PAGE SILL
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE SIX THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PROPOSED STATEMENT:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1964
ext of Proposed AAUP
9 v
A UP CitesStudent Freedom
1 't Him
By LAURENCE KIRSHBAUM
A national group of faculty
representatives has drafted a
statement advocating a liberaliza-
tion of student regulations which
would make the University rules
,handbook cringe.
Prepared by a committee of the
American Association of Univer-
sity' Professors, the statement
urges professors to eliminate
speaker bans and censorship--and
to fight to install student reign
over student rules.
T h e document is entitled
"Statement of Faculty Responsi-
bility for the Academic Freedom
of Students." It will be included
in the AAUP Bulletin this fall
and placed before the annual
meeting next spring at which
time it may become the official
AAUP viewpoint.
Even if adopted as expected,
the statement would still have no
formal authority on the nation's
campuses. But its proponents hope
the statement - several years in
the formulation-will have its in-
fluence on the rule-makers.
Faculty's Job
Divided into f o u r sections
spanning seven pages, the docu-
ment holds faculty members re-
sponsible for protecting free ex-
pression, un-biased admissions
policy, student government rights
and due process. And a host of
others.
The first section, "Responsibil-
ity of the Professor as Teacher"
I Rnt aTVthis FallI
calls for evaluations of students
according to their performance-
not their opinions.
No Disclosure
Student opinions must be par-
ticularly protected, the statement
says,against "improper or harm-
ful disclosure." This means that
information received by a faculty
counselor "is of a privileged char-
acter and its protection against
improper or harmful disclosure is
a serious professional obligation."
The document further contends
that disciplinary cases, which do
not result in suspension, should
not be entered into permanent
academic records available to
outside parties.
University records have long
been a matter of controversy.
Joint Judiciary Council members
have levelled oiarges against the
Office of Student Affairs contend-
ing that private information is
shown to employers.
Only to Evaluate
Administrators contend that the
private files are used only to
evaluate students applying for
graduate admission at the Uni-
versity.
The document's second section
outlines the "Responsibility of the
Professor as Participant in Insti-
tutional Government." Assuming
the faculty members play a role
in administrative decisions, the
statement asserts that they should
work for non-discriminatory poli-
cies against students.
This ranges from admissions
policies to student organizations,
where the statement advocates
these non-rules:
-Student organizations should
not be forced to submit lists of
their members to college officials.
-These organizations should
have free speaker privileges with
the only control being "an orderly
scheduling of the use of space."
-Student representatives in
student government "should have
clearly defined means to partici-
pate in the formulation and ap-
plication of regulations affecting
student conduct."
Contrary Rules
The University has rules con-
trary to all three recommenda-
tions. Student groups are required
to submit membership lists as a
prerequisite to University recog-
nition. A state-wide speaker ban
is imposed which denies the right
of students to bring any speaker
advocating the overthrow of the
government by force. And Student
Government Council has sought in
the past few years to gain control
over student conduct-unsuccess-
fully.
This section also calls for the
abolition of administrative cen-
sorship rules, particularly in the
firing of controversial newspaper
editors. A recent example of this
"management of news" by admin-
istrators occurred at Oakland Uni-
versity where the editor was dis-
charged for trying to run a sex
survey tabulation.
Part Three.
The third section assigns "The
Responsibility f o r Safeguarding
Off - Campus Freedom of Stu-
dents." This section denounces
double - punishments where both
civil and institutional authorities
prescribe penalties for civil mis-
demeanors. It also implores the
institution to fight for students
maintaining "what they regard as
their political rights" in pickets,
freedom rides or
demonstrations:
"Students should enjoy the same
freedom of religion, speech, press
and assembly, and the right to
petition the authorities, that citi-
zens generally possess. Exercise of
these rights on or off the campus
should not subject them to insti-
tutional penalties."
Part Four
The final section states "The
Responsibility of the Faculty for
Procedural Due Process in Cases
of Alleged Misconduct."
