Council to Seek More Say At Core, Faculty Meetings

Following the recommendations of its first-ever self-evaluation, the Undergraduate Council next week will decide whether to ask for the right to speak at faculty meetings and to vote at meetings of the Core Curriculum's steering body.

The recommendations were submitted in the "state of the council" report from the administrative committee of former council Chairman Brian R. Melendez '86. The council last week approved several other recommendations from the same report, including suggestions to expand the council's Canaday basement office, buy a computer and make council members more accountable to their constituents.

Current council Chairman Brian C. Offutt '87 said yesterday that his administrative committee has asked the council to approve the remaining suggestions. "I expect the whole council to approve the recommendations, but you can never tell what the mood of the meeting will be," said Offutt.

Council approval does not, however, guarantee that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will accept the council's proposals. Offutt said he did not expect the Core Committee to hand over voting rights to undergraduates.

Melendez's report suggests that there is some confusion over whether students currently have full voting rights. Offutt said if the director of the Core Curriculum does not give council members voting rights, he may have to ask the secretary of the faculty to interpret the Core committee's legislation. If the situation isn't resolved to his satisfaction, Offutt said the council might pose the issue to the full faculty.

Professor of Biology John E. Dowling '57 said he does not see any problems with council members' privileges at faculty meetings. Dowling, the author of the 1981 report that established the council, said undergraduates are invited to attend the meetings as guests and are currently allowed to speak.

The Council report contends that while students often do speak at faculty meetings, they do not have the explicit right to do so.

Neither Director of the Core Edward T. Wilcox '63, nor Secretary of the Faculty John R. Marquand could be reached for comment.

The Melendez report marks the first comprehensive report on the state of the four-year-old student government. In previous years, Melendez said, each council officer was supposed to submit a report describing his tenure in office, but few did.

The council charter does not call for any periodic review of the body, nor have the College or faculty mandated such an evaluation. Dowling said.

At the time of the so-called Dowling plan, no effective student government existed, and student-faculty committees did not work as well as they do now, the Leverett House master said