WHAT DOES THE UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL DO? HERES WHAT IT DID LAST YEAR...

The Council formed a campus-wide consortium on Minority and Women faculty, uniting dozens of campus organizations of different ideologies, and spent the year lobbying the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on the need for improving and strengthening the faculty's recruitment procedures for qualified and distinguished minority and women scholars. After conducting individual interviews with key faculty members, a campus-wide petition which garnered nearly 2500 signatures, and a carefully orchestrated letter-writing campaign, the Council--along with the many student groups who supported the effort--succeeded in getting the faculty to adopt changes in its recruitment methods and its administrative structure, summarized in the Verba Report.

Now the Council must watch the implementation of the Verba Report to see that the desired results are achieved.

The Council, after a rash of attacks on undergraduates in Harvard Yard and a rape in the Science Center, called for increased security measures campus-wide. As a result, the Yard has been brightened at night with improved lighting, the Science Center has upgraded its security measures, classes in self-defense have been held for students, and whistles have been made available to all students.

The Council also succeeded in getting the town of Cambridge to commit itself to improving lighting in Cambridge Common.

The Council came to the rescue of the fiscally troubled Phillips Brooks House with a donation of $18,000 to make sure that the public service organization would not have to cut community services.

The Council also granted $80,000 to over 125 student organizations in need of funds.

The Council, rallying freshmen and house committees, brought about an administrative about-face by defeating an administrative plan to impose 25% randomization in some houses.

Now, the Council must focus on a new administrative plan to impose 100% randomization in all houses.

The Council wrote a lengthy critique of the Young Report, which called for increased administrative involvement in the selection of the Board of Overseers, one of Harvard's two governing bodies. Recognizing that the Board of Overseers is meant to be the representative voice of the alumni and not the administration, the Council strongly opposed any proposals which would allow the administration more power to hand-pick candidates for the Board of Overseers or create a structure which favored administration-backed candidates.

Nowthe Council must continue to press for the Young Report's defeat.

The Council got final approval from a faculty committee for sweeping changes in the University's policy for protecting free speech. These measures for improving the protection of free speech on campus will be considered by the full faculty this fall.

The Council came out against a possible attempt by Harvard's administration to litigate and push off recognition of the newly-formed Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, seeing as the union won in a fair election. Harvard decided not to litigate, and recognized the union's legitimacy.

The Council saved senior hourlies from an attempt to eliminate them by some members of the faculty.

The Council improved various aspects of the advising system by lobbying individual departments with specific proposals.

The Council improved various aspects of the University Health Services, including the structure for students to submit complaints.

The Council pressed for Harvard Dining Services to stop using styrofoam products because of their negative environmental effects. Harvard Dining Services agreed to stop purchasing styrofoam products, and use biodegradable paper goods instead.

The Council sponsored two well-attended concerts by Jimmy Cliff and Suzanne Vega. Harvard now has an excellent reputation in the entertainment industry, if it should wish to have more concerts in the future.

The Council awarded, for the sixth year in a row, the Levenson Prize to recognize excellence in teaching.

The Council catalyzed a campus-wide debate on the appropriateness of having ROTC back on campus. The council voted not to have ROTC back, though the debate will continue this year.