Dowling Committee Holds Open Forum on UC Review

The professor who helped found the Undergraduate Council led an open forum discussion last night as part of the first review of the council in its 25 year history.

Professor John E. Dowling ’57—who chairs the recently formed review committee made up of students, faculty members, and administrators—invited the small audience scattered in a large Harvard Hall classroom to ask questions of him and the other review committee members present.

The two hour discussion was peppered with words like “apathy,” “transparency,” and “accountability.” Hot topics included the disconnect between Council members and the students they represent, transparency in UC procedures, the high turn-over rate among UC representatives, and freshmen representative elections.

The first questions of the night probed at the history of the UC and its changes over the past two and a half decades, but talk quickly turned to the review committee’s objectives. Much of the night’s discussion centered on the student body’s communication with the administration, House committees, and the UC.

“Students frequently feel that they have not been consulted,” said Associate Dean of the College Judith H. Kidd, a committee member. Kidd added that the administration would like to know which issues most concerned students.

Participants voiced a similar disconnect between the UC and the student body.

“The UC has not stayed in contact with its constituents as much as it should,” Dowling said.

Dowling said that a lack of transparency was not a Harvard-specific problem, but added that it is an area that should be improved.

Susan S. Lee ’08, a member of the Phillips Brooks House Association who is on the review committee, suggested that the UC make a list of the roles and responsibilities of those occupying certain council positions.

“I did not know any processes of the UC before I sat on this committee,” Lee said. “And I think this is a problem because I consider myself fairly informed on student affairs.”

Because of concern that freshmen do not have enough time to establish themselves on campus before running, the idea of moving freshman representative elections to later in the year was also discussed.

Ellora A. Derenoncourt ’09, who attended the meeting hoping for a discussion of student governance on a more general level, said she was disappointed that the meeting was so focused on the UC.

“I fall into that category of people who don’t really feel represented by the UC,” she said.

But Derenoncourt said she plans to continue participating in the review process.

“I think students ought to have a chance to learn about self-governance before they go on to become leaders,” she said.

Staff writer Chelsea L. Shover can be reached clshover@fas.harvard.edu.