Unrest

Part of an academic service-learning project for Greenley Library by
Ashley Faith Candreva, graduate student, St. John's University.

Finding Aid

• Container list

Related Documents in the College Archives

• Anatomy of student dissent : This document was written by Farmingdale State College President Charles W. Laffin, Jr. regarding college student dissent and campus unrest. It highlights common factors that college and university administration should be aware of.

• Faculty council meeting, May 2, 1969 : Dr. Laffin informed the [faculty] Council regarding the development of a procedure for the Farmingdale Campus in dealing with disruptive actions [by students] on Campus, and he presented a draft for study by [the faculty] Council."

• Images from the Islander yearbook, 1970 & 1971

• Minutes of cabinet meeting, March 13, 1969 : At this cabinet meeting President Laffin raised the topic of creating a plan of action to deal with student demonstrations on campus if and when they were to occur.

• Newsletter, January 28, 1970 : This is a letter from Farmingdale State College President Charles W. Laffin Jr. which discusses student demonstrations/protests on campus and how the college should work with students to resolve the issues they raised. An excerpt from the letter reads, "The Afro-American and Puerto Rican students presented demands for changes in the college's attitude and operation. The resident students have requested change of visitation policy. Both dramatized their positions by confrontation, followed by negotiation, followed by efforts at resolution of problems."

• "Rules and regulations for the maintenance of public order on college property of the State university Agricultural and technical college Farmingdale, NY," July, 1969 : These rules and regulations first appear in the 1969-1970 College Handbook.

• The freedom and the responsibility of the university : This statement was issued by Samuel B. Gould, Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY) to the Joint Legislative Committee on Higher Education of the State of New York on February 29,1968. Gould was the president of SUNY 1964-1967.

Description

The scope of this finding aid pertains to campus unrest at Farmingdale State College/Farmingdale State College in the years 1968-1972. College and university campuses and cities across the United States played host to innumerable protests, marches, demonstrations, etc. in this period of time around such events as Kent State and the Vietnam War. At Farmingdale, students protested against such causes as involvement in wars and brutality against students in solidarity with other protesters, and held demonstrations regarding such topics as drugs and alcohol and the integration of female and male student dorms. While Farmingdale State College was not home to particularly turbulent demonstrations the unrest was certainly noticeable and is reflected in such college publications as yearbooks, the Rambler, the campus newsletter, and college handbooks. This finding aid reflects item-level documents showcasing campus unrest at Farmingdale State College in the period of 1968-1972, and an itemized chronology can be found below.

The materials in the Farmingdale State College archives pertaining to 'Campus Unrest' include SUNY and Farmingdale State College State College policies, meeting minutes, inter administration communication, college handbooks, college yearbooks, student publication the Rambler, and the college newsletter.

History of Campus Unrest at Farmingdale State College:

February 7, 1968	Recognition of campus unrest on other campuses, including other SUNY school such as SUNY Stony Brook, in the college Newsletter.
February 29, 1968	"The Freedom and the Responsibility of the University" is a statement written by Samuel B. Gould Chancellor on February 29, 1968 from SUNY to the Joint Legislative Committee on Higher Education of the State of New York. Mr. Gould was the president of SUNY1964-1967.
July 1969	"The Rules and Regulations for the Maintenance of Public Order on College Property" is added to the college handbook of Farmingdale State College for the 1969-1970 academic year.
October 1969	Strike proposal mentioned in the Rambler
1970	Protests in the yearbook, and protests/student demands mentioned in the Rambler and College newsletter
1971	Protests in the yearbook
1971	Afro-American and Puerto Rican student demands mentioned in newsletter
1971-1972	Additions to the conduct of students & new inclusion of student disciplinary procedures to the student handbook of Farmingdale State College for the 1971-1972 academic year