Faculty Steering Council Will Weigh UC Fee Hike

The 15-man faculty steering committee at its meeting later this month will vote whether to approve a $10 increase in student term bills sought by the Undergraduate Council.

The Faculty Council will consider the measure, which was passed in January by the Undergraduate Council, on March 23. If the committee approves the funding hike, the full faculty will most likely rubber-stamp the decision next month.

Council Chairman Evan J. Mandery '89 and Vice Chairman Jeffery A. Cooper '90 are scheduled to appear before the Faculty Council to explain the need for the fee increase, which would take effect in the fall. Mandery said he will prepare a written report for the meeting outlining how the student government apportions student grants, what use the grants are put to, and how many students request a rebate each year.

The proposed term bill increase, which will provide $60,000 in new revenues for the Undergraduate Council, will go toward grants for student organizations and social events, Mandery said yesterday None of the money will be used for the council's administrative expenses, he added.

"The Faculty Council decided it wanted to hear directly from the Undergraduate Council people why they need more money," Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said yesterday.

"I didn't sense any great opposition to the concept of allowing an increase," Jewett said.

"I don't think it's going to be a broad-gauged sort of review at all," said John R. Marquand, who is secretary of the faculty. He said the Faculty council would limit its inquiries to the Undergraduate Council's finances.

"I think there's alot of support for the Undergraduate Council on the Faculty Council," Marquand said.

If the Faculty Council "didn't accept the increase, I would have serious questions about their views of the [Undergraduate] Council," Cooper said.

A yes vote by the committee "would demonstrate their belief that the council will continue to exist and be an institutionalized part of the Harvard administration," Cooper said.

The request for a fee increase is a reasonable one, Cooper said, because the student government has not asked for one in seven years. The undergraduate Council may not ask for another increase for at least seven more years, he said.

In their presentation, the two student representatives will attempt to demonstrate that inflation and an "incredibly expanded demand for funding for student groups" have necessitated the increase, Cooper said.

Mandery said more money would allow the council to support groups which currently do not receive council money, such as Phillips Brooks House.

"We also hope to inspire more groups to come up with good projects. A lot of people are discouraged because they don't think they can get any money," Mandery said.

The increase also will enable the Undergraduate Council to reconsider its policy of urging all grant applicants to become financially independent, said Council Treasurer Gregg P. Sands '88-'89. The council has formed an ad hoc committee to review the grants procedures in anticipation of the new funding, Sands said. He added that groups like Amnesty International and Room 13 have difficulty raising money on their own.