Administrators set on adopting code By LAURIE DELATER Last in a series As students try to drum up opposition and the faculty attempts to formulate an opinion about the proposed code governing student behavior outside the classroom, administrators say they are determined to put a code on the Univer- 'sity's books, perhaps even by the end of the school year. "I can make a prediciton that we will have a code at the University. And I would say that we would have a code by the end of this academic Iyear," said Business Prof. William Colburn, former chairman of the University committee which originally drafted the code. UNIVERSITY President Harold Shapiro would not set a deadline, but said he is definitely pushing the proposed code. "I'm determined," he said. "But I'm not in a hurry." For close to eight months now, the ad- ministration has been publicly pushing for the code, attempting to convince the students, faculty, and ultimately the University regents that the code is needed. THEIR MOTIVES range from paternalism to fears that the University cannot adequately protect itself from lawsuits or provide a safe environment for research and learning. And although administrators have en- couraged student input into the drafting and revisions of the code, they have not ruled out sidestepping student leaders and passing a code without their consent. Administrators argue that perhaps the most important reason for adopting a code is to protect the University from lawsuits charging negligence. DAN SHARPHORN, a University policy researcher who has worked extensively on the code, said the University may be vulnerable to lawsuits charging that student security stan- dards are not adequate. "If students get drunk in dorms and someone breaks his neck, we'll lose in a second in any court" under the current University rules, Sharphorn said. The code could be used in court to show that security standards do exist, he said. ALTHOUGH the University does not have any negligence suits pending against it, univer- sities nationwide are facing more and more suits each year, said Bill Lemmer, an attorney for the University's general council. "Because there are (no suits) against the University doesn't mean that much," he said. "In the legal world what you want to do.. . is a little preventive maintenance. You don't want to go to court.'' Administrators also say the code is needed to give the University a freer hand to punish or expel students that it believes have committed crimes on campus. UNDER CURRENT Univesity rules there is no formal procedure for expelling a student and the University cannot take action against a student if a civil or criminal proceeding is being conducted at the same time. "We cannot continue to have our hands tied when some agency downtown gets involved," said Virginia Nordby, a legal advisor to the president. Although administrators see the proposed code and judicial system as quicker, and less bureaucratic than the public courts, they say that the system would not violate students' rights to due process or a fair trial. A FEDERAL district judge in Michigan upheld a college's right to prosecute a student internally in January, 1983 when a Ferris State College senior failed to win an injunction to stop an internal hearing. The student had been arrested off-campus by local police for selling illegal drugs, accor- ding to Carl Brevitts, an attorney for the college. 'Administrators also said the code will also provide a simple mechanism for studnents to work out problems internally without turning to criminal courts. Fran Foster, housing security supervisor, said the less serious cases of assault or harassment could be dealt with under the code. "I'VE HAD A student tell me, 'I was assaulted by another student in the UGLi,'" Johnson said. "I have to say there's no where (she) can go to aggrieve that." Despite all their efforts to sell the code to student leaders, however, administrators are See 'U', Page 2 Ninety-five Years_ of5l1iYellow Editorial Freedom More sun and temperatures reaching 80 degrees this after- noon. Vol. XCV, No. 15 Copyright 1984, The Michigan Daily Ann Arbor, Michigan - Saturday; September 22, 1984 Fifteen Cents Eight Pages Regents oppose tax rollback By ERIC MATTSON The 'University's Board of Regents, by a vote of 6-0, voted yesterday to con- demn the Voter's Choice ballot proposal, which would allow citizens to vote on most tax measures throughout the state, and could cost the University millions of dollars in state aid. Most analysts agree that, if passed, Voter's Choice - Proposal C on the Nov. 6 ballot - would roll back state and local property taxes to their 1981 levels which, according to 'Rtegent Gerald Dunn .(D-Garden City), could cause a drastic cut in state appropriations to the University. IN AN UNCHARACTERISTICALLY political move, the regents urged University leaders - including Presi- dent Harold Shapiro - to campaign against the proposal because the effect on the University could be "absolutely horrendous," Dunn said. According to Richard Kennedy, vice president for state relations, the University could lose nearly $20 million in state aid if the proposal passes. And "in the worst of all possible worlds," Kennedy said, the regents may be for- ced to raise tuition in the middle of the school year. "That kind of one-year hit would be enormously difficult to absorb," he said. IF PROPOSAL C is approved by voters in November, tax rates would be rolled back to their December, 1981 levels unless a special election is held to approve the higher rates. In addition to approving