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Campus "Unrest" Demonstrations, 1970
A Special Report From The University of Iowa Page 3
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Options Offered More than 11,000 of the University's 18,937 students left the campus early under options offered because of tensions following anti-war demonstrations. The options were announced by President Willard L. Boyd on May 10. At that time, five regular days of classes remained in the spring semester. Students were told the University would remain open and classes and examinations would be held on the regular schedule. A student who elected to leave the campus early was offered three options: Option 1—Take grades as earned, as of May 3, in all courses. Option 2—Take a "pass" mark (credit but no effect on grade-point average) in all courses in which he had passing grades as of May 3 and take a "withdrawal" mark (no credit, no effect on grade-point average) in all courses in which he did not have passing grades as of May 3. Option 3—Take an "incomplete" mark in all courses and make up all work and examinations at a later time. DEMONSTRATORS FACE CHARGES BY UNIVERSITY The University administration has initiated internal disciplinary proceedings against some of the students who took part in anti-ROTC demonstrations at the Recreation Building April 18 and May 1. City and county officials have filed criminal charges in some cases arising from the anti-ROTC demonstrations. A faculty member has been charged with damaging a door of the Recreation Building. Under a temporary arrangement, cases of student misconduct are heard by Theodore Garfield, former chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, who submits his findings to President Willard L. Boyd. The University's regular judicial system, under which such hearings were conducted by a committee of faculty and students, was suspended by Boyd at the first of the year, pending a study of the judicial system. The suspension of the regular judicial system followed action of the Student Senate last January, withdrawing student members from the judicial unit, the Committee on Student Conduct. Disciplinary charges were pending then against six students and a student organization, Students for a Democratic Society. They were accused of disrupting operation of the University Placement Office December 10 in support of a strike against General Electric. Justice Garfield, after conducting his hearing, recommended suspension of two students, probation of three students, probation of three students and probation of S.D.S. as a recognized organization. President Boyd followed Garfield's recommendations in these cases. In establishing the study committee of three faculty members and two students, Boyd said: "If the University community is to be allowed to continue to control its own internal affairs, the institution must be willing and able effectively to perform the essential functions of governance. One of these functions is a judicial system capable of enforcing the institution's rules, which, together with rules adopted by the State Board of Regents, have the force and effect of law within the university community." The study committee is expected to complete its work soon. FACULTY VOTE SHOWS SPLIT ON IOWA ROTC Be it resolved by the Faculty Senate of The University of Iowa that the University sign no further contract with ROTC and that with the termination of present contracts ROTC not be continued as an on-campus activity. This resolution to eliminate Reserve Officer Training Corps programs of the Army and Air Force at the University was adopted by the Faculty Senate May 12 after a year of committee study, a series of student demonstrations against ROTC and an hour and a half of Senate debate. On the key vote, the resolution carried by one vote, 31-30. Two other ROTC resolutions proposed by the Faculty Senate's study committee were not voted on but were discussed. One resolution, supported by five of the nine voting members of the committee, proposed to eliminate academic credit for ROTC courses and deny faculty status to ROTC officers. A minority resolution backed by four committee members proposed efforts to upgrade the academic quality of ROTC courses. The Faculty Senate's action and a poll of faculty opinion on a range of ROTC alternatives are to be incorporated into a report to the Board of Regents, which will make the final decision on the future of ROTC at Iowa. In the course of the Faculty Senate debate, these arguments were heard: Betram Schoner, associate professor of business administration: "I do not believe that ROTC is n academic program. The primary goal, I believe, is recruitment of military officers." Samuel Fahr, professor of law, a Navy ROTC graduate and former Navy officer, said ROTC-trained officers have a "beneficial influence" on the military forces. "I saw in most of them a liberality not found in many other officers," he said. George Forell, director of the School of Religion, called the anti-ROTC move "one of the few ways we have left" to show opposition to the war in Indochina. Michael Brody, professor of pharmacology, said that ROTC could continue to operate off campus if abolished by the University. Alan Spitzer, professor of history, said ROTC was on the campus because of "obsolete politics" and served as a convenience in miltiary recruiting. Frank Seiberling, director of the School of Art, called elimination of ROTC a move toward a professional army. "I think this would be a disaster," he said.
