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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1985)
Panel begins search for interim law school dean An interim dean for the University law school should be appointed within the next three weeks to replace Dean Der rick Bell, who resigned Feb. 7, says Dick Hill, provost and vice president for academic affairs. Five faculty members and two law school students were appointed to advise Hill on the selection of an interim dean, who will direct the school during the 1985-86 school year while a nationwide search is conducted for a permanent dean, Hill says. All full-time, tenured law school faculty members who will be in residence next year will comprise a pool of poten tial candidates for the temporary position. Thirteen faculty members meet these criteria, Hill says. Hill says he received early feedback from students but hopes for more input in providing information to the commit tee members about the candidates. Bell says he has hopes as to who will be appointed in terim dean, although he is not involved in the selection process. A law school committee composed of faculty members and students is in the process of being formed to provide an official organ through which the results of the various studies and reports can be processed and evaluated, Bell says. Bell says he will take a leave of absence after fall term next year, possibly as a visiting scholar at another university, although he will retain his professorship within the law school. JUO Bookstore. ENERGIZED FOR LIFE... LONG LIFE Special!! cj nn cash 9 ^ u u REFUND $2.99 - $1.00 = $1.99 BY MAIL ON AA ECONOMY 4 PACK • D". "C" and 9 volt SIZE 2 PAK $*|98 s-joo MANUFACTURER’S CASH REFUND Discount Price 649 Less Mfg. 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The basic concern was, in fact, over the qualification of the candidate.” But the question needs to be raised about whether the substantial objection rule should play a part in the hiring process of any University department or school, Okahara says. ‘ ‘There has to be some type of guideline as to how many peo ple constitute substantial objec tion,” Okahara says. “This cur rently doesn’t exist — it’s all based on the traditions of the faculty.” The substantial objection rule is administered by the dean, who has the authority to deter mine substantial objection in terms of numbers and the substance of the objections, he says. ‘‘It’s hard to articulate something that’s not written,” Okahara says. Hill agrees that some parameters must exist if the substantial objection process is to be used in hiring. “The practice of substantial objection as a rule for hiring has to be carefully done,” Hill says. ‘‘Frankly, I’m not sure it should ever be a basis for the dis qualification of a candidate when the objection is of a minority of the faculty.” In addition to the OAA study. Hill says he and Olum have ask ed departments and schools campus-wide to -review hiring policies that could uninten tionally hinder'the jsursuit of af firmative- aciion' policies. .‘The-evidence suggests that we do well with respect to women. . .but we’re not doing as well with minorities,” Hill says.- • “We Want to make sure that nothing we’re doing could discourage the hiring of minori ty candidates,” he says. Hill says only a’few depart-, ments have responded so far, and the results will probably not be completed until the end of the school year. Within the law school, a faculty group is already discuss ing the substantial objection rule and the situation that precipitated Bell’s resignation, Hill says. Although the initial con troversy seems to have died down, many law school students are anxiously awaiting the results of the various studies and committees that are ex amining the situation. "At this point, it is a waiting game,” says Lois Day, Student Bar Association director. “But you can be sure that if they (the administration) don’t take any actions, the students will,” she says. “Some of the tension has dissipated, and some of the students have lost interest in it,” says Lorenzo Mejia, co director of the Minority Law Students Association. MLSA made several requests to the University administration in the wake of Bell’s resigna tion, including requests to abolish the substantial objection rule and impose a freeze on tenure track hiring until a writ ten hiring policy is developed and a racial minority is hired to a tenure track position. MLSA also requested a change in the composition of the appointments committee to include one woman and one minority of the four faculty members and two student members instead of one. “Olum and Hill seem to put a high priority on rebuilding a kind of family atmosphere at the law school," Mejia says. “It‘s not clear now where the faculty stands,” he says, adding .that many do seem to support, the MLSA position that there is . a problem in. the law scKool’s. hiring policies. One of MLSA’s ultimate goals... is to . get minority faculty, members permanently on . the faculty at least equal to the pro portion of minority law students. Although there are some minority professors at the law school, many of these pro fessors seem to leave after a short time, says- Roy Catalani, also co-director of MLSA. “Affirmative action isn’t just recruitment — it’s also reten tion,”. Catalani says. “It’s time to see a firm commitment to af Gourmet To Go! Quick light pastries every day! MONDAY Wheat croissants filled with ham & cheese, mushrooms or cheese. TUESDAY Turkey & cheese, spinach or herbs & cheese filled wheat croissants. WEDNESDAY Wheat croissants filled with ham & cheese, mushrooms or cheese THURSDAY Poppyseed croissants filled with turkey & cheese or spinach. FRIDAY Filled croissants with your choice of ham & cheese, mushrooms or herbs & cheese. EUGENE’S FALL CREEK _ 881 East 13th Ave. *** ^ 484-1662 next to UO Bookstore Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-3 firmative action, especially when that kind of firm ideal is not exactly fashionable.” The situation is no longer just d campus issue, however. Various state authorities have recently become involved in the issue. State Rep. Margaret Carter, D Portland, recently requested Gov. Vic Atiyeh to review the situation. The matter has been handed to Kay Toran of the state affirmative action office. Toran says the state office will wait to review the Universi ty OAA report before taking any further action. “We really want to make sure we have all the information before closing the case or mak ing further action,” Toran says. She says she is impressed with the University's speed in addressing the situation and credits the University OAA with having accomplished an accurate and in-depth report of the situation. Olum said he doesn't think a separate study will be coA ducted by the state affirmative action office because the University is taking steps to ad dress the problem. But Beil says he thinks the University OAA report is too short and does not include enough depth into the issue. “The issue is much more complex than (the report) shows — it is certainly incomplete," aeu says. Through alt of the commit- || teesj the scrutiny and the studies, the law school must continue to rebuild its internal, relations. Okahara says: “I think the law school facul-' J| ty has to put aside the divisions within that school and work # towards building up their . morale as well as the morale of the law school students,” Okahara says. Meapwhile. he says a visiting scholar will be temporarily ap- \ pointed to the law school posi tion until the recruitment pro cess can start again. “I am.hopeful that Dean Bell j and the faculty can get together to discuss exactly what led to the controversy,” Okahara says. ’ Fiesta will raise funds for relief in El Salvador Americans sending medical supplies to the “liberated zones” of El Salvador are not supporting the anti-government insurgents but aiding innocent bystanders of the Salvadoran civil war, says Guy Burton of the Eugene-based Committee in Solidarity with the Central American People (CISCAP). C1SCAP has been raising i funds primarily through “house parties,” Burton says, but the organization is planning a fund raising fiesta on March 23. Entertainment will be provided by Manteca, a salsa band, and On the Edge, a Eugene comedy group. The fiesta will be held at the Westmoreland Community Center, 1545 W. 22nd Ave., and doors open at 7:30 p.m. Admis sion is $3 to $5 on a sliding scale. Mnndav Marrk II) 1 no r