Bodies Refuse Athletic Code Enforcement

Members of two college accrediting agencies, charged with enforcing the American Council on Education's new athletic code, recently indicated that they cannot comply. This decision will have no bearing on Ivy League intentions to abolish spring football practice and prohibit participation in post season games.

Spokesmen for the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools said that regulation of conduct of athletics is the responsibility of the individual institutions, the various conferences, and the N C A A.

One Report Informal

Dr. E. Kenneth Smiley, vice-president of Lehigh and chairman of higher education, and Drs. Niles Y. Wessel of Tufts and Roger Hamilton of Northeastern of the New England group issued the statements for their associations. The last two cautioned that their report was informal.

They stated that their groups "are not prepared to dictate specific points in intercollegiate athletic policy, like the dates of basketball practice, spring practice, or bowl games."

Previously, the executive committee of the Council on Education said. "The regional accrediting agencies have an especially important role to play, because they represent the point of view of education, as a whole, include secondary schools as well as colleges in their purview, and can apply sanctions which all institutions respect." The association can sanction the approval of college degrees for admittance to graduate schools.