Cokinos, Christopher

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Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law

Maurer School of Law: Indiana UniversityDigital Repository @ Maurer LawSheldon Plager (1977-1984) Law School Deans2-4-1982Law Dean Responds to CriticsChristopher CokinosIndiana Daily StudentFollow this and additional works at: http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/plagerPart of the Legal Biography Commons, Legal Education Commons, and the Legal ProfessionCommonsThis Writing about Dean Sheldon Plager is brought to you for free and openaccess by the Law School Deans at Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Sheldon Plager (1977-1984) by anauthorized administrator of Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. For moreinformation, please contact wattn@indiana.edu.Recommended CitationCokinos, Christopher, "Law Dean Responds to Critics" (1982). Sheldon Plager (1977-1984). Paper 18.http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/plager/18Law dean responds?' to critics By Christopher Gokinos ids Staff Writer d 141 '&2. The IU School of Law took into account astronomy department con-cerns over its proposed addition's impact on Kirkwood Observatory, but neither the astronomers nor those opposed to the intrusion into See related story, Page 2 the Old Crescent woods contacted the law school, law school Dean Sheldon Plager said this week. In a.statement read to law school students and faculty Tuesday, Plager said, "The plans for the addi-tion have been posted on public dis-play ... since the beginning of the semester and well before the con-troversy appeared in the press." Plager said no one who has com-plained about the planned law library expansion into the Old Cres-cent contacted him before critics launched their "public attack." The statement outlined some of the proposed plans for the law ex-pansion and said the concerns of the astronomy department were con-sidered. But Hollis Johnson, chairman and professor of astronomy, said Wednesday, "I violently disagree with that. No one contacted us. And I call to mind a statement made by (Arthur) Lotz (law school assistant d~an for administration) calling · Kirkwood a 'musuem.' "I don't know how they can note our concerns if they were acting on that kind of misinformation " he said. ' In the statement, the law school's , irst pu lie comment on the con-troversy, Plager said other plans were rejected for a variety of reasons, including impact on the woods, inconvience to the law school and the cost of buying the Phi Delta Gamma property. Johnson reacted angrily to Plager's comments that the law school ewansion plans were public and that he was not contacted with concerns. ''The Daily Student had run an article saying the expansion would go to the south, so we all had relaxed. It does look a little like a surprise attack," Johnson said. But Plager said in the statement the final plan was "approved by the Board of Trustees, ~ncurred in by Chancellor (Herman B) Wells and many others whose concerns very much include the preservation and protection of the campus environ-ment." He also said the addition's impact on Kirkwood Observatory does need to be addressed. Plager men-tioned relocation of the facility as an alternative. "That's a smooth way of being kind to us," Johnson said. "To do something for the observatory is fine, but that takes a lot of money. And it functions fine as it is. "We're not arguing that they don't need , the library but that it could still bC placed in such a way as to minimize the impact on the woods and the observatory," he said. But Plager said, "Stopping the law building addition is not the only solution, nor is it the one thac best balances the interests of the academic programs and the en-vironment of the campus." The statement said the 57 ,000-square-foot law school library addi-tion will integrate the building and woods together "so that the academic program of the University and the environment in which the building is set will complement each other." Currently, the astronomy depart-ment is. investigating design options for the possible relocation of the observatory. Martin Burkhead, as-sociate professor of astronomy and Kirkwood Observatory diri::ctor, would not say when the astronomy department will finalize its recom-mendations and present them. 

Law Dean Responds to Critics

https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&amp;context=plager

Law Dean Responds to Critics

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Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law