University of Virginia Library

Small Minority Does Great Majority Of Work On Student Council

Commentary

(The following article is the second in a series by Cavalier
Editorial Board member Sam Barnes. In this issue Mr. Barnes
considers the major issues confronting Council this year and the
progress Council has made in its programs. In Monday's issue Mr.
Barnes will deal with the effectiveness Council maintains in
dealing with the administration.-Ed.)

It would seem that the effectiveness of Student Council over
the course of this or any year could and ought to be measured by
the length of its list of accomplishments. Thus, we asked Council
President Jim Rinaca what he thought to be the most outstanding
Council issues and programs of the year.

Student Activities Fee: Mr. Rinaca cited the recent SAF
opinion poll and the work done with the Board of Visitors on
modifying allocation regulations as Council's most important
endeavors during the year.

The poll conducted by Council helped to clarify funding
regulations but more than anything helped Council to become
confident and consistent in its allocations procedures. Vice
President Larry Sabato, along with Mr. Rinaca handled most of
the complicated and time-consuming work.

He also said that the Athletic Department's decision to assist
in funding club sports was a "major accomplishment" resulting
from many past requests on Council's part, Formerly, all funding
for non-varsity club sports, other than that amount collected
from dues or donations, came from the SAF.

Mr. Rinaca was personally responsible for all the negotiations
and drew up the proposal which was eventually accepted by the
Athletic Department.

Drug Survey: Last fall following a large number of allegations
by local political officials that the University was harboring
massive drug abuse, the Student Council decided to circulate a
drug survey on contemporary student attitudes concerning the
use of drugs. The poll was intended to help allay the charges and
relieve the University of what was steadily mounting harmful
publicity. Its results will be released shortly.

Mr. Rinaca as well as past First Year Resident Staff
Co-Chairman Ed Wilson, accepted most of the responsibilities in
conducting this poll.

Future of the University Report: The Student Council played
a crucial role here in encouraging "plan B" of the Future of the
University Report which called for an absolute ceiling of 15,000
students. Mssrs. Rinaca and Sabato also asked the Board of
Visitors not to set a quota on out-of-state student enrollment.

The Board of Visitors decided not to lower out-of-state
percentages immediately, but did vote to freeze the out-of-state
student number at its total this past fall, which will ultimately
effect a decrease in out-of-state percentages over the next few
years. The Board also decided to place a 16,000 limit
on enrollment rather than adopt the 15,000 limit endorsed
by Council.

Mr. Rinaca, however, said that "the decision of the Board to
go ahead with the 16,000 limit rather than basing its decision
upon state guidelines (which according to the Report could have
eventually sent limits much higher) was a very definite move on
their part to limit enrollment." He called the decision to limit
out-of-state students "unfortunate" and said he hopes Council
will keep trying to get the freeze lifted.

Parking and Transit: The busing system implemented last fall
was largely the work of Council and Mr. Rinaca. He said that he
hopes to see extension of the system on Rugby Road, Gordon
Avenue, and 14th Street areas. It will be much more "logical and
reasonable" to include in the bus routes these areas where many
students live, he continued.

The Council Traffic and Parking committee has also been
actively campaigning for the removal of parking from the
amphitheater.

Curriculum Evaluation: Mr. Rinaca said he felt the Curriculum
Evaluation booklet was "coming into its own" and gaining
widespread acceptance among students and faculty as well. He
said he hoped to see an increased movement toward curriculum
reform through the publication.

Council representative Mark Vorder Bruegge served as editor
of the booklet.

As one can see, many of the same names keep cropping up in
association with the major projects, and the total hardly
represents a majority of Council. There are a few others who
have been active on Council committees, but it is apparent that
these people are indeed the ones who are bearing the majority of
Council's responsibility.