Seven black students made an unannounced visit to Pres. Malcolm Moos’ office for three hours yesterday, leaving a list of demands which “must be met” by 1 p.m. today.
Vice Pres. for Student Affairs Paul Cashman, Asst. Dean of Students James Reeves, and Union program consultant Gene Briggs met with the students. Moos was in Duluth but is expected back this morning.
THE DEMANDS left for Moos are that the University defray one half the expenses of a proposed black conference which is estimated to cost a minimum total of $8,000; that a department for Afro-American studies be set up be fall of 1969 and that the Afro-American Action Committee (AAAC) have control of the committee planning the department; and that the budget of the Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship fund be placed in the hands of an agency in the black community which would determine which underprivileged students receive scholarships.
The students, all members of the AAAC, entered Moo’s office at 1 p.m. A substitute secretary mistakenly told them Moos was out for lunch. Later the president’s secretary informed them Moos was in Duluth.
The students admitted they had arranged no appointment with Moos. “We decided this is the time for an appointment, “AAAC Pres Rose Mary Freeman said. “The told us we’d get money (for the black conference) but we haven’t received it. We want to know why they lied to us.”
AS CASHMAN was announced, Miss Freeman motioned two male students to either door of the president’s office. “We’re just gonna have to hold that cat until he drops some coins,” she said.
Cashman came in, shook hands and introduced himself, and listened to the students’ complains. Horace Huntley, CLA sophomore said at least $8,000 will be needed to provide for speakers, guests, secretarial, and transportation costs for the black conference. Cashman said state funds cannot be used for the conference and private sources will have to be approaches. “We don’t know how to generate funds for this type of program.”
Cashman informed the students of the progress of the task force on human rights which is trying to establish curriculum changes to meet the demands of black students. A proposal for a new graduate program in comparative racial and economic studies which is now in a committee headed by Hyman Berman, associate professor of history and chairman of the social science program, is almost ready, Cashman siad. Reeves suggested AAAC proposals be introduced to the Berman committee.
THE OTHER major complain of the students was the scholarship program for black students. One black student who refused to identify himself said that although the Kind fund has $40,000, none of the 200 black students on campus had received more thatn $300 per quarter. Reeves said the fund contained $20,000 and “it’s all in the students’ pocket.”
Miss Freeman countered that “students are supposed to get scholarships but they get loans. People are going to have to start doing what they say they’re going to do.”
Moos called at 3 p.m., saying he was willing to talk to the students. They declined and said they would leave him a list of their demands and would expect his response by 1 p.m. this afternoon.
THE ADMINISTRATORS present held a short meeting after the black students left to decide how the matter should be handled today, according to Don Zander, director of student unions. Zander has worked with the black students on the black conference. “It will be difficult to immediately meet someof the demands,” he said. “I don’t think the black students know of the efforts being made to satisfy their demands. They told us what was on their minds. Now they want to tell Pres. Moos.”
Moos indicated he could meet with the students at 11 a.m. today but the black students said they couldn’t come until later, according to Zander. “We’ll do what we can, ” he said.
The executive committee of the Minnesota Student Assn. endorsed the demands in a statement prepared late yesterday afernoon.
