University of Virginia Library

University Students Attend Forum

Twenty-two University students will
attend the first Virginia
"Student-Legislator Open Forum" to be
held in April in Richmond.

The University delegation will be part
of approximately 300 student
representatives from the state's 65
institutions of higher learning. The
student representatives will confer with
members of the Virginia and United States
Legislatures, the House of Representatives
during this two-day conference.

During the past several months, twelve
students from universities within the State met
as the Student Steering Committee, in order to
formulate plans and to coordinate activities for
conference.

Alan C. Botsford Jr., a third-year Commerce
student at the University and Student Council
Treasurer, was Vice Chairman of the planning
committee. Mr. Botsford, along with 21 other
students, will represent the University at the
conference in April. The student representatives
range from first year to the graduate level and
represent seven colleges in the University.

The basic purpose of the conference is to
bring students and legislators together in open
discussion, in order to create a better
understanding of the concerns of students and
legislators and to formulate how these ideas can
be expressed within the structure of the process
of State Government.

Presently, students and legislators are
evaluating a "Conference Questionnaire." The
purpose of the questionnaire is to bring a
greater cross-section of people into the actual
process of program planning.

Some of the topics for discussion, which
have received the highest ratings in preference
include "Communications Between Students
and Legislators," "Discrimination in Political
Power and Voice," "Environment," "Role of
Students in Decision-Making Processes in
Higher Education," and "The Nature of Quality
Education."

The Steering Committee is being assisted by
Ronald K. Platt, Administrative Assistant to the
Lieutenant Governor, and Bruce Miller,
Assistant Commissioner to the Governor.