University Council prompted to improve
The relations between the faculty and the Student Association, already significantly improved under the previous two administrations, look to be getting another boost. With the recent appointment of the SA president to the University Council, the students will have yet another conduit of communication between ourselves and the faculty and administration (see story, page 1).While the position is not new, it has certainly seemed to be lacking within the last few years, so much so that the position has lost almost any credence whatsoever with the student body. President David Leebron's office hours have seemed to negate any necessity for the University Council.
Furthermore, because the positions of University Council members are virtually uncontested in almost every election - there were only two student body members who ran for two positions this year, for instance - it is easy to write this position off as immaterial. When there is little contest, there is almost always little relevance. Thus, the standing of the University Council has dropped.
But it does not have to be this way. Patrick McAnaney is an already-elected official, and while the student body should have known that this could have been a possible position while SA presidential elections were still ongoing, this is certainly anything but a power grab. If nothing more, it is a natural progression - McAnaney has been elected to lead the student body and act as a liaison between the students and the faculty, so his presence on the University Council makes perfect sense. We hope that he will expand the accomplishments of this position, fulfilling all the potential it inhabits.
In the meantime, we would like to commend the Office of the President for taking the initiative in recommending the idea, as well as Matt Youn and the SA for heeding this call for open communication. The more open the Office, the better. Likewise, the more office hours, the better . but we won't push our luck, as we are fortunate enough as it is to have office hours in the first place.
Lastly, while it is unfortunate that Michael Rog was not appointed to the position he was elected to, he was informed that this was always a possibility, according to multiple sources that are both on- and off-the-record.
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