must now be solved again. In a change-over to the
semester system, some confusion is inevitably to be anticipated.

We will accept with good will our own or any other plan for Saturday classes
eventually adopted. We are the more willing to do this because, as we have
stated, we believe our objectives are identical with those of the Trustees.

As the Trustees are aware, a majority of the faculty does not regard the
mere provision of Saturday classes as a significant step toward the achievement
of our mutual objectives. Among objections which have been advanced are:
(a) The difficulty of providing, for the faculty and for graduate students with
teaching duties, a substantial number of consecutive hours available for research
and writing; (b) increased difficulties for those students who find it necessary
to engage in remunerative work in order to finance their education; (c) the con-
fusion (without any clear gain in educational benefits) involved in departing
from an accepted, established and thoroughly understood system; and (d) student
resistance to the change which, with its predictable consequence of absenteeism,
will be far from a trivial problem despite the greatest good will, the best teach-
ing efforts and the sternest purpose on the part of the faculty. Also, given the
necessity of Saturday classes a majority of the faculty prefers the semester
system, but a shift to that system will present very difficult special problems
to a number of schools and departments. Furthermore, this may raise a
serious question as to the length, character and effectiveness of summer school.

In the report of the Visiting Committee submitted to and approved by the
Board of Trustees at its meeting in Raleigh on February 28, 1949, the Com-
mittee said: "But to revise the academic schedule primarily as a means for
deciplining the non-academic activities of students is surely a case of putting
the cart before the horse. And to hope to curb the ween-end exodus only by
changing the schedule is equally illogical.'! Perhaps in all fairness it should
be said that this language of the Visiting Committee stemmed from the Com-
mittee's acceptance and adoption of the faculty viewpoint.

We are frankly disturbed by the fact that the Executive Committee of the
Board of Trustees felt it necessary to take directive action on this matter.
The Visiting Committee, in the report just mentioned, also said "We, as
Trustees, must see that the Faculty is well chosen, and then leave these con-