University of Virginia Library

Students Plan Mass Demonstration Against Expansion

Latest Council Efforts Result
From Student Frustration

News Analysis

By STEVE GRIMWOOD

The battle over expansion at the
University has apparently taken a new
turn with Student Council's
announcement of planned protests next
week and the statement issued today by
Phil Chabot, Chairman of the Student
Council Committee on Growth.

Previously, members of the committee
have been working through established
channels in an attempt to curb the present and
proposed growth of the University.

According to Mr. Chabot's Statement, and
from talks with other members of the
committee, these established means of
communication have been rendered next to
useless by members of the Administration
through various applications of pressure in the
right areas.

After having been subjected to massive
"buck passing" on the part of the Governor.
State Assembly, Council on Higher Education,
the Board of Visitors, and the administration,
they now believe that the "buck" originated
and ultimately ended within the confines of
Pavilion VIII.

Several Council members have said that they
are dissatisfied with the activities of the Future
of the University Committee, which was
formed in 1965 with the original purpose to
oversee academics. They contend that the
physical future of the University has been
neglected, and that matters other than
academics were never officially and effectively
handled.

Accordingly, many of their plans depended
upon this, especially with the alleged
difficulties they were having in other areas.
According to Mr. Chabot, the Future of the
University Committee was the last major
official channel through which the council
committee on Growth hoped to accomplish
anything.

As Mr. Chabot puts it, "the moderation to
which the Council has pledged itself and to
which we constantly adhered despite abuse has
ended. All our options of working within the
system have been closed off one by one. We
have been forced to take to the path of
protest..."

Photo by Bob Humphrey

Student Council Decides To Protest Expansion

Meeting Last Night, Council Approved Plans For 'University Tuesday'