6/4/1973, Burlington Free Press

TRUSTEES EXPRESS 'FAITH' IN WITHERSPOON, GODDARD

PLAINFIELD -- Goddard College trustees have approved a resolution affirming their faith in president Gerald S. Witherspoon and proclaiming the college "a healthy educational community."

The resolution was endorsed by the board, 13-3, last Friday in a vote taken in New York City. The board met in New York to discuss the college's finances and other, administrative questions.

"Goddard, like most other private colleges, has faced difficult financial pressures in the past and should expect similar pressures to continue," the trustees said in their resolution.

"Especially careful management and self-restraint will be required this year and next, but our review of available information give us confidence in the financial stability of the institution for the foreseeable future.

"We have not completed our review of the proposed College budget for 1973-74," the trustees said. "It appears at this early stage to provide guidelines for the reasonable allocation and prudent management of scarce college resources for next year."

In commenting upon the role of the college president, the board said it "is aware of the dissatisfaction that has been expressed by some faculty and students about the continuing leadership of President Witherspoon."

"On the basis of information available to us, despite these expressed dissatisfactions, we affirm our continuing support of the president. We believe that the problems which exist at Goddard would not be more easily solved by a change in the presidency."

The trustees noted Goddard has earned a reputation as a leader in educational reform and experimentation. "That position is not a comfortable state of grace, however," the board said. "It requires a continuing and often painful process of debate about educational goals and methods, a tolerance of diversity, an openness to change in the accepted ways of doing things, a willingness to risk both success and failure in all of our efforts."

"Goddard remains, in all of these ways, a healthy educational community." In their resolution, the board emphasized its support for the college's residential undergraduate program and a policy-making group known as the president's council.