Ad Hoc Faculty Committee

Ad Hoc Faculty Committee, a group of active Columbia educators, recommended immediate suspension of on-site excavation of the gymnasium facility in Morningside Park. They requested that the administration to delegate all disciplinary power to a tripartite committee comprised of student, faculty and administration. Until the settlement of the crisis, the faculty will stand before the occupied buildings to prevent the police from entering or other hostile confrontations. They asked the students to evacuate the occupied buildings. In turn, the faculty will not hold classes until the conflict involving IDA and the proposed gymnasium is resolved.

The Faculty Committee received criticism for backing the student radicals. As the standoff continued, critics charged that the Ad Hoc Faculty group was dominated by leftists professors and infiltrated by radical junior instructors and teaching assistants.

In the early days of the occupation, a special meeting of the College faculty agreed on five revolutions:

1. That a University exists as a community dedicated to rational discourse, and the use of communication and persuasion as the means of furthering that discourse.

2. That this Faculty endorses the right to protest, but strongly condemns both obstructive behavior and physical violence on this campus. In this light we deplore the use of coercion, and the seizure of Dean Coleman as a hostage. Further we condemn the act of invasion of the President's office and the rifling of his files.

3. That we believe that any differences have to be settled peacefully, and we trust that police action will not be used to clear Hamilton Hall or any other University building.

4. That to the extent that the issues which have arisen in the University community are due to a failure of communication and discussion within the university, we call upon the Administration to set up a tripartite body to discuss any disciplinary matters arising out of the incidents yesterday and today, the issue of the gymnasium and any other matters which are subjects of legitimate concern to the University community.

5. That this faculty respectfully petitions the University administration a. to arrange the immediate suspension of on-site excavation of the gymnasium facility in Morningside Park. b. to be prepared to review the matter of the gymnasium site with a group of community spokesmen; the administration will immediately invite the Mayor to designate a group who will take counsel with the University with respect to the location and character of the gymnasium.