On a college campus, student voice is essential. Be they vital academic decisions or merely trivial ones, students must be represented in all of them.
Which is why one of the proposed changes to Academic Governance — namely the ratio of students to faculty on a council — is important to watch.
Under the proposed changes brought about by the university's Task Forces, is the creation of a Faculty Congress, a faculty governance body that would be chaired by a faculty member, rather than Faculty Council's leadership under MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon.
The proposal also would create a Steering Committee composed of eight faculty members, two students and the provost to take the place of the Executive Committee of Academic Council, or ECAC.
The ECAC currently includes three undergraduates and two graduate students. Two of those seats always are reserved for undergraduates.
Thankfully, the proposal for the Steering Committee does not undercut the student voice. While the committee would have fewer seats reserved for students, the number of faculty representatives also would diminish.
At the moment, the ECAC is too large, unwieldy and bureaucratic for its own good and needs to be cut down so it can run more efficiently.
And that's why a smaller Steering Committee is a step in the right direction.
Academic Governance needs to be refashioned. Task Force after Task Force should not be needed to amend any problems Academic Governance is facing.
Though these issues should not be taken lightly, they should be corrected with all due speed and not bogged down in bureaucratic red tape. The revisions for Academic Governance have been in the works since 2004. It has taken three years just to get to the point we are at today.
Also, a report turned in on Aug. 28, 2006, for instance, should not just be getting around to being considered the following year.
But, slowly though they may be, things are moving forward. The creation of the Faculty Congress, for instance, gives faculty members more control over their own council.
It only makes sense that a governing body created to deal with faculty members should be headed up by a faculty member, instead of the school's president.
Also, students and faculty who devote extra time to Academic Governance matters should be commended for their commitment. It takes a dedicated person to sort through these issues to create the best governance system for the university.
No matter what steps are taken to reform the system, it is imperative that the preservation of student voice remains at the forefront of any discussion about Academic Governance.
