University of Virginia Library

Visitors Receive Woody Coeducation Report

By Chuck Hite
and
Mike Russell

Admission of women to the University's college of
Arts and Sciences came a step closer to realization
Saturday as the Woody Committee on coeducation
presented its 18-month long study to the Board of
Visitors.

The conclusion reached by the committee stated that
"if the University of Virginia at Charlottesville is to fulfill
its function as the state university, it must open its doors
to all qualified citizens of the state without discrimination
with respect to race, colour, religion, national origin, or
sex."

Further action will not be taken by the board until its
next meeting, Upon receiving the report, the Board
requested President Edgar F. Shannon to proceed with
studies of the feasibility of the committee's
recommendation with the understanding that the visitors
will act up the principle of the report at its meeting in
February.

The board also passed a resolution favorable to
Student Council's proposed "Procedure By Which
Student Activities Fund Shall Be Allocated" but failed to
take action on Council motions concerning student
control of dorm regulations.

The board's resolution, "Allocations Of The Student
Activities Fee," differs from Student Council's request by,
giving the Student Activities Committee review of the
budget of The Cavalier Daily. Council had requested
review of all student organizations. In the past Student
Council had only the authority to make recommendations
of budgets of organizations of the Student Activities
Committee, which, was established by the Board of
Visitors in 1956.

The adopted Resolution reads:

RESOLVED by the Rector and visitors of the University of
Virginia that the Student Activities Committee shall continue
to be charged with the authority and responsibility, under
the President, for supervision of the Student Activities Fund
which is made up of student activities fees. With respect to
allocations from the Fund, unless otherwise directed by the
President the procedures shall be as follows:

1. the Committee shall review budgets submitted by The
Cavalier Daily and approve allocations thereto.

2. the budgets of all other organizations will be reviewed
by Student Council which will allocate funds from student
activities fees to the organizations; provided, however, the
Council does not approve budgets for purposes in opposition
to stated University policies (e.g., religious or discriminatory
organizations), or for politically oriented organizations, or
for entertainment. The ceiling on the aggregate amount
allocated to all such organizations will be the then current
total student activities fees less the amount approved by the
Student Activities Committee for The Cavalier Daily. Each
organization whose budget is reviewed by the Student
Council will have a right of appeal to the Student Activities
Committee, If no appeal is taken, a Student Council officer
will draw a check on the Student Activities Fund for the
amount specified by Council payable to the organization
receiving the allocation. The Student Activities Committee
shall examine on its own motion any budgets that may be
approved by the Student Council for organizations deemed
by the Committee to be within the exceptions noted above.

RESOLVED FURTHER that the President is here
authorized to change the procedures for making allocations
from the Student Activities Fund as he may from time to
time deem appropriate.

Martin F. Evans, President of Student Council, stated
that the resolution was "right, in line with what we
requested. It should give Council a lot better control in
getting allocations to Student organizations at the first of
the school year."

Ron Hickman, Chairman of the Organizations and
Publications Committee, presented the Council's plan for
allocations Friday afternoon before the Chairman of the
Student Affairs and Athletics Committee of the Board of
Visitors. Mr. Evans said he felt that the board's decision
expressed its "confidence in Mr. Hickman's study" and
the ability of council to regulate student affairs. He also
stated that he felt the last sentence of the board's
resolution indicated that the Student Council would now
make any appeals concerning the Student Activities Fund
directly to president Shannon and not the Board of
Visitors.

Further information was requested by the Board
before they took any action on a second Student Council
proposal which concerned delegation to student
organizations the power to legislate and enforce rules and
regulations, including parental rules. Council passed these
resolutions at its meetings on September 19, 14, October
1 and 8. Councilman Pieter Schenkkan drew up a six-page
report explaining the rationale of the Council motions
which was to be presented to the Board of Visitors.

According to Mr. Evans, this report was submitted to
the Dean of Student Affairs. Alan Williams, with the
understanding that copies would be prepared for members
of the Board of Visitors, Mr. Evans stated that copies
were never handed out to the visitors, apparently because
of some mix-up at Dean William's office.

Mr. Evans presented the proposal prepared by Mr.
Schenkkan to the Student Affairs and Athletics
Committee of the Board of Visitors on Friday afternoon,
just after Mr. Hickman had presented his report. He said
that several questions were asked but that most members
seemed to want more time to study the Council proposal.

The Board of Visitors also turned down Student
Council's request asking that Mr. Evans be allowed to
appear before the December meeting of the board. Mr.
Evans was informed of the Board's decision by a letter he
received Saturday afternoon. He said that he waited for a
decision at the President's office in Pavilion VIII from 10
a.m. until p.m. Saturday.

A draft excerpt from the minutes of the Board
of Visitors Meeting concerning the Council's request
states:

The President read a communication from Mr.
Martin F. Evans, President of the Student Council,
dated 12 December 1968, transmitting the Student
Council's request that its President be allowed to
attend the December meeting of the Board of Visitors.
After lengthy deliberations, the Board agreed that the
request could not be granted. However, the Board
expressed its interest in Mr. Evans' letter to Mr.
Shannon of 1 November 1968 regarding establishment
of machinery for communication between the Board
of Visitors and the student body as long as much
communication was channeled through the President.
The President noted that he has recently appointed a
joint student-faculty committee in response to a
specific request by the Student Council to study a
proposal for a meeting between students and the
Board.

The Chairman of the Student Affairs and Athletics
Committee noted that his committee had received
valuable reports from Student Council members. Mr.
Martin F. Evans and Mr. Ron Hickman, who had
appeared at the President's request. After discussion,
the Board announced that, on the request of the
President, the Board's Student Affairs and Athletics
Committee will be pleased to hold a special meeting
with elected representatives of the Student
Government invited to attend by the President to
discuss further any requests made by the Student
Council through the President.