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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1966)
Student Activities Statement Draft Editor's Note: What follows is a draft of a policy statement on stu dent activities drawn up by the University's Student Activities Com mittee. It affects all recognised Uni versity groups. Most of it will be run in today's Emerald, but space limi tations force us to run part of it in Thursday's paper. This is a rough draft proposal, parts of which must be approved by the faculty, parts by President Flemming. Student Union Director A. L. “Si" Ellingson bas asked that students with com ments or suggestions on the state ment contact bis office so that they can be directed to the proper com mittee or board handling the section of the statement that interests them. I. Purpose The purpose of this memorandum is to set forth the relationship between the Student Activities Committee and stu dent groups and organizations of the University, and to outline the Commit tee's and the University's policies and procedures governing on-campus activi ties by University student groups and organizations. This document is furnished to University student groups and organi zations by the Student Activities Com mittee to provide guidance with refer ence to student activities on campus II. Student Activities Committee A. Nature The Student Activities Committee is a Faculty Committee established by the Faculty of the University on February 3. 1902 B. Composition The Student Activities Committee is composed of four faculty members rec ommended by the Faculty Committee on Committees and appointed by the President of the University, and four student members recommended by the President of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon and appointed ;by the President of the University. The Dean of Students, as personal repre sentative of the President, is an ex officio member. The Director of the Stu dent Union serves as nonvoting secre tary of the Committee The period of service for both faculty and student members is one year, although both fac ulty and student members may be re appointed for successive service periods. C. General Powers and Responsibilities Except as otherwise provided it is the special responsibility of the Student Ac tivities Committee to regulate all campus extracurricular activities incident to stu dent life. It is the particular responsi bility of the Committee to grant recog nition to the numerous student organi zations and groups which play an active part in the life of the University and to develop policies which shall guide such organizations in their activities; the Committee shall prepare the social cal endar for the University. The Committee :has the authority to withdraw recogni tion from those groups or organizations which it recognizes. The Student Activi ties Committee has jurisdiction over all student activities not specifically assigned to some other faculty committee or Uni versity department or committee and is charged particularly with assuring that student activities do not interfere unduly with the scholastic work of the students of the University. The Student Activities Committee has responsibility for the use of the University name, its buildings, property and facilities, by student groups and organizations of the University. The chairman and secretary may act for the Student Activities Committee on matters of urgency when the regular or a special meeting of the Committee would cause undue delay. III. Statements of Policies A. The existence in the University community of many diversified student groups and organizations concerned with a broad spectrum of the interests, values, and activities of society helps round out the purposes of the University by com plementing the University’s academic program. It is the policy of the Univer sity and the Student Activities Commit tee to recognize such student groups and organizations whether for continuing ac tivities or for a limited period of time, and to facilitate their activities in a variety of ways. B. To carry out its assigned responsi bilities, the Student Activities Committee requires that all student groups and or ganizations be recognized by the Com mittee in order for the student group or organization to operate on the campus of the University of Oregon and use or schedule to be used, any or part of the University’s facilities, property, or build ings. C. As a matter of policy the Univer sity refrains from attempting to control or sway the personal opinions or beliefs of students or their organizations, or the public expression of those opinions or beliefs. Recognition of student groups or organizations does not mean that the University supports or adheres to the views held or positions taken by such groups. Moreover, recognition of student groups or organizations in no way implies University consent to or agreement with actions by students or their groups or organizations which violate federal, state, or local laws or ordinances, or rules and regulations of the State System of Higher Education and of the University of Ore gon. Students or student groups and or ganizations must assume responsibility for any of their actions which violate such laws, rules, or regulations. D. Student groups or organizations not recognized by the Student Activities Committee may not use or schedule to be used any part of the University's facilities, property, or buildings. There are only two exceptions to this policy: 1. The