At its first meeting yesterday afternoon, the members of the Residential and Social Life Task Force decided, as anticipated, to add a freshman to its group, but passed, at least for now, on an opportunity to add more Greek house members.
Last week, Acting Dean of the College Dan Nelson selected the task force's original members -- eight students, two additional administrators and one professor -- but members of the College community quickly pointed out there were no members of the Class of 2002 and only two Greek house members on the committee.
The task force is charged with facilitating campus discussions on the controversial initiatives announced by the Board of Trustees last week and passing that student sentiment on to the administration and the Trustees.
Nelson told The Dartmouth yesterday the group "agreed that we certainly should have a member on the task force from the Class of '02" but said he did not feel it was important to add more fraternity and sorority members "since we're not advancing any particular points of view." The group promises instead to serve only as a conduit for students' ideas to reach upper-level officials.
No final decisions have been made on whether or not too add additional members beyond the yet to be selected freshman however, as Nelson said the membership evaluation process has not concluded.
The committee selected Nelson to choose the first year student to be included on the task force, and Nelson said he hopes to do that "very soon."
Task force member Eric Buchman '00 told The Dartmouth yesterday the group did not see a conflict with the disproportionately low Greek representation compared to the general student body since groups such as the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council "already exists and has the means to organize" and get student opinions to the Trustees.
"We wanted to focus more on people who do not have their own group ... or system to voice their own opinions" like unaffiliated students, Buchman said, adding "we reached consensus very quickly on this."
CFSC President and task force member Jaimie Paul '00 said "the task force is not supposed to be representative of the campus makeup" and said if it was it would become too large and inefficient to carry out its duties, although she added that matter was discussed at length.
She said the group decided to keep on file a list of students who sent requests to be on the task force. They will become "contacts" which will provide a broad range of input while maintaining a working-sized committee.
Buchman said the group also discussed whether it should actively go out and talk with different student groups or whether it should establish a system so students can voice their opinions to the task force, or employ a combination of both.
The task force also discussed how to guarantee access to all student opinions, even those not in campus groups, by working through the Office of Residential Life, Paul said.
The group will meet in the future about once every week as well as work separately in campus outreach programs.
Nelson has said previously he believes the task force will present its report late Spring term or early Summer term.
The current members of the task force are: Paul, Student Assembly President Josh Green '00, Aaron Akamu '01, Graduate Student Council President Melanie Blanchard, Shauna Brown '99, Buchman, Sigma Phi Epsilon President Andy Louis '00 and Sope Ogunyemi '00.
Acting Dean of Residential Life Mary Liscinsky, Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia and Student Life Committee Chair Professor Ulf Osterberg are the administrators and faculty member joining Nelson on the task force.
