W
Knauss looks
forward to 08 postS..
.
Eighty years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by stUdents at the University of Michigan
ROBERT- L. KNAUSS' office on the
fourth floor of the Administration
Bldg. is a curious mixture of clean
architectural lines and strictly function-
al furniture suppliedby the University,
all decorated with drawings by his chil-
dren.
On Friday afternoon, Knauss lit up
a cigar and proceeded to answer care-
fully, searchingly-almost hesitatingly
at times-the questions put to him by
Editorial Page Editor, Jim Neubacher,
and Daily reporters Dave Chudwin and
Michael Schneck.
DAILY: The OSS vice presidencyis a job
that other candidates have looked at ap-
prehensively. It's a tight position. You'll be
sort of in-between opposing sides, and with
the campus climate the way it is yours won't
be an easy job. What makes you want to
take a position like this?
KNAUSS: As I learned more about the job,
I became more convinced, that there was
something I could contribute. I think people
tend to see the job as being one of handling
a crisis situation, or being someone who's
expendable in order to save the president's
neck.
Those are clearly roles that the vice presi-
dent has to play, but another major part
of the job is just running the office and it's
in this area that I'm convinced that there
are some very positive things that can be
done as far as providing better kinds of
services.
I think a third aspect of the job is that
of an executive officer giving advice and
information on a wide variety of issues. I
think that I can be of some help in this
area.
DAILY: Do you think it possible to retain
the confidence of the students, the other
executive officers, and the Regents over an
appreciable period of time?
KNAUSS: I think it's possible to main-
tain the respect of all groups. I'm sure it's
not possible that all parts of all groups are
going to agree with the things that the vice
president is doing. It may be the case that
the extent of the disagreement will get so
great, that the vice president cannot be ef-
fective in the job.
DAILY: If the OSS Policy Board asks for
your resignation, will you comply?
KNAUSS: I think that the statement that
I've made several times publicly is even
broader. If I find that I am no longer ef-
fective, in working with the Regents, working
with the President and the other executive
Officers, or working with the Policy Board,
I will resign. This may become evident to me
before any group asks for my resignation.
DAILY: Then you're saying that a deci-
sion concerning your resignation is basically
In your hands, not at the request of the
Policy Board?
KNAUSS: I think that if I am asked to
"If 1 find tholt I am no long
er effective in working with
the Regents, working with
the Preside nt and the other
executive officers, or work-
ing with the Policy Board, I
will resign."
resign by any of my constituencies-the
Regents, the President, the Policy Board-
I will resign.
DAILY: Do you think that you'll be vice
president for any amount of time then?
KNAUSS: There might be a relatively
short half-life to this job, and I'm going
intoit with this expectation. I'm keeping my
office in the Law School and I intend to
teach a course.
DAILY: Some.people view the vice presi-
dent as' a kind of go-between who funnels
the views of students to the Regents and the
other executive officers. What do you think
of this conception of the role?
KNAUSS: The vice presiaent is certainly
goikg to be presenting views and concerns
of students to other members of the ad-
ministration. What I see as more important
role for the vice president and his staff is not
trying to present views of students, but of-
fering aid and assistance so students can
present their own views.
For example, I think there ought to be
staff people in the OSS who have primary
responsibility of working with the various
black student groups. I would not expect
that this person would be necessarily pre-
senting their views. What he'd be doing is
offering staff assistance and helping to co-
ordinate so these groups can present their
own positions. They've also talked in that
office about having someone to work with
Women's Lib groups and other radical groups
on campus.
DAILY: The Policy Board will have a
student majority. Will you be bound by the
decisions of the Policy Board?
KNAUSS: Yes. I expect that the Policy
Board will be setting policy within the OSS.
This may mean that I might strongly dis-
agree with some things that are happening.
The disagreement might become the kind of
major issue where either the Policy Board
or myself is going to have to back down and
change our mind.
I think it's important when you talk about
Office of Student Services, ROTC doesn't
fall under it.r
Perhaps as an executive officer, I will be
concerned with it. As far as the Policy Board
is concerned, however, this is not something
within the jurisdiction of the OSS.
DAILY: A major first step by the students
on the new Policy Board will be personnel
questions. We understand that it will prob-
ably ask for the resignations of two upper
level bureaucrats in the OSS. Would you be
adverse to this?
