University of Virginia Library

University Clarifies Policies
About Non-Discrimination

Relation Council Letters
Request Several Changes

By Rod MacDonald
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Correspondence between President
Edgar F. Shannon and Robert
Yuhnke, president of the
Martin Luther King chapter of
the Council on Human Relations,
has been released this week by
the administration to clarify the
University's policies on non-discrimination.

Three Gains

Three significant changes have
been registered during the exchange,
due largely to the efforts
made by the Council. Five Negro
students had originally accepted
offers to attend the University
next year, but due to phone calls
and letters written by the Relations
Council members, that
number has since increased to
nine.

In addition, basketball coach
Bill Gibson was said to be actively
recruiting a Negro basketball
player in New York, and the faculty
was seeking a Negro admissions
officer, both based mainly
on the instigation of the Council.

In his initial letter April 18,
Mr. Yuhnke laid down the steps
urged by his group. They included
requiring that all housing
be required to be non-discriminatory,
included date housing, and
that faculty mortgages be given
by the University only to those
who will agree to sell the property
on the open market without
discrimination.

He also asked that a Negro
recruiter he employed in the admissions
department, and that all
organizations be barred from using
segregated facilities.

Shea Directive

In his April 22 reply, President
Shannon noted that Comptroller
Vincent Shea had issued
a directive banning official University
groups from attending
segregated facilities, and that,
"effective today," faculty mortgages
would require a non-discriminatory
resell pledge.

Mr. Yuhnke replied that "we
were disturbed by your notable
silence on the one problem we
felt is most crucial"—recruitment.
He urged that the University
"adopt a policy which actively
seeks the enrollment of black
students and makes adequate
compensation for the background
from which they came." He reiterated
his recommendation that
the University hire a Negro admissions
recruiter, noting that
money had been budgeted beginning
July 1 for an expansion
of the admissions, staff.

He added that it "was important
for the University to promote
the success of the Martin
Luther King Scholarship Fund,"
suggesting that complete maintenance
for five Negro students be
provided.

Shannon's Reply

President answered on May 7
that he had asked the Student
Council and the University Union
to co-operate in providing a
non-discriminatory date housing
list. He also noted that all scholarships
were state funds and
therefore could not be administered
in a discriminatory fashion.

He also pointed out that "The
University is continuing to search
for black or Negro men and
women qualified for positions on
the faculty or staff who could be
effective both in recruiting black
and Negro students and in counselling
them." In addition, he
said "I believe we are successful
in at least one case," noting that
such a person could also help
lower the University's attrition
rate.

He said he hoped this would
help fulfill the "mission of graduating
increased numbers of
black or Negro students to assume
positions of leadership in
our nation and the world."

In the last communication of
May 9, President Shannon urged
that the Council talk to the University
Union, the Student Council,
and to the Dean's office, since
"any resulting proposals should
come to me through their recommendations."

The correspondence is available
for the public at the offices
of the Student Council and the
Information Service in the Rotunda;
students or faculty members
may read the letters at those
locations.