It calls, first, for a clear pre-
scription of the sorts of conduct
students will be permitted---and
those for which they will be
punished.
The University still occasionally
uses such a "catch-all" charge;
here the epithet is worded "con-
duct unbecoming a student of the
University."
USSPA Hails
Press Statement
MINNEAPOLIS - The United
States Student Press Association,
at its recent convention at the
University of Minnesota, com-
mended the proposed American
Association of University Profes-
sors statement on freedom of the
student press.
The AAUP statement, USSPA
said, reflects its own code of ethics
and "calls upon colleges and uni-
versities to allow a free and inde-
pendently operating s t u d e n t
press and sets a goal of a free and
diverse exchange of information
and ideas."
other peaceful)
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The following
is a draft entitled "Statement on !
Faculty Responsibility for the Aca-
demic Freedom for Students." It
was written by a national subcom-
mittee of the American Association
of University Professors. Their
draft will be printed in the AAUP
Bulletin in the fall and then go
before the AAUP plenary body meet-
ingnnext spring for formal adop-
tion.
The statement can only serve in
an advisory role; it has no official
authority to change rules.tIts ef-
fectiveness will rely on the dis-
tribution and discussion which the
AAUP can create.
Freedom to teach and freedom
to learn are indivisible. Freedom
to learn depends upon appropriate
conditions and opportunities in
the classroom, as well as op-
portunities to exercise the rights
of citizenship on and off the
campus. The achievement and
continuance of these conditionsof
freedom require not only a defi-
nition of rights but the establish-
ment of procedures for their pro-
tection.
Faculty responsibility for the
academic freedom of students
stems from the recognition that
freedom of inquiry and expres-!
Sion are essentialattributes of a
community of scholars. As mem-
bers and immediate guardians of
that community, faculty members
share with administrators a spe-
cial responsibility for establish-
ing and maintaining conditions
under which freedom of inquiry
may flourish. This lesponsibility
is to be exercised both through
their individual capacity as teach-
ers and their corporate authority
in the governance of the instruc-
tions in which they serve. The
following statement outlines the
scope of this responsibility and
suggests standards and procedures
whereby this obligation may be
discharged by members of the pro-
fession.
Responsibility of the
Professor as Teacher
The professor in the classroom
and in conference has the obli-
gation to maintain an atmosphere
of free discussion, inquiry, and
expression, and should take no
action to penalize students be-
cause of their opinions or be-
cause of their conduct in mat-
ters unrelated to academic stand-
ards. He also has the obligation
to evaluate their performance just-
ly.
PROTECTION OF FREEDOM
OF EXPRESSION. Students should
be free to take reasoned exception
to the data or views offered in
particular courses of study. This
may be required to know thor-
oughly the particulars set out by
the instructor, but they should be
free to reserve personal judgment
as to the truth or falsity of what
is presented. Knowledge and aca-
demic performance, not belief,
should be the yardstick by which
students are measured.
PROTECTION AGAINST UN-
JUST GRADING OR EVALUA-
TION. Students must maintain
standards of academic perform-
ance set by their institution if
they are to receive the certificate
of competence implied by course
and its protection against im- taking any. other peaceful action
proper or harmful disclosure is a on or off the campus.
serious professional obligation. In 4) Any person who is presented
particular, the protection of the by a recognized student organiza-
climate of freedom on the cam- tion should be allowed to speak on
pus requires that any information aa college or university campus.
as to the personal views, conic- Institutional control of the use
tions, or political associations of of campus facilities by student or-
students which teachers and oth- ganizations for meetings and oth-
er university personnelacquire er organizational purposes should
should be confidential and should not be employed as a device to
not be disclosed. Disciplinary ac- censor or prohibit controversial
tions which do not result in sus- speakers or the discussion of con-
pension for a term or dismissal troversial topics. The only con-
should not be posted to perma- trols which may be imposed are
nent academic records which are those required by orderly sched-
made available to outside parties. uling of the use of space.
