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Committee on Human Rights annual reports, 1963-1967, 1992-2009

Committee on Human Rights Second Annual report, 1964 Page 2

open only to those who pledge non-discrimination. University housing is assigned either on a random basis or by mutually affirmative requests for shared rooms. The current shortage of housing makes it difficult to determine whether discrimination has occurred, but it also makes absurd the claim that a landlord might lose money through boycotts if he were to rent to members of minorities.
[Underline]Student Organizations[End Underline]: The committee has worked with various student groups in sponsoring or planning education activities. The question of discrimination within student groups, particularly within fraternities and sororities, is currently being actively reviewed by the Committee on Student Life. The Student Senate, the [Underline]Daily[End Underline] [Underline]Iowan[End Underline], Friends of SNCC, and other groups have shown interest in preventing discrimination and some interest in promoting social contact among members of various groups. They have r ised money and dramatized important issues of human rights. The committee believes, however, that additional efforts should be made to diversify the memberships of student organizations.
[Underline]Student Exchanges[End Underline]: The committee cooperated with fraternity and sorority members in carrying out short term exchanges with students of Tougaloo College. The committee in response to a request from SARE (now Friends of SNCC) cooperated in operating a semester-long exchange with Talladega College. This exchange was student supported, although prior approval was granted by the Board of Regents at the request of an ad hoc presidential committee appointed in Spring of 1964. The functions of that committee subsequently were transferred to the Committee on Human Rights. The exchange was operated by a student-faculty-sub-committee and has been discontinued because too few Iowa students applied to take part, but it was probably a useful experience on both sides.
The committee is now cooperating with the Mississippi  Support Program, which has scope much larger than interracial exchange, in its efforts to improve the educational program of Rust College. This effort, undertaken in cooperation with Cornell College, is designed to provide educational advice at all levels to Rust College. This summer 21 undergraduates from Rust will be brought to Iowa City for remedial training. Next fall three Rust faculty members will come to Iowa City for graduate training. Although the committee believes that for the time being MSP should remain a community-wide project, it urges the solid support of the University.
[Underline]Other Education Programs[End Underline]: The most ambitious educational program was the "Time for Action" conference directed by Professor Spitzer and supported by SARE and other student groups and by Iowa City religious leaders. This four day program involved state and national leaders of the Civil Rights movement and provided excellent background for the passage of the federal civil rights act. A similar program on Poverty and Educational Opportunity is planned for next year. Numerous faculty members (including members of the committee) have spoken on questions of human rights during this period, and several serve on state or national committees. Our personnel and placement staff members have been active in their national organizations. Perhaps one of the most significant measures of the changes in national campus attitudes (and therefore the need for information) is the contrast between what was discussed as a problem two years ago and what is now almost automatic. Two years ago a sub-committee of this Committee was inquiring how the mass media could be persuaded to give more than minimal coverage of human rights problems. During this year campus organizations and public affairs conferences devoted time to questions of human rights almost routinely. This change

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open only to those who pledge non-discrimination. University housing is assigned either on a random basis or by mutually affirmative requests for shared rooms. The current shortage of housing makes it difficult to determine whether discrimination has occurred, but it also makes absurd the claim that a landlord might lose money through boycotts if he were to rent to members of minorities. [Underline]Student Organizations[End Underline]: The committee has worked with various student groups in sponsoring or planning education activities. The question of discrimination within student groups, particularly within fraternities and sororities, is currently being actively reviewed by the Committee on Student Life. The Student Senate, the [Underline]Daily[End Underline] [Underline]Iowan[End Underline], Friends of SNCC, and other groups have shown interest in preventing discrimination and some interest in promoting social contact among members of various groups. They have r ised money and dramatized important issues of human rights. The committee believes, however, that additional efforts should be made to diversify the memberships of student organizations. [Underline]Student Exchanges[End Underline]: The committee cooperated with fraternity and sorority members in carrying out short term exchanges with students of Tougaloo College. The committee in response to a request from SARE (now Friends of SNCC) cooperated in operating a semester-long exchange with Talladega College. This exchange was student supported, although prior approval was granted by the Board of Regents at the request of an ad hoc presidential committee appointed in Spring of 1964. The functions of that committee subsequently were transferred to the Committee on Human Rights. The exchange was operated by a student-faculty-sub-committee and has been discontinued because too few Iowa students applied to take part, but it was probably a useful experience on both sides. The committee is now cooperating with the Mississippi Support Program, which has scope much larger than interracial exchange, in its efforts to improve the educational program of Rust College. This effort, undertaken in cooperation with Cornell College, is designed to provide educational advice at all levels to Rust College. This summer 21 undergraduates from Rust will be brought to Iowa City for remedial training. Next fall three Rust faculty members will come to Iowa City for graduate training. Although the committee believes that for the time being MSP should remain a community-wide project, it urges the solid support of the University. [Underline]Other Education Programs[End Underline]: The most ambitious educational program was the "Time for Action" conference directed by Professor Spitzer and supported by SARE and other student groups and by Iowa City religious leaders. This four day program involved state and national leaders of the Civil Rights movement and provided excellent background for the passage of the federal civil rights act. A similar program on Poverty and Educational Opportunity is planned for next year. Numerous faculty members (including members of the committee) have spoken on questions of human rights during this period, and several serve on state or national committees. Our personnel and placement staff members have been active in their national organizations. Perhaps one of the most significant measures of the changes in national campus attitudes (and therefore the need for information) is the contrast between what was discussed as a problem two years ago and what is now almost automatic. Two years ago a sub-committee of this Committee was inquiring how the mass media could be persuaded to give more than minimal coverage of human rights problems. During this year campus organizations and public affairs conferences devoted time to questions of human rights almost routinely. This change