UC votes on student reps

By Brian Slupski

College councils are not required to have student representation on reinstatement committees.

The University Council voted to keep a paragraph in the Committees of the University booklet concerning student representation on college reinstatement committees the same at its meeting Wednesday. Only the student council members dissented in the vote.

The committees evaluate applications for reinstatement to the university.

The paragraph from the committee booklet said students could be on the college council committees, but the composition of the representatives shall be determined by each college council.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean James Norris said there are two problems with students serving on the committees.

Norris questioned whether it was wise for students to view the records of other students because of confidentiality considerations.

Also, since many students are not in DeKalb in the summer when the committees meet, there could be logistical problems and delays if the student members were not able to attend the meeting, he said.

Student Association President Preston Came said that NIU Legal Counsel George Shur said students in the past served on various committees in which other students’ records had been observed and there had been no problems.

Came then addressed the second complaint on student representation, “If students don’t show up to the meetings, the committees can go on with their business.” Came also pointed out that there are students who live in DeKalb all year.

Came said the wording of the Committees of the University did not exclude student representation; however, “the intention of bringing this matter up is to exclude students.”

In other business, La Tourette said that Edgar announced higher education’s budget would remain at its current funding level and would not suffer a recision.

However, current funding, because of the January recision, is $3.7 million less than the budget was for fiscal year 1991.

“It seems our fear that the January recision would become permanent has become a reality,” he said.