Radcliffe Council May Okay RUS Before Trustees

The Radcliffe College Council may be able to approve the constitution of the Radcliffe Union of Students without first referring to the Board of Trustees a provision which would place students on the Council.

Adding members to the Council, Radcliffe's highest policy making body, would require a change in the by-laws of the College. Any such changes ordinarily come under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees.

By-Laws

But Helen H. Gilbert, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said Saturday that the Council itself might suggest a "slight change in the by-laws." She said that the Board of Trustees must choose Radcliffe's president and determine the budget for the College, but that in other matters "sometimes the College Council tells the Trustees what to do."

"I think the council will probably handle the whole matter of RUS," Mrs. Gilbert said.

The members of the Council are elected from among the members of the Board of Trustees.

Approval

RUS, which was chosen by Cliffies in a referendum last week, to replace the Radcliffe Government Association, must be officially approved before it can go into effect.

If approved RUS would be an autonomous student government with sole jurisdiction over changes in its constitution, by-laws, and regulations. It would place four students on the Council with he power to vote "on matters affecting the students directly and on other matters with the majority approval of the Council."

The Council will discuss the approval of all, or part, of RUS at its meeting on Jan. 8. The Trustees are not scheduled to meet until March.

While awaiting the action of the Council, the officers of RGA will plan the January election for their successors, the seven officers of RUS. Two of those seven will be elected to serve on the Council.

Aida Chang '68, vice-president of RGA, said last week that if the elections are held before the presence of student members on the Council is approved, "the two elected representatives to the Council will work on legitimizing themselves.