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...And Representation

Apart from the question of student
presence at Faculty meetings, the committee
also considered the question of student
representation in the decision making process
that affects the quality and character of
college life. At present, students are seated on
several of the Faculty's standing, "watchdog"
committees. It isn't clear whether these
students are entitled to speak at meetings or
to be present during the deliberations which
affect their committees' spheres of concern.

The report recommends that such students
be permitted to attend and speak at meetings
but not to vote; in addition, it would
authorize the College representatives on
Student Council to designate two of their
number to act as student representatives with
the same privileges accorded to the committee
members. The committee further feels that
Student Council should select the student
members of the committees while reserving
for the Faculty the right to determine the
committees on which students will serve and
their number on each.

We firmly support all of these recommendations.
If implemented, they should go a
long way towards insuring a student voice of
proper proportion in affairs which directly
affect students. We envision the Council
representatives as delegates to the Faculty
from the student body. They ought to be at
the disposal of any interested and concerned
students who wish to make their views known
through them. And the same thing, to a lesser
extent, should be true of the student
committee members. If they are selected by
the Student Council to represent the student,
they ought to feel an obligation to represent
the students in a meaningful way; in the past,
committee members have often felt that they
were selected by the Faculty because their
opinions in themselves were worthwhile.

The College Faculty might also consider
expanding the number of students presently
serving on its committees. Three of the
standing committees have no student
representation on them. Certainly students
should be admitted to two of these - Faculty
Rules, which regularly interprets regulations
affecting students, and Special Programs,
which deals with interdepartmental and
special academic programs; the Personnel
Policy committee would probably deal with
faculty matters only. We also see no reason to
exclude students from the special committee
on ROTC, an area which is vitally important
to students. This committee is charged with
negotiating with the Pentagon to restructure
the ROTC curriculum in accordance with the
credit rules passed last December; although
generals might not appreciate negotiating with
students, there ought to be a student voice in
whatever arrangement is arrived at, if only to
insure that there could be no post facto
aggravation if the arrangement is
unsatisfactory to students.