3/28/1973, Burlington Free Press

By Frederick Stetson

PLAINFIELD - Some 50 Goddard College students staged a peaceful demonstration in the college administration building Tuesday, forcing the closing of several offices.

The students said they were protesting the administration's financial policies and the administration's lack of consideration of their role in the decision-making process.

The students used chairs to blockade access to sections of the two-story, wood frame administration building, but the chairs were removed at the urging of the college fire department.

The students said in a prepared statement that the blockade and demonstration were efforts "to clearly demonstrate the gravity of their intent to unify the student body."

The students said they had traditionally played a "major role" in the decision-making process at Goddard, but recently they have "struggled for recognition with little acknowledgement."

Among the key concerns expressed by the students was their fear that tuition assistance will be reduced below levels necessary to retain all students on financial aid in the next fiscal year.

Administration Director Benjamin Collins said Tuesday night tuition aid will remain "at least at the present level, but perhaps more."

"Regardless of the amount of aid budgeted," Collins added, "no student presently enrolled in Goddard will be forced to leave Goddard for lack of financial resources."

He said the college will obtain sufficient resources by instituting administrative cutbacks and generating new sources of income. One of the major sources will be a $350 tuition increase, bringing cost at Goddard to $4,959, he said.

But, even with the tuition increase, Collins added, "I'm saying as a guarantee no student currently enrolled in Goddard will be forced out because he can't meet that $350. That's a firm commitment of the institution."

Another area of concern expressed by the students is that rebates of $2,000 for two semesters of off-campus work will be available only on a limited basis next year.

"My personal expectation is that no student will suffer any NRT setback next year," Collins commented. However, he classified that statement as an "expectation", not as a "guarantee."

Collins said the student financial aid question will be discussed this morning at a deans' council meeting, assuming the administration building is clear of students.

Varying numbers of students were still occupying the building Tuesday night. Among the offices closed during the day were administrative, financial, enrollment, student accounting and the office of President Gerald S. Witherspoon.

Witherspoon met with the students at a noon meeting in the college cafeteria, while members of the Goddard faculty were to meet Tuesday night.

There were no serious incidents or injuries during the building occupation, Collins said. The occupation began about midnight Monday.