UMass Occupation Continues Despite Corrigan's Response

About 25 students remain in the administration building of the University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMB) after security officers stopped food supplies, blocked the entrance to the building, and cut off ventilation yesterday afternoon.

Blame

Members of the Student Organizing Committee (SOC) have been occupying the third floor of the administration building for five days. They say they will not leave until Robert A. Corrigan, chancellor of UMB, complies with their demands.

The demands are:

* that the administration reinstate Heinz Bondy, assistant vice chancellor of student affairs;

* that Corrigan review the cases of Jeffrey Cleveland and Marcia Ll oyd, Black faculty members who were denied tenure a year age;

* and that the students be allowed 51-per-cent representation on any committee involving student affairs.

Response

At 5 p.m. yesterday Corrigan responded to the demands in a letter that a spokesman read to the student protesters. Corrigan had promised Thursday to respond by 11 a.m. yesterday.

In the letter, Corrigan states that a grievance about Bondy's dismissal will be brought before a grievance board.

Addressing the denial of tenure to Cleveland and Lloyd, the letter stated, "These decisions have been appealed on procedural grounds. No evidence has been found that they should be returned to the originating department."

The letter also stated that Corrigan is "willing to explore different types of governance including a separate student senate if it appears that that idea has a clear support of the constituencies involved.

Other students said that Corrigan's statement did not signify progress. After the spokesman read the response to those who were picketing one student snatched the letter and tore it up while the rest of the students shouted "rhetoric."

Endorsements

Mel King and the Massachusetts Legislative Black Caucus, the U.S. Student Association, the National Women's Student Association, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMA) student government and the UMA Radical Student Union have supported the SOC in its protests.CrimsonSarah StookeyStudents at UMass-Boston are protesting the lack of student input in administration decisions. The Student Organizing Committee has been occupying the third floor of the administration building since Monday.