The 21 students recently selected to serve on the Collis Governing Board will work with Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia to determine how to use the center's space.
But unlike former governing boards, the new group will no longer be in charge of programming for the Collis Center, Sateia said.
The Programming Board, which took over scheduling Collis events on other parts of the campus when the building was under construction, will continue to be responsible for programming, she said.
Events like Friday Night Dance Club and performances at The Lone Pine Tavern fall under the responsibilities of the Programming Board, which is headed by Programming Coordinator Linda Kennedy.
Kennedy's title was changed from Student Activities Coordinator to reflect her programming responsibilities.
The Governing Board, which will focus more on Collis' space allocation policy, was revived this term when the center reopened after a year of construction.
Members of the Governing Board will actively seek input from the campus community on the role the student center should play and how the building should be used, Sateia said.
"I want the governing board to be able to get feedback from the community on ways to accommodate the building," Sateia said. "I also want the board to market the building and let all student groups, academic and administrative departments know what is available in Collis."
Though the Collis Governing Board will not handle programming, Sateia said members will pass along student suggestions to the Programming Board.
Members of the board include representatives from the Academic Skills Center, Career Services, Collis Cafe, the International Students Office, the Native American Students Office, Student Activities Office and Office of Student Life, Sateia said.
Sateia said she and her student intern, Sunni Chauhan '96, selected the members of the board on the basis of their interest in the group and the amount of time they could spend with the group.
Approximately 30 students applied for the 20 spots, Sateia said.
As part of the application, students had to write an essay detailing what contributions they wanted to make to Collis.
David Weinberg '96, a board member, said he wants to help shape the direction of Collis.
"I felt that as a sophomore, my class had the most to gain from the Board," Weinberg said. "I wanted to be on the Board in order to feel a bit more in touch with this new building that just popped up on campus."
Other students said they joined the Board because of the controversy over how Collis will be used.
"The controversy over The Lone Pine Tavern was probably the most influential factor in my decision to apply," Monica Oberkfoler '96 said.
"The possibility that the tavern would be only open to those older than 21 deeply concerned me," she said. "I believed that Collis was built for the students and no part of it should be closed off to certain members of the campus."