tree speech i'lattorm. located on the Erb Memorial Student Union Terrace, may be used at any time by any University student or group of students (whether recognized by the Student Ac tivities Committee or not) for the pur pose of free speech, in accordance with the following provisions: a The Platform cannot be reserved or scheduled. b. Only public address systems ap proved by the Student Union Board may be used. c. However, the right of free speech may not spare the speaker from legal action if the substance of the remarks are found to violate the legal rights of others. Use of the Free Speech Plat form does not accord speakers immu nity from legal action d. The essence of the right of free speech is the freedom of the speaker to make his statement. Both the speaker and the audience are entitled to proceed without being subjected to physical violence. Persons deliberately engaging in acts of violence may be subject to removal from the premises and prosecution under the law. e. The Erb Memorial Student Union Board is responsible for administering and interpreting policies for the Free Speech Platform. 2. A student group or organization may, subsequent to initiating action to seek Student Activities Committee rec ognition, schedule meetings in the Stu dent Union building or elsewhere for the purpose of organization. (See V.A.2. below) IV. Procedures Governing the Recognition of Student Groups by the Student Activities Committee A. Any student group or organization will be accorded recognition by the Stu dent Activities Committee providing: 1. The student group or organization confines active membership to regularly enrolled students and to faculty and staff members of the University and their families; 2. The student group or organization does not have as its stated purpose the advocacy of interference with the Uni versity’s ability to perform its functions; 3. The student group or organization does not have as its stated purpose the advocacy of activities which would men ace the health and safety of persons in the University community; 4. The student group or organization does not have in its stated purpose the intention to assume the functions and responsibilities assigned by law, by the administrative code of the State Board of Higher Education, or by faculty legislation to officials of the University, the faculty, or to other bodies; and 5. The student group or organization complies with the provision of Subsec tion B, below. B. Procedure for Seeking Recognition 1. Individuals wishing to initiate a student group or organization must sub mit a request for recognition to the Stu dent Activities Committee for considera tion and approval. The application shall include the following information about the proposed student group or organiza tion: a. Statement of aims and functions. b. Proposed constitution. c. Proposed by laws. d. List of interested persons and provisional ofllcers. e. Name of the faculty or .staff ad visor. (This can be waived by the Committee.) 2. Where the local student group or organization wishes to affiliate with a national organization, whether student or otherwise, a request must be sub mitted to the Student Activities Com mittee together with the following infor mation: a. Name, statement of aims and functions, and constitution and by laws of the national organization. b. The local membership roll. c. The general method of financing organizational activities together with information on whether dues, if any, are paid by local chapters, individual members, or both d. Names of the current national officers. e. Any other pertinent information required by the Student Activities Committee. 3 Policy on Discrimination a It is the policy of the University to oppose and prevent, in connection with its activities, discrimination based on race, color, or religion. Such dis crimination is inconsistent with the free pursuit of truth and inquiry which is the central purpose of the university. b. In line with the policy in subsec tion a. above, the Student Activities Committee will withhold its recogni tion of any fraternity, sorority, hon orary, club, or other organization whose national charter, constitution or bylaws, or whose local constitution or bylaws require restriction of local membership on the basis of race, color, or religion. (Section K 10, of the Ad ministrative Code of the State Board of Higher Education.) c The University recognizes that with the largo number of student groups and organizations on the cam pus, including some made up of for eign students as well as some organ ized to promote a variety of causes, some of these organizations will, by virtue of their inherent nature and purpose, be limited to persons of one or more racial, religious, national or geographical grouping In these cases, the Student Activities Committee in considering applications for recogni tion will determine whether bona tide reasons have been demonstrated by each applicant for a variance from the basic policy on discrimination of the State System of Higher Education. C. Procedures Subsequent to Recognition 1 The Student Activities Committee may, at any time, require that a recog nized student group or organization sub mit to the Committee current informa tion on any or all of the following: a. Statement of aims and functions. b. Constitution and by-laws. c. Membership roll, officers, spon sors, and advisors. d. Time and place of meetings. e. Information about financial sup port and condition of finances. 