University of Virginia Library

University Drug Policies
Clarified By Dean Williams

By Tom Adams
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Dean of Student Affairs Alan
Williams attended last night's
meeting of the Student Council and
answered a series of questions
concerning the University's policy
towards the use of drugs by
students.

Prior to specific questions on
what he called "a sensitive area,"
Dean Williams remarked that
"regardless of whether one agrees
with the current drug laws, one
must realize that there are extreme
penalties, both state and federal,
against the possession and sale of
drugs.

Negative Reaction

He also said that "society tends
to react to drug users in a manner
that has both a profound and
negative impact on a student's
future."

In regard to his letter sent out
over the summer concerning drugs,
Dean Williams said that he thought
he should make clear some of the
more recent analyses of drugs,
particularly hallucinogenic ones, to
students.

Piter Schenkkan noted that he
thought students were upset by the
implied threat of the letter. Dean
Williams replied that he did not
intend the letter as a threat but
merely as a warning to students.

Positive Approach

Walker Chandler added a few of
his thoughts on the matter, saying
that "students look for a more
positive approach than that
contained in the letter" on the
subject of drugs. He said that he
could not understand why the Dean
advised students on the use of
drugs, while it refrained from doing
so in the case of "alcohol, tobacco
and hallucinogenic religions.

"Students resent being told
what to eat, drink, or smoke," he
added.

Civil Authorities

Dean Williams was asked why
the University bothered to
intervene at all in the area of drug
use by students. Piter Schenkkan
asked if it might not be better to
merely to allow the civil authorities
to handle such cases.

To that question Dean Williams
replied "most colleges and
universities have tried to work out a
situation where they work out the
problem on their own and keep
the times you would allow civil
authorities to intervene to a
minimum."

Stoney Brook

He cited the example of the
State University of New York at
Stoney Brook as an example of a
case where the university
administration had not kept track
of the drug situation. When civil
authorities intervened, he said,
"terrific antagonisms were created
in raids which disturbed the
academic climate.

"I think the University feels
that it can and should handle the
(drug) situation itself," he said.

Dean Williams finished by
saying that as for University
procedures for suspension of
students involved in drug use, he
has yet to be involved in a case of
this sort. He did say that no student
may be suspended without
"recourse" to the Judiciary
Committee as a final court of
appeal.

In other business, George
McMillan moved that "the Student
Council urge all University
students, faculty, staff and
administrative personnel to refrain
from patronizing any barber shops
in Charlottesville which
discriminate against anyone on the
basis of race, creed, color, or
national origin." He said he
presented the motion because of an
editorial in yesterday's issue of The
Cavalier Daily which stated that
two of the three barber shops on
the Corner refused to cut the hair
of Negroes.

Mr. McMillan accepted an
amendment from James Rocbuck
that beauticians be added to the
motion along with barber shops.
Another amendment, offered by
Jackson Lears, to name the two
barber shops that allegedly
discriminate against Negroes in the
motion, was not accepted because
no one on the Council had talked
to the managers of these two
establishments to ascertain their
reasons and if, in fact, they did
discriminate.

The motion, with Mr.
Rocbuck's amendment, passed
unanimously and Charles Murdock
was appointed to investigate the
policies of the Corner barber shops
concerning discriminatory
practices.

University Hall Investigation

Ron Hickman moved that the
Student Council "investigate
policies of University Hall with
regard to its use, particularly by
student organizations, with the
possibility of making suggestions
about said policies."

He said that he made the
motion because of the difficulties
with the sound system in University
Hall during the Temptations
concert Saturday night. Unlike
other University buildings, Mr.
Hickman noted, the use of
University Hall is virtually regulated
by one man, Evan Male.

Mr. Hickman's motion passed
unanimously and he was put in
charge of the investigation.