Two years ago, President Christina Paxson asked the Brown community to consider her characterization of the University as “constructively irreverent.” History corroborates her claim — many a Brown student has eschewed social norms while working within an established framework to change our school for the better. This framework comprises many offices charged with administering to the demands of university life. Chief among them is the Corporation.
The Corporation has often served as the final arbiter in reconciling the concerns of the student population — the body for which Brown arguably exists — with the constant pressure and demands placed upon it for maintaining the institution. But absent in that process has been the valued voice of the student — the ultimate subject and beneficiary of this process of reconciliation.
In the same speech in which Paxson heralded the fruits of the constructively irreverent process that characterizes Brown’s progress, she reminded us that it behooves every member of the community — not just the students who constitute its majority — to appreciate and embrace that disposition. In imbuing an entire community with this value, Paxson reminded us that Brown represents a complementary relationship between respect and dissent.
Given the composition of the Corporation, which is devoid of active student representation, it is no surprise that history demonstrates that the Corporation is not steadfastly appreciative of the irreverent. Instead, this is traditionally the prerogative of the student. Such a result is the logical ramification of excluding student input from Corporation deliberations.
Members of the Brown community should have an input in the Corporation’s decisions about the practices and processes of University governance. Including student trustees on the Corporation would enable its members to deliberate with the confidence of having considered the opinion of the student body.
The significance of student leadership in the creation and implementation of the New Curriculum, as well as the historical and present-day representation of students on a number of University committees, proves that student voices are a valuable aspect of Brown’s history and practice. We believe student representation is essential to producing policies that are responsive, inclusive and generative of the long-term health and success of the University. In fact, Ira Magaziner ’69 P’06 P’07 P’10, the very architect of the open curriculum, said in a Brown Political Review interview in May, “Having a couple of student representatives on the Corporation would help students better understand issues of the University and would help the Corporation relate to students.”
Brown will function as a more responsible and cohesive community if students are involved in the decision-making processes of its governance. The inclusion of students on the Corporation would ensure that members remain engaged and familiar with the daily lives and experiences of undergraduate students, which, in the process, would ultimately leave the student body feeling empowered and respected.
The Corporation only stands to benefit from the inclusion of student voices. Student input would surely aid the Corporation’s discussion and consideration of important issues — for example, the selection of faculty members and administrators and the establishment of tuition and fees. Expanding Corporation participation to students would ensure that this process were a holistic one fostering cohesion among a diversity of community interests.
Recently, we have witnessed students struggling with feeling underrepresented in Corporation decision-making to the point of feeling excluded from University governance. As a result, students are less likely to engage with important decisions that affect their lives. And the spirit of unity on campus suffers. A primary solution to this sense of alienation is the creation of a student trustee position. Ultimately, the existence of such a position would signal to students that their experiences are considered, their views are heard and their role in the current and future trajectory of the University is respected.
Students have an opportunity to have their voices heard this week, at least in a small way. The Undergraduate Council of Students fall poll, which closes tomorrow, asks a specific question about the importance of student representation on the Corporation. The poll allows you, current Brown students, to express to the Corporation your desire to be included in their decisions in a meaningful and impactful way. We urge you to exercise the power of participation given to you by this poll to advocate for further participation, so that you might become a true agent in the future of the University.
Kevin Carty ’15, Alex Drechsler ’15, Noah Fitzgerel ’17, Justice Gaines ’16, Tammy Jiang ’16, Miriam Rollock ’15 and Maggie Tennis ’14.5, a Herald opinions editor, are the founding members of the Student Power Initiative.
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