Report Says 'Rights' Plan Final by Fall

Plans for a University-wide policy on disciplinary procedures should be finalized by next Fall, according to a report released Tuesday by the University Committee on Governance.

The committee, created last September by President Pusey to "devise ways to improve the governing processes of the University," has published a tentative report of its recommendations on rights and responsibilities in order to "seek the advice of the Harvard Community."

The report will be distributed to students, faculty, members of the Governing Boards, and some alumni. "Our hope is that it will stimulate discussion in some of the committees and student organizations around the University," Daniel Steiner, secretary to the committee, said yesterday.

Suggestions Welcomed

He added that the committee would consider any proposals from such groups in drawing up its final recommendations.

The report includes recommendations to have students on disciplinary committees, to adopt a University-wide statement on Rights and Responsibilities, and to create a faculty-student Committee on Rights and Responsibilities for the "consideration of University-wide problems related to discipline."

The Committee hopes to submit its completed plans to the Governing Boards of the University in time for action effective next year, according to the report's introductory letter from Dean Dunlop.

Early June

"Ideally, we would like to present our final proposals to the Boards in early June," Steiner said. "However, we are operating on the assumption that some of the plans will have to remain tentative even through next year."

The committee's "major tentative recommendations" are as follows:

that the University Statutes be amended to allow students to sit on committees which consider student disciplinary cases (the Fifth Statute has been interpreted in the past to forbid the Faculties from delegating their disciplinary power to dismiss students);

that the Faculties be allowed to delegate all their disciplinary authority to smaller judicial boards or committees, if two thirds of the faculty agrees and if a faculty or faculty-student body is setup to review cases of dismissal or expulsion:

that the Governing Boards adopt the Resolution on Rights and Responsibilities passed by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on April 14 of this year as an interim statement until a University-wide Committee of Rights and Responsibilities can draw up a final statement:

that such a Committee include students and faculty from all the Schools and act to review University disciplinary problems and coordinate disciplinary action:

that eases against faculty members charged with violation of the Resolution on Rights and Responsibilities be heard by committees drawn from the relevant faculty and, if further action is believed warranted, by a joint committee of two Fellows and three members of the relevant faculty.