University of Virginia Library

Council Members, President Discuss Demands

By TERRY JASPERSON

Photo by Charlie Sands

Student Council representatives met
Wednesday with Edgar F. Shannon,
President of the University, to discuss the
twelve demands by black students and
Student Council last week.

Thomas Collier, Student Council
President, and Robert Levin and
Christopher Kerr, co-chairmen of the
Equality Committee of Student Council,
met with Mr. Shannon in the first of
many meetings dealing with the demands.

In their presentation of the demands last
week, the black students asked the President to
take immediate action to alleviate the problems
of racism at the University. At that time Mr.
Shannon told them that he did not have
jurisdiction over some of the areas covered by
the demands. He said that the faculty and
students at the University must deal with some
of the problems.

Mr. Levin said that they had hoped to
discuss the situation of black faculty at the
University in last Wednesday's meeting; what
has been done in the past and what will be done
in the future. "But," he continued, "We did not
want to discuss the particulars of the problem
without black students being present."

Mr. Collier said they talked about the
atmosphere at the University and the attitudes
of students.

A meeting has been tentatively scheduled
for next Tuesday between the faculty, Student
Council representatives and members of the
Black Students Alliance to discuss how and
what they will present to the President
concerning the blacks' demands about the
faculty.

The Equality Committee of Student Council
has been busy with meetings on fraternities, the
atmosphere of the University and individual
problems stemming from inter-racial relations.

Mr. Levin said that the most important idea
which has come out of these meetings has been
the proposal to set up a University-wide
education program. This would be carried out
through the resident counseling program, the
Counseling Center, sensitivity groups and plays,
and other programs.