Page Four

SCARLET AN D BLACK

Friday, December 2. Iqtb

 

) "Community”
(Continued trom Page 1)

"asked by many students and
faculty members,"

More broadly the violation
was an expression of “com-
mittnient to the concept or
community not only in an
ideal sense but in a practical
sense.” Moreover, the viola-
tion was made necessary out
of a personal feeling on our
part that this decision (to sus-
pend three students) had
brought to our attention a
problem that needed immedi-
ate attention.” -

“Mainly what needs to be re-
emphasized," Miss Lauterbach
said, “is the committment to
the concept and process of com-
munity."

Foote opened his part of the
defense with an attempt to tell
"why I have ielt as strongly as
l have.”

Foote quoted two sections
from the college catalog. The
first was number seven of the
nine “objectives of the col-
lege”:

To help him acquire an
understanding of himself —
of his talenu, his limitations,
his needs, and his aspirations
—so that he may make wise
decisions regarding his voca»
tion, his choice or a mate, and
his way of Life.

“The whole process is an edu-
eative one,” Foote said. “The
Student makes mistakes and
the college should help without
terminating its relationship
with him.”

He then referred to the de-
lcriptiun of conduct probation
given in the catalog (pp. 55-56):

Conduct probation is a re-
cognition or general lack of
cooperation in citizenship, or
01 the breaking of some speci~
fic rule. The terms of this
probation are defined in each
case by the administrative ofr
ﬂcials imposing the probation
penalty.

This probation is a warn~
ing that severe discipline will

be imposed ii the strident on
probation is again reported
tor a similar lock oi coopera-
tion or tor violation at a so-
cial rule of the college.

in light oi this statement,
Foote called for a clariﬁcation
of the college’s disciplinary
policy.

Furthermore, Foote said, “I
think this case is an indicta-
tion that student government
as it now stands is ineffective
and has no purpose.“ Foote
said that in his four years at
Grinnell there had been no
progress toward any oi the
student’s goals for social
rules changes.
instead, the three factions,
administration, faculty and stu-
dents simply ‘butt their heads
together} “I don’t think I would
encourage anybody to spend
four years under it system like
this,” he said.

Specifically, Foote Called tor
changes in two critical areas,
the role at the Faculty Commit-
tee on Student Affairs and the
college’s counseling program.
he pointed to the dual role of
the Faculty Committee as both
a policy making and a judiciary
body. ‘If this Committee does
have two roles, diey should be
deﬁned," Foote said, and per~
haps twu committees are used
ed to replace the present one.

Both committees, Footo
said, should involve as voting
members all three [actions of
the community. “I think they

(the students) have a definite
right to be represented,"
Foote said.

“Students feel a very definite
concern,” Fnote continued, for

a “separate counseling system”
divorced from disciplinary
bodies. Presently, Foote said,
"Students may hesitate in get-
ing help irom the deans” be-
cause at the possibility oi disc
plinary action.

The possibility ot obtaining
these changes are, Footc said,

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Need for Community Court Seen

By KRYS NEUMAN

The Student Court's decision
to issue a severe warning.
rather than a penalty, to the 19
house presidents who publicly
participated in illegal visita-
tions last week was characten
istic ot the change in emphasis
oi the Student Court this year.
The present court philosophy
stresses personal responsibility
rather than external punish-
ment.

Along with the change in phil-
osophy, Student Court members
had hoped to improve the en-
tire judicial system at Grinnell.
A community court system was
being discussed as a means of
solving the problem at commu«
nlcation breakdown between stu-
dents, taculty and administra-
tion over judicial issues.

The Men's and Women’s Pri-
mary Courts have already taken
a step in this direction by re-
cently combining efforts. Tim
Dailey, Chief Magistrate. re-
ports that the move has been
quite successful.

Since the breakdown in com-
munication alter the suspension
case, a committee has been ep<
pointed to structure a total com-
munity court.

in the meantime, the Student
Court plans to initiate a com—
munity court system on a trial
basis. “We will invite The Fac-

"The only reason i am staying
on in this system. There is
hope.”

After a brief questioning ses-
sion, the courts adjourned into
private session with the deans
and the faculty. The cotirts’
statement of their decision is
to the right.

Viet Speaker Coming

Slides and a lecture on Viet
Nam are slated for 8 pm. Wed-
nesday in the South Lounge of
the Forum. The speaker will be
Dr. Christopher Koch of Ben-
ningtcn College, pennington,
Vermont. A coitee hour, spon~
sored by IRC, will follow an in-
formal discussion.

