Candidates: student input is crucial
By LAURA ROMPF
Assistant News Editor
Several candidates' platforms before the student body presidential election address the feasibility of increasing student membership on University committees.
"Students offer a unique perspective which cannot be matched by any other contingent of the University community," said presidential candidate Brian O'Donoghue. "While administrators and faculty can offer a great deal of information, they can never know exactly what it is like for a student. ... Students can constantly offer views which only can come from actually being a student and being on the receiving end of important decisions."
Other candidates agreed with O'Donoghue. "Our entire platform is centered around the idea that the students should have a far more active role in the decisions made around this campus," said Jim Focht, vice presidential hopeful. "The more students on university committees, the better off this University will be."
Vice presidential candidate John Micek said the Board of Trustee's report focuses on this issue and his ticket would also work to increase student representation. "Hunt [Hanover] and I are dedicated to increasing this representation," Micek said. "We are committed to working with the vice president of Student Affairs so that we may see an increased student voice on this campus."
Several faculty members of committees agreed with the students, noting student representation would be beneficial.
"Do I think students should continue to be on the committee?" said Kevin
Huie, assistant director of multicultural student affairs and member of the university committee on cultural diversity. "Absolutely. In my opinion,the student's voice is the most important assessment tool in academic and campus life."
"The idealistic answer to the positive role students play is that students have a perspective on ND that faculty never have. They offer an essential point of view," said Elizabeth Eldon, assistant professor of biological sciences and member of the University committee on women and faculty and students.
Eldon cited several reason why committees would benefit from student membership. Because students' population turns over quickly, this would help determine if change was actually occurring, she said. Also, students would gain an understanding of University governance, she added.
However, Eldon cautioned that there may be negative effects.
"In any committee there has to be a level of trust among members and an acceptance of common ground rules," she said.
"Faculty and students alike need to know when a certain discussion is confidential, and need to be able to trust that confidentiality will be maintained. Some faculty are uncomfortable discussing sensitive confidential topics when students are present due to this lack of trust."
Eldon also said that due to students' busy lives, they may not always be present at committee meetings.
"Committees work best, though, when all members attend regularly and are prepared for each meeting. Good committees do real work on real issues. Students [or faculty] who attend erratically have a negative impact, since time is wasted bringing them up-to-date."
Huie also said that student attendance and other factors could result in a negative view of their membership "if the wrong student is put on or elected to the committee.
"A student who doesn't show up to the meetings all the time, or who isn't informed or educated about the issues that the committee addresses is not going to help that committee."
However, overall Huie and Eldon stressed student representation is essential. "Student membership on committees is important," Eldon said.
"I've been interviewing for jobs this semester, and I am most impressed by those places that have student representation on the search committee. It shows that they trust their students, and it acknowledges that the candidate's ability to teach and interact with students is an important component of the hiring decision."
Huie agreed.
"Student voices are essential in honoring the commitment that Notre Dame upholds ... without them, staff and faculty too often have to speculate and assume. If committees do that, the initiatives and interventions that may be put in place may not have the potential or authenticity that produces results. Simply stated, without student input, staff and faculty most likely have failed to exhaust their resources when making decisions."
Although the candidates agree with faculty and want to increase student membership, actually accomplishing their goal may be difficult. Micek said an increased awareness of student representative is essential.
"Currently students are often selected to sit on committees and student government never even knows who they are," he said. "We want to work closely with all student representatives so that we may keep our fingers on the pulse of the projects that are being worked on."
Focht said that cooperating with administrators is essential in getting more students on committees.
"We would talk to administrators regarding the benefits of increased student membership," he said. "Thereby increasing student influence, and we would ensure that committee members went into meetings with the administration with clearly defined goals and a spirit of open and honest communication."
O'Donoghue stated an aspect of the issue that concerned William Berry, professor of electrical engineering and member of the review panel committee for appeals concerning sexual discrimination. Berry said his committee is one that does not need student representation. "I can only answer for this committee [on whether or not students representation is necessary]. I don't think student membership makes sense," he said.
O'Donoghue agreed, saying that while many committees would benefit fromstudent membership, some may not and each committee should be viewed separately.
"We need to look at which committees need student members," he said. "For example, the first year of studies advisory committee already has student representation and there is not much need for a student to be on the biohazard committee."
Overall, candidates hope that their election would help increase the student voice on university committees.
"It has been our experience that committee members truly do care about what students have to say," Micek said.
"The only problem is that often times there are no students on these committees. We feel that students can make a difference and one of the best ways that they can is through creating professional working relationship with other members of the committees."
All News Stories for Friday, February 11, 2000
