University of Virginia Library

Trend In Administrations
To Include Student Leaders
On More Advisory Committees

A circular issued from the
National Association of State Universities
and Land-Grant Colleges
(NASULGC) indicates the trend of
college administrators is to include
student representation on advisory
committees and faculty senates.

Several universities have allowed
students to assist in selecting new
university administrators. Students
at the University of North Dakota
participated in choosing a new
college dean, while the State Board
of Regents in Iowa invited a
committee of four students to assist
in choosing a new president for the
University of Iowa. At the University
of California at Davis and the
University of Idaho students and
faculty are working with the
administration in naming several
new administrators.

Student at other institutions
are being given a hand in making
campus policy. At the University of
Kentucky a student has been
appointed to the Board of Trustees,
and a similar proposal is being
considered for the University of
Wyoming. The president of the
University of Vermont has proposed
that the Student Association
begin discussion concerning the
possibility of student-elected delegates
sitting with the school's Board
of Trustees.

A move to close the "communication
gap" between the students
and the administration was made
by the establishment of a "House
of Critics," a forum composed of
student leaders and administrators
to discuss campus issues. The State
University of New York formed an
experimental Student Cabinet,
composed of the heads of student
governments from 22 of the institution's
campuses. This cabinet
meets with the chancellor of SUNY
to "promote constructive student
involvement in university wide programs."

Several members of the
NASULGC have completely reconstructed
their form of government
to include students. The University
of New Hampshire instituted a new
"unicameral" system, which replaces
the system of separate
Student and University Senates
with single voting body composed
equally of faculty and students.