Maroon

              The MAROON April 16,1982 Vol. 60, No. 24 Loyola University, New Orleans Student rights become key as SGA races start By David J. Sherwin and Karen Schroeter Maroon News Editor and Assistant News Editor Student Government Association presidential candidates Martin Cunniff and Peter J. Couste' 111 both find SGA in need of a more definitive role in protecting student rights in the university. Vice. Presidential hopefuls Peter Broz and Michele Magill see student apathy as a major problem to be tackled next year. "The SGA needs to improve its position as the students' advocate," because frequently decisions are made by the administration regarding student policy "and the students don't find out about it until after it's made," Cunniff said. He wants to see SGA exert student pressure on the administration, "and through the political process, improve student rights." Among the university policy decisions Cunniff said were made without student input were the development of the Senior Common Room, the alcohol policy, and the revocation of Pi Kappa Theta's charter. Cunniff said SGA has three major purposes: "protect student rights; help organizations with funding and finding alternative means of funding; program events such as Springfest and Senior Week." Couste' said, "The SGA is more reactive than active. It takes them too long, if at all, to take a stand on an issue affecting student rights. "An example is the revocation of PKT's charter. I don't think the university should be able to just turn around and nuli-and-void any organization," he said. "The SGA should have voiced an opinion about it right away. It is the same situation with the tuition increase. "The SGA should make some effort to voice student opinion," Couste' continued. "After all, they are the body set up to support students' rights. "The SGA needs people who are not going to just accept what the administration says. In order to do that we need to know how the administration works," he said. "I feel my experience as a journalist and my position as theater business manager [in the drama/speech department] has allowed me to know the way the university runs. I work with the administration on a daily basis." SGA President Ivan Ransopher explains campaign guidelines to candidates —Photo by David J. Sherwin LU lacks available sexual harassment policy By Peter J. Couste' 111 Maroon Reporter A Loyola student charged with misconduct can turn to the student handbook and know exactly what university policy governs the procedure used to investigate the matter. But if that same student feels that his/her good standing or grades are threatened by refusing sexual favors to a teacher or administrator, there is no policy or procedure published and accessible to students explaining what could or should be done. The Loyola Student Handbook, in Section II of the Policy on Students' Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities, "Freedom in the Classroom," states: "Student performance is to be evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on opinions or conduct in matters unrelated to academic standards." Neither the student handbook nor the Loyola University Bulletin provides for students who feel they have been subject to sexual discrimination any policy defining a violation or establishing a procedure for filing a grievance or complaint. A recent court case involving Yale University determined that sexual harassment is sex discrimination and thus prohibited under Title IX. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sexual discrimination in federally assisted educational programs. This would include "any institution, public or private, which receives federal monies by way of a grant, loan or contract (except for insurance or guaranty), including student financial aid . . . Two University of Louisville administrators recently wrote that "each institution should and must have a regulation or statement prohibiting sexual harassment which would be actionable under the adopted and published grievance procedures of Title IX." In the case of Alexander, et at., vs. Yale University [631 Fed. 2d. 178 (2nd Cir.) 1980], a federal magistrate said, ". . . academic advancement conditioned upon submission to sexual demands constitutes sex discrimination in education." Vincent P. Knipfing, vice president for Student Affairs, said, "It [sexual harassment] is a form of sex discrimination and the university prohibits this. But, I think incidents of sexual harassment are less likely to occur here at Loyola than elsewhere. "Published grievance procedures are not in the handbook," he added. "The only student challenge printed in the student handbook is that of student records." Loyola has no published grievance procedures accessible to students. Dr. Robert A. Preston, vice president for Academic Affairs, said he receives three or four allegations of sexual harassment per year; and that "there has been no increase in the number of alleged incidents" in the seven years he has been here. Preston said Loyola does cover sex solicitation by faculty members in a general sense in the Faculty Handbook, adding that sexual harassment is not tolerated here. Ransopher and Milanese address financing squabble By Mike Tifft Maroon Assistant News Editor The relationship between the Student Government Association and the Student Bar Association has been a stormy one through the years, with the SBA claiming the law school is a victim of SGA discrimination and the SGA claiming SBA is creating an issue. SBA President Frank Milanese feels one problem is that SGA confuses the nature of SBA, and because of that, law school organizations have a hard time getting money from SGA. "The SBA is a very unique organization, its purpose is to assist in the transition from life as a student to life as a professional," Milanese said, "It serves as a representative body within the law school. It is not recognized as the voice of the law school outside of the law school." The SGA, on the other hand, "serves as a representative forum for the entire school," Milanese said, and law students are entitled to equal representation within SGA. Milanese, who is president of the SGA law delegation, said representation is sometimes hard to get. "The first question the SGA asks when a law school organization asks for money is 'did you go to the SB A first?' " See SGA races/page 2 See Harassment/page 5 See Squabble/page 4