Maroon

              The MAROON Vol. 63, No. 24 Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 April 26, 1985 SGA has gone too far, Knipfing says By Rene Sanchez News Editor Vincent P. Knipfing, vice president for Student Affairs, responded angrily Wednesday to a Student Government Association letter requesting that his office address alleged violations of student rights on members of the former Pi Kappa Theta fraternity. The SGA, after conducting an investigation into the alleged violations, issued a two-page letter addressed to Knipfing Tuesday. The letter, which was signed by 37 outgoing and present SGA members, requested that the Office of Student Affairs, specifically Knipfing, respond to the alleged violations of student rights at one of the two remaining SGA meetings. Knipfing received the letter Wednesday morning. Later that day, he said neither he, nor anyone else in Student Affairs, will appear at an SGA meeting to discuss the alleged violations uncovered by the SGA. The SGA is directly challenging the university's authority to revoke PKT's charter and permanently ban them from campus, Knipfing said Wednesday."Pi Kappa Theta has no rights on this campus and I will not tolerate organizations that continue to recognize their existence by dealing directly with them," he said. Earlier in the semester, the SGA condemned the university's actions against members of PKT in a unanimous resolution. The resolution directed the Rules and Procedures Committee of the SGA to investigate alleged cases of university discrimination against individuals associated with PKT. Tuesday the results of that investigation were released. In a fourpoint evaluation, the SGA said individuals of PKT have alleged the following: •That two individuals were told that j they would not be treated in the J manner outlined in the student hand- ! book because of their PKT affiliation. | The students received technical fouls and were ejected from an intramural basketball game. Both were banned from intramural participation for the ! rest of the semester and one was banned from the Recreation Center for the rest of the year. •That an individual affiliated with PKT was charged, in the name of PKT, by the university with trespassing and violation of the university's alcohol policy. Loyola security tried to single him out because he was on campus with a PKT cap. Security had just told a group of PKTs to get off campus, claiming they were disturbing the peace and drinking in public. •That four PKT members who were charged with noise violations in a residence hall have been evicted from the dorms after this year without first receiving a proper warning, a policy stipulated in the student handbook. •That PKT members are being denied rights and freedoms granted to other students under student handbook policies. "PKT feels they have good reason to belive that the Student Affairs office, and the divisions therein, have been discriminatory in their dealings with individuals of this organization," the SGA letter states. Knipfing said the SGA has "clearly stepped out of bounds." He said the allegations in the letter are filled with misunderstandings, misrepresentations and half-truths. "They've conveniently left out some of the facts," he said. The SGA letter, beginning with the first sentence, gives a false legitimacy to PKT, Knipfing said. The first sentence stated, "Recently a group of "I will not tolerate organizations that continue to recognize their [PKT] existence by dealing directly with them." —Knipfing Non-tenured biologists face uncertain futures By Michelle Slocum Senior staff It remains uncertain whether the contracts of two non-tenured biology teachers will be renewed after the 1985- 86 academic year. During the past month, four tenured biology teachers recommended that the contracts of Dr. Kenneth W. Gobalet, assistant professor of biological sciences, and Dr. David White, assistant professor of biological sciences, not be renewed. However, the four tenured teachers said they would reconsider their recommendation after meeting with about 35 students who opposed the measure. White and Gobalet said they were not told why their contracts might not be renewed. Dr. Robert A. Preston, vice president for Academic Affairs, said that he has not received any word from the biology department concerning the contracts since last month. He would not comment about the tenured teachers' recommendation. Dr. Kamel T. Khalaf and the Rev. Roland J. Lesseps, S.J., two of the biology teachers who made the recommendation, also refused to comment on the issue. Dr. Jagdish M. Upadhyay, chairman of the department, said only that the contracts are "still under con,§ideration."Gobalet and White said they have not heard anything new since the issue first emerged. "I have no idea what's happening," Gobalet said. "There has been no comment at all to me," White said. Gobalet said that before his contract had been reconsidered, he had not really thought about tenure. As a result of it, however, Gobelet said, "My views are a bit less in favor of tenure than they were before. Now I would be a little more receptive to hearing alternatives to tenure or looking for ways of removing those tenured teachers." Preston said that in order to dismiss a tenured faculty member, the university must provide a reason in writing and due process. But dismissal of a non-tenured faculty member does not require that a reason be stated. He said that nontenured faculty members are in a probationary period and the university does not have an obligation to renew their contracts. The faculty handbook states, "Tenure means that the faculty member has become a full and permanent member of the academic body of the University." Preston said the primary basis for tenure is academic freedom. With tenure, he said, the faculty member has the freedom to teach and research, as long as it is within his area of competence and as long as he is , Court is in session  Michael Touby, communications freshman, participates in a pick-up game with other students during last Friday's TGIF. —Photo by Nancee E. Lewis See Knipfing /page 7 " — " See Tenure/page 7- '*