Faculty Ignorant of Term Bill Fee Hike

Though the Faculty Council will have to vote on the Undergraduate Council's fee-hike referendum, several members yesterday said they knew nothing about the measure.

The Faculty Council must approve any proposed change to the Undergraduate Council constitution.

But in the wake of highly- publicized scandals, administrative interventions and the invalidation of the referendum Sunday night, Faculty Council members interviewed yesterday said the first they had heard of the issue was when they were contacted by The Crimson.

"I am completely ignorant," said Assistant Professor of the Classics Cynthia Damon. "I have idea what this referendum is."

Other council members expressed confusion because the term bill feehike had never even been mentioned at Faculty Council meetings.

"The issue hasn't engaged my attention very much ,: said Professor of History James Hankins. "And it certainly has not been discussed at al by the council."

"I don't think it's been mentioned even in the context of something that might eventually appear on the agenda," said Professor of Physics Daniel Fisher.

And Professor of Sociology Theda Skocpol called the Faculty Council "a place of last resort for the referendum's validity to be decided.

"I suspect hardly anybody on the Faculty Council knows that this an issue that might come before us," Skocpol said.

The last time the Faculty Council was actively involved in determining Undergraduate Council policy was when it determined the original structure of the Undergraduate Council in the 1970s said Secretary to the Faculty Council John B. Fox Jr. '59.

"In the recent times that the Faculty Council has had to approve Undergraduate Council changes, the process has been no big deal," Fox said.

But, Fox added, current situation is far more yolatile than usual. Fox said the Faculty Council would probably leave major deliberations to College deans, who would then present their findings to the council.

"The deans would, of course present their views on the matter," Fox said. "And I think that the council would be very inclined to take very seriously whatever the deans have to the say."

But Kahn Associate Professor of the History of Science Anne Harrington said she thought Faculty Council members would be interested in learning more about the issue they may decide.

"I guess I don't understand why this has stayedso internal to the student body," Harrington said.

"I'm sure that there would be opinions andinterest among faculty members if they knew whatwas going on, especially if they realized thatstudents sense injustice," he said

"I guess I don't understand why this has stayedso internal to the student body," Harrington said.

"I'm sure that there would be opinions andinterest among faculty members if they knew whatwas going on, especially if they realized thatstudents sense injustice," he said