◆ SpookStack

=... ™~ a—“headership must set the example if it is to persuade . There is only one course to fallow if the people of this country ~ voung and old -- are ta be convinced «of the good fiith of their leaders: The war must stup. The vendelta acainst the Blick Panthers must stop. The Censtitusienal eights of all must be defended opainst any cnalienpe. even Frain the Department of Justice itself, Tf Mr. Nixon instead con- tines his harkrupl. illecal course, the Congress must be called upon to impeach him. “Here and new we repudiate the inflammatory inac- curacies expressed by Governor Hhodes in fs press confer: ence today. We uree him to remove the troeps fram our came pus. No preblem can be solved so long as the canipus is under mnartial baw, “We call upon our public authorities to use their high of- fices io bring about greater understanding of the issues involved in and contributing to Uke durning of the ROTC building at Kent State University on Saturday, rather than to exploit this incident in| a manner that can ooly jalane the public and increase the confusion emeng the members of the University community.” Signed hy 23 conceracd faculty, Kent State University, Sunday Afternoon, May 3. 1970 re a ee Ne ere cee ore Several hundred copies of this unusual document were distributed in the various dormitories sttuated on ihe Kent Stite Universily. campus during the lite allernoun and early evening af May 3, 1970. The offices and facilities of the Dean for the Faculty Council, known as the Oaubues- ruin, were made available to those persons who participal- ed in its preparation Jf the purpose: of the authors was - simply to express their resentment to the presence al ihe National Guard on campus, their timing could not have been worse. Hi their purpose was to further inflame an al- ready tense situation, (hen it surely must have enjoyed some measure of success. In either case, their action exhibited an irresponsibie acl clearly not in the dest Inlerests of Rent State University. Although the 23 persons refereed to at ihe close of the statement did not actually affix their sig- natures to the document. they. together with one additional party, did leave their siphatures with the Dean ior the Facul- ty Couneil as evidence of thelr authorsiip and approval. It should be pointed out that at least 60 faculty members were invited to the mecting, but a majority apparenily elected not to be associated wilh the product diab resulted. The conduct of these faculty atenihers is in sharp con- trast to those of the faculty who. throurh their efforts on May dth., restored order and prevented lurther rote) atler the shooting. Se Rn ee IX. We find that the major responsibility for the incidents occurring on the Kent State University campus on May 2nd., Qrd.. and 4th. rests clearly with those persons who are charwed with (he administration of the University. To al- tempt toa fix the sule blame for what happened during this period on the National Guard, the students or other partici- pants would be incencetvable. The evidence presented ta us hits established utat Kent State University was in such a state of disrepair, that it was totally incapable of re-actiag to the situation in any effective manner. We betieve that it resulted from policies formulated and carried out by the University over a period of several vears. the more abvi- ous of which will be commented on here. The adininistration at Kent State University has fostered an altitude of faxitv, over-indulgence. and permissivencss with its students and faculty (o the extent that it can Ag longer repulate the activities of either and is parucularly vulnerable to any pressure applied from radical elements within the student body or faculty. One example of this can be clearly seen in the delegation of disciplinary authority under a student conduct eede which has proven totally in- effective. There has heen ne evidence presented to us that would indicate Chat college students are anle to properly dispose of criminal offenders within their own ranks any 3 more than they are ctpable of devising their own curricr- lum. participating in the selection of facully, or setting the standards for (heir adtnission to or dismissal from the Unt versity, Neither have we been convinced that the faculty is necessarils cquipped to assume and successfully carry out responsibilities of a purely administrative character which for many yours were considered toa be totally outside the area of responsibility normaily associated with the leaching facuity of our colleges and universities. In short, a segment of the student population and the faculty have demanded more and more contief of the administrative functions of Kent State University. The administrative staff has can: stantly vielded to these demands to the extent thal it ne longer runs the University. The student conduct code, as already indicated, has beer a total failure. As a matter of policy, an criminal offenses uncovered by ithe University Police liepactnien. cxcep those which constitute fotomies, were ceterred to judicia boards campose dosolely of students residing in the dormers where the “alleged olfender resided. These students deter nuined the guilt or innocence of the accused and prescriber the punishment. The end result las heen. af course, tha where any final dispesition has been piade at all it has con sisted of reconmmended counseling or some other meaning less sanction, Offenses for which suspension or disaiessal from the Uni versily could be-imposed were heard bw the Student Faculty Judiciary Council, Membership consists of two faculty mem bers, (wo students, and a fifth memuer wily shall be j Dean of the defendant's college or a foculty member desig nated by him. A totak of only 5 students were dismiss for non-academic reasuns during the ueademie year 1969-7! out of a total enrelliment of more than 2110. A second cxumpte of where the University has obvioush contributed to the crisis it now faces is ihe over-cmphasi which it has placed and allowed to be placed on the righ to dissent. Althuagh we fully recognize that the right o dissent is a baste frecdoin ta be cherished and protected we cannot gpree that the role of the University should bi to continually foster a climate in which dissent become the order of the day to the exclusion of all normal bchavio and capressinn oe nnn gE SE cay ote