2. The Student Activities Committee requires that all student groups and organizations recognized by the Commit tee, submit annually or as often as changes occur, the names of their officers and advisor for the following school year or period. Moreover, if the group or organization changes its aims and functions in a significant manner, the Student Activities Committee must be notified of the change within seven days. (See IV, Section D.) 3. Recognizing the need and desirabil ity for proper and accurate accounting of all student funds, the Student Activi ties Committee urges that all student groups and organizations deposit their funds with the Student Union Adminis trative Office without service charge, to insure safekeeping and proper account ing of all income and expenses. The Student Activities Committee will expect the faculty or staff advisor to exercise reasonable supervision over the finances of the student group or organization. Thus if the student group or organiza tion funds are held in trust by the Stu dent Union, the faculty or staff advisor shall sign or countersign all authoriza tions for expenditures for the group or organization on forms provided for this purpose by the Student Union. I), Withdrawal of Recognition and Sanctions 1. The Student Activities Committee may withdraw recognition in accordance with section IV. I) 4, below, whenever u recognized student group or organiza tion fails to comply with any or all of the requirements for remaining in good standing as specified herein, within the time period specified by the Committee. 2. Whenever a recognized student group or organization violates the rules and policies of the University or of the Oregon State Hoard of Higher Education, that student group or organization may be liable to action by the Student Con duct Committee under the provisions of Section I). "Croup Offenses" of the "The Code of Student Conduct," which reads as follows: "1. Living organizations, societies, clubs and similar organized student groups are responsible for compli ance with law and University regu lations. Upon satisfactory proof that the group has encouraged or did not take reasonable steps, as a group, to prevent violation of law or Uni verslty regulations, the group may be subjected to permanent or tem porary suspension of charter, social probation, denial of use of Univer sity facilities, or other like sane lions. “2. The determination that a group is liable to sanction under the fore going section 1, and of the sanction to be imposed, shall be made by the Student Conduct Committee at a hearing held for that purpose The President, or principal officer, of the group must be given reasonable notice of the time and place of said hearing and of the nature of the charges. He, and any other member of the group, are entitled to attend and be heard at the hearing." 3 The Student Activities Committee will keep under review organizational membership practice's, to insure against abuses and prevent violations of the basic policy on discrimination of the State System of Higher Education. Af firmative finding of discrimination may constitute grounds for withdrawal of recognition. 4 The Student Activities Committee will, prior to taking action to withdraw recognition of a University student group or organization under the provi sions of this document, conduct an ap propriate investigation into the case If the Committee determines, after a fair hearing, that the nature of the violation is sufficient to warrant withdrawal of recognition, it may take such action, providing the student group or organiza tion has first been given an opportunity to rectify the violation and take correc tive action, and also providing that the remedial efforts are considered by the Committee in arriving at its decision 5. The Students Activities Committee shall assume that a student group or organization no longer exists and shall automatically withdraw its recognition, whenever the group or organization shall have become moribund and ceased to function as evidenced by: a Due notice of its dissolution; or b. Failure to hold meetings of any sort within a period of 12 months. Student groups and organizations are reminded that trust fund accounts should be cleared out prior to dissolu tion. V. Policies and Procedures Relating to Student Group and Organization Activities A. Use of University Facilities, Property, and Buildings 1. Any student group or organization, recognized by the Student Activities Committee, may schedule, sponsor, or hold activities, events, and meetings for social, entertainment, religious, educa tional, or political purposes utilizing appropriate University facilities, prop erty, and buildings, providing: a. That due regard is given to avoid ing unnecessary time conflicts with activities, events, or programs spon sored and held by other University groups and organizations, and by the University itself. The Student Activi ties Committee shall develop criteria to guide the University Calendar and Scheduling Officer in carrying out this provision. b. That in all cases the activity, event, meeting, or program is prop erly scheduled, prior to its execution, with the University Calendar and Scheduling Officer, located in the Office of the Student Union Director. c. That all health, safety, fire, and other regulations applicable to the University facility, property or build ing being used for the activity, event, program, or meeting are observed. d. That if the activity or event is in (Continued on page 5)
