Council to consider committee changes

University Council members will discuss proposed revisions to the Council Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid at today's Council meeting, attempting to prevent overlap with a similar committee overseen by the provost's office. The proposed revisions would expand the reach of the Council committee to include the University's graduate schools. As currently charged, the committee can only consider admissions and financial aid matters for the four undergraduate schools. Social Work Professor Louise Shoemaker, past chairperson of the Faculty Senate, said last night that the revisions, if ultimately approved, might reduce the committee's overlap with the Provost's Committee on Undergraduate Admissions. That committee, established by the provost several years ago, has greater impact on University policy than the Council committee because Council is only an advisory body to President Sheldon Hackney and cannot implement policy. The provost's committee also includes representatives of the four undergraduate schools, while the Council committee currently consists of nine professors, one administrator, four undergraduates and one graduate student. At last December's Council meeting, faculty and administrators proposed abolishing the Council committee. But at the January meeting, Council Steering Committee members decided to look into changing its functions as an alternative to abolition. The staunchest opposition to phasing out the committee came from undergraduate and graduate students on Council, who argued at the time that the move would decrease their voice in the admissions process. Shoemaker said last night she is "a little ambivalent" on the issue. She said that while the committee has drawn attention to "important issues" like need-blind admissions, the time and energy of its members could probably be used "in more productive ways." She said she is "not sure what's going to happen [with the committee]," adding that Council has discussed changing or abolishing the committee for several years now without taking any action. At today's meeting, Council members will also hear a presentation from Steven Murray, the University's vice president for business services, on the University's recent changes to Escort Service. Murray said yesterday that he would present "a ten-minute overview" of the changes, after which Council members will have an opportunity to ask questions and make comments. The meeting will also include a presentation from Shoemaker on the 20th anniversary of a College Hall sit-in that led to the creation of the Women's Center and the Women's Studies Program. Shoemaker said she "wants people to understand that it is the 20th year since then and we've come a ways, but not terribly far," in addressing women's issues on campus. The meeting will be held at 4 p.m. in Hoover Lounge in Vance Hall and is open to the public.