Hartman Will Be Asked to Remain As Head of UFS

The Graduate School of Design (GSD) has no plans to disband the Urban Field Service (UFS) or to replace Chester Hartman, assistant professor of City Planning, as its head.

Although Hartman will be able to retain the UFS post, he will not be re-appointed as assistant professor when his term expires in June. The UFS program allows students to work in urban communities for academic credit.

Maurice Kilbridge, dean of the GSD, told Hartman last week:

"We wish to broaden and improve our teaching in the field of housing to include not only your interest in social policy, but also the problems of industrialized or mass-produced housing, and the design, economic, financial and implementation aspects of housing. We feel the scope of your experience and knowledge in the field of housing is too narrow for our needs. We have reason to believe that there are people available with a superior grasp of the total housing problem. As a small school we cannot afford to have many specialists in a single field, but must seek the most highly qualified and broadly knowledgeable people."

A statement released January 12 by a group called itself "Harvard and M.I.T. students for UFS" implied that the GSD's denial of tenure for Hartman reflected faculty disapproval of UFS.

Kilbridge, however, said in a statement Friday that UFS was "one of the finest programs in this school" and that he would continue to support it.

He added Monday that Hartman's position as UFS director was separate from his teaching appointment, and that he would be offered the post for next year.

Although he did not begin UFS, Hartman has directed it for the last five years. Kilbridge said he hoped that Hartman would remain as program director but added that UFS would continue even if Hartman decides to leave.

"There has been no opposition at all to this program, from students, faculty, or administrators." Kilbridge said. "We invented the notion of UFS for the purpose of having an activist program. It has always been strongly established and strongly supported," he added.

Since September UFS has been an independent program, reporting directly to the dean of the GSD rather than to a single department. The program has been expanded to include a full-time assistant director. Expenditures for UFS are currently 50 per cent higher than last year.