EACH TUESDAY evening, Student Council holds its weekly meeting in Newcomb Hall. There, representatives and committee chairs address students' concerns, listen to administrators' presentations and discuss University issues. Representatives vote on resolutions and approve the funding of CIOs. Of course, the vast majority of University students have never attended one of these meetings. Surprisingly, most Student Council committee members haven't either.
Committees offer the most direct route for students to join Student Council. Each year, committee chairs attempt to recruit talented and enthusiastic students for their respective committees. Once involved, these students play a crucial role on Council. The small group of representatives and chairs can only do so much; committee members provide ideas for projects and the manpower to complete them. Most of Council's programs and initiatives originate within committee meetings.
Unfortunately, the internal structure of Council isolates committee members from Council's leadership and representative body. Committee members do not attend Council's retreats, dinners or weekly meetings. They do not receive e-mails on the "studco-all" listserve. They do not interact with members of other committees. They do not meet Council's leadership or representative body. As a result, students can spend an entire year on Council without truly feeling connected with the organization. This disconnect discourages students from joining and reduces their desire to stay involved.
To encourage students to join and remain active, Student Council must improve its internal dynamics. Committee members must feel that they play an important role -- not just on their committees but on Council as a whole. Council's leadership must provide a platform for representatives, committee chairs, and committee members to interact with each other. For starters, committee members should be included in Council-wide e-mails. Also, the president, vice presidents, and chief of staff should introduce themselves to every committee member. Each week, the members of at least one committee should attend the Tuesday meeting. Finally, a couple events each semester must bring all of Council together.
These reforms will encourage incoming students to make Council a long-term commitment. Council would greatly benefit from increased consistency in membership. Instead of completely overhauling the organization each year, experienced veterans could help ensure smooth transitions. Furthermore, like being a support officer on the Honor Committee, committee membership in Council should become a virtual prerequisite for leadership positions. Currently, this is far from the case. Because few students remain active for four years, most of Council's leaders come from outside the organization.
Recently, Vice President of Administration Jack Wilson has worked arduously to revise Council's constitution and bylaws. His changes have been beneficial and substantial. Nonetheless, solely adjusting the bylaws will not encourage students to join Council or improve the internal structure for committee members. More change is needed.
Student Council has enormous resources and the ability to instigate significant change. The Student Activities Center, late-night busing program and curriculum internalization efforts testify to this capacity. In the coming years, Council can do much more. To do so, Council desperately needs enthusiastic students to join and stay involved. Improved recruitment efforts are necessary; however, before Council looks externally, it must make internal changes. Committee members can make a major impact on Student Council by serving as Council's future leaders. But first, they must actually feel included and appreciated in their organization.
John Nelson's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at jnelson@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
EDITORIAL: Celebrate the Contemplative Commons and other non-academic student spaces
By Editorial Board | 2 hours agoThe Contemplative Commons stands as a testament to the value of spaces that transcend commercial imperatives, fostering interdisciplinary engagement and experiential learning.
KURTZWEIL: What we lose in the name of efficiency
By Paul Kurtzweil | YesterdayPenicillin was discovered in a moldy petri dish — this government would have it thrown out because it was wasting space on the counter.
RASHID: U.Va. must empower faculty and students through transparency
By Muhammad Ali Rashid | YesterdayBy attempting to contain, or even eliminate uncomfortable narratives, the administration incrementally consolidates power and frays communal trust.
