Group rejects Sen. Faculty resolution
Jason McFarley
News Editor
Two resolutions were passed unanimously at the Campus Life Council meeting Monday but another resurrected old conflicts within the body's ranks
With little disagreement, members approved resolutions dealing with access to residence halls and eating disorders, but discussion about — and the subsequent rejection of — a Faculty Senate-initiated resolution rehashed strife that has plagued the council since the resolutions were sponsored three weeks ago.
In a semester that has seen divisive issues split the council down faculty-staff lines, Monday's meeting stretched past an hour and 45 minutes and took the CLC into seemingly familiar territory.
The dispute centered around a resolution sponsored by professor Stuart Greene of the Faculty Senate. The proposal deals with academic freedom for students and calls for the printing of the University mission statement in du Lac, Notre Dame's guide to student life.
"With this resolution, we're asking that the University reaffirm its commitment to academic freedom," Greene said.
But Bill Kirk, who has voiced unwavering opposition to recent measures by the senate, again on Monday expressed concern.
"I'm saddened that we're again talking about this issue, given our previous discussions in which I've found this matter difficult and problematic," said Kirk, assistant vice president for student affairs. "Academic freedom is an issue this community has not yet had.
It is inappropriate to bring it here before this body right now. "The resolution resembled one that was submitted for a CLC vote on March 6.
On that date, members rejected one of three academic freedom resolutions up for a vote, and there was strong sentiment that Greene presented what in effect was an amended version of it Monday.
However, some argued that that wasn't the case.
"We shouldn't be saddened. This is an issue that students have voiced support for," Student Senate representative Seth Whetzel said. "This isn't a mask or a guise for trying to get this passed because we haven't passed other resolutions." Some confusion surrounded the actual vote on the resolution.
When the initial 9-6 vote in favor of the resolution didn't represent the required two-thirds majority for passage, Brian O'Donoghue, the student body president and usually non-voting CLC chair, voted for the resolution and noted its approval.
A review of CLC bylaws indicated that the chair can only vote to break a tie, so O'Donoghue, an obvious proponent of the resolution, passed his gavel to Brooke Norton, student body vice president, making her the chair. In a second vote, O'Donoghue again voted for the measure, but it failed 9-7 — a vote that reflected students and professors in favor of the proposal and rectors and administrators in opposition to it.
Another resolution sponsored by Greene and targeting faculty involvement in campus clubs will be up for consideration at the CLC's April 23 meeting.
The council unanimously approved a resolution on residence hall access Monday.
It calls for universal access by 2003 to dorms for students, rectors and faculty through the Lenel system, a swipe-access mechanism. Ten dorms already have the system installed, and the resolution proposes each of these halls to make it available to the Notre Dame community no later than this fall.
"We currently have 27 different access policies. Should this pass, we'd have 18 different policies, which is better than we have now," said Father Dave Scheidler, St. Edward's Hall rector.
Brendan Dowdall, a Student Senate representative, said 822 survey responses from students indicate that there are discrepancies between students' views of access policies and the actual rules that are in place. He said through Lenel most groups at the University have equal access to dorms during visitation hours.
The CLC also unanimously approved a resolution regarding the inclusion of information about eating disorder support services in du Lac.
"By including this information in du Lac, students can know about the various resources available to them both on and off campus," said Luciana Reali, a student senator.
Kirk said the University has tried in recent years to include more resource information in the handbook but has faced complaints from students about the book getting thicker and a lack of desire to read it from cover to cover.
Amy Szestak, a Hall Presidents Council representative, suggested making the eating disorder information more accessible by publishing it separately from du Lac. She pointed to sexual assault resource information made available to the University community last fall.
In other CLC news:
u O'Donoghue said his office has chosen University social space as the topic for the Spring 2001 Board of Trustees Report. Student government officials opted not to write the report on faculty service, tenure and promotion. O'Donoghue said the Office of the President will likely sponsor a student forum tentatively scheduled for next week to garner feedback on the social space issue.
u Members of the CLC's task force on du Lac revisions said they looked at the handbook over Spring Break to determine areas they'd like to propose changes to when the University revises it this summer. The group has six student members and has planned weekly Monday meetings to discuss issues that may come under consideration for revision.
All News Stories for Tuesday, March 27, 2001
