Faculty Information Policy
Secret Faculty Meeting Proceedings
Are Hardly Compatible With the Concept of A University
Wednesday the University faculty met
as a body as they do once a month. Faculty
procedure is somewhat antiquated. The
faculty cannot introduce a motion and vote
on it at the same meeting. Therefore, they
will introduce a “notice of motion.” This
notice of motion will then be sent to the
Faculty Senate, an elected body of particu
larly prominent faculty members for rec
ommendation. One month after introduc
tion at the general faculty, the faculty as a
whole will vote on the motion.
But if this procedure seems somewhat
odd. the faculty’s information policy is even
stranger. The faculty refuses to release
notices of motion to the public until final
action is taken on them. This means that a
motion introduced at one meeting will be
kept “secret” by the 200 or 300 faculty
members present at the meeting for an en
tire month.
What is the faculty’s justification for
this? In talking to various faculty mem
bers, as far as we can determine, the facul
ty does not wish to become prey to what
they term, “outside pressures” which might
“prejudice” their decisions.
Faculty members will tell you, using the
worst possible logic, that the current poli
cy has always existed, with no bad effects.
Furthermore, they will say that the faculty
is not a legislative body, that they make no
final decisions binding on anyone but them
selves, and thus their proceedings needn’t
be released.
We think our University faculty should
take a second look at their information
policy.
In the first place, it is not reasonable or
practical to ask hundreds of faculty mem
bers to keep anything “secret” for a com
plete month.
In the second place, a desire not to be
prejudiced by outside pressures reminds
us of the old statement, “Don’t confuse me
with facts, my mind is already made up?”
We should think that an educated and in
tellectual faculty would not have to worry
about sifting through arguments to delete
the prejudice and pressure. Is it one of the
signs of an educated man that he be afraid
of controversy arising in an area where he
must make a decision? If any body is cap
able of withstanding “outside pressures,”
we would think it would be a University
faculty.
The argument that the faculty is not a
real legislative body, that their motions
and considerations should not be public in
formation because they are not binding on
anyone but themselves seems to us to be
rather ridiculous.
The University faculty is a group em
ployed by the people of the State of Ore
gon. Their decisions certainly have a wide
influence beyond their own numbers.
Whether or not they have final authority,
they certainly have a great deal of power in
determining University policy in areas
which affect not only students and staff of
the University, but the entire citizenry of
this state.
Take, for instance, the area of student
discipline now before the faculty. Their
recommendation in this area may not be
final, but it will surely be influential. In
that sense of the word, the faculty is a
legislative body of the University of Ore
gon, and their proceedings should be a
matter of public record.
What would be some of the benefits of a
policy which would make faculty proceed
ings public record? One immediate advan
tage is an organizational one. Faculty mem
bers not at the last meeting could be in
formed by the Emerald of the business to
come before the next meeting, and on that
basis decide whether or not to attend.
There would no longer be the many cases
of rumor and misinformation that auto
matically occur in a system where 200 or
300 people keep secret notices of motion
for an entire month.
Our final point is a philosophical one. We
do not see an educational community, such
as this University, as one in which the free
flow of information, so important to educa
tion and educated decision-making, runs
into stumbling blocks at several levels. We
do not see a University as separate and
divided segments such as the faculty, the
students, the administration, and the pub
lic-at-large, each making decisions in their
particular sphere. Rather, we see a Univer
sity as members of the community partici-,
pating in the deliberation and considera
tion of decision-making according to intel
lectual ability, not according to their mem
bership in any one particular segment.
Secret proceedings behind closed doors
are hardly compatible with the philosophy
of a University.
Footnote
We would like to take note here of our
Feature Editor, Dick Richardson, and give
him special credit for the two-page spread
commemorating the 50th anniversary of
the University’s School of Journalism.
Letters to the Editor
Not A Status Seeker
Emerald Editor:
Yes, we have all heard the
complaints about the lack of
capable and qualified ASUO
Senators who are able to think
and act intelligently on issues
and subjects of real importance
to students at the University.
