University of Virginia Library

Students Gain Committee Seats
At RMWC; No Pressure Applied

By Rick Pearson
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

William F. Quillian, Jr.,
President of Randolph-Macon
Women's College, and the faculty
of the college have approved the
admission of student members to
almost every faculty policy
committee, after examining
requests made by student leaders
"frustrated in our attempts to
communicate with the
administration."

According to the
announcement, students will sit
without special conditions on most
of the faculty committees, on
which they will participate as full
members, and discuss all affairs of
the committee, including those of
policy. On the Admissions
Committee and the International
Studies Committee, however, they
will participate only in policy
matters and will not have a voice in
the selection of applicants to the
school or of students for special
studies.

There will be no student
representation on the Faculty
Personnel Committee and the
committee on scholarships and aid.
These committees deal with
confidential personal and finances.

In an interview with The
Cavalier Daily yesterday, Melinda
Agee, student body president of the
Lynchburg school, discussed the
events leading up to Mr. Quillian's
announcement.

"Before Christmas," Miss Agee
explained," I talked with the
administration and suggested the
idea of student representation on
faculty committees. When we came
back from vacation, it was accepted
by the President."

"The students themselves have
not been terribly interested in
governmental affairs. It has been
mainly a result of the attitude of
the student government this year,
which has been frustrated in its
attempts to communicate its
ideas."

Miss Agee was asked how much
pressure was applied on the administration
before they accepted the
proposals. "The student body took
almost no part in this, and the
student leaders applied no pressure.
We simply talked with the
President, and he and the
administration have been most
receptive."

Miss Agee then discussed exactly
what the new student participation
would mean. "We will have
members on almost all of the
committees. This includes
numerous minor committees which
deal with the everyday activities of
all students, including the
attendance, book, and art
committees. The number of
students on each will vary with
their size. For instance, on some of
these committees we will have as
few as one or two or as many as
four or five members.

"But the important committee
is the Educational Policies
Committee. It is this body which
decides much of the policy matter
in such vital areas as curriculum,
exams, and departmental affairs.
Since much of the work of this
group consists also of mere
procedural matters, there is no need
in the students deliberating with
the faculty at all times.

The final question addressed to
Miss Agee concerned the power of
the student representatives. Here
she was particularly cautious in her
choice of words. "We have
deliberately tried to phrase things
very simply. We will recommend
policy, and most probably we will
have full voting rights. But we do
not wish to make an issue out of all
this. We don't want to end up
choosing sides."