Rigid Vigilance

The Faculty is greedy about its authority and rightly so. Control of education by those who dispense it is fundamental to a university's independence and quality. But constant vigilence against possible inroads on its territory has not made the Faculty particularly receptive to the idea of including the student viewpoint in its considerations.

So far, it is the administrators whom student representatives have dealt with, though many of the issues between them can be settled only by the Faculty. The Student Council's written reports, to be sure, receive the consideration of Faculty Committees. But the opportunity for personal presentation available to the Deans is a great and one suspects prohibitive, advantiage. Time after time, Council reports have been returned with only a "try again" letter attached.

In response to a suggestion that the council demand representation on Faculty Committees, a Council subcommittee has been investigating the problem of closer Faculty-student contact. Members of this subcommittee have learned through interviews that the Faculty regards including students on policy discussions in the same light as that of administrators and alumni. Permanent student representation is indeed a fantasy.

Moreover, undergraduates should be able to discuss measures other than purely academic ones that would concern them closely, a right long recognized by the University.

The only adequate form this discussion can take is personal representation. This does not mean that members of the Council should sit on Faculty committees, but only that they be allowed to present their arguments on important issues in person and to discuss them with members of the various Faculty committees. We hope that the Faculty members' concern for their independence will not prevent them from accepting this method of student representation, for it would be to their own advantage as well as the undergraduates'.

The only adequate form this discussion can take is personal representation. This does not mean that members of the Council should sit on Faculty committees, but only that they be allowed to present their arguments on important issues in person and to discuss them with members of the various Faculty committees. We hope that the Faculty members' concern for their independence will not prevent them from accepting this method of student representation, for it would be to their own advantage as well as the undergraduates'.