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University Of Notre Dame Debates Relationship WIth School PaperAccording to Michelle Krupa, editor in chief of The Observer the University functions as The Observer 's accountant, rather than publisher. The Observer, which is an independent student-run organization, entered into the University's accounting system following financial trouble in the early '80s due to misappropriation of funds, she said. The University loaned the newspaper enough funds to relieve the situation in exchange for The Observer's agreement to let the University handle accounting procedures. The University also functions as a quasi-bill collector, gathering the $12 yearly subscription fee with each student's tuition payment. These fees constitute approximately 15 percent of The Observer 's budget, she said. Recently, this arrangement has caused problems as the University has tried to use its oversight over that 15 percent to dictate The Observer's advertising policy, Krupa explained. In particular, the University has set forth a policy dictating to The Observer that it may not accept advertisements from GALA ND/SMC (Gay and Lesbian Alumni of Notre Dame/Saint Mary's College). She maintained that as an independent publication, The Observer has created and abides by its own policies, not those presented by the University. "The bottom line of this issue is the independence of The Observer and the academic freedom that underlies it," said Matt Mamak, chief of staff for the office of the student body president. The resolution eventually passed with 27 members of the senate voting in favor and one voting against. |
University of Vermont Passes Resolution Banning Class Note-TakingSet to take effect next spring, the resolution is the first of its kind for UVM and is under the consideration of the campus attorney. The issue has not been presented by University of Texas officials as a possibility for the University since the 1980s. But UVM faculty members are unsure of how they will enforce this rule with 10,000 students at the university, said Mary Rice, a senate council member. But Z. Philip Ambrose, a UVM classics professor, said it is not feasible ‹ and possibly not legal ‹ to enforce this rule. "I would not have voted to put the restrictions on," he said. At UT-Austin, note-takers regularly sit in classes, said Robert Pyeatt, president of Paradigm Books, Ltd., and takes notes for about 30 UT classes. Pyeatt said he is pleased to hear about Vermont's resolution and wishes the University would follow suit. Hussain Malik, the President of House of Tutors, which offers tutoring for students and class notes during some semesters, said he thinks notes allow students to concentrate better on what the professor is saying. "Vermont has probably gone overboard and overreacted, but ethical standards are needed," he said. "It is unfair for an organization to go into classes without the professor's permission." Brian Levack, a UT history professor and member of the General Faculty Council, said note-taking was a bigger issue in the 1980s but has not come before the council lately. Other UT and UVM professors have their own ideas about the role of commercial note-takers in classrooms. "I think that the purpose of students being here is to learn, and however they want to accomplish it, except cheating, is fine with me," said Stuart Reichler, a lecturer in the UT Division of Biological Sciences. Kenneth Digney-Peer, the owner of Got Notes in Burlington, Vt., said the UVM restrictions violate his free speech rights, and he plans to ignore the policy. Digney-Peer said he sells to 10 percent of the students in the 120 classes Got Notes visits, and he is threatening legal action if UVM tries to enforce this policy by punishing student note-takers. |
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