On April 10 we will have a most
important chance to do some
thing about the situation. If you
are of the faction that believes
incumbent Senators are ade
quate, then you will have the
chance to keep the ASUO Sen
ate of a high calibre. Our Sen
ators-at-l.arge have the respon
sibihty and obligation to the
students of acting wisely and
judiciously to advance our in
terests, to recognise the issues
of importance, and to act intel
ligently and rationally on these
subjects.
I suggest that we consider
Mr. Merritt Fink as our prospec
tive Senator-at-Large. Recently
the Senate has been considering
what we know as the Mexico
Program. This program is sole
ly the development of hard pur
suit by the Mexico Committee,
of which Mr. Fink is Chairman.
He became aware of the educa
tional and practical value and
importance to the Mexicans and
to interested students of such
research and work projects as
he has proposed to the Senate.
Mr. Fink is working to offer
this expansive and invaluable
opportunity to the students of
the University of Oregon. Mr.
Fink has been able “to stand on
his own two feet and take con
structive action.” We all want
just this kind of representation,
don’t we?
Mr. Fink has not concerned
himself with creating the “prop
I
er campus image.” He has intel
ligently found his interests and
beliefs, and has spent his time
and efforts acting in accordance
with his own ideas and princi
ples, and constatly searching
for new suggestions and ideas
to improve the Program. I am
confident that we are in favor
of such a conscientious ap
proach.
Besides originating the Mexi
can Program, Mr. Fink is Chair
man of the Student Ambassador
Program of the SU Peoplc-to
People Committee. He is really
“interested in doing something
of value”, and obviously not in
the so-called “status” referred
to in association with the honor
able and responsible position of
Senator-at-Large.
Kathleen Thompson
Junior in Romance
Languages
TOURIST
A Firm Stand...Either Way
The following commentary on
conformity was printed in the
columns of the Mcl.oughlin
High School Pioneer, of Milton
Freewater, Oregon. We think
that both advocates and critics
of conformity will agree that
this represents a firm defense
of the views.
* * •
Who so would be a man, just
be a non-conformist.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
CONFORMITY
What is it? Webster defines
it as a “state or quality of being
in agreement, harmony, etc ” A
student might reply that it is
taking part in current fads,
ideas, or customs A politically
minded person might refer to it
as following or adhering to a
certain idealogical group and its
opinions. But however one looks
at it, conformity is being like or
similar to something Often this
is good, for if people did not
mankind would be nothing but
an anachronism.
However the atheists and ag
nostics should not be persecuted
for their beliefs for as V'oltaire
said, “1 do not agree with what
you say but I will defend to the
death your right to say it.”
Another example of conform
ity is the wearing of clothes. It
is a world wide custom and yet
many people rebel against it.
But to conform is not always
best. Don’t always go along with
the gang, especially in doing
something in which you don't
believe. Their ways arc not al
ways best You should a.sert
your right as a minority, for
surely others cannot criticize
you for him.
Nevertheless, through many
hundreds of years the human
race has developed certain com
mon laws know as a "code of
ethics.” This is something all
people should conform to be
cause it is what a majority of
the people for a long time have
considered the correct things to
practice and carry out.
Outside of this though, each
person must be a "free thinker "
However, he should try to un
derstand the views of others and
weigh them against his own
ideas to find out for himself the
best way.
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald i* published
wvrn limn* in September and five day* a
week during the school year, except dur
ing examination and vacation period* hy
the Student Publication* Roard of the
University of Oregon. Entered »» second
cla*» mater at the post office, Eugene,
Oregon. Subscription rate* $5 pet year;
$2 per term.
Opinion* expre**ed on the editorial page
are those of The Emerald and do not pre
tend to rcpre*rnt the opinions of the
ASUO or the University.
RON BUEL, Editor
MARTV KETELS, litssincai Manager
TED MAHAR, Managing Editor
EVERCTTE DENNIS. News Editor
PHIL COGSWELL.
Editorial Page Editor
LARRY WILLIAMS,
Adverti»tng Manager
ri-SZTZ t
v'ST0P MOL&STIK1& THAT BL-ANKGtY-BLANK'cAT/ '*