Letter released by Baker EDITOR'S NOTE: President of the University Board of Trustees Michael Baker, Jr., in a press conference in Old Main esterday afternoon, released his copy of the letter from student leaders which requests that the Board ask for I nix ersity President John W. Oswald's resignation. I►oug Ford, the letter's composer, said Tuesday that :12 student leaders had signed the letter, but Baker's copy had Oulu 31) signatures. following is a verbatim printing of the letter and signatures: I hoar Member of the Board of Trustees It is time that we as responsible members of the University community realize what is happening to Penn State. The citizens of Pennsylvania and our representatives in I la rrisburg who once respected Penn State as one of the finest education. I institutions in the Commonwealth no longer hold that opini :There is a reason or this prevailing atitude and it is I ause of those r ns (sic) that we write this letter 'i'her&ts verwhelming lie image that Penn State is in a fflue d wasteful u versity. This feeling is par yolarly s in Harrisburg. In recent trips to Harrisburg. I • have f hat many legislators believe the University is mg wo n they ask for more money. This impression does not e to sic) from students or faculty, but from the dministr• This impression has grown because Harrisburg seen a tremendous increase in the ad ministrative • at Penn State, especially in the number of \lee preside t, positions that have been created. A good i•\ ample of this is the reaction of the appropriations com mittee, to 26 administrators coming to Harrisburg for four l'enn State outnumbered the membership of both • ointnittees and many legislators questioned not only Penn ,tat abilityto spare 26 administrators but also asked why hi. I niverslty needed more money if they could send 26 ad n nisirators to Harrisburg. expenses paid. Harrisburg has al,O ,eun a great deal of the physical plant space allocated to the administration. more than is proportionately realistic for he little growth this University has gone through in the past n+e sears We eel that this is a result of an administrative Re-Elect J. Doyle torman Centre County Commissioner irk • Experience in Administrating a County of Achievement Vote May 20th # 3 on the Republican Ballot MARK ORTIZ & friends Sat.. May 17 81? M Grd. Floor HUB Admission: FREE G'ennimnininto the Classifieds ■ll UllllllllllllllllllO HOPS* Election Mt g. i Election of 1975-76 Officers Thurs. May 15 8:00 PM 369 Willard All paid up members should attend Featured speaker: National Gay Activist MARK SEGAL * omophi -s of Penn State COFFEEHOUSE FEATURING I 1 1 , style we cannot afford to have at Penn State—where the ad ministration cofnes first and the rest of the University comes second Another problem concerns the lavishness in which the present administration operates. The public does not react favorably to offices that are expensively furnished, and ex pensively decorated. This is a common reaction coming from many parents who have visited Penn State. In addition the number of parties and expensive dinners has increased tremendously in the Oswald administration. Dinners that serve wine. steak, lobster, and expensive desserts do not - sit well with people especially in this time of austerity. Two past presidents of this University, Dr. Eisenhower and Dr. Walker saw little need for this kind of activity. They were more concerned with education than public relations. As students, we have seen this administration in its five year period use threats and intimidation as a way to deal with students. Instead of dealing with students on a cooperative and educational basis, it has been on an authoritarian basis. This is primarily due to the action of Dr. Murphy and Dr. Nwald Several incidents have happened to substantiate this statement. Dr. Oswald refused to meet with students several times s . At--one time Dr. Oswald cancelled a meeting with members of the Undergraduate Student Government because of a piece of legislation criticizing the University discipline system. Dr, Oswald, revealed to two members of the USG Senate that„his real reason was that he did not want to meet with certain members of USG. Another dramatic example was when Dr Oswald and Dr. Murphy walked out of a PENN- I'IRG meeting. This has never happened at any other I 'niversity that has tried to start a,PIRG program even under the same circumstances. Other things 1)r. Oswald has condoned is the' use of telescopes and binoculas by Police Services to look in dor mitory windows for surveillance purposes. Some other in cidents Dr. Oswald has condoned deal with the possible Censorship of the Daily Collegian. In relation to this, over a thousand Collegians bought by the University to distribute to those high school students visiting the University to compete lot scholarships at Penn State were not distributed due to the O.D. (On Drugs, Inc.) FREE & CONFIDENTIAL Service 24 hr./day Drug & Alcohol Crisis Intervention & Information, Counseling and Re ferral 237-5855. 