University of Virginia Library

University Discriminates

"I don't know what
'qualified' really means. You
all say it means the top 20
percent (of a high school class).
I think that's too
discriminatory."

"If he (a Virginia student) is
qualified to go to VPI or VMI,
he's qualified to go to Virginia
or VCU or anywhere else."

"I think anybody in this
state should have the right to
go to the school of his choice."

"I don't care what they set
the norm as," he added, "as
long as it is consistent."

Responding to whether such
a set of standards for all state
schools would not in effect
deprive the schools of their
"identities", Mr. Stone replied
no.

"VPI has less than 20
percent out-of-state students
and of course they think
they're better than you all
are."

"What I'm trying to say is
that every school in the state
should have a program, and
Virginia is always going to be
different from VPI. It's going
to attract a different class of
students."

"But if he (a student) is a
taxpayer's son from Virginia
and he is qualified, he has the
right to go to the school of his
choice, whether it be Virginia
or VPI or any other school. He
ought not to be turned down."

Mr. Stone said his goals for
higher education in Virginia are
"to see us have the best in the
country."

"I don't think that
(lowering out-of-state student
ratios) has any impact as to
whether it is good or whether
it is bad, as long as you've got
an ideal mix."

As far as the present
status of education in Virginia
is concerned, Mr. Stone said, "I
think the schools are doing a
good job now except that
there's no cooperation from
them.

"Each state supported
school has got its own little
empire and they don't want to
give up anything."