RUS Wins 'Cliffe Approval By Overwhelming Margin

Radcliffe's student body, voting in a special two-day referendum, has overwhelmingly approved the constitution of its new Radcliffe Union of Students.

The final vote was 718-Yes, 18-No. Sixty-three per cent of the college voted in the referendum. At least 50 per cent participation was necessary to make the referendum valid.

With this referendum, held Tuesday and Wednesday, the Radcliffe Union of ficially becomes the student representative body of Radcliffe. The administration's Radcliffe College Council approved the Union constitution at a meeting earlier this month.

The Union has broader legislative powers over Radcliffe student life than its predecessor, the Radcliffe Government Association.

But it does not, under its new constitution, possess another goal of its organizers--formal student representation on Radcliffe administrative bodies, particularly, the Radcliffe College Council. The College Council had balked at approving an initial constitution that held such provision.

In Formal Agreement

Deborah A. Batts '69, president of the Radcliffe Union of Students, said yesterday that an informal agreement does exist with the Radcliffe administration that will alow students to attend some meetings of administrative bodies.

Miss Batts said that students will attend the final meeting of the Radcliffe Trustees this semester, on June 10.

She added that the Union will continue its push for formal representation when it begins meeting again in the Fall.

The Union will "take advantage of what we've got and keep pressing for more," Miss Batts said.

Union members and officers were chosen earlier this Spring. Miss Batts said they would work over the summer to set up assorted committees and make plans for the Fall.

The Fall may also see a special "adjustment election" for Union membership to take into account over-the-summer shifts in housing by members.

The new constitution creates a Judicial Board "to impose penalties. . .and take other action it regards as necessary" in matters of student discipline. The nine-member board, with five administrators and four students, will have the power to impose social probation, but will not be able "to require students to withdraw from the college."

The Radcliffe College Council finally approved a constitution for the Radcliffe Union after rejecting four previous proposals. Earlier plans included formal student representation on administration bodies. But it appears likely that informally students will attend Council sessions as well as committees of the Radcliffe Trustees.