Right To Know

WHEN the Commission of Inquiry last week gently slapped the wrists of University officers and newspapers for making public information about cases brought before the commission and the Administrative Board, it did so in the name of privacy and "respect" for others.

But the Commission--in its "Statement on Confidentiality"--was in effect endorsing the operation of the University in a genteel and discreet manner that conceals important issues from its members.

Referring to articles published last year in The Crimson and other newspapers including The New York Times about disciplinary and academic matters involving students, the commission took the lofty stance that in the future "If everyone exercises discretion in providing information for public disclosure, these incidents of unnecessary embarrassment may be avoided in the future."

But almost any incident involving students could conceivably cause unnecessary "embarrassment" to someone if made public by University officers or if printed in a student publication.

By the Commission's rationale, then, any disciplinary case--even one that might involve criminal behavior--and any protest of academic or administrative procedures--even one that might affect large numbers of students by its precedent--would be cloaked in secrecy.

Certainly, there is a right to privacy and a right to confidentiality of records that should be respected by the University and "all members of the academic community," as the commission said in its statement. There is however, a right to know. The members of this community have a right to know about important issues that affect them whether they be the mismanagement of student organizations, the implications of student and Faculty research or the behavior of Faculty and administration officials.

The Crimson often decides against printing articles about academic controversies and student disciplinary cases on the grounds that they are of little importance to anyone except the parties involved. It will continue, however, to publish stories that it deems important about students--and for that matter, employees, administrators, Faculty, Cambridge residents and government officials.