Termination of Eight Appointments in Department of Economics Is Revealed

Termination of seven instructorships and one faculty appointment in the Economics Department were learned of yesterday, and attention was once again focused on the recurring gaps of experienced teaching that occur when such mass exoduses are made.

The present changes are of particular significance in view of the recent and extended criticisms that have been levelled at the teaching in the Economics Department in "The Progressive." The apparent cause for the movement is the complete lack of opportunity for further appointment after an instructor has proceeded for six or eight years in the University. This condition is verified by the fact that during the next ten years there are only tow permanent appointments open to the younger men.

All those leaving will hold improved appointments next year while the instruction in the elementary courses will be left to comparatively inexperienced younger men.

Teaching Ability Underrated

Members of the department who will leave next year emphasized the point made in the recent tenure report, that too little importance is given to teaching ability in making promotions and pointed out that as a result of this there was no incentive for the young instructor to do anything but publish. Three stated that the department was little more than a jumping-off point for greater heights and teaching was made, by the nature of the setup, an annoying accessory.

Those Leaving

Those leaving at the end of the year include the following instructors: Joe S. Bain to the University of Colorado; Glenn H. Craig to the University of Montana; J. Kenneth Galbraith, who holds a faculty appointment, to Princeton; John P. Miller '32 to Princeton for a year; Spencer Pollard '32, to the Sloan Foundation of New York University, where he will direct a movie educational campaign in economics; Kenyon F. Poole '29, to Brown; George P. Reynolds '20, to Johns Hopkins; and Harold F. Williamson to Yale.

Harold H. Burbank, David H. Wells Professor of Political Economy and head of the Economics Department, while withholding final comment stated that the changes were a perfectly normal turnover and would not vitally affect the grade of teaching.