OPINION
The Michigan Daily
~be ficidiipn DaT1U
Vol. XCV, No. 48-S
95 Years of Editorial Freedom
Managed and Edited by Students at
The University of Michigan
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the
Daily Editorial Board
Guidelines on trial
IN 1973, IN THE midst of the Vietnam War, the Univer-
sity set up a series of guidelines for classified research.
The goal then was to prevent University researchers from
taking part in the high-level military research that was
commonplace on campuses at the time.
Last week the University's Board of Regents ordered a
review of the guidelines, saying times had changed.
Ostensibly the review is not intended to facilitate
University brain power to think up bigger, better ways for
the Department of Defense to kill: for example, by helping
develop President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative.
The review was prompted by protest of Vice President
for Research Alfred Sussman's decision to reject Prof.
Raymond Tanter's research proposal to the "U.S. Arms
Control and Disarmament Agency" - a wing of the DOD.
Tanter's project would have required using classified
documents for research and probably would have made
his findings classified as well. This violates one section of
the guidelines which requires the open publication of
classified research on campus
Regent Nellie Varner (D-Detroit) wondered if
guidelines could be loosened. But these guidelines exist for
P a reason. The University is supposed to be a learning in-
stitution. The free and open exchange of ideas is a vital, if
not the key component of such an institution. Classified
research with restrictions on publishing the results is har-
dly consistent with what the University is supposed to
stand for.
Vice President Sussman did not make his decision
lightly. The Research Policies Committee, set up by the
regents to uphold the guidelines, voted unanimously to
reject Tanter's project. It may be too bad that the project
- examining alternate ways of achieving arms control
than formal agreements - won't take place; at least not
by Prof. Tanter, but Sussman and the members of the RPC
felt that throwing aside the ideals of open publication is an
even greater sacrifice than losing a fat DOD contract.
But the review is still a good idea. The current guidelines
must remain, but a review gives ample opportunity for the
University to tighten its now lax guidelines. Varner asked
if projects had to follow the letter of the law, but the fact is
that it now does not. The RPC had only rejected one
Pproject in the past, and on that occasion, and the rejection
was voted by Sussman.
And if a review does occur, then it must be done with in-
put from the entire University community. In ordering the
review, Regent Thomas Roach (D-Saline) said that ad-
ministrators should conduct the review in conjunction with
faculty. Students must also be allowed to have an equal
say.
Roach said that times had changed, but the Defense
Department still does weapons research, the possibility
exists for another war abroad, and University campuses
still have the ability to conjure up even more powerful and
deadly weapons than we now have. The University is a
place for the enriching of lives, not for the plotting of en-
ding of lives.
Thursday, August 8, 1985
Page 5
LETTERS TO THEDAILY
Orientation satire under fire
Te the Daily: paled by Cohen's chsrges against
I applaud your decision to print Dov orientation leaders' efforts to get
Cohen's article, "Orientation: An in- orientees talking with one another.
sider's view" (Aug. 2). It takes an Having facilitated activities in
astute editorial staff to recognize that residence halls and classrooms here,
an article can be worth more than I know that many incoming students
meets the eye, that content can be use get-acquainted games to their ad-
juxtaposed with author and context to vantage, and begin exploring the dif-
make an excellent, but hidden point. ferent interests, ideas, and values of
At first, Cohen's article seems silly, fellow students. Cohen, obviously, did
offensive, and biased, and therefore not benefit in this way. However, it
not worth printing in the Daily, even takes more than a game or two to
on the editorial page, Cohen, a native open the mind of someone who notices
Ann Arborite and 1984 Daily summer only how much a person weighs or
intern, begins his attack on orien- how "preppy" their clothes are.
tation by writing that he found cam- Maybe the Office of Orientation
pus tours useless because he was should run a special program for
already familiar with the University those who discount others on the basis
campus before his three-day stay in of appearance. Certainly, people like
Alice Lloyd. As an-incoming student this should get special attention.
who had visited Ann Arbor only once, Cohen finishes his criticism of
however, I remember finding the orientation by wishing he hadn't been
tours extraordinarily helpful, and depressed by orientation's introduc-
was appreciative when major lan tion to University student services.
dmarks were pointed out a few times Perhaps with his article already half-
so I could be sure I had my bearings written in his mind, Cohen chose to
right. This campus is so enormous remember only the crises that some
that I continue to find buildings and of these organizations are equipped to
libraries that I have, after five years, face. Or, perhaps Cohen thought that
still not entered. Maybe the Office or organizations like the Human
Orientation should run a special Sexuality Office and Michigan
program for those who, like Cohen, Student Assembly are not worth
have had the opportunity tospend a remembering. The truth is that no
great deal of time on campus. For University organization is strictly
those less fortunate, tours should crisis oriented, and many are not at
remain. all geared for crises. when in-
BUT THIS FIRST criticism is troduced to these organizations, open-
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minded students discover not only
how to act responsibly during the in-
frequent emergency, but also how to
learn and benefit from each office's
staff and resources during the
majority of the school year. u
Learning is a lifelong occupation,
and one could certainly spend a
lifetime here in Ann Arbor pursuing
it. The Office of Orientation could not,
in three days, even scratch the sur-
face of this rich community, nor does
it profess to. Hut three days of orien-
tation can teach an incoming student
that learning about the University is a
long but rewarding process, and that
fellow students are the most diverse
and valuable resource here.
At a time when the University's
orientation program is coming under
some criticism and scrutiny for its
policies toward student
organizations, it is refreshing to be
reminded by Dov Cohen's article that
orientation has a reason: people,
especially newcomers, have a lot to
learn about the University. And, as
Cohen's article shows, even those who
know where Angell Hall is can learn a
thing ortwo.
Again, I congratulate the Daily for
recognizing that the most effective
satire is the self-satire, and that the
most effective self-satire is one that is
inadvertently so.
-Kent Graysen
August 7
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