UA shares ideas with Commission

Twelve Undergraduate Assembly members met with members of the Commission on Strengthening the Community last night and voiced their opinions on the Commission's preliminary report released last month. The UA members questioned the four Commission representatives for an hour on issues ranging from "assigned" housing to the Revlon Center. UA member and Wharton sophomore Dan Debicella began the meeting by asking about the report's proposal to increase faculty-student interaction. "I think the advising recommendation addresses that," Commission Director Rebecca Bushnell said. "We also talked about sponsoring activities which would bring together the various factions of the University and that would include faculty, staff, and students." Associate Director for the Commission Allen Green brought up the issue of scheduling specific programs to fit both faculty and student needs. "We did not come up with any specific proposals which would schedule around times which students need and faculty schedules," he added. College junior Sarah Manning brought up the issue of "randomized housing," discussed in section D.1 of the report. She was quickly corrected by Bushnell, who used the term "assigned housing." Manning also asked about fraternity and sorority rush delay, inquiring why the Greek system was singled out rather than other groups which require a commitment early in freshman year, such as performing arts groups. Bushnell answered the question by saying the Greek system is the only group which involves housing and living arrangements. Later in the meeting, the rest of section D.1 was discussed when UA Chairperson and College junior Seth Hamalian said he sees a discrepancy in the themes of the Commission's report. While most of the report focused on "choice combined with responsibility," Hamalian said, the "assigned" housing section "veered away from that tone of the report." Bushnell said the original recommendation was made because the Commission felt students were not making an "informed choice." But she and Green said they are both reconsidering the recommendation. "In some cases, I've really had my mind changed on this issue," Bushnell said. Hamalian suggested that the Commission change the recommendation to reflect incoming freshmen's needs for more information which would enable them to make informed choices without limiting these choices. The UA had previously discussed both the issues of Greek rush and assigned housing. The members had voted not to send a letter to the Commission advocating the housing proposal, and, due to debate, argument and parliamentary procedure, never voted on the Greek rush issue. Several members focused on the future of the report and its recommendations. College freshman and UA member Omar Gonzalez asked at one point, "How willing are you to reverse your decisions?" Green said the "basis of having a preliminary report" is to obtain information and opinions from "as many people as possible." "I think people [on the Commission] have been swayed and influenced by what others have said since the report came out," he added. Final approval of the recommendations, Green said, will come from President-elect Judith Rodin after she takes office in July. A committee made up of student, faculty and administrative representatives will aid the Commission in the implementation process, he added. The Commission's final open forum will take place today from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in room 351 of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. This will be the final opportunity for members of the University community to voice their opinions or ask questions of the Commission before the final report is drafted and released March 31.