Student Senate rejects file guidelines
By Wayne Walley
associate city editor
The Student Senate rejected guidelines proposed by an ad hoc committee ofthe President’s Advisory CounciI for procedures for students to review their cumulative files.
“We have just refused to approve the guidelines unless there is a clarification in the document concerning releasing records to persons other than the student.” Dave Blackmar, chairman of the senate, said.
“It was too general and no definition of officers or of organizations was offered.”
In a meeting Monday, senate members expressed a concern that a section of the guidelines was too vague and as written, could be construed in such a way that the law would lose its intended meaning.
The federal law. the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. commonly called the Buckley Amendment, guarantees students access to their files.
The guidelines, established last spring by a committee chaired by Richard Dolen. acting director of student administrative services, were intended to interpret the law as it pertains to the university and to propose a plan for its implementation.
An ad hoc committee on the Confidentiality of Student Records was organized in July to review and make recommendations concerning the guidelines to the President’s Advisory Council.
Recommendations were made to the executive committee of the PAC in October, but members of the committee complained that the faculty and students had no voice in the decision. They asked for input from the faculty and students, referring the gu idelines to the faculty and student senates.
"We do not oppose the guidelines as a whole,” Blackmar said. “It is just the basic housekeeping we disagree with.”
The senate also recommended
Student board works to improve facilities at activities center
By Carol Komatsuka
Every day hund reds of students stop at the Student Activities Center to watch soap operas in the television room, listen to tapes in the music listening lounge or spend their last quarter on the pinball machines.
The activities center is a gathering place for some, a meeting place for organizations and a place to get away from the classroom atmosphere.
All decisions concerning the Student Activities Center and other student facilities are made by the Student Union Board.
The Student Union Board is a 10-member advisory boaud to Campus Life and Recreation.
Allen Simkin. a junior, is vice-chairman oft he board. “Our long term goal is major improvements in student facilities, to make it easier for the student outside of class," he said.
“The board’s responsibilities include maintenance of the Student Activities Center, allocating office space to student organizations on the fourth floor of the Student Union and to find out what students want to make out of class hours more enjoyable,” Simkin said.
Last year the board’s major project was setting up the music listening lounge on the second floor of the activities center. There is a Marantz four-channel stereo and tapes there for students' use.
Another major program has been improving the recreation room. The upkeep of the pool tables and pinball machines are included in this program.
During finals the Student Activities Center is open 24 hours, and offers free coffee and cookies to students. The plant and print sales are also sponsored by the center.
These activities are financed by the activities center income, which comes from the profits of the pool tables and pinball and popcorn machines. Last year the income was almost $28,000, Simkin said.
The present Student Activities Center fee of$2.50, which is included in the fee bill, is entirely used for the building.
Simkin is a member of the executive board of the association of College Unions International, Region XV. This association allows students involved with student unions to exchange ideas and problems which involve operating them.
Building a new university center is the board’s long term plan, Simkin said.
“I’d like to see a place where students can get together; a gathering place for commuters, international students and even dormers,” he said. “The loneliness on campus would be stopped with a place like this.”
A consultant has been hired to research the plans for a new university center. It is still in its early stages and no definite plans have been made.
Last year a survey of students and faculty was taken by the board to prepare for the new center. The survey showed that there is a wide interest in a new university center.
The Student Union Board is chosen from volunteers who apply and go through an interview and election process.
Students interested can leave a message with him or Hunt Braly, chairman of the board, at the Student Activities Center desk.
Preregistration packet requests due Friday
Friday is the deadline for students to request preregistration materials for the spring semester.
Request envelopes are available at the Information Center, the Student Activities Center, the Student Information Booth and the Registrar’s Office.
Preregistration materials will be mailed during the first 10 days of December to students who requested them.
Students who do not wish to use the mail system may pick up the materials in person on Dec. 16.
Completed packages will be accepted by the Registrar’s Office from Dec. 17 through Jan. 5. A lottery system will be used to fill requests for “R” cards.
that a statement be added to insure that the student is notified of any release of materials from the student’s file.
