University of Virginia Library

Student Participation Rising
At Committee Level

Student participation in the governing
structure of academic life has not been a
hallmark of the University. However, the
long sought goal of students playing
creative roles in the determining of
academic policy is close at hand; indeed,
in a rudimentary form it is already here.

Committees of all sorts — administrative,
faculty, departmental — move the
University along at its lumbering pace.
Previously, except for administrative
committees, students were unrepresented
and unsought. This year, change is the
watchword. It is likely that the appointment
process to administrative committees
will be restructured; students are
being placed on faculty committees in
most schools of the University; and
Departmental committees are either seeking
students as representatives or, at least,
their advice.

Fifty-five administrative committees
of the University, appointed by President
Shannon, grapple with administrative
details in such diverse areas as the use of
the Chapel, fraternities and the Master
Plan. These committees are often called
upon by the Board of Visitors to make
reports and recommendations. Most of
them have several student representatives;
others have none.

A significant number of previous student
members have either been disinterested in
their committee or unrepresentative of
their peers. These criticisms find their
roots in the rather unsophisticated
appointment process.

Presently, President Shannon solicits
names from the Student Council and
various deans. From the names received,
Mr. Shannon selects the student members,
the bulk of these coming from the
Student Council nominees. But the
Council nominees have usually consisted
of the Council President's and members'
friends, and the deans' recommendations
have been well known students, already
over-committed to other activities.

In an effort to obtain qualified and
diligent committee members, the Student
Council has proposed that it directly
appoint the students. Under the new
plan, the Council would establish a
committee to contact student organizations,
dorm counselors and students at
large. Students would apply to the
Council, and the committee would then
employ a screening process, the last stage
of which would involve interviews.
Following the Committee report, specific
students would be named by Council to
specific committees. Terming the present
appointment process "inscrutable," Student
Council President Bud Ogle is "fairly
optimistic" for the new plan to be
accepted by the Administration.

Of more immediate interest to students
has been the attainment of
representation of the Faculty committees
in each school of the University. These
committees are where the important
questions such as curriculum requirements
are decided. Inasmuch as the
various schools are at different levels of
development in student-faculty committees,
it is necessary to examine each
school individually.

The School of Law has embarked
upon an ambitious study of a total
revamping of its committee structure.
Last spring, its faculty took up the
question of student members on the
Curriculum Committee, of which almost
everyone involved was in favor. The
faculty then decided that instead of
taking action on just that proposal, it
would be more fruitful to examine the
entire committee structure, determining
where students could serve.

Associate Dean A.E. Howard was
appointed chairman of a study committee
which also included three faculty members
and three students. The students
were not appointed by the Faculty. Mr.
Howard stated that in no way was it "an
establishment committee, but one that
can command respect of students and
faculty."