Joint Committee on Disciplinary Affairs Records, 1967-1973

Summary Information

Abstract

This collection contains the records generated by the Joint Committee on Disciplinary Affairs (JCDA) of Columbia University from 1967 through 1973.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

Arranged in nine series.

• Series I. Governance
• Series II. Interim Rules
• Series III. Tribunal Manual
• Series IV. Correspondence
• Series V. Statements and Press Releases
• Series VI. Individual Cases
• Series VII. College Tribunals
• Series VIII. Assorted Materials
• Subseries VIII.1. Miscellaneous
• Subseries VIII.2. Subject Files
• Subseries VIII.3. Chronological Files
• Series IX. Additions

Description

Summary

The collection consists of correspondence, drafts and approved copies of the Interim Rules and Manuals of Tribunal Procedure, individual cases with correspondence, appeals, and hearing transcripts, press releases and statements of the JCDA, bylaws, minutes, subject files, and chronological files. In 2007, with the completion of the processing of the University Protest and Activism collection (UA#0007), records were added to the JCDA collection.

• Series I. Governance

  Series I. Governance consists of materials regarding the establishment of the committee, elections, membership, minutes, and other related material. Some folders of minutes also have additional documents, which were handed out at meetings or correspondence relating to subjects of meetings. The folder of JCDA Authority includes a copy of the Trustees' resolution disbanding the JCDA and the college tribunals and the superceding of the Interim Rules by the Rules of University Conduct. Two folders contain reports and statistics prepared by the Subcommittee of the JCDA. The JCDA created this subcommittee at the 9 January 1970 meeting to "review its operation and procedures. The subcommittee began its work, through the medium of its secretary, by compiling a summary of the actions taken under the Interim Rules of September 12, 1968. The results of this labor may be seen in five tables accompanying" the report in the records.

• Series II. Interim Rules

  Series II. Interim Rules contains the various drafts of the Interim Rules as well as the proposed revisions to the Rules by faculty and administrators. This series also includes a distribution list, containing the names of the individuals to whom the Committee sent drafts and an index to the rules.

• Series III. Tribunal Manual

  Series III. Tribunal Manual contains drafts of the "Manual for Tribunal Procedure" and "Setting Up a Disciplinary Tribunal" and proposed revisions by faculty and administrators. Also includes notes and transcripts from hearings regarding the revision of the manual.

• Series IV. Correspondence

  Series IV. Correspondence consists of the correspondence of various University faculty and administrators involved with the Committee as well as folders of correspondence with committee members and the University Senate. The folder of general correspondence contains correspondence with the Office of the Registrar regarding noting suspensions on official student transcripts. The folder titles in this series have not been altered.

• Series V. Statements and Press Releases

  Series V. Statements and Press Releases contains press releases and statements mostly by the JCDA, but also from the Office of Public Information. There is one entire file of press releases from the Office of Public Information released during the riots and protests in the spring of 1968. The series also includes public statistical reports on the disciplinary system.

• Series VI. Individual Cases

  Series VI. Individual Cases comprises the bulk of the collection and documents the appeals and tribunal hearings of various individual students charged with violating the Interim Rules. This includes correspondence between students, counsel, and University administrators. Within individual appeal files is correspondence relating to the organization and efficiency of the tribunal. There are letters from faculty, administrators, counsel, and students who agree or disagree with the process in regard to a particular appeal, but also have broader context. Some appeal folders for individual cases include transcripts of appeal hearings and the original college tribunal hearings. Individual cases are arranged alphabetically by the student's last name.

• Series VII. College Tribunals

  Series VII. College Tribunals contains the correspondence, reports, and cases of each individual college or school disciplinary tribunal. These college tribunals held the initial student hearings for the violation of the Interim Rules. The folders of Columbia College cases include some correspondence with President Cordier indicating the ineffectiveness of the college level tribunals. Also includes a critique of the tribunal by Ralph Allemano, chairman of the Columbia College tribunal from February 1969 to March 1970. The folder of "College Tribunals-General" contains statistics and lists of cases pending or closed from the various school tribunals.

• Series VIII. Assorted Materials

  Series VIII. Assorted Materials consists of the JCDA's subject files, chronological files, and miscellaneous materials. The series is divided into three sub-series: Subseries 1. Miscellaneous, Subseries 2. Subject Files, and Subseries 3. Chronological files.

