Body downsizes committees

Two-thirds fewer students will help set the agenda for the University's major deliberative body.

Despite efforts to maintain student seats, the University Council slashed the number of people on its committees last Wednesday. The number of people on the UC proper did not change.

A last-minute effort by undergraduate leaders to keep student representation on the body up was rejected.

The committees deal with narrower topics than the whole council and help set the agenda for council meetings.

The move was designed to streamline the council -- an advisory body made up of students, faculty and staff and that guides many University policies -- which some complain has been too large to effectively advise administrators.

Undergraduate Assembly Chairman and College junior Brett Thalmann and outgoing UA Chairwoman Rachel Fersh drafted a series of amendments that would have reduced the overall size of committees without drastically cutting the number of student seats.

The council voted not to accept any of the amendments, and the bylaw revisions were passed, to mixed reactions.

University Secretary Leslie Kruhly said the council voted down the student-raised amendments because the body had confidence in the originally proposed changes.

"It is my feeling that, in essence, these are extremely useful and progressive changes that will help the council operations," Kruhly said, adding that the council will monitor the changes during the implementation phase next year and will discuss any adjustments that may be needed.

Thalmann said that even though his amendments were not accepted, the revisions will help the council function.

"I'm disappointed that our changes were not accepted," Thalmann said. "But I think the changes are a drastic improvement over our current structure."

Other students were not as happy with the results of the meeting.

Spencer Scharff, a College senior who sits on the Council, said the new rules will silence student voices.

"The new committee structure will not allow everyone to engage in the new committee process," Scharff said, adding that he hopes the revisions will end up benefiting the council in its work. "But I will let my voting against it speak for itself," he said

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