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4:
LS &A at-large candidates
at-large
independe
dents; participation between LS&A go-
vernment and the student associations
in the academic departments; and pla-
cing student members of mixed commit-
tees under the control of LS&A govern-
ment.
OUR EDUCATION is too important to be
left to academicians. Let us find
out how the college is organized, and
then we can transform LS&A government
from a typical student government into
a decisionmaking body that acts on
our needs rather than debates meaning-
less motions,
bob black russ bickoff
action mandate party
MANY THINGS ARE WRONG with the liter-
ary college. There might not be so
many things wrong if the LS&A Execu-
tive Council (all there is of LS&A
Student Government) had better repre-
sented its constituents. Some major
problem areas that concern me are:
CURRICULUM. Faculty decide what will
be taught and students must put up
with their fiat -- even if hundreds
are shut out of the courses that they
want.. Student choices should largely
determine how our academic resources
are used. More courses should be
small and/or innovative, and the
Course Mart -- a program that tries
to provide them -- should be student-
controlled and shielded from faculty
conservatism. Distribution require-
ments needlessly restrict individual
choice and ought to go, just as pica-
yune limits on BGS -- like refusing a
completed concentration -- should be
lifted. The pass-fail option lets
students explore areas they would
otherwise avoid and should be made
available to freshmen and sophomores.
NONACADEMIC DISCIPLINE. In perhaps
its worst failure, the Executive Coun-
cil never appointed the LS&A Judiciary
so the college never had to face the
demand that students be disciplined
only by their peers (other students).
As a member of Central Student Judici-
ary, I am rather well-informed in this
area, and I will work strenuously to
appoint a good court, provide it with
appropriate legislation, and provide
an all-student LS&A alternative to our
unskilled, unfair and politically man-
ipulative Ad Board.
DLCISIONMAKING. LS&A policies disre-
gard student needs because LS&A struc-
.ure excludes students from decision-
making. The plan our faculty arrogant-
ly rejected -- for a bicameral student-
faculty legislature -- would alleviate
this, and renewed efforts should be
made to enact it. I favor student-fa-
culty parity on all decision-making
bodies. (The Council should have, but
never did set up its lower house, the
College Assembly, which is to provide
-the student members to academic policy-
making bodies.)
POLITICIZING THE UNIVERSITY. We hear
complaints against "politicizing" the
University. But it's already politi-
cized -- by racist and sexist discrimi-
nation, military/corporate recruiting,
classified research and its own oli-
garchic governance. "Academic free-
dom" is a researcher's right to sell
himself to the State, not a student's
right to run his own life. This is a
perversion of the purpose of the Uni-
versity that I will oppose, in or out
of office, as best I can.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT to establish a
student government. The LS&A has had
trouble getting started, but it ap-
pears that by now the organization is
more secure. Now, then, is the time
for students and candidates, including
myself, to ask ourselves if this strug-
gle has been worth the effort. We
should raise questions concerning the
purpose, functions, structure, and ca-
pability of the LS&A student govern-
ment. If we remain ignorant of the
form the LS&A government is assuming,
then we should expect to find in the
future a worthless organization that
has little concern for education and
that plays a minor role in the govern-
ance of the college.
A few of the present problems are
organizational in nature. Therefore,
I support the governance proposal,
which will place the student govern-
ment in a decision-making position.
There is faculty opposition to this,
and the few people who know what is
happening foresee confrontation of some
sort over this issue. The LS&A govern-
ment will have to build a base of sup-
port among students and sympathetic
faculty, and then adopt tactics appro-
priate to our goal. ,Incidentally, the
LS&A governing faculty, which would be
superceded by students and faculty if
the governance proposal is adopted, is
where decisions are made on distribu-
tion requirements, grading, Course
Mart, and minority admissions. So it
is important for us to participate on
this body.
Other areas where I would like to see
student activity include: expanding
the Course Mart; working with the OSS;
planning a teach-in on education; im-
proving student counseling, and the
student counseling office; publishing
an education newsletter for LS&A stu-
Student government can be a
more influential and effective stu-
dent organization than t is present-
ly. SGC has the potential to be a
force in improving the student's life
The means of achieving this goal is
by acting as a pressure group in the
student's interest. With a budget
of over $18,000, SGC should be able
to put constant pressure on those
who control the university; that is,
the administration, the regents, and
the state legislature.
The regents have the final say on
how the University is run, however,
they hear from SGC only once a month
at the Ann Arbor regent's meetings.