KNAUSS: I don't see a major confronta-
tion on this. I think that there does need to
be some reorganization in the office. This
reorganization is very likely to include the
reassignment of function. I suppose in cer-
tain instances the personnel there may not
be in a position to be able to fulfill the new
functions, so there may have to be changes
of personnel.
DAILY: In the housing office, there is the
question of University construction of low-
cost student housing and single student
apartments. Those areas of policy-making,
as far as you are concerned, fall under the
jurisdiction of the OSS and consequently,
the Policy Board.
KNAUSS: I think it would. This was one
of the main reasons for setting up the Policy
Board. It's basically a student decision, what
kind of housing students want. I don't have
any preconceived notions about what kind
of housing is needed.
DAILY: It's been traditional that the
University not compete with Ann Arbor
merchants, landlords, community people. In
the past year this policy seems to have
broken down with the University Store and
Bookstore. The whole issue in the housing
office is whether the University should com-
pete with local landlords.
Should the University compete with the
community in trying to obtain a better deal,
a fairer deal for the students?
KNAUSS: I think the consumer protec-
tion, the consumer interested projects that
have taken place In the last year-the book-
store, the Student Credit Union, the co-op-
are very good developments. But they are
basically moves by the University community
itself to use its own purchasing power to
provide some competitive leverage. There
hasn't been any direct University subsidy
for these things.
DAILY: Does the University have a re-
sponsibility to see that the students are
well-housed?
KNAUSS: The University has taken the
view that it has this responsibility. This was
the reason the residence hall structure was
built up in the '30's. It has now become more
of a shared responsibility with the com-
munity. Perhaps the real qustion we're
facing now is priority decision-making on
how money should be spent. Should the
University continue to expend funds for
housing? "
Within my own office we ar going to be
trying to make some evaluations ourselves.
A new University-wide resource allocation
commission which has been formed-faculty
and students are being appointed to it this
month-is going to be looking into this area.
DAILY: Right now, the top housing prior-
ity, according to Mrs. Newell, is single stu-
dent apartments. Is this top priority in your
view?
KNAUSS: I have not studied the housing
situation within the University that closely.
I've heard a wide variety of opinion among
students as to what they believe they need
at this point. I would like to get some good
information on this.
(later) Right now, there's a proposal to
build some more married student housing.
This apparently has been identified by a
committee working with the housing office
as the most pressing need. I guess that
whatever is identified as the most pressing
need should be the next step.
DAILY: Let us assume that the Policy
Board states that it would like to se the
financial aids office and the admissions
office moved under the jurisdiction of the
OSS. So you agree in principle with that
request?
KNAUSS: As-you know, financial aids was
in the Office of Student Affairs until it was
moved recently. I think the rationale for
combining it with admissions under Vice
President (Stephen) Spurr is a sound one.
I don't think it makes much difference
where it sits. As you know, the Senate As-
sembly is going to be talking about a policy
committee for Vice President Spurr. The
current plan is that this will be a committee
made up equally of students and faculty
members.
DAILY: How strong a role will you take in
administering your office. Will you take an
activist role in establishing priorities and
working with the directors of the various
offices in OSS?
KNAUSS: I see myself in a strong activist
role. You have to have good directors, and
you have to give them autonomy. But the
Policy Board and I will be wanting to look
into specific areas. Serious thought is being
given, for example, to a student-faculty
policy board for the housing office.
DAILY: What are some of the specific
changes you would like to make?
KNAUSS: There are maybe three or four
things I would like to do immediately. I
want to get the Policy Board established
as soon as possible. I would hope I could
get an assistant vice president who is a black
and who would be involved coordinating the
problems of black students, but in addition
ficer, you'll be asked to give your opinions
on matters outside of the area strictly de-
fined by the OSS.
KNAUSS: Yes, and in this sense, I will be
independent. I will be giving my opinions to
the Regents when called upon, to tlhe Presi-
dent, and to the other executive officers and
to the OSS Policy Board.
DAILY: Let's talk about some of those
kinds of issues then. The Regent's Interim
Disciplinary Rules for example. What do
you think, first, about the rules, and second-
ly, about the way they were adopted?
KNAUSS: My feeling about the rules
themselves is that I'm not sure that they
were necessary. They do go somewhat be-
yond the established rules, which were
basically, taken from the language of the
SGC rules.
