,
pHAfT
1Q
suspension 'dictatorial'
srm .
Last month's suspension of
visitation hours at the
Harper-Schramm-Smith (HSS)
rtcsiuciivs
arbitrary, dictatorial
authoritarianism," according to a
Residence Hafi Assoc. (RHA)
committee report of the suspension
completed last week.
The committee called for
development of "preventive measures"
end outlined an appeal route for use
by students "in the event of a similar
situation arising again."
RHA president Carolyn Grice said
tha RHA Council will begin preparing
a resolution this Thursday asking the
UNL Housing Office to develop
. stricter guidelines for visitation
suspensions.
The RHA committee said such
guidelines would "insure that such
injustice shall never have to be
incurred by members of the Residence
Hall Assoc. of this University again."
The committee was formed to
investigate the HSS visitation
suspension. Harper Hail residents had
requested the investigation Jan. 24.
In its report, the 10-member
committee said the visitation
suspension represented "a complete
lack of due process" and was m3de
with "total disregard for the rights of
the students involved."
Marie Hansen, HSS complex
program director, said in a telephone
interview Monday that her decision to
suspend hours "wasn't dictatorial but
may have been authoritarian in tha
sense that I was using all the authority
. I had."
"The time, place and conditions of
suspension were arbitrary, but I tried
to pick them fairly," she said. "In a
sense it was extremely fair, i could
have taken hours away for six months
instead of three days."
Hansen suspended Visitation hours
at Harper Hall for three days beginning
Jan. 22.
She had told the Harper Hall Senate
one week earlier that hours would be
$spemfcd-ftfe?5- there was a marked
improvement in compliance with the
op,iD door visitation policy.
The policy requires that residents
keep room doors open while
entertaining guests of the opposite sex.
Visitation in Schramm and Smith
floors, 3, 7 and 9, was suspended for
three days beginning Jan.
30.
Hansen said her actions did not
violate any due process for suspension
because "there was none at the time."
"The policy set by the regents
provides for no due process and there
wasn't any due process outlined by
any of the hall governments at the
time." she said.
HSS governments since have set up
a procedure for dealing with RHA
violations that Hansen said "protects
me, the staff and the students."
Under the plan, each floor will
establish a Floor Hearing Body to deal
with violations on the floor. If found
guilty, a violator may be given a
warning, lose sponsorship privileges or
be referred to the residence director.
The procedure takes effect today.
The committee also charged that
enforcement critieria for the open
door policy were "suddenly shifted
without any attempt at informing the
residents."
A poll of HSS residents conducted
by the committee indicated that
51.5 of those asked did not know
RHA hours were in jeopardy, when
Hansen suspended hours.
She denied having changed
enforcement criteria and said it was
not her responsibh'ty to inform
sponsors that the open door policy
was going to be enforced.
"It is the hall governments'
responsibility to communicate with
the sponsors," she said.
"When ! told the government that
open door was not being properly
enforced, it was up to the hall
governments to come up with a new
way to sea it was dona."
The appeal route outlined by the
committee called for floors threatened
with hours suspension to petition the
Housing Office along with a letter
explaining the basis for the appeal.
A personal appearance at the
Office of "as many individuals as
possible" also was encoui aged.
dailu
Wednesday, february 20, 1974
lincoln, nebraska vol. 97, no. 21
Acceptance of differentiated
could mean 'alternate life s
housing plan
es' by fall
By Mark Hoffman
if recommendations for alternate
living styles in UN L residence halls are
accepted by the UNL administration
and the Board of Regents, those
recommendations could be
implemented as early as next fall,
according to Housing Office Director
Richard Armstrong.
Those recommendations, included
in' a repot by Differentiated
. Housipg Jtth For ctia subcommittee,"
of' tl'ift .Ccunctt on.,tudent Life (CSL)
Housing Policy Committee, cat! tor
several changes in residence hall living
styles.
Included in those changes are
different halls having hours of coed
visiation ranging from none to as many
as 24 hours daily; allowing alcohol to
be kept and consumed by residence
hall residents; eliminating open door
and individual sponsorship visitation
policies and establishing quiet floors
and academic floors for students with
similar interests. , ,. ,,
-C-.fs91.Jh&ti ' changes "V to n foe,
implemented by next fail, "it is crucial
that the regents act on it at (their
March 16 meeting)' Armstrong
said.
The report must be submitted by
Feb. 23 to be placed on the March 16
meeting agenda. The report, in its final
form, must go through CSL and the
UNL chancellor and be accepted by
the regents for discussion.
Kermit Hansen, Board of Regents
chairman, said if the lawyers for both
, sides of the ASUN-Residence Hail
Assoc lawsuit challenging .current
residence hall rules agree the regents
would discuss the report when it
comes before them.
See Hoeing, Page 3
1
1
L
4 t
"
J
UML graduate State Sen. Ctsva Fowler is now In his saoortd session in the Legislature.
r. a
ovice
Fo
By Wei Afberi
State Sen. Steve Fowler's first session in the
Legislature was spent mostly "learning and getting
acquainted." Now hs't settled and ready for business.
"I can't tell how effective I'm being yet because
most of my bills this session haven't been voted on,"
Fowler, 25, said. "I'll just have to wait and then
compart this session with the last session."
Fowfer said h3 will measure his effectiveness by
hewmsny end which of his bill are passed. How
rraeh Hi pinions effect ether senators is another
coris!d!?rtkn, ht md.
Fowler, a graduat? of UN and 1071-72 AG UN
preiid'.-nt, is serving his second year of a 4-year term
from the 27th district
Long en advocate cf human rights and education.
Fowler campaigned for improved housing, sensor
citizen programs, property tax reform, mass transit
wler now ready for business
end prison reform.
He called matters on the legislative floor "boring
at times' but said overall he (ikes his position.
"Dealing with tha issues, meeting people end
trying to get something accomplished is what really
appeals to rm," he said, "it's a good education'
During his freshman year as a senator, Fowler
introduced 10 bills, the nxit avowed.
Five of the 10 bills passed. Bids not passing
included ones designed to strengthen the State Equal
Opportunities Commission, to allow adults free high
school education and to allow safe of prophylactics to
minors.
Describing his bills a$ "fairly diverse," Fowler said
he believed he has represented all of his constituents
rather than fust young people,
Fowler tad in.
CUS'
s the opinions of his
constituents by "following their concerns in the
papers," maintaining personal contact and
occasionally, guessing.
While he admitted ha has not accomplished
everything he campaigned for, Fowler said he is tti'i
working at it
"Most of the things I'm pushing for are still in the
works," he said. "You don't just come in and push
those kinds of reforms right through this body."
Fowler has introduced bills this year including
ones allowing alcohol on college campuses (LB783),
making the Lincoln Housing Authority eligible to
receive federal funds (LB271) and setting a minimum
wags for state employes (LB072), who he contends
are grossly undsrpaid.
He said he also supports a hi! I (LB323) introduced
by State Sen. Richard Marvel of Hasting to provide
for student representation on the fJU Board of
Regents.