A protessor or English litera-
ture, Dr. Koch toured North
Viet Nam during 1964, the year
Congress approved a resolution
giving President Johnson au-
thority to resist aggression in
Southeast Asia.

ulty Committee on Student Ai-
lairs and the deans to our Court
when any signilicant case arises
that we are designated to han-
dle,” Said Bailey and the other
Chiei Magistrate. Linda Neal.
“We would hope to discuss cases
in community as we did on Sun-
day. The Court’s procedure is
to discuss a case, first of all
With the defendant himself. Di-
len the defendant is asked to
consider and suggest his own
penalty. Depending on the needs
oi the defendant, the Court may
act in an advisory, rather than
legislative capacity.

Under the present structure,
when The Committee and The
Deans sit in on a case there will
be unlimited discussion, but
only Student Cnurt members ac<
tually vote. This was true on
Sunday when the house presi-
dents’ case came before the
Court.

The two Magistrates iurther
Commented, “We would, in tact,
like to see on campus. all tur-
ther cases of rule infraction
handled by the discussion meth-
od."

Court Statement

We see the court not merely
as a body to mete out penalties.
Rather we see violations of col.
lege regulations as indicative of
contlict or tensions within the
environment. We then try to
respond to those contlicts with
appropriate solutions. it we feel
these solutions include tradi-
tional penalties, then penalties
are prescribed. it, however, we
feel the solution to a particular
coniiict does not reside in pen-
alty, we then seek an answer to
the problems raised by con»
suiting all or the members of
the community involved in the
specitic action.

The particular- occasion for
which we have met is the viola
tion of the visitation regula-
tion by to students on Wednes-
day, November 23, 1966 We
feel that there are tivo ways
in which to view the violation.
First, the action can be seen as
a protest, raising questions re
garding the speciﬁc decision of
suspension tor a previous case
of illegal visitation questions
involving the lack o clear com-
niunity policies regarding such
violations, the penalties imposed
tor such violations, and the ad-
ministration's position on ques-
tions oi premarital sexual rela-
tions. implicit in these prob
lems are additional questions
of the stildenls' role in deter-

 

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mining these policies and par-
tiCipating in those decisions,

To these goals at which the
protest was aimed, the court
can only agree.

They are valid and in need
of imnlctliute attention. How-
ever, given the contusion
which rcsullietl from much
broader concerns being at-
tached to the speciﬁc issue
being protested, the unfortun-
ate misinterpretatinns that
have bocn made by various
elements of the community
regarding the purpose ot the
actions, and the personal 11':-
pcrcussiuns that have ensued,
We would deeply question the
method used to bring these
issues forcefully to the com-
muity’s attention. The court
cannot convey the p o i n t
strongly enough that further
actions of this nature at this
time by any group would be
viewed by us as superfluous
and hence irresponsible con-
duct on the part of those iii-
volved.

Whatever the method, sig-
nificant problems hate been
raised. Because these problems
were seen as total community
concerns and because of our
philosophy of consulting Ill in-
volved parties, illl elements or
the Community were invited to
participate in the discussions
attempting to find the appropri-
ate solutions. The faculty was
represented by its chairman,
Mr. Wall, and the Faculty Come
mittee on Student Affairs; the
administration by the student
deans; and the students by the
A,W.S. Board, the Council of
House President, the executive
cabinet and the Primary Court.

Out of this discussion cams
some specific ideas and re
Commendations for altering the
existing judicial Structure in
order to create a new structure
representing all elements of the
community in decisions to be
implemented. A mechanism tor
continuing discussion on ques-
tions that could not be suffi-
ciently discussed (luring the
first meeting was of primary
concern to the court and the
mechanism has been established.

The second Way in which the
action in question can be Viewed
is as an ordinary student Viola-
tion of a college regulation.
One of the recognized aims of
this college is to Encourage per-
sonal decision and confronta»
tion with one’s environment
during the four-year educational
process. In line with this aim,
the court seeks to give suflici—
ent opportunity for this self-
examination. A first violation
of a college regulation is an
opportunity for a student viola-
tor to be made fully aware of
his existence in b larger enr
Vironment and the requirement
placed upon him to live within
that trameuork. A proper Court
response then should be a War
ing, to give the student an op.
portunity tor a period of Sci!-
appraisal. Theretore, the court’s
policy has been that in most
cases of first offense. 3 Serious
warning is issued to the Student
violator that additional viola-
tions may result in more serious
penalties such as conduct pro-
bution or suspension.

in line with oul‘ policy of pre-
ventative, rather than punitive,
action, we informed the 19 in-
Vlflved student violaltors tho;
2 ey have been se e y u-arnc
by the court. Th‘e charged
with a first oltenscr Any fur-
ther similar action on the part
on any involved violator would
make him subject to a more
serious response from ‘he‘
court.

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