II 5) Institutional regulations and
Responsibility of the jthe announcements of sudent
groups should make it clear that
Professor as Participant neither student organizations nor
the speakers they bring to the
Institutionalcampus necessarily represent the
Government view of the entire estudent body,'
the faculty, or the administration.
credits and degrees. The student
should have protection against un-
just grading and evaluation due
to incompetence, error, or preju-
dice. The faculty should establish
an orderly procedure whereby stu-,
dent allegations of prejudice or
error in the awarding of grades or
the evaluation of progress toward'
a degree may be reviewed by, a
competent academic authority.
PROTECTION AGAINST IM-
PROPER OR HARMFUL DIS-
CLOSURE. Institutions should
have a carefully considered policy
as to what information should be
part of the permanent student rec-
ord and as to the conditions of
its disclosure. The information
about students which teachers ac-
quire in the course of their work
as instructors, advisers, and coun-
selors is of a privileged character
cial organizations required to
maintain minimum grade averages
among their members may submit
current lists for checking grade
averages.
2) Campus organizations, facili-
ties, and activities should be open
to all students without respect
to race, creed, or national origin,
except for the possible limita-
tion of sectarian organizations.
Organizations and activities should
be open in fact and not merely
formally open because of the ab-
sence of restrictive clauses.
3) Students and student orga-
nizations should be free to dis-
cuss all questions of interest to
them and to express opinions
publicly or privately without pen-
alty, to promote the causes they
support by distributing literature,
circulating petitions, picketing, or
;
4
A
(l
F
STUDENTS
You are cordially invited
to attend the
ANNUAL
SOpen House
The professor shares in insti-
tutional government and in this
capacity has further responsibili-
ties for achieving and preserving
an environment of freedom for
students.
FREEDOM OF STUDENT AD-
MISSION ON NON-DISCRIMI-
NATORY BASIS. The faculty
should insure that college and
university admissions policies do
nct discriminate on the basis of
race, creed, or national origin.
Institutions of an avowed sec-
tarian character may choose to
limit enrollment to those of their
own religious conviction but such
limitations should be clearly and
publicly stated. University facili-
ties and services should be open
to all students without reference
to race, creed, or national origin,
and the university should use its
influence in the community to,
insure that off-campus housing,
eating, and recreational facilities:
are open to all of its students
without discrimination.
FREEDOM OF STUDENT OR-
GANIZATION AND ASSOCIA-i
TION. The faculty should protect
the freedom of students to or-
ganize to promote their common
interests. Institutional regulations
and policies should assure such
freedom. Intervention in the ac-
tivities of student organizations
should be exceptional.
1) Student organizations should
not be required to submit lists of
members other than current lists
,of officers, except that purely so-1
FREEDOM TO ESTABLISH
AND OPERATE STTIDENT GOV-
ERNMENT. Studene self-govern-
ment provides a valuable means
for the exercise of the rights
and obligations of students as
campus citizens. It is therefore a
responsibility of the faculty to
encourage a fully representative
student self government, and to
protect the student government
from arbitrary intervention in its
affairs by the removal or suspen-
sion of officers, by the withhold-
ing of funds, or by unilateral
changes in a charter which de-
fines its organization and con
petence. The electorate of such a
government should consist of the
entire student body and should
not be defined in terms of mem-
bership in clubs or organizations.
As a constituent of the academic
community, the student govern-
ment should have clearly de-
fined means to participate in the
formulation and application of
regulations affecting student con-
duct. It should also be free to ex-
press its views on issues of insti-
tutional policy and on matters of
ger it interest to the student
body.
Students should be free to or-
ganize and join associations for
educational, political, religious or
cultural purposes. The fact of af-
filiation with any extra-mural as-
sociation or national organization
or political party, so long as it is
an open affiliation, should not of
itself bar a group from recogni-
SATURDAY,
AUGUST 29th
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9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Michigan Daily
The Michiganensian
Generation
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