any change in taxes, voters would have to okay in- creases in other state fees, such as licenses, unless the hikes were first passed by four-fifths of the state legislature. Regent Thomas Roach (D-Saline) said he voted for the board's resolution partly because a minority of legislators could force tax bills into the public's hands. "You don't get much closer to tyranny than that," he said. UNIVERSITY President Harold Shapiro said "I don't think the Univer-v sity of Michigan would go away if this were passed," but he added that he would campaign against the measure because of the large loss in revenue the University could face. If the proposal passes Dunn said, "it would be a disaster for the state and the University." See TAX, Page 3 Z. .Z Z -Z-Z-Z-z-z-z-z- An ardent bookworm catches some shut eye outside the Michigan League yesterday afternoon. Baker questions legality of bankruptcy suit Local bar owner sparked, U-Club probe, oficial says By LAURIE DELATER University Regent Deane Baker (R- Ann Arbor) Thursday contested a petition filed against him by a Saline building firm that is trying to force him into bankruptcy. York Contracting Inc. filed the petition with the Michigan Bankruptcy Court last August in an attempt to win payment for past bills from Baker's now defunct firm, through bankruptcy. IN 1982, York filed suit against the Deane Baker Co. of Dearborn, charging that Baker's company failed to pay for work done on Newport West Con- dominiums in Ann Arbor. Attorneys for Baker's firm said the company would not pay for the work because the work was unsatisfactory. Last December Washtenaw circuit Court Judge William Ager ordered Baker's company to pay York $24,198 to settle the dispute. But Baker's firm never paid and was dissolved a month later on Jan. 11, 1984, after Baker with- drew all of the assets from the firm. YORK THEN filed the petition to for- ce Baker's defunct firm into bankrup- tcy, which would force Baker to pay off his creditors with the money he took out of the firm. In his statement filed Thursday, Baker said York could not continue the suit unless at least two other creditors joined the firm. State law says that if a company owes money to more than 12 creditors, at least three must jointly file a bankrup- tcy suit. If there are 12 or fewer creditors, only one must petition., BAKER SAID he has 17 creditors, See BAKER, Page 2 By GEORGEA KOVANIS A local bar owner is responsible for the State Liquor Con- trol Commission's (LCC) crackdown on the Michigan Union's University Club bar, an LCC official confirmed yesterday. According to Walter Keck, deputy director of the LCC's en- forcement division, a complaint filed with the LCC in May by an Ann Arbor bar owner sparked the investigation which has lead to at least one citation against the U-Club. THE BAR owner who filed the complaint has asked to remain anonymous, Keck said. According to Keck, the complaint charged that the U-Club, which operates under a special "club license' served alcohol to non-club members. This license allows the club to sell alcohol to members of the University Club -,students, staff members, faculty and alumni are automatically members. Guests of these memers are also allowed to buy drinks. "We don't just bounce around from one club to another," Keck said, adding that the LCC probably would not have launched its investigation if the complaint had not been filed. ON AUGUST 28, the U-Club was cited with one violation of the state's liquor control laws after a liquor control officer was served a drink on July 18. The club will also more than likely be cited for an identical incident which took place on Sept. 8, Keck said. .He added that the report on the second violation has been forwarded to the state attorney general who is expected to decide next week whether or not to issue a second formal citation against the U-Club. Union director Frank Cianciola, has acknowledged the slip-ups. "We probably weren't as diligent (in checking mem- berships as we need be," Cianciola said. AND IT'S this lack of diligence that has some local bar See U-CLUB, Page 2 Baker ...files opposition mTODAY. Walden three AN ENGLISH literature student in Kenmore, N.Y. who has been threatened with $50-a-day-fines unless he trims his yard says he will fight, to keep the yard full of wildflowers-some stan- ding feet tall. In a ruling Thursday ordering Stephen Ken- Poly sci 111? P RESIDENT REAGAN owns the whole world except for China, Japan, Germany and Russia. He has white hair like George Washington and his job involves arguing with the "other one" who wants to be president. That is a highly selective composite of how first graders at Holmes Elementary School in Spring Lake view the nation's chief executive. As part of a recent class project, the first graders were asked four questions about the president. Here are some of their answers: What is the president? Someone who owns the whole world.., except China and are hurt.""Makes people happy." "Pays water bills." "Bosses wars." "Tells people what they'd like to know." "Takes care of peoples' money." "Tells you there's anger." "Helps army men if they've been shot in the war." Non returnables (CHINA'S ANCIENT culinary arts are taking a quantum Most chopsticks used in Chinese restaurants are plastic or wood, given a quick rinse after each use. Disposable chop- sticks, lont used by restaurants in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, are mass-produced of cheap wood and wrap- ped in a sheath of paper. On the inside ... _._.1 i I I The Oninion Page reviews The Michigan Review ... Arts