University of Virginia Library

Governor Declares No Support
For Goals Of Student Coalition

Noon Departure Of Motorcade
For Richmond Scheduled Today

By Mike Russell
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Student Council Representative Ron Cass Greets Governor Mills Godwin

Cameras Roll As Representative Jim Roebuck Looks On During Meeting

Photos by Mike Russell

Tony Sherman, George Taylor, Tom Gardner (l to r)

Three Of The Student Coalition Leaders In Richmond

Reacting to the four goals designated by the
Student Coalition for the legislature, Governor
Mills Godwin yesterday declared that he would
in no way work for change in any of the state's
present resolutions and policies in the areas of
bargaining power for employees, increased
wages and other benefits, striving for a
representative Board of Visitors, or any sort of
desegregation plan.

In response to the activities of the students
in bringing these areas of concern to his
attention Mr. Godwin indicated that students,
"Don't realize yet, either because of inexperience
or immaturity, the complexities of
government." He said that their place in an
educational institution was for education and
not social protest.

Taking their pleas next to the legislature, the
Student Coalition will lead a motorcade to
Richmond today for a combination rally and
discussion of problems with members of the
Virginia legislature.

Robert Rosen, one of the members of the
Coalition said that "anyone who shows up at
University Hall at noon today will have
transportation provided for him."

The meeting with Mr. Godwin began with a
presentation by members of the Coalition of
the various interest areas in which the
legislature could effect some change. A general
background of the problem was first laid down
for Mr. Godwin by Bud Ogle who, after
describing the racial situation at the University,
suggested that the University and the state
must escalate their commitment to racial
balance.

Following Mr. Ogle, Thomas Gardner, and
Paul Hurdle, co-chairmen of the Student
Council's committee on wage and employee
problems, presented a case for collective
bargaining and the right to strike for state
employees. They pointed out that "better
working conditions would not be effective
unless workers were given the tool of collective
bargaining." They further suggested that
"without the right of employees to present
grievances [to strike] . . . whatever bargaining
was set up would be meaningless."

Mr. Hurdle said that while the wages were
rising slowly, it still took an employee two and
one-haif years to reach the Federal minimum
wage level. Because of this slow progression,
employees were forced to moonlight in order to
feed their families and thus missed the
educational opportunities that the
University has offered.

Continuing with their presentation,
George Taylor spoke for the
group on the need for a representative
Board of Visitors and said, "the
absence of a black man on the
Board of Visitors is the paramount
problem seeing as the University is
trying to recruit more Black students.

Strongly Recommend

We strongly recommend the
appointment of a qualified black
man to the Board of Visitors."

Jim Roebuck, vice president of
the Student Council, spoke to the
issue of Mr. Wheatley. He said that
the presence of a leader of massive
resistance on the Board raised
questions in the minds of many
students as to the sincerity of the
Board in relation to recruiting
blacks.

Finally, Robert Williams, president
of the Virginia Council on
Human Relations mentioned that
suits have been brought against a
number of other state school
systems for failure to implement a
desegregation plan. He suggested
that the state of Virginia take the
lead by passing and promoting a
statewide desegregation program.
He further recommended to Mr.
Godwin that a commission be
appointed to formulate such a
desegregation plan.

"Not Convinced"

In a statement prepared before
the meeting, Mr. Godwin responded
specifically to each of the four
goals. On the question of appointments
to the Board of Visitors, he
said, "I am neither convinced that a
Board member has to be a member
of any ethnic or economic or social
group in order to represent the
public interest. That is not the way
the people of Virginia elect their
representatives in the General Assembly,
and it is not the way I
make appointments to college
Boards.

"As to the salaries of campus
employees, the State's policy is and
has been to relate them to comparable
work in private industry. The
salaries you are interested in have
been steadily increased in recent
years, the latest effective this past
February 1, and they will be
increased in the future, in accordance
with the regular restudy of
State salaries.

"Collective bargaining and
strikes by public employees are
prohibited by long-standing State
policy and by statute, and I am in
accord with these prohibitions.

"I do not believe the health, or
safety, or welfare of the public
should be a matter of bargaining."

Other Requests

The other requests he put within
the realm of the administration of
the University for action. As to the
statement on Mr. Wheatley, he said,
"I appointed him because I thought
he would make an excellent Board
member. His views are consistent
with what's good for higher education."

Speaking further on higher education,
Mr. Godwin said, "Virginia
during this administration has made
a solid commitment to education
for every high school graduate who
can profit from the experience,
regardless of his race, color, origin,
or on which side of the tracks his
house is located . . . . We have not
tried to put integration before
education by establishing racial
balance or achieving any formula
for racial mix at our colleges and
universities. What we have tried to
do is to offer every young person
an opportunity for education to the
limit of his abilities and within his
reach."

Student Activity

Finally, Mr. Godwin addressed
himself to student activity in these
areas. He said, "I wonder, for
instance, if as students, you really
expect to have a voice in what the
University pays its employees or
how the Governor makes appointments
to the Board of Visitors.

"I say this out of my own
conviction and because I am certain
I express the overwhelming sentiment
of the people of Virginia.
They feel very strongly that
students at our State-supported
colleges and universities are there to
get an education and not to dictate
policy."

Constructive Part

Ron Cass responded to Mr.
Godwin's statement of student
concern by saying, "While the
students are there to get an
'education,' their education should
be geared to prepare them to take a
constructive part in their society."

The general reaction of the
members of the delegation after
their conference with Mr. Godwin
was "extreme dissatisfaction."
They stated that they would take
his reply back to Charlottesville,
and "think about everything he
said."