Penn Students Protest Tuition Rise; Sit-In Fizzles Out After Two Weeks

A two-week sit-in protesting increases in tuition and rent failed to generate continuing student support and faded out last week at the University of Pennsylvania.

The sit-in--which was organized by an informal coalition of student government officials, Harrisburg trial protestors, the Graduate Student Association and the Education Collective--peaked March 28 when 500 students confronted President Martin Meyerson in College Hall, the administration building.

By last Wednesday the number of students in College Hall had dwindled to less than 25 and on Friday the sit-in ended.

Pennsylvania raised next year's tuition by $250 for undergraduates and by $300 for graduate students. The university also plans to increase room charges for 1972-73.

The students demanded retraction of the tuition and rent increases, public disclosure of the university's budget, and educational reform. They drew up a list of "Seven Student Rights" that included a student voice in the hiring of faculty and administrators and in the determination of the budget.

"The university has said that the tuition increase is irrevocable but promised to release some further budget information by Friday." Jules Benjamin, a sit-in organizer, said yesterday. He added that students would travel to Harrisburg--the state capital--to lobby against a state appropriation for the university if "sufficient figures are not forthcoming."

Sit-In Dies

Benjamin said the sit-in died after two weeks when broad student support failed to materialize.

Last Tuesday the organizers of the College Hall protest held a university-wide teach-in on various educational topics. It attracted between 100 and 200 students to a dozen workshops dealing with topics ranging from racism at the university to restructuring the classroom.

The Graduate Student Association at Pennsylvania voted to support the sit-in and urged students to withhold payment of tuition and rent until the university guarantees a tuition and rent rollback to the previous level.