November 16, 1968

Excerpt of Vice-Chancellor’s Address to Students 

(a) Any student or students wishing to organise a procession/ demonstration in the University shall notify in writing a Committee consisting of:

The Registrar (convener)
A Master of a Hall
A Dean of a Faculty.

(b)Such information shall be made in writing to the Registrar not later than 48 hours before the procession/demonstration is due to begin;

(c) the notification shall state the purpose of the procession/ demonstration and the name(s) of the organiser(s);

(d) no procession/demonstration shall be held between the hours of 6.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m.;

(e) the procession/demonstration will follow a route approved by the Committee and keep as close to the left side of the road as to facilitate free passage of vehicular traffic; it will do nothing to obstruct traffic;

(f) during the procession/demonstration, nothing will be done or said that might occasion violence or cause a breach of the peace;

(g) the organiser(s) of the procession/demonstration shall be held responsible for any acts of violence and/or breach of University, Hall, or other regulations that may occur during the procession/demonstration;

(h) the Committee may prescribe any special conditions, limitations or restrictions as may be considered appropriate in the circumstances;

(i) if in the Committee’s opinion, the procession/demonstration will be likely to lead to a breach of the peace or cause serious interference with the work of the University it may advise the Vice-Chancellor to forbid the procession/ demonstration;

(j) the fact that a procession/demonstration is not prohibited in no way implies that the University has either approved of or is in sympathy with its objects. With regard to student publications, it is quite clear that the low quality and irresponsibility which has for some time been a feature of student journalism in this University has had no small part to play in the creation of an atmosphere of ill-informed unrest upon the campus. The University is anxious to encourage and support student journalism and to this end, the Student Representative Council will be invited to bring forward proposals for the creation of a student newspaper at Legon, in the production of which the University might provide some financial assistance. I would emphasize that the Executive Committee and all of us have no wish to inhibit other forms of journalistic activity in the University. Indeed, one of the most valuable extra-curricular activities from which students in Universities, both here and elsewhere, have derived the greatest benefit for their subsequent careers has been their participation in student journalism during their undergraduate years. In many places, such journalism is on all counts of comparable quality with professional journalism and creative writing outside the University. But in our circumstances, it has become necessary that certain rules and codes of operation should be clearly laid down to regulate journalistic activity in the University. The Executive Committee has accordingly agreed that in future the following rules will apply to all student publications in this University:

(a) The Vice-Chancellor will be informed of the intent to produce any student publication within the University, and his approval shall be obtained to such a publication.

(b) A copy of each issue will be lodged with the Vice-Chancellor on the day of publication.

(c) Each issue shall state the name of the Editor, the membership of the Editorial Board, and the Publisher.

(d) The members of the Editorial Board shall hold office for one academic year.

(e) The members of the Editorial Board will be held jointly responsible for the whole contents of each issue of the publication.

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