Lewis May Review Council

The Undergraduate Council could benefit from a review of the group's effectiveness in representing students, said Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 in an interview yesterday.

Lewis, who acknowledged that he does not have extensive knowledge of the council's past, recommended restructuring and revising the council's procedures either this year or next.

"I don't have a long history of following the U.C.," said Lewis. "[But] I think that at some point the...legislation surrounding the U.C. ought to be revised."

Three prominent council members said last night that they would welcome an administration evaluation of the council's effectiveness and a subsequent restructuring.

"As we start our fourteenth year since the U.C. was originally created by the Faculty Council.... certainly it is appropriate [to have another review]," outgoing vice-president and current presidential hopeful Justin P. Label '97 said. "It is appropriate to [examine] what the council has become and whether that is what they foresaw."

One of the council's difficulties, according to Lewis, is that its members do not necessarily give the best representation on student faculty-committees because most students interested in specific issues are not willing to go through the council or are not familiar with the process.

"The important things [the council] does is supply its members to certain [student-faculty] committees," said Lewis who has served on several committees including the Committees on House and College Life (COCL/CHCL) and the Committee on Athletics. "It is a concern to me that the way you get on a committee that is of interest to all students is to go through the U.C. process."

Currently, many positions on student-faculty committees are filled by members of the council's student affairs committee. Some posts remain open to all students, but interested participants are screened and chosen by the student affairs committee, according to Jonathan P. Feeney '97, a council executive and presidential candidate.

Rudd Coffey '97, a council executive who has served on the Loker Commons committee and the COCL/CHCL, said that in many instances, representatives to student-faculty committees don't do the best job possible.

"It's impossible to take every point that may come up and pass it to the U.C.," said Coffey. "You're basically left to the leadership of the representative on the committee."

"Some students are a little more out of touch," said Coffey. "It's one of the worst things for the U.C."

But Feeney said that representation on faculty-student committees is not the council's main mission.

"It's not enough to just send people to committees," said Feeney. "Now it's time to take some...real steps."

Lewis said that any restructuring of the council should also plan to address concerns of house masters who feel that there is not enough contact between house committees and the council.

"There was a feeling among house masters that there is poor communication between the house committees and the U.C.," said Lewis.

Feeney said that although several reforms, such as the popular election of council leaders, have already been put into place, he would like to see several more to improve student input in the council's process.

"What we need to do is to utilize more segments of the student body, more than just one person," said Feeney. "As a council, we are getting a feeling for what issues we have a consensus on.... Then we have the strength to act on them as a group."

--Sarah J. Schaffer contributed to the reporting of this story.

Currently, many positions on student-faculty committees are filled by members of the council's student affairs committee. Some posts remain open to all students, but interested participants are screened and chosen by the student affairs committee, according to Jonathan P. Feeney '97, a council executive and presidential candidate.

Rudd Coffey '97, a council executive who has served on the Loker Commons committee and the COCL/CHCL, said that in many instances, representatives to student-faculty committees don't do the best job possible.

"It's impossible to take every point that may come up and pass it to the U.C.," said Coffey. "You're basically left to the leadership of the representative on the committee."

"Some students are a little more out of touch," said Coffey. "It's one of the worst things for the U.C."

But Feeney said that representation on faculty-student committees is not the council's main mission.

"It's not enough to just send people to committees," said Feeney. "Now it's time to take some...real steps."

Lewis said that any restructuring of the council should also plan to address concerns of house masters who feel that there is not enough contact between house committees and the council.

"There was a feeling among house masters that there is poor communication between the house committees and the U.C.," said Lewis.

Feeney said that although several reforms, such as the popular election of council leaders, have already been put into place, he would like to see several more to improve student input in the council's process.

"What we need to do is to utilize more segments of the student body, more than just one person," said Feeney. "As a council, we are getting a feeling for what issues we have a consensus on.... Then we have the strength to act on them as a group."

--Sarah J. Schaffer contributed to the reporting of this story.