The Cavalier daily :: Wednesday, November 29, 1972 :: University of Virginia Library

It seems incomprehensible
to me that there is such an
apparent lack of student
interest in the current crisis
which is threatening this
University. That matter of
concern is the threat posed by
the state legislature to cutback
our out-of-state enrollment.

Last year when the students
felt that the integrity of the
University was challenged by
mammoth increases in the
enrollment people reacted by
showing their concern through
University Tuesday, and by
getting involved in other ways,
in order to encourage
University officials to
reconsider their decision of
expanding at such a rampant
pace.

The threat is being posed by
activities currently being
undertaken by a commission of
the state legislature which is
being directed by State
Senator William F. Stone
(D-Martinsville). This
commission deals with higher
education in the state, and is
looking into the setting up of a
"super board" which would
integrate the state's
participation in funding and
other policies regarding the
colleges and universities which
it aids. Sen. Stone believes that
a primary aim of this board
should be to "reduce
out-of-state enrollments to
make way for more qualified
Virginians."

Recently several members of
the Student Council went to
Richmond for an open hearing
of this commission on higher
education. At that time, we
were able to talk to several
members of the commission
concerning their feelings on the
question of the University of
Virginia's out-of-state
enrollment level.

Sen. Stone indicated that he
would like to see the
enrollment level of out-of-state
students maintained at about a
25 per cent level, although he
would even like to see that
percentage projection made
lower. Partly behind Sen
Stone's vehement support for
the state education "super
board" and the low
out-of-state percentage
enrollment request seems to be
that fact that his brother was
the person who instituted these
same provisions in the state of
North Carolina.

What Sen. Stone does not
seem to realize, in his drive, is
just what an education means
to the students of the
University of Virginia. It is
much more than just courses.
A person learns a lot more
from the people he is exposed
to than he does from the books
he reads.

But by cutting back the number
of out-of-state students, Sen.
Stone is actually greatly
curtailing the quality of
education of the students from
the state of Virginia by an
insurmountable extent. For,
without the great diversity of
the student body which is
demonstrated here, the
University of Virginia would be
"just another state university."

There is only one way to
stop this move in the state
legislature. That is: to convince
enough of Virginia's legislators
that their constituents feel the
curtailment of Virginia's
out-of-state percentage of the
student body is not in their
interest.

In order to accomplish
this end, it is necessary that
every student at the University
who lives "in" the state write
to his respective representative
in the state legislature to let
him know your view on this
very crucial issue. The Student
Council office provides
information for students
wishing to learn who their state
representatives are and how to
contact them.

Students must realize how
serious this situation has
become. The Board of Visitors
felt recently that the pressure
from the state legislature was
severe enough to put a cap on
out-of-state enrollment for the
first time. They said that the
University may only accept as
many out-of-state students in
the future as were granted
admission for the 1972-73
session. This establishes a
ceiling of about 34 per cent on
out-of-state admissions for the
next few years.

In order that the University
maintain a cosmopolitan
atmosphere, therefore, it is
necessary for all students to
participate in the struggle by
expressing their sentiments to
the state legislature. This is by
far the most pressing issue to
face the University in recent
years. I just hope people realize
its repercussions enough to do
something about it.