Faculty-Student Group Issues Discipline Report; Powers of Deans Defined

A subcommittee of the Committee of 15 has issued a formal Memorandum clarifying the joint power of the subcommittee and the Dean of the Faculty to suspend a student temporarily found to have violated the interim Resolutions of Rights and Responsibilities of June 9.

The Subcommittee of Six consists of three Faculty members and three students elected by the Committee of Fifteen from its own members.

The full text of the memorandum appears at the right of this story.

The memorandum states that temporary suspension can be invoked by the Dean and a quorum of the subcommittee of six, which would consist of two Faculty members and two students. However, when emergency action is required, one Faculty member and one student would constitute a quorum.

The memorandum also spells out three cases in which the Dean could temporarily suspend a student without consultation with the subcommittee:

emergency circumstances in which temporary suspension could prevent an imminent "unacceptable activity".

a situation in which academic freedom or freedom of speech is being violated:

a case in which violence is being used against any member or guest of the University.

The memorandum has been approved unanimously by the Committee of Fifteen and by Deans May and Ford.

Accompanying Letter

A letter which accompanies the memorandum, written by the subcommittee members James Q. Wilson, professor of Government, and Richard Hausler '72. attempts to elaborate upon what constitute the "unacceptable activities" listed in the interim Resolution on Rights and Responsibilities.

The letter states that the "deliberate, persistent obstruction of any part of the University" constitutes an attack on the "normal processes and activities essential to the functions of the University community" and is therefore unacceptable. Such an obstruction, the letter says, "inevitably contains an element of coercion."

Wilson said last night that the purpose of the letter was to introduce the memo-

randum and to "put it in the context of the current state of affairs." Wilson added that no one should feel that "simply because no violence is used, a disruption is tolerable.

The memorandum explains that the purpose of temporary suspension is to provide a category of punishment stronger than warnings but short of civil action. It defines temporary suspension as having three components:

a warning of further disciplinary action:

a notification that continuation of the violation will result in more serious disciplinary action:

an injunction against stated forms of participation in the University community. These forms of participation can vary according to the case and are worked out in writing by the subcommittee and the Dean.

Only Temporary

Temporary suspension can last only until regular disciplinary proceedings are finished. The proceedings must begin within seven days of the violation.

The memorandum also provides that the Dean of the College has the same powers of suspension as the Dean of Faculty, and allows the latter to choose persons to act on his behalf when he himself cannot.

Hausler pointed out that the memorandum was not "legislative" but that it provides guidelines for use until more permanent rules are enacted.