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Show A student vote on Institutional Council would not be a CONFLICT OF INTEREST but rather a step to equate power groups. After all, the University was established and continues to exist and progress because of the students not in spite of them. We disagree with the chairman of Institutional Council's recent remark that students should not have a vote on the University's governing body, the Institutional Council. Chairman Edward Clyde claimed in the Coffee and Politics discussion Thursday that having a student sit on the council "would be a definite conflict of interest." Mr. Clyde was referring to a proposal the legislature is currently considering, instigated by Studentbody President Randy Dryer to seat a student on the council with full voting powers. It has passed the house and is awaiting senate approval. Mr. Clyde in his arguments seems to be forgetting forget-ting the reason universities were founded and to whom the university owes its allegiance. In referring refer-ring to the proposal he said that faculty members do not a have a vote on such things as personal salary increase and that likewise students should not have a vote on such things as tuition increases that affect their pocketbooks. He cites both as conflicts of interest. He contends that students have a voice in the administration of the University through the Student Liaison Committee to the Institutional Council. Mr. Clyde in these arguments seems to be forgetting the purpose of the University and how universities came about. Students wanting to gain an education banded together and shared the cost of a tutor. The band of students increased as did the number of tutors until the basic outline and philosophy of an institution of higher education developed. But these early schools were developed and planned by the pupils paying the expense of the professor. Today we find a similar situation. Students are required to pay for their college education. While it is true that they pay only a third of the total cost, they do pay a third. The community, who puts up another third of the cost, should have some say in the administration of the school, but it is wrong to deny the other partner the same opportunity to decide policy. At one time, student voices and seats were viewed merely as chances to grasp at power. It would be foolish to consider that one student voice against nine would be a power block. It would not be and is not being proposed as such. The student would be a source of information and a reading of the campus. He would provide student information first hand. The Institutional Council is now receiving receiv-ing all its student information second hand. Since Institutional Council makes decisions that affect the entire studentbody they should have the student view represented not reported. We strongly urge the senate to vote positively on the bill to put a fully-matriculated student on the council to serve for one year as presented by Rep. Mike Dmitrich. Any alteration or amendment, making the new member of the council a recent graduate, but not actual student, would destroy the validity and the purpose of the bill. |
