Televising Council meetings to be discussed

Although today's meeting of University Council is the last this academic year, Associate University Secretary Constance Goodman said the session will be "certainly more than a wrap-up." To begin the meeting, University President Judith Rodin, Provost Stanley Chodorow and the chairpersons of Council's various constituent groups will give updates on their activities since Council last convened. Then the Council Committees on Safety and Security, Community Relations and Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics will present their year-end findings to the entire body. "I think that the old business reports are interesting and informative because they speak to these three committees' important work throughout the year," Goodman said. Before adjourning, Council will also tackle issues including whether UTV13 should be allowed to videotape and broadcast Council meetings and benefits for part-time staff members. Goodman characterized these issues as "significant." UTV13 President and General Manager Heather Dorf, a College junior, submitted a memo to Council's Steering Committee asking that her group's request for access be brought to the full body for debate. "In order to do our job correctly we need pictures," the memo states, in response to concerns that Council members' remarks at meetings might be aired out of context. "The purpose of television is to bring people places where they not only could not get to themselves but do not go to." Council will also engage in a preliminary discussion of next year's focal issues, according to Goodman. "The preliminary discussion is critical because effective functioning of Council is dependent on what they consider and how they consider it," she said. College junior Mike Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, said earlier this week that the First Amendment Task Force will unveil its revised judicial charter at today's meeting. The charter will be open for discussion at Council in the fall. The meeting will be held from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. in the Quadrangle's McClelland Hall. It is open to the public, but non-members wishing to attend are asked to inform the Secretary's Office of their intentions.