University of Virginia Library

Council Voices Protest
On Sex Discrimination

By Barry Levine
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

In the wake of coeducation, the Student Council Tuesday night asked the
Administration to "immediately" re-evaluate with regard to sex discrimination the
use of University facilities by organizations on the Grounds.

The motion, made by Bill Fox, representative from the Engineering School, was
passed unanimously. It further called for the updating of the published statement
of Edgar F. Shannon, President of the University, of December 12, 1969, which
formally established University policy to conduct its affairs without regard to
"race, creed, color, or national origin." The intent of the Council request was to
consider extending this policy to exclude
discrimination on the basis of sex.

The matter arose out of discussion on
Jefferson Hall, which is run by the Jefferson
Society, a male-only literary and debating
society on the Grounds. The question was
raised as to whether the Hall is owned by the
University or by the Society. Current policy, it
was reported in the meeting, appears to be that
any group that wished to reserve the Hall must
go to the Society.

Coeducation Committee

Mary Susan Hinson, chairman of the Council
Committee on Coeducation, requested that the
Council reinstate its policy of requiring
registration of all student groups using
University facilities. A motion to that effect
was made, and was tabled until next week's
meeting pending referral to the Organizations
and Publications Committee.

Refrigerators in the dormitories were a hot
issue, as the Council passed a motion by Tom
Collier, representative from the College,
objecting to a projected monopoly by the
University Food Services. A plan by Richard
Schutts, Business Manager of the University,
would grant refrigerator rental privileges only
to the Food Services, reportedly on the
assumption that it would lose other business if
refrigerators were allowed.

Council members reported that Food
Services was considering a monthly rental price
that would be considerably higher than that
which the Council would charge if its ran the
service itself.

Dissatisfaction

Several Council members also expressed
dissatisfaction with a refrigerator survey
currently being conducted by the Housing
Office, and voiced a desire to aid in the
formulation and carrying out of the survey.
There were complaints that the survey was not
worded or being conducted objectively.

The two vacant seats on the Council will be
filled in a special election on November 5 and
6. Tony Sherman resigned last week from his
position as a representative from the College,
and the other seat was created by the new
constitution and will be given to a school when
the apportionment figures are completed.