Fac. Senate debates harassment codes

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee failed to reach a consensus Wednesday about the University's racial and sexual harrassment policies during a discussion with President Sheldon Hackney. SEC members discussed the policies with Hackney at their last meeting of the year, but according to Senate Chairperson and Social Work Professor Louise Shoemaker, they still were unable to present a unified view to the administration. "There is real disagreement among the members of SEC because some of us believe really strongly in First Amendment issues," Shoemaker said. "But both sides were represented." She said that some members are afraid that strict codes will inhibit the educational process. "The fear is that the more we codify things, the more we move away from the educational side," Shoemaker said. "The question was raised that even if we do codify some things, whether there should be a statement saying certain actions and words are unacceptable, and whether those actions and words are punishable are two different things." But despite the disagreement, Shoemaker said that the discussion with the administrators was a positive step. "There was a lot of honest give and take," she said. "It was one of the best discussion sessions we've had with the president and the provost." Although Shoemaker said SEC members will try to "influence" Hackney's decision regarding the harrassment codes once they have reached a consensus, "the place it will be brought up is [University Council]." SEC also discussed the conception of the University as a global institution after Provost Michael Aiken gave a speech summarizing the issue, Shoemaker said. "The Provost gave a compelling description of what's happening," Shoemaker said. "There is a definite need to give more encouragement to grass roots programs. A lot of our students study abroad, but many of them go on programs from different schools."

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