The real issue is the hearing officer. That
took away the questions of sanctions and
discipline out of the hands of the schools
and colleges, away from the faculty, putting
it in the hands of an outside hearing officer.
There is currently a committee looking at
this. It has two Regents on it, and faculty,
and students, and I think they are working
in good faith to develop new procedures.
I am hopeful that this committee will make
a report shortly.
DAILY: In what directions should a new
disciplinary policy go?
KNAUSS: I don't think I should comment
on this. I'm not on the committee. These
people are working in good faith. They've
put a lot of time in on this and I think I'd
like to wait until they've made their report.
DAILY: What's your opinion of the philo-
sophy held by many students that students
charged with non-academic offenses should
be tried by an all-student judiciary?
KNAUSS: I guess what you're asking me
is if my views have changed any in the last
year. As you know, I was on the ad hoc
student-faculty committee that drafted the
original bylaws (which called for an all-stu-
dent judiciary.) Senate Assembly at that
time approved those bylaws.
I think as far as effectiveness goes, an
all-student judiciary would probably be as
effective as any other kind of mix that you
could have. Whether or not politically at
this point, compared to a year or a year
and and half ago, an all student judiciary
is acceptable within the community is, I
suppose, one of the top issues wthat is be-
fore the committee.
DAILY: Have you read the American Bar
Association Report on Student Rights and
Responsibilities? Do you think what the Re-
gents did on the disciplinary rules was a
step forward or a step backwards, in terms
of the suggestions put forth in the ABA
report?
KNAUSS: The ABA report wai mainly
concerned with due process requirements
and other aspects of the judicial hearings.
I think the Interim Rules and the judicial
system within the Interim Rules do not go
beyond what the ABA report was talking
about. And I think that the hearing officer
concept is a perfectly viable one. The prin-
ciple objection is that a judicial system
needs to have acceptance.
That particular judicial system (hearing
officer) could work, it's a reasonable one.
I think there are a variety of judicial sys-
tems, we could have that would work, that
would be effective, that would be fair, that
could make determinations about guilt and
innocence and could mete out reasonable
kinds of sanctions and penalties.
DAILY: Among them would be an all stu-
dent judiciary?,
KNAUSS: An all student judiciary is one
of them that could be effective. What the
interim rules lacked at that time was a
general acceptance within the community.
I don't know what will come out of the com-
mittee that's working right now. I think the
virtue, however, of getting that group to-
gethervand working on the issue, is that
whatever comes out will hopefully gain ac-
ceptance.,
DAILY: Couldn't some of the Interim
Rules be described as "chilling"9
KNAUSS: If you're just talking about the
}rules themselves, well, I could conceive of
the new University Council drafting rules
that would be almost word-for-word iden-
tical, and it wouldn't have a chilling effect.
I think the judicial system, which provides
for a hearing officer and does provide for
due process, isn't particularly chilling.
Some of the other things, such as the new
state legislation concerning campus con-
duct, can have a chilling effect.
DAILY: Do you think that ROTC is ap-
propriate for a university campus? Should
the University subsidize ROTC if the de-
fense department will not pay for its full
costs?
KNAUSS: I think the report of the aca-
demic affairs committee that Senate
Assembly passed last year was a good
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich.
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Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1970
NIGHT EDITOR: JIM BEATTIE
#1
report. Now there were a variety of specific
recommendations. What it's basically say-
ing it that ROTC should not receive any
special privileges on the University campus
- special privileges in'the sense of pro-
viding credit for the courses they're giving,
providing a financial contribution from the
University, things of that nature. I think
this makes sense.
DAILY: What if the defense departmtnt
refuses to fund all of the cost of ROTC?
KNAUSS: I think the University should
make every effort to get to do this. If the
University is unsuccessful over the next year
at being able to negotiate the full payment
of finances, I think this is something we've
got to look at again and>look at very care-
fully, as to what steps do we take at that
time. This is basically the approach of the
Assembly, directing the University to do this.
DAILY: Should the University play host,
as far, as recruiting, to any corporation or
group regardless of their policies or prac-
tices?
KNAUSS: I think the, University as an
institution should not pick and choose
among outsiders that it allows to come in
and recruit as long as the groups recruiting
are not violating any laws. I think the
University should, for example, insist on
non-discrimination in sex and race as a
condition of recruiting.
