Council Attends to Attendance

Dealing primarily with internal administrative matters, The Undergraduate Council last night loosened and stiffened-its attendance the requirements But with just 46 of its 85 elected members present when it passed the measure, the council barely had a quorum for the vote.

The changes on the council's attendance requirements weight member attractive at committees meetings-as opposed to the general weekly sessions-more heavily than in the past, but also allows members to miss a greater number of total meetings before facing automatic expulsion.

The rule change reflects that the student government does its most important work in its five committee rather than in the larger weekly meetings, proponents of last night charge said.

Before amending its rules, the council had expelled any member who missed three of its general weekly meetings during one semester, said Vice Chairman Betsy Touhey '86 Also, Touchey said, the old rules had allowed committees to press for the expulsion of any member who had skipped three meetings.

Though that rule, council officers said, has let to only one expulsion in the conceits three, year history, member attendance at the council's five committee is generally known to be poor.

Last night's action aimed to changer that, making committee absences add toward the total permitting. The allowable number was raised from three absences to four, form full weekly sessions or from committee meetings. New rules would also permit five absences from a combination of weekly and committee meetings before members are automatically expelled.

Joshun A. Berger '86, one of the amendment's sponsors, called "marginal" the number of absences the council had allowed its members.

"If there are legitimate excuses there are too many excuses" for violating council attendance rules, Berger added. "If they miss four meetings, they should not be on council."

1,2,3-You've Out

In another attendance matter, the council refused to reinstate a member whom it had expelled for poor attendance at weekly meetings. Expelled members can appeal for reinstatement, but Kirkland House representative David C. Grimm '85 did not attend last night's meeting. He could not be reached, for comment on his appeal's failure.

However, the council did reinstate Christopher Roy '86, who had also been expelled for his attendance record.

Grimm was the first representative to lose an expulsion appeal this semester