• Series IX. Additions

  Series IX. Additions contains materials found during and after the processing of the University Protest and Activism Collection (UA#0007). These records include the Faculty of Political Science JCDA election materials and two sets of personal papers. The first set of personal papers belonged to English and Comparative Literature professor and the first chair of the JCDA, Professor Quentin Anderson. His records document the creation of the Interim Rules and University reform. The second set of papers belonged to Douglass Hunt, who served first as the Vice President for Finance and then as Deputy to the President for Governmental Affairs. Hunt acted as the prosecutor for the University at the tribunals for students accused of violating the Interim Rules during the demonstrations in the spring of 1972. The majority of the folders contain student case files, with handwritten notes, copies of correspondence and photographs used for identifying the students participating in the demonstrations.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. Due to the sensitive nature of the records, these records are restricted until 2049. To request permission to use the collection, please contact the University Archivist before requesting boxes from off-site storage.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Joint Committee on Disciplinary Affairs Records; Box and Folder; University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.

Selected Related Material at Columbia

Central Files, 1890-1971 (UA#0001)

Historical Photograph Collection, 1855-2012 (UA#0003)

Records of the Office of the President, President Andrew W. Cordier, 1923-1974 (UA#0145)

Temple-Lilley Special Committee Records, 1968-1971 [Bulk Dates: 1968-1969] (UA#0164)

University Protest and Activism Collection, 1958-1999 (UA#0007)

Accruals

No additions are expected.

Materials have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact uarchives@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was originally transferred to the University Archives prior to 1995. Additional materials were added in 2007 from what is now the University Protest and Activism Collection (UA#0007) and in 2018 from the University Archives Miscellaneous Collection.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Abby Lester in 2002 and by Joanna Rios in 2018. Finding aid written by Abby Lester in May 2002, re-formatted by Elizabeth Nolte (GSAS 2009) in October 2008, and updated by Joanna Rios in June 2018.

Revision Description

2018-08-08 File created.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

History of the Joint Committee on Disciplinary Affairs Records

The Joint Committee on Disciplinary Affairs (JCDA), originally called the Tri-Partite Commission, was created by a resolution of the general faculty on April 28, 1968 as a result of the campus riots and protests of April 1968. The JCDA was responsible for "hearing cases on appeal from any disciplinary tribunal in Columbia University, and for general supervision of the system of tribunals. The Interim Rules, which assigns the JCDA these responsibilities, are binding upon the JCDA in its handling of both." (Box 1 Folder 7 "Enabling Documents") To fulfill this responsibility, the Committee maintained a body of seven elected faculty members, seven elected student members, and three appointed administrators for two-year terms. The Committee held its first meeting on May 1, 1968.

One function of the JCDA was to develop the Interim Rules, which governed the University during the 1968 crisis through 1973 when the Trustees adopted the Rules of University Conduct. After many revisions, the Interim Rules were adopted by the faculty on September 12, 1968. There were additional supplements to the Rules over the next few years. The JCDA was also responsible for the creation of a Tribunal Manual guiding the JCDA and college tribunals. The Committee distributed both the Interim Rules and the Tribunal Manual to select faculty and administrators for revisions and proposals for change.

In order to carry out the guidelines of the Interim Rules and Tribunal Manual, the JCDA established individual college disciplinary tribunals responsible for prosecuting individuals who violated any portion of the Interim Rules. In addition to Columbia College, there were individual college tribunals for Barnard College, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Graduate Faculties and others. The JCDA oversaw these college tribunals and administered appeal requests and hearings resulting from the tribunals. The Committee charged each dean of a school or faculty body with determining the identity of their students involved in the demonstrations "and, following discussions with those students, should impose the discipline recommended." (Box 6, Folder 20 "Columbia College-General") If a student failed to meet with his/her dean, they were suspended. If a student disagreed with the disciplinary action, he/she could appeal to the JCDA.

On June 4, 1973, the Trustees approved the Rules of University Conduct, which superseded the Interim Rules and its supplements. In the same meeting, the Trustees ruled that the JCDA and the disciplinary tribunals were terminated and replaced by similar bodies.