Founders Leave Switchboard As Funding Deadline Passes

The February 1 deadline set by the co-founders of People Switchboard for an administration decision on funding for next year has passed, and Daniel A. Gensler '72 and John M. Farago '72 have abandoned their positions as coordinators of the information and advising organization they established this fall.

Gensler and Farago had requested 58-10,000 to finance People Switchboard during the next academic year, and to pay the salary of a full-time coordinator. They have been trying since September to get some definite word from the administration on the future financial status of their project.

"As of now we're no longer working directly with the advising and information ends of People Switchboard," Gensler said yesterday.

"We understand that the administration is continuing to look for ways to allow People Switchboard to exist, but training someone for the complex job of coordinator will take a fair amount of time and effort on our part. We're simply no longer willing to commit our energy without some firm commitment on the part of the University in return," Gensler added.

Charles P. Whitlock '47, acting dean of the College, said Monday that People Switchboard would continue to exist next year in some form, although he was not exactly sure how.

"This year we made it run by using discretionary funds from this office and volunteer student help. Next year we won't be able to do that," he said.

Alternatives

Whitlock suggested two possible ways in which People Switchboard could be funded. He said that the dean of the Faculty or the President could give unrestricted funds, or there could be cost-sharing from the existing departments.

"For example, the Bureau of Study Counsel has a 16-member staff. They might be able to spare one member who could allocate most of his time to People Switchboard." Whitlock said. He added that the first alternative did not seem very likely.

In a press conference on January 27, President Bok said that he was interested in People Switchboard, but that the University did not have the funds to meet their request.

"The new fund which I will oversee does provide financing for ventures such as this. However, there are other possibilities for the expenditures of that money." Bok said.

"Certainly we don't want to tap the $1 million this soon without some data on the project it would fund." Bok added. "Unfortunately, there is no data and no evaluative information yet on People Switchboard, since it is so new, and we want to be sure that the $10,000 would be well spent."

Gensler and Farago stated earlier this year that they felt the $1 million fund inappropriate to their project because the fund is for experiments in educational innovation, while People Switchboard is concerned with improving advising within the University