My own personal view on recruiting is
that the University should not really give
any special privileges to recruiting. I think
that more of the cost of ,the recruiting
should be borne by those coming in. But I
look on recruiting as basically a service
that's being provided for students.
DAILY: You say the University should
not pick and choose as to who should use
University facilities. What about the Gay
Liberation Front? Should the University
decide to pick and choose in allowing stu-
dent organizations to use facilities?
KNAUSS: I think that student organiza-
tions that are operating in good faith should
be able to make use of University facilities.
DAILY: Then you would disagree w i t h
President Fleming's contention that the
Gay Liberation Front should not be al-
lowed University facilities for a midwest
conference on homosexuality?
KNAUSS: I think if you go back and look
at the question as it came"up that there
are a variety of issues surrounding that. It
is one issue, by the way, that is apt to come
up in the near future.
I think it is perfectly proper to deter-
mine first of all, the extent to which this
is a legitimate student or faculty group.
There is certainly no obligation on the part
of the University to allow outsiders to use
its facilities.
I think that the University can insist that
a group using its facilities is operating in
good faith. I also think that the University
can have a policy that insists there be some
educational ties to the use of its facilities.
DAILY: Do you think classified research
is consistent with the concept of a univer-
sity as a community of scholars engaged
in free inquiry?
KNAUSS: The current policy on classi-
field research is a pretty good one. The
operation of the Senate Assembly classified
research committee has been a satisfactory
one. That committee will be reviewing its
own functions soon.
DAILY: When shoulld police be brought
in on campus" and who should be con-
sulted on such occasions?
KNAUSS: University Council or a sub=
group of University Council, when t i m e
permits, should be consulted as a mini-
mum. You may want to bring in people from
the political groups who may be able to in-
fluence the parties involved.
Only in the most unusual circumstances
should police be brought except as needed to
protect individuals or prevent the on-going
damage of property: You can't draw sharp
lines. What's needed are people who can
analyze the particular situation.
4
...as Newell
recalls two hectic
years
BARBARA NEWELL sat in her office, her
books in packing cases, a black statue
of a clenched fist on a table behind her.
Mrs. Newell's natural optimism seemed tem-
pered by the realities and cares of two
years of problems as acting vice president
for student services. The following interview
was conducted by Daily reporter Dave
Chudwin.
DAILY: You have been two years in an act-
ing post as vice president for student ser-
vices, what are your plans now?
NEWELL: I expect to go back onto Presi-
dent Fleming's staff.
DAILY: As a special assistant?
NEWELL: I don't know whether that's
special or not.
DAILY: What do you see as the r o 1 e of
the vice president for student services?
NEWELL: I see a multiple role - one as a
strong spokesman for student concerns re-
lating to all University policies and second-
ly as an administrator of student services.
DAILY: Is it possible for a person in such a
position to retain the confidence of the stu-
dents, the other executive officers and the
Regents all at once for a long period of time.
NEWELL: I think there is a very real prob-
lem of conflict between the vice president
as a representative of students and the vice
president as an employe of the Regents.
DAILY: After two years, how are your re-
lations with the Regents?
NEWELL: I think we have a remarkable
Board of Regents here at the University.
They have showed understanding and com-
passion. They are unique, comparing them
with boards of regents elsewhere.'
Obviously there have been times when I
have not agreed with their decisions and
have felt the conflict of the role.
DAILY: Do the other executive officers have
this problem?
NEWELL: I think it is more acute with the
student affairs person.
DAILY: How have your relations fared with
President Fleming and the other executive
officers? Have there been any strains?
NEWELL: (Laughing) Oh, go ask them. I
think this University has remarkably good
teamwork.
DAILY: What are your views on the Re-
gents Interim Disciplinary Policy?
NEWELL: At the time they occurred I was
most concerned about the enactment of in-
terim rules without an involvement of the
affected parties. The actual rules deserve
careful consideration as possible alternatives
for a solution.
DAILY: Then the interim rules might be
considered models for a longterm policy?
NEWELL: I think they should be considered
as one avenue of thought. I really think they'
aren't that bad.
DAILY: Why w e r e you quoted as saying
that you thought the interim rules were re-
layman sitting on the sidelines I don't see
any reason the students alone should be
singled out as the appropriate unit.
