Some University administrators said Monday that they oppose the new Duke Student Government policy excluding Robertson Scholars based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from tenting.
Administrators said, however, that they are unlikely to take direct action to ensure that the scholars be allowed to participate. Instead, they encouraged greater dialogue and said DSG should re-evaluate the policy.
DSG enacted the new tenting statute after a group of Robertson Scholars who tented last spring removed Duke outerwear to display UNC gear and cheered for UNC during the Duke-UNC men's basketball game in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"They are fully Duke students," Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, said of the UNC Robertson Scholars. "To just simply prohibit their participation isn't the best response."
He added, however, that "it's fundamentally a student decision and a student outcome."
Soon after the decision was announced, Duke administrators who serve on the Robertson Scholars Program's Universities Coordinating Committee began to correspond by e-mail about their opposition to the new policy, members of the committee confirmed.
"We all feel the same way... that it was an unfortunate overreaction," said Judith Ruderman, vice provost for academic and administrative services.
The Duke-affiliated members of the joint Duke-UNC committee are Moneta, Ruderman, Robert Thompson, dean of Trinity College and vice provost for undergraduate education, and Melissa Malouf, director of the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows.
"It is annoying to me when people for the opposing team are sitting anywhere near me," said Ruderman, who noted that she has had men's basketball tickets since 1976. "That said, I have never considered that my section or my 'house'... should be closed off to any fans of the opposing team."
Eric Mlyn, executive director of the Robertson Scholars Program, said he had spoken with students, DSG officials and University administrators about the issue. He noted that he had heard nothing about DSG's proposed policy until after it passed.
"In the scheme of things... this is small," Mlyn said. "But as a symbol, I think it's the wrong symbol for DSG to be sending to UNC Robertson Scholars."
Mlyn called for further dialogue and for DSG to reconsider its decision.
DSG President Elliott Wolf, a junior, said a vote overturning the new tenting policy-which a large majority of senators approved-is unlikely. He noted, however, that any DSG senator can propose an amendment to any piece of legislation.
"Our main feeling, though, is that we work for Duke students," Wolf said. "The feeling was, 'They did that because they're UNC students.'"
Wolf added that he would be willing to talk to anyone about DSG's actions.
David Suitts, a UNC sophomore who captained the scholars' tent last year, said he had spoken informally with Wolf and Head Line Monitor Mara Schultz, a senior.
He said they both explained their positions and agreed on the need for further discussion.
Ruderman said she also supports continuing dialogue. She said excluding the scholars ignores the many benefits the scholarship program brings to Duke, but direct administrative action would probably generate a negative response.
"There's an exacerbated divide between Duke undergraduates and administrators," Ruderman explained. "I don't think there can be a heavy hand here."
Moneta noted that administrators' authority might be limited. DSG-appointed line monitors have governed access to the student section of Cameron Indoor Stadium since the 1991-1992 basketball season.
"I don't know what authority we could or would even choose to exercise," Moneta said. "For there to be more resentment wouldn't be helpful."
Wolf said direct administrative action is unlikely, but he added that one administrator had implied it is a possibility.
"The interest the University might have in supporting the Robertson Scholars' entry into the UNC game is outweighed by the interest the University has in supporting K-ville," Wolf said. "DSG doesn't have direct control over much, but we do run K-ville."
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