Robert Stewart Flores Jr. was a ticking time bomb. For years before murdering three of his nursing professors, he threatened teachers and acted in ways that should have been a red flag for disciplinary action.

Perhaps, had a proposal discussed at Monday's Faculty Senate meeting been in place, Flores would have been stopped before he vented his frustrations by killing his professors, and himself.

Under the proposal, which was written by a faculty and staff committee, teachers could respond to complaints of a student's over-the-line behavior by dropping the student from a class "with prejudice." Teachers would also file a Code of Conduct Complaint Form that would assist in tracking students alleged to be disruptive.

After being dropped twice, the system would "red flag" the student and suggest "immediate" expulsion.

University students should be mature enough to be able to respectfully disagree with teachers. If they aren't, the Dean of Students Office or another appropriate authority should deal with them upon the first account of hostility or possible aggression.

All students deserve the right to appeal any call for "immediate" expulsion, but this tough repercussion must be a viable possibility.

President Pete Likins does not agree. At the Faculty Senate meeting, he supported changing the policy so students dropped from two classes would face suspension rather than expulsion.

If professors, lecturers, teaching assistants and other staff feel students are threatening their safety, Likins and Melissa Vito, the dean of students, have the responsibility to deal with it.

Our academic personnel have the right to feel safe giving a lecture, grading honestly, or penalizing students for cheating.

The proposal discussed yesterday offers a promising first step toward setting up procedures for enforcing the UA Code of Conduct that should have already been in place. Likins owes it to the university to ensure that this proposal is instated, and that it allow for threatening students to be kicked out.

Of all the lessons the university has learned from the nursing college murders, perhaps the most resounding should be that faculty fears are legitimate. Teacher ÷ and student ÷ safety must be a top priority.