Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1970 [PAGE 256]

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256

BOARD O F TRUSTEES

[ J a n u a r y 15

toward relieving confusion of the involvement of a number of subcommittees hearing evidence and making findings. The Senate Committee on Student Discipline has agreed to this procedure and will appoint such a subcommittee immediately. Third, there is the determination that once charges have been brought, there should be no alteration in the previously established procedures. Consideration of changes in procedures after charges had been brought on the September 9-10 incidents was a major factor in the seemingly inordinate delays in arriving at findings in the disciplinary cases. Those who have the responsibility of hearing pending cases must be free from long and heated debate about how procedures might be improved. There should be no delay in disposing of pending cases in order to consider changes of the rules already in force. T h e Ad Hoc Senate Committee on University Disciplinary Authority and Procedures is studying the complex problem of "adversary" versus "facultystudent fact finding and judgment" in our system of disciplinary proceedings. This issue and that related to "open" versus "closed" hearings must be resolved along with development of special disciplinary procedures to handle cases involving massive defiances of regulations. T h e need for special types of procedures to handle cases of massive defiance is somewhat analogous to the use of injunctive proceedings in the courts of law. While a Subcommittee of the Senate Committee is considering this matter and until it reports to the Senate Committee, the Senate, and the Board, the Senate Committee on Student Discipline has approved an Interim Procedure for the invoking of the disciplinary process in the event of a massive defiance of University regulations. A University disciplinary system must not only do justice, but must be thought to do justice and build confidence in the system on the part of faculty, students, administrative officials, governing bodies, and the general public. At the moment our basic difficulties stem from a crisis of confidence. I believe that the steps that I already have taken with the support of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline will permit us to implement the Board's policies during the period immediately ahead. I am confident that the Senate Committee, acting under the authority presently vested in it, will take necessary steps to benefit from the experience we have recently gone through. At the same time, I recognize the need for coming to terms in the near future with the complex problems that remain. Therefore, I recommend to the Board of Trustees that it call for the Ad Hoc Committee on University Disciplinary Authority and Procedures, the Senate Committee on Student Discipline, especially its Ad Hoc Committee to Study Procedures for Handling Incidents Involving Massive Defiance of University Regulations, to bring forward recommendations that may be considered by the Senate in time to be presented to the Board by its March meeting. You have my report before you along with those of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline and its subcommittees and a report from the Ad Hoc Committee. I will be glad to respond to any questions you may have. Also with me are Dean Cribbet, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline, and Dean Bentley, last year's chairman, as well as Professor Hastings, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee. They will also be happy to respond to any questions you may care to put to them.

Present for the discussion were the following who were available to the Trustees for questions and comment: John E. Cribbet, Chairman of the Urbana Senate Committee on Student Discipline, and O. G. Bentley, Past Chairman of that Committee; J. Thomas Hastings, Chairman of the Urbana Senate Ad Hoc Committee to Study Disciplinary Authority and Procedures; John Metzger, Legal Counsel for the Urbana-Champaign campus. Professor Hastings spoke briefly concerning the calendar of his Committee, indicating that important aspects of the Committee's work will be finished by the March meeting of the Board of Trustees. In response to a question, he stated that