236-A S. Allen St. "A SERVICE • OF, FOR, AND BY PEOPLE." Z/VIIIVPiI presents OLDIES tonite & Sat w/ Big Freddy Fri Beaver Brothers 212 Calder Alley article on Dr. Oswald's walkou of the PENNPIRG meeting. Another incident demonstrating direct intent to thwart a student organization was the !discovery by the leadership of p ii PENNPIRG that a communi ue had been sent to all Com monwealth Campuses by th administration by personal carrier saying that they are o discourage activity in Penn- PIRG but if someone asks the as an administrator about it, t here ) sic ) feelings are neutta . This can be substantiated. 1 .1 Many issues of concern bot to the University community and to the students never wotpd'have been dealt with by Dr. I I Oswald if students had not fo ced the issue. Some examples are the EOP issue where the Board-of Trustees ordered Dr. Oswald to meet with. the E P students. The handicapped problem at Penn State was ignored until USG and a group called ABLED forced the Issue. The housing problem at I 'niversity Park waslignoredl by the Oswald adniinistration until OTIS and ARIIS forcedlthe issue. The administrations Solution was to let OTIS and I ARHS handle the problem. The administration also ignoredi the problem concerning the escort and canvassing polices. Because of Dr. Oswald's refusal to help student organiiations with these problems, we run into difficulties such as th present ACLU suit against the I 'niversity over the canvassingissue. All of these examples. andthese are just a few, have caused students as well as faculty to have a lack of confidence in this administration This problem is not isolated—it is being felt all over the state by parents. alumni, and state...officials. Ths is why we have become grei9y concerned over the situation. It is because of those things we have pointed out in this letter that we are asking that Dr. Olwald be asked to resign. We feel this let ter is the most responsible action we could take. We do not support such actions al the rally that was held last Thursdav e have taken the initiative because we recognize that many discontented faculty and administrators fear their jobs ) sic) We are concerned however that some action may be taken against us wh(bl Dr. Oswald finds out about this letter. This is an honest 'reactiond is a product of what has hap pened between students artke administration. Norie the less • sic ). we fear for the welfare of the University-more than we fear for ourselves and our organizations, and we do so because we all feel a great loyalty and responsibility to her.. • Xle hope you will seriously, consider our recommendation l'hank you Sincerly ( sic), Al Leard, president pro iempore, USG ( Undergraduate Student Government) Senate 4 I so All cfi - o:k'" s p,;. All 62 B Aibums4 l9 RECORD RANCH WDFM and ARHS • PRESENTS ESSRA MOHAWK Friday, Tickets: s Ma 2 y . 0106 at , H Kern u B and Kern Mgm \-.EM 1 98 The Daily Collegian Thursday, May 15, 1975--3 Rick Glazier. OTIS ( Organization of Town Independent Students) vice president Tim Kavanagh. Pollock-Nit tany Residence Halls Association president Leslie D. Evans. USG Academic Assembly Executive Council .loanie McCarthy. former USG senator Joanne Schwartz. ASA ( Associated Student Activities) budgetary committee member, OTIS Bruce .1. Daggers; ASA.-11SG treasurer Marjorie Storch. AWS • ( Association for Women Students) president .„ Tony Stemberger. former president pro tempore. 'SG Senate Cindy Dawso. former USG senator .leannette Morris. chairman. ASA buegetary committee and chairman. Residence Hall Advisory Board David E. Hasseltine, Hetzel Union Board (HUB) vice president Douglas Ford. runner-up LTSG presidential election. OTIS. formes' I'SG senator , Harris Abrams. former chairman. 'SG Senate Student At lairs Committee Edward Brown. ASA. Academic Assembly Sam Malizia, ARHS ( Association of Residence Hall Students) president Vicki Spagnol. OTIS president Susan Douglass. HUB president Robert A Kelso. acting president. Academic Assembly .lames.) Sullivan. WC president Diary I. Gitsehier. president Panhellenic Council Leo .1 Lachcik.•vice president Undergraduate Student Government Joseph C Seufer. president USG Duane R. Dunlop. president, East Residence Association Kyra Goidieh. former chairperson, OTIS consumer cam Tom Amrhein. University Council undergraduate representative and member of 'AB Universit Ad% isory Board .toe l larteis. I 'SG senator David L Hindman. president. Centre Halls Residence David E. Robbins. executive vice president. Assomt ion of Residence !fall Students Thomas Al Sweitzer. former president OTIS yr f+h n ~~ M ,•~ 4014 , %ft ....11rit`l: INCLUDING A DECAL 232 E. College 1/s o
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers