Page Two
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Wednesday, September 2, 19708
Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday, September 2, 1 97O~
The
Regents:
Action at the top of the
hierarchy,
By ROB BIER
They are called the Board of
Regents, but a more descriptive
name would be Board of Direc-
tors.
In the world of Big Business,
the Board of Directors' function
is largely a ritualistic one. It
serves as a pasture for old ex-
ecutives and b i g stockholders,
largely uninformed on and bas-
ically uninvolved in the day-to-
day workings of the corpora-
tion. The real work and decis-
ion-making is done by the full-
time executives, headed up by
the president, who also serves
as Chairman of the Board.
The analogy works well for
the University. With its. annual
budget in excess of $250 million,
it qualifies as Big Business. And
from the way President Robben
Fleming handles the monthly
Regents' meetings, it is clear
that he is usually the Chairman
of the Board.
But it is the eight-man board
of Regents which constitutional-
ly owns and operates the Uni-
versity.
A typical regental action will
be to tell the ;central adminis-
tration, through Fleming, to
"look at this and come back to
us next month with a proposal."
Likely as not, even that action
has been initiated by Fleming
or one of the executive officers
by bringing the problem to the
Regents' attention in the first
place.
However, before looking more
closely -at the workings of the
Regents, meet t h e Regents
themselves. They are elected on
partisan tickets every two years
in staggered six-year terms.
Robert Brown (R-Kalama-
zoo) is one of the most "conserv-
Gertrude Huebner
ative" and volatile of the eight
Regents. Involved in real estate
and investments, his one over-
powering concern is "coercion
by students," Any issue involv-
ing an expression of opinion by
students will find him warning
against "intimidation" and con-
struing student statements of al-
most any nature as "threats of
violence.'
William Cudlip (R-Grosse
Pointe Shores) is a partner in
the law firm of Dickinson,
Wright, McKean a n d Cudlip.
Also a political conservative, his
official statements are often
filled with rather high-blown
rhetoric and fine ideals,, which,
however one might disagree, are
apparently sincere.
Gerald Dunn (D-Flushing) is
one of the younger Regents and
Robert B-own
sometimes the most "liberal." A
former state senator, he is pres-
ently Director of Federal and
State Relations for the Grand
Rapids Board of Education.
Willing to listen to students, his
wry sense of humor, while some-
times disconcerting, often re-
lieves the tension at Regents
meetings when emotions are
running high.
Paul Goebel (R-Grand Rap-
ids) is one of two University
graduates on the Board and the
third of the real "conservatives."
A former football player, he
now heads up an athletic goods
company. Usually silent at Re-
gents' meetings, he is the least
likely one to be drawn into con-
versation, especially with stu-
dents. From that. it is not hard
to guess that he is rarely sway-
ed by arguments in opposition
to his own opinions, especially
by students.
Gertrude Huebner (R-Bloom-
field Hills) is the wife of a top
Chrysler Corp. executive a n d
sees herself as the most liberal
Regent. While that is often true,
it is also true that she often
fails to speak out or act for
fear of damaging her "liberal
position" with the rest of the
Regents. Mrs. Huebner is the
best of the Regents for talking
with and listening to students,
as she is always friendly and
eager to help. However, her
great admiration a n d respect
for Fleming often makes it dif-
ficult to make her see the other
side of a position he has taken.
;,awrenee Lindemer (R-Stock-.
hridge) stands in the political
middle ground and is generally
known as the "swing v o t e,"
making the difference between
a 4-4 defeat for a motion and a
5-3 victory. His very real con-
cern for his job is most clearly
seen w h e n he beomes upset
with students who express dis-
satisfaction with a decision in
which he concurred after care-
fully making his decision. Lin-
demer is eager to gain both stu-
dent and faculty opinions and a
person trying to question him
will often find himself the ob-
ject of some pointed questions
from the Regent.
Robert Nederlander (D-Bir-
mingham) was the captain of
the University's 1955 champion
tennis team and now is a part-
ner in a Detroit law firm and
vice-president and director of
Nederlander Theatrical Corp.,
The Fisher Theater people. Un-
like some of his more "conserv-
ative" colleagues, Nederlander
tends to look at issues more on'
their own merits than from
some political beliefs or person-
al vanity.
Otis Smith (D-Detroit) is a
corporation lawyer for General
Motors and the only black on
the Board. While generally
known as reasonable and easy
to talk to, he lost much of that
standing last February when he
blew up at a meeting with stu-
dents over the black demands
for increased admissions. He
failed to show up at the next
three Regents' meetings, and
missed the v o t e on those de-
mands, causing doubt in many
minds as to just where he
stands.
Bookstore
The first crisis of the past
year took no time in coming. In
September, the Regents reject-
ed, as they had done two years
earlier, a student request for a
student-run bookstore. While
they d i d accept a University
bookstore, it was to have been
overseen directly by the admin-
istration. The students refused
to accept that plan and started
a series of demonstrations which
culminated a week and a half
later in the takeover of the LSA
Bldg.
As has been noted, the Re-
gents balk at acting in the face
of even faintly militant student
action. The crucial move in the
bookstore dispute was the call-
ing of a two-week halt on pro-
test while the student-faculty
group went to work. It saved
face for the Regents, but the
wounds remained and possibly
helped to protract the struggle
over the BAM demands during
that strike.
Bylaws
Continuing throughout the last
year, and promising to become
a major area of contention this
coming year, is the matter of
new by-laws.
A student-faculty draft of
the bylaws drawn up last sum-
mer gave considerable decision-
making power rto the students
and, predictably. t h e Regents
opposed the idea. The battle ov-
er the University-wide rules-
making body, the University
Council (UC), ended when the
Regents m a d e their approval
necessary for implementation of
UC rules.
The question of the relation
of the Office of Student Ser-
vices vice president to his stu-
dent policy board is still going,
but shows signs of hope for a
-Daily-Sara Kruiwich
Regents : Thg board of directors
v
compromise decision. The real
crunch comes over the -all-stu-
dent judiciary called for in the
student-faculty draft.
With other matters pressing,
the Regents were able to defer
action on the judiciary until
the BAM strike. Then, w i th
conservative faculty members
clamouring for a say in punish-
ing classroom disrupters and the
general public calling for a
crackdown on "anarchists," the
Regents felt forced to act -
by passing interim conduct
rules setting up an outside hear-
ing officer appointed by Flem-
ing to hear and pass sentence
in disruption cases. There was
an immediate outcry from stu-
dents and faculty alike who had
not only been left out of the
judiciary process, but the decis-
ion to set it up as well.
The Regents, especially Lin-
demer, were surprised not so
much at the objections raised,
as at their intensity.
An unprecedented committee
has now been set up, including
Regents Lindemer and Neder-
lander, to draft a new judiciary
system. But with the very real
and substantial differences ex-
isting between students, faculty
and Regents, a successful end
to" the conflict seems to be a
dim prospect for the near future.
BAM Demands
The greatest crisis the Re-
gents had to face was, of
course, the BAM demands with
its ensuing strike. BAM present-
ed the demands for increased
admissions, financial aid, sup-
portive services and eight oth-
er related matters at February
and March meetings. When the
Regents passed the administra-
tion plan at their March ,meet-
ing, they sincerely believed that
they were meeting the demands.
What they failed to see was the
importance the students would
attach to the wording of the
resolution, especially the ac-
ceptance by the Regents of a
ten per cent black enrollment
by 1973-74 as a "goal" rather
than a commitment.
Past promises by the Univer-
sity on black enrollment had
fallen short of what the stu-
dents had been led to expect,
and when the Regents failed to
commit themselves to achieving
the demands, it seemed likely
that the old disappointment
would happen again. A b r i e f
clash with police occured while
the Regents were eating lunch
and the next d a y the strike
started. To the Regents, such a
response was childish and in-
explicable, since to their think-
ing, they had done virtually all
that had been asked of them.
They saw no reason ,to recon-
sider, and with the students be-
coming "coercive" they were not
about to do anything.
labor relations
By ANITA WETTERSTROEM
Th University has traveled a
long and bumpy road in its re-
lations with its employes -
an d smooth driving is no-
where in sight.
A major upheaval in cam-
pus labor relations came with
the arrival of labor unions in
the fall of 1967. Then, after two
years of negotiations, strikes, le-
gal controversies and general
confusion, the University arriv-
ed at a relatively stable rela-
tionship with the establishment
of three unions and their rec-
ognition by .the administration.
Following some near-violent
clashes, the University finally
relented and agreed to a key
demand: interim recognition of
the employes' right to collective
bargaining.
Five unions vied at various
times for representation, with
Local 1583 of t h e American
Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employes (AFS-
CME), eventually the major
winner. AFSCME now repre-
sents the largest group of Uni-
versity non-academic employes
-the maintenance and service
employes.
"We think our relations with
the workers are good-but any
time you have a new union or-
ganization, there are bound to
be some strains," says J. F.
Brinkerhoff. director of the Uni-
versity's business operations.
But the contract between
AFSCME and the University will
expire December 31.
"We expect there will be no-
gotiations for pay come Dec.
31," says Brinkerhoff, "but how
easy the talks go depends on
how reasonable the demands
are."
Negotiations for a new con-
tract will begin in October, and
union officials say they will ask
for stronger language on over-
time and sick pay provisions in
o r de r to protect employes
against alleged discrimination
on the part of supervisors.
Alleged harrassment of main-
tenance workers has been the
most common grievance of em-
ployes, who claim that super-
visors withold overtime and
sickpay allotments as means of
intimidation.
Charles McCracken, presi-
dent of Local 1583, claims the
stream of harrassment and in-
timidation by front-line super-
visors is steady. "The University
is determined to discourage the
employes from union member-
ship," McCracken charges.
The¢ most recent major clash
in University labor relations oc-
curred last May when four em-
ployes of University Hospital
were- suspended for their con-
nections with a brief wildcat
strike the month before. A fifth
employe w a s dismissed on
charges of striking a supervis-
or.
The strike, which involved
about 150 service and mainten-
ance employes, all members of
Local 1583, began in response
to a supervisor's alleged strik-
ing of an employe. The strike
lasted for about 3 days, forc-
ing the hospital to operate on a
limited basis.
A two-part agreemen
tween the union and th
versity officials prohibite
ciplinary action against,
the strikers with the ex
also included a provis:
which the union can a
arbitration on University
plinary action within 3
after they are made. The
is presently seeking an
trator for the issue and p
ing arguments against th
pensions.
Meanwhile a movement
to organize University se
ies, stenographers, andc
workers. Under the guida
Local 1583, the office w
are being encouraged to
rize AFSCME to represent
Given this authorization
CME will petition the Sta
bor Mediation Board t
duct a referendum amo
estimated 3,000 Universl
fice workers.
If two-thirds of those
cast ballots in favor of
representation, a bargaini
it will be established, a:
members will then pe
their own contract an
structure and decide w
they will be a sub-unit4
existing Local 1583 or a
pletely independent chaps
"Office workers need ba
ing power and grievancE
cedures," said Mrs. Nev
dleton, chairman of theE
izing committee. "Thes
skilled and educated peop
yet their minimum w
$1.93-27 cents less thant
maintenance workers."
unsta ble
nt be- With the skilled and main-
e Uni- tenance workers already organ-
ed dis- ized and the office workers in
any of the process of becoming so, all
ception that is left is the faculty. And
ion by a faculty union may be in the
isk for not too distant future.
disci- McCracken speculates that
0 days with the passage, of a stringent
union "strike policy" which is now be-
arbi- fore the Regents, University
prepar- academic employes *may seek
he sus- union representation as their
only means of redress.
began The "strike policy" is a con-
cretar- troversial proposal to withhold
clerical pay from professors and other
ance of staff members who cancel class-
workers es or engage in other forms of
autho- "withholding of services," dur-
t them, ing campus strikes.
, AFS- McCracken predicts t h a t
ate La- "within three years the whole
) con- University will be organized-
ng the
ngy of- including faculty," adding that
ity h itof- even interns at University Hos-
pital are said to be petitioning
voting for union representation.
union -.
ng un- He blames the labor unrest on
nd the the "University's hard nosed
gotiate look at things," such as working
d dues conditions and fringe benefits.
hether It seems that labor relations
of the at the University will remain
com- touch and go for some time to
ter. come. Some say if either em-
argain- ployer or employe's gets too de-
e pro- manding or unrelenting, all
a Mid- progress may come to a halt.
organ- But some union officials anti-
se are cipate the whole arrangement
ale and may simply explode this fall.
age is Says McCracken, "It's a bomb
that of just waiting for someone to de-
tonate it."
The bylaws: Controlling
(Continued from Page 1)
Soon after, an ad hoc com-
mittee composed of students,
faculty members and one ad-
ministrator began meeting to
draft a set of Regents bylaws
designed to implement }he rec-
ommendations of the Hatcher
Commision.
In June, 1969, the bylaw draft
was completed, and after ratifi-
cation by Student Government
Council and Senate Assembly
(the University-wide faculty
representative body), the draft
was submitted to the Regents.
Since then, the Regents have
proposed major revisions in the
student-faculty draft-revisions
which would considerably reduce
the authority delegated to stu-
dent governments, and limit
student control over the Of-
fice of Student Affairs.
The student-faculty d r a f t
divided the question of rule-
making into two areas-one in-
volving rules which would apply
to the entire University com-
munity, and one involving rules
made within each school and
college.
On the University-wide level,
the student-faculty draft pro-
posed the creation of University
Council (UC), a body composed
of students, faculty members,
and administrators, which would
formulate campus-wide rules.
The rules would take effect if
ratified by SGC and Senate As-
sembly, unless formally vetoed
by the Regents.
The authority to make all
other regulations governing stu-
dent conduct, except in the
areas of academic honesty,
would be delegated to represent-
ative' s t u d e n t governments,
which could be' formed in each
school, college, and residence
hall.
The bylaw section on'UC was
adopted by the Regents at their
meeting last February, but with
the stipulation that regental
ratification of all rules drafted
by UC would be required-not
just the absence of a formal
veto.
In addition, the Regents de-
leted the section of the student-
faculty draft which would have
delegated the authority to make
all other non-academic rules to
the various students govern-
ments, and called upon the
governing faculties in e a c h
school and college to determine
the extent of student participa-
tion in rule-making within their
academic unit.
The Regents also proposed
several key revisions in the stu-
dent-faculty draft of the by-
law sections dealing with the
Office of Student Affairs, which
would be renamed the Office of
Student Services (OSS).
The student-faculty d r a f t
would give a student-dominated
board in OSS the authority to
make policy binding on the vice
president for student services,
the chief administrator in OSS.
The regental draft provides for
the vice president and the board
to "jointly" set policy.
And, while the student-faculty
ur
bylaw draft would require the
vice president to obtain the ap-
proval of his policy board when
appointing directors of the
various units within OSS (such
as the Office of University
Housing), the regerital draft
would require the him to seek
the policy board's advice only.
Since the regental draft of the
OSS bylaws was released in Jan-
uary, SGC and key faculty mem-
bers have proposed a com-
promise draft designed to in-
crease the student role in OSS
but secure the approval of the
Regents.
The compromise draft states
that if the vice president and
his policy board do not agree on
a particular proposed policy "the
implementation of that policy
will be delayed until the issue
is resolved, by an agreement
between the vice president and
the policy board." And where
the policy decision is subject
to approval by the Regents and
executive officers, both the vice
president and the policy board
would present their views, in-
stead of just the vice president.
As this supplement goes to
press, the Regents have still not
adopted a set of bylaws dealing
with OSS, pending further dis-
cussions -on the various alter-
native drafts.
In addition, the Regents have
yet to release a draft of the by-
law sections defining the Uni-
versity's disciplinary system, a
question which is certain to be
the subject of considerable con-
troversy in the fall (see Aca-
demics section).
The status of chapter seven,
then, is as follows:
-The Regents have adopted
section 7.01, which defines the
powers of University Council;
and section 7.02, which creates
tri-partite Committee on Com-
munications to facilitate the
resolution of differences between
members of the University com-
munity ;
-Sections 7.03, 7.04, and 7.05,
which deal with OSS, await
adoption pending agreement by
students, faculty members and
administrators on an accepetable
draft;
-Section 7.07 of the student-
faculty bylaw draft, which would
have delegated to representative
But the schools and colleges
committed themselves to find-
ing the necessary money in their
own budgets, and negotiations
worked out the other details.
The most important point
denied by the Regents was that
of amnesty for strikers who had
not broken any civil law., The
failure of BAM to win that point
brought sharp criticism f r o m
many white supporters, and the
hearing officer procedure es-
tablished for dealing with BAM
cases served as the precedent
for the later action on conduct
rules.
Just as the bookstore fight
stiffened the Regents for the
BAM strike, so will the BAM
conflict make arndsther battle
even more difficult. For the Re-
gents do have absolute power
over the running of the Unver-,
ity. In the past, they have "leen,
careful in using that power, del
egating it to the central admin-
istration or the schools and col-
leges and, seeking faculty and
student opinion. B u t their
premptory action on the inter-
im conduct rules marks a de-
parture for them, and more im-
portantly, for the central ad-
ministration.
And whether that will turn
into a trend or be halted by stu-
dent and faculty opposition is
one of the key questions for the
coming year.
the 'U'
student governments at the
school, college and dorm level
the sole power to enact regula-
tions governing student conduct,
except in areas involving aca-
demic honesty has been deleted
by the Regents;
-Section 7.08 and 7.09, which
would establisp guidelines for
student governments in general, f
and SGC in particular, await
adoption. The ;Regents have
proposed deleting a provision in
the student-faculty draft of
these bylaws which would allow
SGC to levy dues upon all stu-
dents if the levy were approved
by a student referendum. In- 4
stead, the regental draft would
authorize Council to receive on-
ly those funds "appropriated
by the Regents"; and
-Sections 7.10, 7.11, and 7.12
of the student-faculty draft,
which define a, University-
w i d e disciplinary procedure,*
stand in limbo, as this supple-
ment goes to press.
Although the Regents have
not released a draft proposing
revisions in 7.10-7.12, they have,
along with the executive of-
ficers, expressed opposition to a
provision in the student-faculty
draft which would allow stu-
dents the right to be tried be-
fore an all-student judiciary in
all disciplinary cases except
those involving charges of aca-
demic dishonesty.
In April, a student-faculty-
administration body was created$
to draft a new proposal for a
University-w i d e disciplinary
procedure, which, presumably,
would replace the original stu-
dent-faculty draft if it was more
favorable to the Regents.
The fifth year of the bylaw
dispute will probably see regent-
al adoption of the bulk of chap-
ter seven, in one form or an-
other. But students leaders are
quick to point out that the final
provisions in chapter seven are
not likely to satisfy the student
body-or at least those students
active in campus politics. n
And, with SGC and student
governments in the schools and
colleges certain to increase their
efforts to gain a voice equal to
or greater than, that of the fac-
ulty and administration in Uni-
versity affairs, the dispute over
the Regents bylaws may have
just begun.
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