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The Academic Senate at UCLA is one of the most important
decision making bodies on campus ““ they make decisions, among
other things, on academic requirements, tenure for professors and
admissions policies. Sadly, Bryant Tan, academic affairs
commissioner of the Undergraduate Students Association Council, has
failed to ensure students can fully empower themselves in the
university’s decision making processes.
Tan has not yet secured student representatives for the Library,
University Extension, Faculty Welfare and Council on Research
committees of the Academic Senate. He says it doesn’t matter
because the faculty doesn’t listen to student input anyway or
belittles their contributions’ importance by involving them
in major decisions after they are made. Tan may be correct in
saying the administration doesn’t actively seek student
input, but how can he tell when there are still vacant positions?
Taking away the student voice from the decision making bodies of
the university justifies their reluctance to deal with students
seriously at all. Even though the vacant committees might not
present an immediate interest to the majority of the undergraduate
student population, actively participating in them shows students
feel it is important for the university to listen to their
perspective.
The Academic Senate has the responsibility to factor in student
representatives into their policy review discussions: after all, it
is the students who will have to abide by its decisions. But
ultimately, it is the students responsibility to become involved on
campus and try to affect the decisions being made for them. It
would be nice if they had a representative who could more fully
involve them in these academic affairs.