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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1996)
I r» nr 1 ! MONDAY: Opinion TUESDAY: Politics WEDNESDAY: Opinion THURSDAY: Politics FRIDAY: Opinion editorials, letters, commentary and perspective BY MAIL: P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 BY PHONE: (541)346-5511 BY E-MAIL: ode@oregon. uoregon. edu IN PERSON: Suite 300, EMU Rightful student-staff relations respectable ■ OUR OPINION: The details of a new University Senate dating policy are what’s important The University is worried — and talking — about a fuzzy problem that has hovered over the campus for years. On May 8, the University Senate agreed to pass a policy viewing sexual relations between a faculty or staff member and a student as unethical and an abuse of power if the student is enrolled in a class taught by the professor. But that wasn’t the end of it. Senate members have debated “precise language” in the policy — and still do. On Oct. 9, the governing body made up of students, facul ty and staff met once again to fight over, among other things, whether the burden of proof lies with the accused or the accuser, what party in the relationship should ad just in the event of an accusation and who has and should have power in such a com plicated relationship. And if everybody finally agrees on the particulars, the final policy will become re ality on Oct. 23 at a Senate hearing. Then, a faculty-student relationship will be ac countable to anyone who wants to file a complaint, whether that be one half of the relationship or a third party. We here at the Emerald don’t really care if a student and a professor want to have sex. Go for it — granted each partner has taken care of business. No, we aren’t talk ing about birth control — important as it is — but the dreaded conflicts of interest. If the student has never been or never will be in a class taught by the professor, the relationship is steering clear of most potential conflict. Of course, even this is difficult as most students meet professors in classes, not at professor-student mixers. But theoretically, there are members of the University community who have fol lowed all the rules and it is these people who should be protected by, as well as from, the potential Senate legislation. Unfortunately, too many relationships have broken the strict rules regarding con flict, making it necessary for the Senate to make it easy to accuse potential offenders The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday through Fri day during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the sum mer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon, Eugene. Oregon A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald operates independently of the University with offices at Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private property The unlawful removal or use of pa pers is prosecutable by law. Editor-in-Chief: Steven Asbury Managing Editor Jennifer Carter Night Editor: Steven Asbury Community: Jennifer Schmitt, editor. Jean Bond Entertainment: Nicole Kreuger, editor Jesse Stephenson Higher Education: Kristine Sohnrey. editor Tamyra Howser, in depth. Benjamin Kwasney Opinion: Ashley Bach, editor Chris Hutchinson, illustrator Brian Diamond, Larry Haftl, Sonja Sherwood Politics: Shana Cohn, editor. Doug Irving Special Projects: Tiffany Smith Student Activities: Kristin Bailey, editor Angie Suchy, Tom Potter Sports: Mark McTyre, editor Andrea DeYoung, assistant editor Chris Hansen, Ryan Frank, Ryan Halvorsen Copy Desk: Thom Schoenbom, copy chief. Trevor Kearney, Sarah Kickler, Mike Schmierbach, Kendra Smith Presentation: Dennis Bolt, editor Cosmos Corbin, Matt Garton Photography: Mathew Stiffler, editor Andrew Brackensick, Joe Bumk, Amanda Erickson, Shannon Kilduff, Chad Patteson Freelance: Lara Pittman, editor On-Line: Nicholas Stiffler, director General Manager: Judy Riedl Advertising: Becky Merchant, director Anne Amador. Lee Yen Beh, Marco Ching, Yujin Chi, Matt Johnson, Anne Miller, Trina Shanaman, Rose Soil, Matt Solomon. Greg Walsh Classified: Tara Sloan, manager. Natasha Lumpkin, Debbie Levy, Heather Moye Production: Michele Ross, manager Ingrid White, coordinator Shawna Abele, Laura Daniel. Tara Knight, Melissa Lebahn, Molly Mc Canta, Allison Stormo, Mike Young Business: Kathy Carbone, supervisor. Judy Connolly Distribution: John Long, Jeff Johnson, Ferenc Rakoczi Newsroom.(541)346-5511 Display Advertising.(541)346-3712 Business Office...(541) 346-5512 Classified Advertising.(541) 346-4343 and harder for them to prove their inno cence. Even in a relationship that is clearly consensual, a third party can submit a com plaint and in turti, force the couple to thor oughly (and possibly publicly) prove no rules were broken. Many problems exist in student-faculty relationships that affect a great number of people, the majority of which are valid. But many people are doing things the right way and could be questioned and possibly punished for it. When the Senate votes next week, they’ll have many specifics to deter mine beforehand that will decide whether the policy be- __ comes a just law banning unfair practice or a broad proclamation banning chaste be havior. We trust they’ll make the right decision. This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald editorial board. CHRIS HUTCHINSON/Eme raid i LETTERS Save your money Once again, parking is a ma jor problem. Once again, the University is doing nothing about it. Campus commuters are paying $63 for spaces that may not even be available to them. The money would al most be better invested in the reputable business of the ODE classifieds, which offer work at-home jobs with thousand dollar a month incomes. And you only need to send them $20 to find the key to success (Trust me, you won’t be the one getting rich). The faculty and students are rightfully fed up with parking, arriving at school way ahead of time just to make sure they can get to class. Selling twice as many permits as spaces, you might as well make Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders the new University President. So they want to open up Autzen Stadi um for parking — what kind of solution is that? Nothing like paying more than sixty bucks for a one mile walk. Better yet, save the money and park above 18th Avenue. It’s a shorter walk, and hell, it’s free. Gregory Darusmont Economics Change LTD routes Don’t build new parking garages on campus. Improve the bus system. I’ve gone from being a devout mass-transit groupie to considering driving my car to class for two reasons. 1. I have to change buses at Eugene Station, which makes what should be a 20 minute commute last 35 minutes. 2. Most buses change to an hourly schedule at 6:30 p.m. If I get out of my classes at 6:20 p.m., I’ve already missed the 6:17 bus from the campus sta tion. I might as well wait for the 7:17 bus because the #40 leaves Eugene Station at 6:30 and 7:30 but not at 7:00. Bruce Waller Germanics Men need teaching As a volunteer for Sexual As sault Support Services, I appre ciate efforts to create an aware ness about sexual assault. Un fortunately, those efforts often reinforce the barriers to creat ing a rape-free environment, as did the second article of the Emerald’s three-part series on sexual assault. While there is something to be said for awareness, we need to be careful when we talk to women about self defense and self protection. Too often the lists of do’s and don’t’s for women result in endless victim blaming. Just as “getting raped ... is not a natural consequence of drinking,” neither is it a nat ural consequence of “walking, studying and biking after dark” or not locking one’s doors, as the article suggests. Under the heading “Educa tion,” ASUO Mediation Pro gram Director Jacqui Gibson said, “We have to teach women to protect themselves and cre ate a world where sexual as sault doesn’t happen.” Wrong. We have to teach men to create a world where sexual assault does not happen. To put the responsibility solely on women is not only sexist, but perpetuates the rape cul ture. Women are not responsi ble for stopping sexual assault. Women (and yes, some men) are the victims and survivors of sexual assault. It is men who rape, it is up to men to stop rape. If women have any responsi bility, it is to stop living in fear. For only when we refuse to be afraid any longer will we begin to take back the night every night. Rebekah Orr Journalism LETTERS POLICY The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing comments on top ics of interest to the Universi ty community. Letters to the editor must be limited to no more than 250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style.