DAILY: What is the deep, dark process by
which decisions are made at the University?
Is each vice president given a free hand?
When does President Fleming decide it is
his responsibility to look into something?
NEWELL: You have to look at what decis-
ions you're talking about. The most cru-
cial decisions are made on the department
and school level. This is where' your prior-
ities are set in an educational institution
because this is your most important task.
Other decisions are tremendously varied
according to the classification of the prob-
lem. You'll find extensive consultation by
department, by school, and t h e n in the
council of deans which meets regularly with
the President and vice presidents.
You'll find another channel that's also
through the faculty government, which also
meets regularly with the President and the
advisory committees to the various v i c e
presidents.
I think one of the problems from the stu-
dent point of view is how to adequately in-
corporate the student voice in the numer-
ous decision - making channels because
there's just not one.
DAILY: What is your opinion on the re-
fusal of the University to allow the Gay Lib-
eration Front use of facilities for a midwest
conference on homosexuality?
NEWELL: I can see the sensitivity of use
of University facilities, especially when oth-
er facilities are available. As an individual
I find it difficult not to make public fa-
cilities available to all segments of the com-
munity for lawful activities.
DAILY: What do you think of the ROTC
question?
NEWELL: I happen to have the personal
conviction that ROTC is not an academic
pursuit appropriate to a University campus.
But I feel the decision should be made by
the whole community.
DAILY: Do you think the University has a
responsibility to students to see that they,
are well-housed?
NEWELL: Yes I do, and if you look at the
last year, we have been able to take steps
to expand married student housing by close
to 3,000 units.
DAILY: What are the possibilities of the
University building single student apart-
ment housing? Does the University have
plans for that?
NEWELL: We certainly. have plans, we have
been working diligently on it for two years.
I would say that our next priority is single
student housing.
Our m a j o r problem is the problem of
funding. There are no funds available in the
college housing act. Also the interest rates
on money have been at such a rate that we
simply couldn't construct housing with rents
that would be at all attractive for students.
DAILY: Aren't there subsidies available
from the federal government?
NEWELL: That's what we've been looking
for. They've got some acts but they haven't
got any money. One also needs to have a
substantial source other than federal mon-
ey to start construction and match with
federal money'
"What we really need to do
is learn how to handle what
we've got and you don't do
that with slogans and man-
ning barricades. You do it
with darned hard study,
knowledge and re-examina-
tion of institutions. This is
what college is all about."
In the old days the matching funds were
accumulated through residence hall re-
serves. Our policy in the last few years has
been to try to hold the line on rents. We
have moved the University from the highest
rent school to a medium rent school in the
Big Ten.
I approve of this trend, but what it means
i at the moment we don't have the reserve
funds available as we once did to match
with the federal funding.
DAILY:,If the University could find money
how long would it take until students could
move in.
NEWELL: There's about a three year lead
time.
DAILY: What are your views on corporate
recruiting?
NEWELL: I feel that if one services stu-
NEWELL: I find it very difficult to differ-
entiate this. I stand with the American Civ-
il Liberties Union on the inability to do so.
DAILY: Do you think the University admin-
istration learned anything from the BAM
strike? Did it change people's perspectives,
ideas or methods of operation?
*
4~
NEWELL: Obviously a n y social upheaval
that bring such emotion and such long-
range impact on priority setting shakes up
large numbers of people in the community.
The strike committed the University to a
significant social goal.
There was also some real damage done as
a result of, the strike. We have to try to
work to patch up the damage because if we
stay divided we cannot succeed in achieving
our goal.
I think one of the positive things has been
that many individuals had to sit down and
re-think what they were doing, where they
were going. You can't say it was a super-
ficial cause.
DAILY: How does an administrator recon-
cile the actions he has to take because of
their role with their own personal views and
philosophy?
NEWELL: There are times when one has to
compromise. Obviously you have regrets at
such moments but I guess I've been for-
tunate enough that on the whole I have
felt that we were making progress.
We were going in a direction with which
I had sympathy and the overall trend was
such that I could work comfortably within
the system without warping my sense of
conscience.
DAILY: You have been involved with stu-
dents for two years now, what advice might
you give them?
NEWELL: I guess if I have any hobby horse
to ride it's the request that if students are
interested in change that they get the tools
and knowledge to most effectively bring it
4