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Faculty Discusses Public Service

Council Questions Whether U.C. Should Choose Representatives

"The faculty seems receptive to the idea that the U.C. should select the students," he said.

"In general, I think we have something to look forward to," Hyman said. "More students and student-chosen students are essential for improving the prospects of the committee."

But some Faculty Council members said they did not agree with some of the requests made by the Undergraduate Council.

Professor of Sociology and Government Theda Skocpol, who is also a member of the Public Service Committee, said she did not want to increase the size of the committee by adding more student members.

"The present committee is not very large and I think that is a good thing because a smaller committee finds it easier to have all members attend meetings and to have a thorough discussion with eight or nine people in the room," she said.

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Other Faculty Council members said that they did not think having the Undergraduate Council choose the representatives would be beneficial.

"My own feeling is that the student members would consider themselves to be representing their own constituencies," said Professor of Classics and history Christopher P. Jones.

"In other words, they would represent the view of particular groups and therefore would arrive with fixed opinions which to my mind would not be conducive to fruitful discussion of the kind of issues that might arrise," he said.

Jones also said that the committee is functioning well now and does not need to be altered.

"The point was in fact made today that the committee, as it is already constituted, is working well and gets opinions from a wide variety of student sources," he said. "I buy the argument that the proposed expansion would not help the committee deliberation."

One issue was resolved at the Faculty Council's meeting.

The Undergraduate Council representatives decided they would not pursue their request to alter the mandate of the public service committee, according to Hyman

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