Apathy seems to have been one of the main themes plaguing campus organizations over the past year. From problems in the Student Assembly to student turnout at Williamsburg City Council meetings, students’s motivation to become involved is dwindling. A proposed change to the Student Handbook seeks to address this issue in the Student Conduct Council at the College of William and Mary. The proposed change will remove class quotas from the council’s selection process to ensure the most dedicated and committed students are selected regardless of social class. As one of the most important and powerful student organizations on campus, all of the members of the Student Conduct Council need to be committed to taking their positions seriously.
There are some serious issues with allowing the selection of a potentially young and uninformed council. After witnessing the problems with the way the SA presidential election was conducted earlier in the semester, many of which were the result of inexperience on the part of the election officials, we’re hesitant to see the social class quotas lifted. Given that the Student Conduct Council is one of the most influential bodies on campus, however, we trust that all members of the council receive intensive and comprehensive training in the code prior to assuming their positions. After all, becoming a member of the Student Conduct Council is no small feat. If this new method for selecting the most driven members is successful, we believe that the members will be hard-working and responsible enough to complete a thorough training.
The key to this proposal is that it relies on diligent efforts on the part of the students involved. If students feel that they are being underrepresented without these regulations, perhaps they should consider what they have done as individuals to guarantee their voices are heard. The Student Conduct Council is an essential part of the College, and as such, it should not have to scrape the bottom of the barrel just to have enough members from one social class.
This proposal is just one example of an attempt to make the student body on this campus work more efficiently. If this particular change is implemented successfully, other student organizations may need to consider similar changes. In order to have a functional and useful group, all members need to be willing to contribute and do their share in all assigned tasks.
As students, we must take an active role and active interest in our campus. At the very least, we all pay tuition — we should all care to some extent. Everyone at the College is busy but simply taking the time to read and discuss the proposed changes to the Student Handbook is a start. These are changes that will affect the entire student body at the College. Students need to make themselves aware of all of the proposed policy changes for the Student Handbook and make informed decisions as to whether they support these proposals. If not, then they really don’t have a leg to stand on if they complain about something later.
