michian DAILY Ann Arbor, Michigan FREE ISSUE Friday, April 20, 1979 Twenty-four Pages Protesters refrain from disrupting Regents meeting By MITCH CANTOR More than 300 protesters, avoiding the shouting match which took place at last mon- th's Regents meeting, wore gags and sat passively yester- day in the Michigan Union ballroom as the Board again convened. The demonstrators, primarily students and members of the Washtenaw County Coalition Against Apartheid (WCCAA), are demanding the University divest from corporations which do business in South Africa. The protesters, who also plan to at- tend today's meeting in the ballroom, will be granted the opportunity to discuss the divestment issue and problems with University black enrollment and attrition, with the Regents. Interim University President Allan Smith indicated each issue would probably be given up to 30 minutes of discussion time. THE SPECIFIC issue concerning South African holdings scheduled to be discussed today, is whether the Univer- sity should divest from two companies, Black & Decker and G.D. Searle, which according to report filed by the Univesity's chief financial officer James Brinkerhoff have not taken adequate steps within the last year to alleviate discrimination in their firms. The Regents will vote today on whether to divest from the two companies. The other item on which there will be public discussion is a report included in the Regents' agenda which reveals a declining black enrollment and describes many of the University's af- firmative action policies. Spokespersons for the WCCAA would not discuss the group's strategy for today's meeting. They said their strategy will depend on what happens at the meeting. They did say, however, that the group will not disrupt the See REGENTS, Page 18 Daily Photo by ANDY FREEBERG CHANTING FOR divestment, members of the Washtenaw County Coalition Against Apartheid raise their fists in solidarity at yesterday's Regents' meeting. Members of the group, who sat passively through much of the meeting, will have the opportunity to speak to the Regents about divestment and minority enrollment at today's meeting. MSA FUNDING IN QUESTION:, 'U mayreview electi0nS By JULIE ENGEBRECHT The University Regents and executive officers stepped into the con- troversy over the recently-voided Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) elections yesterday by agreeing to con- sider a motion to direct University Vice-President of Student Services Henry Johnson to review the results and determine whether the election should be certified. The request, presented to the Regents by Interim President Allan Smith, also asked that MSA's mandatory fee allocation request be administered by Johnson until he determines whether or not MSA is capable of managing its own affairs. THE RESOLUTION was tabled until today so the Regents could hear a speech by Literary College (LSA ) junior Joshua Banner during the public comments portion of the monthly meeting. Banner opposes mandatory funding of MSA projects. Although the Regents were to decide yesterday on a proposal for two years of mandatory funding, the Board decided to put that question off until today also, claiming that the issues were too closely related. Several of the Regents questioned Johnson and MSA members about which groups MSA allocates funds to, and asked for a report from Student Legal Services about its activities. Legal Services makes an annual report of its expenditures and types of cases 'All olfa sudde-n, etrirY- thing we (did all vrar do,sn't make any diffeir- ence at all. Jim Sulliran, former MSA mhmber and activities it deals with. There was a question about whether a report would be required after the mandatory fee was assessed last July, however. PAUL TEICH, Student Legal Ser- vices lawyer said, "If they'd like a report, we'll be more than happy to give them one." MSA President Eric Arnson said Legal Services would have a report ready for the Regents today. In his five-minute address during See MANDATORY, Page 16 WCCAA: Acause links diverse groups By LEONARD BERNSTEIN the Afro-American Students A Daily News Analysis Association, and the Young The highly organized effort to prod Socialists Alliance. Representatives the University Regents to divest say the WCCAA itself has a core of from corporations doing business in approximately 80 students, faculty, South Africa is led by a loosely-knit and local citizens who strongly favor group from around the University divestment. community - the Washtenaw Coun- THE PRO-DIVESTMENT demon- ty Coalition Against Apartheid. strators who have packed the last WCCAA spokespersons say the two Regents' meetings share a group is actually a network of similar leftist approach to a variety loosely-affiliated campus groups, of campus political issues. Many of including the Black Students Union, See WHO, Page 14