UNC-G Black Group Wins Funding Appeal: Chancellor Overrules Student Senate

              '       Chancellt**   Overrules  Student   Senate      ^
UNC-G Black Group
Wins Funding Appeal
Chancellor James S. Ferguson
11 of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNC-G) Saturday overruled an earlier action of the student senate which
had the effect of cutting off
about $7,000 a year in funding to
an organization of black stu-
| dents on campus.
The student senate's action
spurred a sit-in Tuesday by 500
black and white supporters of
the Neo-Black Society (NBS)
who staged their sit-in daily
during the past week at UNC-
I G's administration building.
Ferguson took Saturday's ac-
I- tion after receiving a report and
I recommendations from a five-
I member faculty committee
I which he appointed to review
I thevStudent senate's decision and
I hear the appeal from it.
At the same time he ruled
the student senate's acton invalid, Ferguson also reaffirmed
UNC-G's policy of nondiscrimination' with respect to "race,
color, sex, religion and national
origin." He added that UNC-G
accepts the "moral and the legal responsibility to conduct its
affairs in such a way as to
provide equal treatment and
equal rights to all its students
Writing to student leaders involved in the issue, he stated,
"We seek your cooperation and
that of other student leaders in
the positive implementation of
the nondiscriminatory policy of
the University."
NBS is a student organization
with about 145 members. Following a hearing Monday night,
the student senate met in execu
tive session and by a two-thirds
vote decided.to deny the NBS its
"type II classification" as a
student organization. Only type
two classified student groups
can receive funding through the
Student Government Association.
(NBS had been allocated $3,570
from student fees for the current semester).
The   student   senate    action
followed a hearing in which NBS
was charged with racial discrimination in membership practices. Mark Carpenter, president
of the Town Students Association, contended that white students are discouraged from joining the NBS. During the hearing, Leon Chestnut, coordinator.
of the NBS, denied this and |
other related charges.
Folbwing the student senate's
action, NBS appealed the decision to Chancellor Ferguson,
who in turn appointed a five-
member faculty advisory committee on Tuesday to hear the I
appeal.
Ferguson announced his ruling  I
in the appeal in a letter to Miss   |
Jacqueline Coleman, vice president of the UNC-G Student Gov-  I
ernment Association and presid- I
ing officer in the student senate. |
In the letter, he said, i'
. . . "The (faculty) committee I
advised that the reclassification I
of the Neo-Black Society by the (
Student Senate was aot justified.
The  committee  finds  that  the |
evidence presented did i
tabtish the validity of the substantive  charges.   Furthermore,
the senate's procedure in dealing w:th the charges against the I
Neo-Black Society involed such ' [
serious improprieties as to limit |
the rights of the society under  I
the  rules  of  due  process and J
fairness.
(Over) I