There is presently a fairly even lib-
eral-conservative split among the re-
gents. If they were better informed
of the students' desires, their deci-
sions might be more in coincidence
with the students. This could be
done by frequent letters and phone
calls.
Also, SGC could .have applied pres-
sure in Lansinglast month when the
legislature voted how much money to
budget to the U. Students can apply
pressure in several ways, including
letters, phone calls, and most impor-
tantly, lobbying in Lansing. Coun-
cil could bring about this pressure
By getting more students to get in-
volved on all the issues. This could
be done by an SGC column in the U.
Record. Mass demonstrations are~a1-
so very effective.
I have emphasized the means by
which I feel SGC could become effec-
tive. It is important to understand
that SGC can become effective. There
are several areas where this pressure
can be applied. These include:
1. HEW and BAM demands can be imple-
mented with student pressure on the
university. HEW and BAM may not see
their ideas through.
2. U of M should be involved only in
research benefitting the general pub-
lic.
3. Recruitment only by companies
following U guidelines -- that is, on
discrimination.
4. Improving campus life by more
concerts, vending areas in U buildings,
and improvement of the UGLI student
lounge.
SGC is a representative govern-
ment and as such must be responsible
to the needs of the people it repre-
sents. Without input from the peo-
ple it represents, the actions of
council have no legitimacy. Council
must therefore make every effort to
open channels of communication with
the University community,
COUNCIL'S INTEREST should not,
however, end with the students. The
non- ,tudent populous of Ann Arbor is
also greatly affected by the Univer-
sity. Council should take action to
remind the University to consider
it's responsibility to the people of
Ann Arbor. By working with such
groups as AFSCME, Council can open
channels to co-ordinate student and
non-student interests in dealing
with the University.
IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE in
these areas,it is essential that the
Student Government funding proposal
be passed. With this money Council
could expand and improve the SGC NEW
Newsletter. The Newsletter is
very important part of Council's re-
lationship to its constituents. The
Newsletter is an effective way for
Council members to communicate what
they are doing and why. The income
from the increased funding would al-
so make it possible for Council to
provide such services as a day-care
center for students and workers.
Student Governmen
of influence shou
areas of campus 1
studebt concern a:
I. Student Consu
...................
jenny alien
I
14
LS&A STUDENT BODY comprises approximate-
ly one-third of the total registered
membership of the University. In the
past, partly due to the apathy of this
body, the LS&A Council has not been
successful in utilizing this major seg-
ment of the University population in
order to initiate changes in governing
processes.
I believe that this apathy is a re-
sult of lack of information about or-
ganizational procedures -- if students
were better~informed as to what areas
are open to student manipulation, I
feel that there would be more of an in-
clination to get involved in an effort
to take active control.of the situation
and over one's own education.
I ENDORSE:
* More Student Representation on the
Curriculum Committee (at present there
are six faculty members as opposed to
three student representatives).
* Majority Student Control of Course
Mart.
* Initiating extended programs of
field study, both on and off campus,
to enhance the total learning situ-
ation of the students.
* Expansion of Outreach.
* Abolishment of a language require-
ment and a revamping of distribution
and concentration requirements.
My major stand rests on the idea
that at the University level, education
should be an active, self-designed and
self-controlled process. Student con-
sciousness must be better informed if
it is to expand -- this must be done
before any viable changes can be made
in the educational structure. I plan
to work toward this goal. 14
micha
A. I favor th
ganizatior
establishr
of a respe
dard of li
cost.
B. The Consun
by SGC has
prices are
er" in the
It is the
SGC to est
dent unior
ploitatior
ces to a I
reasonable
II. Recruiting
A. Campus rec
student as
seling ser
fices, the
maintain t
B. The OSS po
ble becaus
cripple th
without at
object of
criminatio
III. Housing
A. The Univer
the housin
B. Housing sh
maintained
to meet al
as should ]
community.
IV. Student Judic
A. Regental r
ruptions i
dents' rig]
the develop
tional env
port the f
proposal o
a Permanen
ciary and i
adoption.
bill
kandler
In keeping with the peopled-
centered philosophy as a councilman
I will make every effort to expand
the OSS Recruitment Policy to the en-
tire campus. I believe that it is
important for the University to get
an example of refusing to tolerate
racism. Classified and military re-
search also pose a threat to every
human being and have no place on cam-
pus.
If elected to Council, I will
serve as an advocate of the people
and work to make Council more respon-
sive to their needs.
fred gordin