Essentially the Buckley Amendment allows students to see all their personal records that the university maintains except personal medical records, parent’s confidential financial statements, records compiled and possessed by one person and unavailable to others, and certain letters of recommendation dated prior to Jan. 1 or those for which the student waived the right to review.
Also, for the university to release personal records to an out-
side agency, a student must give written consent. If the information is subpoenaed by the agency, the university must inform the student of the court order.
In other action, the senate discussed proposals that may be incorporated in a written formal statement to be presented to PAC on the representation and composition ofthe council.
Robert Kaplan, associate dean of the College of Continuing Education, and John Elliott, professor of economics, each proposed alternatives for representation, but both said the faculty
should have at least halfthe representation.
The senate earlier passed a resolution proposing that PAC be divided into 40'// students, 40% faculty and 207f deans and stalf.
“We are just discussing the alternatives right now,” Blackmar said. “We want to be aware ofthe different ideas and then address ourselves to the problem.”
He expected the senate to complete a formal statement at the next meeting to be presented to the PAC Dec. 5.
The next senate meeting will be Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Daily ®i Troian
University of Southern California
Volume L<VIII, No. 44 Los Angeles, California Wednesday, November 19, 1975
DRUMMING UP A LITTLE TROJAN SPIRIT—
Obviously awed by his older counterparts in the Trojan Marching Band, a youngster spends part of his afternoon contentedly pounding on an official USC bass
drum. Surrounded by instruments, the "little drummer boy" was evidently looking for his big break into marching band life. Or maybe it was just his way of saying, "Fight on." DT photo by Dan Bowlin.
Fraternity placed on probation for violation of alcohol policy
By Elliot Schwarz
The Delta Tau Delta fraternity has been placed on social and disciplinary probation after complaints of excessive noise and unsanctioned serving of alcoholic beverages at a recent fraternity “Disco Night.”
The terms of the probation require that the fraternity maintain quiet hours after 11 p.m. on weekdays and after midnight on weekends and strictly adhere to university guidelines on serving alcohol.
“The ruling is fair, and one that we ourselves suggested,” said Rick Callahan, president of the fraternity.
Robert L. Mannes, dean for student life, would not comment on the case, other than to say the university had simply acted on charges against the house.
The ruling against the fraternity and the recommendation of probation was made to Mannes by the Row Judicial after a hearing Friday.
The fraternity was found by the judicial panel to have violated university policy on the serving of alcohol, which requires prior authorization from the university for temporary possession.
The policy also specifies that alcohol may not be served to minors, that it may not be referred to in advertising or promoting the event, that nonalcoholic beverages must also be served, that alcohol may not be sold and that the event be open only to members of the sponsoring organization and invited guests.
The fraternity was accused ofviolatingthe policy
by failing to obtain an alcohol permit, referring to alcohol in promoting the event and serving it to minors, Callahan said. The judicial panel also considered complaints that the alcoholic beverages were being sold, but no such charges were brought, he said.
Money was collected, however, for mixers and the cost of the sound system, said Ray Schnorr. graduate resident adviser for the fraternity'.
The whole idea of “Disco Night” was a free and open social alternative to the university community on Thursday nights: there was no admission charge and it cost the house more than $200, Callahan said.
“We really just wanted to perform a nonprofit service,” he said. “Rather than have people drive around town, with the possibility of them driving home after they’ve been drinking, we thought it would be a good idea to keep them on the Row. Our intentions were totally honorable.’’
He also objected to the fact that the fraternity was chastised for this event due to the obvious presence of alcohol on the Row at other times.
“It is obvious that there has been a breakdown in enforcement.” he said. “I’m not saying that the rulings are wrong, it’s just that there is no consistent enforcement of the regulations. I wouldn't make a big deal out of this if I didn’t think we were being nailed.
“I really hope that this doesn’t turn into a situation where the university denies alcohol permits and people wind up drinking secretly. I don't think that lack of a permit is going to change anything.” Callahan said.