The Cavalier daily :: Wednesday, February 11, 1970 :: University of Virginia Library

"We seemingly stand further apart
than ever before," wrote Council
President James Roebuck Monday to
Walkley E. Johnson, chairman of the
Student Affairs and Athletics Committee
of the Board of Visitors.

Mr. Roebuck's remarks referred to
relations between the student body and
the Board based on impressions he and
Council Vice-President Kevin Mannix
gained while attending the committee's
meeting last Friday.

In his letter, Mr. Roebuck told Mr.
Johnson that he "was especially dismayed
by the lack of faith in students" which he
said was evidenced by remarks made by several
committee members during the meeting.

Mr. Roebuck said that one member of the
Board's committee, Joseph H. McConnell stated
that elected representatives of the student body
lacked the discretion and maturity to sit with
the committee.

"Immobilize Process"

The letter accused Mr. Johnson of asserting
that "the presence of student representatives
during committee sessions would immobilize
the body's deliberative process."

Mr. Johnson could not be reached for
comment at his home on the Eastern Shore.

Mr. Roebuck told The Cavalier Daily that
the Council's main concern in dealing with the
Student Affairs and Athletics Committee has
been with the area of communications.

The two top officers of Student Council
were allotted about one half hour at the end of
last week's meeting during which to consult
with and advise the committee on matters of
student concern.

The Council president expressed concern
that the present level of student
communication with the Board is "little short
of meaningless."

That level of exchange, Mr. Roebuck said, is
limited to meetings such as last Friday's and
"tightly regimented sessions for student groups
to make fifteen-minute presentations." The
first series of such sessions was held last month.

Mr. Roebuck also complained that neither
he nor Mr. Mannix had been sent an agenda or
advised of the topics to be considered at the
meeting. For this reason, he said, "we found
ourselves at a distinct disadvantage, and thus
we were not able to indicate any feelings that
the student body might have in those areas."

"Prior Action"

It was further charged that the committee
had taken action on at least one item ar
regulations for first-year students before
Council's representatives were permitted to
make their presentation on the subject.

Mr. Roebuck's letter pointed out that the
presence of President Shannon, Vice-President
for Student Affairs D. Alan Williams, and
Provost Frank Hereford "throughout the
Committee meeting better enables them to
represent the viewpoints of faculty and
administration to the Board.

Lacking Representation

"That the student body should continue to
lack such representation that
could advise the Board in a meaningful way
from the students' perspective is indeed
tragic."

Such representation, Mr. Roebuck asserts,
should exist "throughout the discussions" of
the committee. The proposal says that "it
should be a standing procedure" the Student
Affairs and Athletics Committee invite the
Council President and Vice-President to sit "in
an advisory capacity throughout the
committee's session."

Agenda

Further, Mr. Roebuck told Mr. Johnson that
a agenda of items to be discussed should be
made available to these representatives at the
same time as to other members of the
committee."

"When necessary," Mr. Roebuck continued,
"these student representatives should be
allowed to present minority opinions to the full
Board meeting."

The letter concludes, "that other states'
Universities have seen the need for student
representatives on their governing boards I need
not reemphasize. That the Board of Visitors
should take similar steps I do not doubt."

Mr. Roebuck presented his letter to the
Council at its meeting last night.