U. appoints new temporary JIO

The University has appointed a new interim Judicial Inquiry Officer, Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said last night. Effective Monday, Catherine Schifter, currently assistant dean of the Annenberg School, will assume the position vacated by Associate Director of Risk Management Jane Combrinck-Graham last spring. While she is interim JIO, Schifter's duties as assistant dean will be assumed by other faculty members. "Sometimes I think that there's an adversarial role between the JIO and the rest of the community," Schifter said last night. "I hope that the University will see the JIO as a friend to the communtiy, as opposed to a person you want to avoid like the plague." Moneta said Schifter brings to her new job much experience with student life. She has been the chairperson of the Student Affairs Committee four out of the last five years. "[Schifter] has a long history of working with University life," Moneta said. "She has a long history of working with student issues and understanding student concerns." Schifter said she believes the position of JIO deals with citizenship on campus. "I see the University community as a community of a vast number of individuals and cultures," she said. "Being a part of the University campus means respecting the other members of the community." Members of the community must behave in ways that allow others to reach their goals, but "at the same time there is an opportunity for freedom of expression," Schifter added. She called the new job "a real opportunity" but would not speculate on whether she will become the permanent JIO. "At this point the commitment has only been on an acting capacity," Moneta said, leaving open the possibility that Schifter could become the permanent JIO. Moneta added that the national search for a JIO will go on as planned, with Barbara Cassel, executive assistant to the vice provost for University life, acting as chairperson of the search committee. "I hope we'll have a full time person by midspring [1993] at the latest," Moneta said. The University has been without a permanent JIO since Associate Secretary Constance Goodman stepped down from that post in the summer of 1991. The University's last attempt to fill the permanent spot ended three months ago when the search failed to produce a suitable candidate. The JIO's office investigates and prosecutes a variety of cases ranging from cheating by students to complaints about fraternities and sororities.

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