Monday, April 6, 1998
Students hope to broaden role on chancellor’s committee
CAMPUS: Concerns of group had been left out of minutes, off
agenda
By Lawrence Ferchaw
Daily Bruin Contributor
The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Disabilities (CACD) was
formed to make the campus more accessible to students with
disabilities. But recently, student members of the committee have
found it less than accessible.
Despite difficulties and confusion, graduate student members of
CACD are working to expand their role.
The committee members have been unclear on exactly what role the
students would play, and at times who the students were
representing. The graduate students, who were not sure how the
committee worked, now want to make changes.
During the February meeting, Ava Rose, a graduate student
representative to the committee, spoke about students’ concerns,
and requested action on these issues. At the March meeting, Rose
did not find her comments in the minutes from the last meeting.
When Rose questioned Chairperson Sandi Burnett, she found that
the policy of the committee was to record in the minutes only what
was on the agenda for that meeting.
"I’m really concerned because our concerns are not here," Rose
said, referring to the minutes.
The committee reports to the chancellor through these minutes,
as well as an annual report and through Doug Martin, who is in
charge of campus compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Martin is also a member of the committee.
Also, Rose said she was upset that her request to be placed on
the March agenda was not granted. Burnett said she did not remember
the request.
An undergraduate group, currently without a representative, is
on the permanent list of those who give reports to the
committee.
It was not until the March meeting that the committee voted to
give Rose and Una Hayes-Shepard, the graduate student members, a
permanent place on the agenda, three months after being appointed
to the committee by GSA President Andrew Westall.
Graduate students were not already included on the agenda in a
permanent spot because nobody had previously requested the position
on the agenda, according to Dave Green, assistant to the
coordinator of ADA compliance.
"The group is new, and we’re thrilled to have outspoken student
membership," Green said.
The graduate student representatives see changing some of the
bylaws of the committee as their next step.
Rose and Hayes-Shepard have requested additions to the agenda
for the April meeting to restructure the committee.
"These students have valid issues and they weren’t sure how to
raise them," said committee member Lynn Willmott.
The graduate student representatives are concerned that the
committee has operated without student members. The bylaws state
the committee does not have a quorum unless there are student
members there to vote.
Rose and Hayes-Shepard have contacted USCA President Kandea
Mosley to appoint undergraduates to the committee. She responded
that there would be undergraduates at the April meeting.
Rose said she also resented being told by Burnett that she was
not a voting member of the committee, though the bylaws state the
six student representatives have full voting privileges.
Burnett said this was due to confusion on the position of the
graduate members of the committee, not maliciousness.
"I just learned that she is a representative of the Graduate
Students’ Association. My understanding had been that she
represented the informal caucus group," said Burnett.
Willmott, who chaired the committee as a graduate student,
believes that this indicates a need to go over the procedures of
the committee.
"Bottom line, the whole committee needs to be re-educated on the
rules, and new members need to know what the rules are – that’s
only fair," said Willmott.
The graduate students want all members of the committee to
receive a copy of the bylaws.
They want "to ensure that all CACD members are oriented to and
aware of their rights, responsibilities and duties as appointed
members."
Rose and Hayes-Shepard have also added to the agenda the
election of a new committee chair whom they hope will be a
student.
They point out that Burnett, currently in her third term as
chair, is in violation of the bylaws of the committee, which only
allow for two terms.
Rose said she wants to use this opportunity to get a student
appointed as chair which she said would be in the spirit of how the
committee was formed.
Willmott said she believes that there is now an opportunity to
allow the committee to evolve.
"While the committee is a great forum for reporting what’s going
on, there needs to be more discussion of what’s going on with the
students," said Willmott.
It is this opportunity to discuss issues important to students
that Rose said she is interested in.
Using her place on the agenda, Rose hopes that the committee can
both improve services for disabled students and remove any barriers
in their way.
Now that her role is more clearly defined, Rose is optimistic
that she can improve the campus for disabled students.
"It’s a very empowering feeling to have a forum in which we can
be heard and our feelings can be addressed," Rose said.
"We can be part of effecting positive change in our
environment," she continued.