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Options Offered More than 11,000 of the University's 18,937 students left the campus early under options offered because of tensions following anti-war demonstrations. The options were announced by President Willard L. Boyd on May 10. At that time, five regular days of classes remained in the spring semester. Students were told the University would remain open and classes and examinations would be held on the regular schedule. A student who elected to leave the campus early was offered three options: Option 1—Take grades as earned, as of May 3, in all courses. Option 2—Take a "pass" mark (credit but no effect on grade-point average) in all courses in which he had passing grades as of May 3 and take a "withdrawal" mark (no credit, no effect on grade-point average) in all courses in which he did not have passing grades as of May 3. Option 3—Take an "incomplete" mark in all courses and make up all work and examinations at a later time. DEMONSTRATORS FACE CHARGES BY UNIVERSITY The University administration has initiated internal disciplinary proceedings against some of the students who took part in anti-ROTC demonstrations at the Recreation Building April 18 and May 1. City and county officials have filed criminal charges in some cases arising from the anti-ROTC demonstrations. A faculty member has been charged with damaging a door of the Recreation Building. Under a temporary arrangement, cases of student misconduct are heard by Theodore Garfield, former chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, who submits his findings to President Willard L. Boyd. The University's regular judicial system, under which such hearings were conducted by a committee of faculty and students, was suspended by Boyd at the first of the year, pending a study of the judicial system. The suspension of the regular judicial system followed action of the Student Senate last January, withdrawing student members from the judicial unit, the Committee on Student Conduct. Disciplinary charges were pending then against six students and a student organization, Students for a Democratic Society. They were accused of disrupting operation of the University Placement Office December 10 in support of a strike against General Electric. Justice Garfield, after conducting his hearing, recommended suspension of two students, probation of three students, probation of three students and probation of S.D.S. as a recognized organization. President Boyd followed Garfield's recommendations in these cases. In establishing the study committee of three faculty members and two students, Boyd said: "If the University community is to be allowed to continue to control its own internal affairs, the institution must be willing and able effectively to perform the essential functions of governance. One of these functions is a judicial system capable of enforcing the institution's rules, which, together with rules adopted by the State Board of Regents, have the force and effect of law within the university community." The study committee is expected to complete its work soon. FACULTY VOTE SHOWS SPLIT ON IOWA ROTC Be it resolved by the Faculty Senate of The University of Iowa that the University sign no further contract with ROTC and that with the termination of present contracts ROTC not be continued as an on-campus activity. This resolution to eliminate Reserve Officer Training Corps programs of the Army and Air Force at the University was adopted by the Faculty Senate May 12 after a year of committee study, a series of student demonstrations against ROTC and an hour and a half of Senate debate. On the key vote, the resolution carried by one vote, 31-30. Two other ROTC resolutions proposed by the Faculty Senate's study committee were not voted on but were discussed. One resolution, supported by five of the nine voting members of the committee, proposed to eliminate academic credit for ROTC courses and deny faculty status to ROTC officers. A minority resolution backed by four committee members proposed efforts to upgrade the academic quality of ROTC courses. The Faculty Senate's action and a poll of faculty opinion on a range of ROTC alternatives are to be incorporated into a report to the Board of Regents, which will make the final decision on the future of ROTC at Iowa. In the course of the Faculty Senate debate, these arguments were heard: Betram Schoner, associate professor of business administration: "I do not believe that ROTC is n academic program. The primary goal, I believe, is recruitment of military officers." Samuel Fahr, professor of law, a Navy ROTC graduate and former Navy officer, said ROTC-trained officers have a "beneficial influence" on the military forces. "I saw in most of them a liberality not found in many other officers," he said. George Forell, director of the School of Religion, called the anti-ROTC move "one of the few ways we have left" to show opposition to the war in Indochina. Michael Brody, professor of pharmacology, said that ROTC could continue to operate off campus if abolished by the University. Alan Spitzer, professor of history, said ROTC was on the campus because of "obsolete politics" and served as a convenience in miltiary recruiting. Frank Seiberling, director of the School of Art, called elimination of ROTC a move toward a professional army. "I think this would be a disaster," he said.
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