Student government representatives from all eight Ivy League schools passed several resolutions at this weekend's Ivy Council, which members called the group's most productive meeting ever.
The resolutions covered a variety of topics, mostly related to improving social services on campuses.
The Council, which met at Dartmouth this weekend, passed a motion to invite "a distinguished public figure to speak via satellite to all Ivy League Schools on an issue common to all campuses."
Another resolution called on Ivy League schools to "release all information relative to campus debate in the name of responsible debate and freedom of information." Student Assembly Communications Co-chair Brandon del Pozo '96, who drafted the resolution, cited the refusal of Dartmouth Dining Services to release its financial information as an impetus for the resolution.
The Council also passed resolutions calling on schools to have a firm sexual assault policy and a 24-hour rape crisis center.
Another successful motion called for mandatory peer educational programs about sexual assault, eating disorders and alcohol for sports teams and first-year students.
The Council passed a resolution in support of the creation of a campus center to address women's concerns at each school.
The resolution called for a center with "sufficient programming space, that is centrally located, adequately funded, and staffed by trained and professional counselors." Assembly Vice President Rukmini Sichitiu '95, one of Dartmouth's representatives, said the College's Women's Resource Center is not centrally located or adequately funded.
Sichitiu proposed a successful resolution recommending each Ivy student government advocate the creation of an administrative position to serve "as an advisor and advocate for gay, lesbian and bisexual issues and concerns."
Although an Ivy Council resolution, like an Assembly resolution, has no legislative power, del Pozo said a resolution by the Council has greater clout than one passed by an individual school's governing student body.
Ivy Council President Justin Bekelman, a senior at Princeton University said the challenge is for individual student governments to make the best use of the resolutions and for the leaders to apply what they have learned from the other schools.
Sichitiu said the resolutions "reflect the fact that Dartmouth is so far behind other institutions," citing the College's lack of a rape crises center or an administrator for gay, lesbian and bisexual issues.
The Council's Vice President of External Affairs, Lance Rogers, a senior from the University of Pennsylvania, said the Council had three purposes: to serve as a support group among students, a "platform of action" for national issues and a "forum for communication" that allows student organizations to learn from each other.
Bekelman said, "we haven't had as successful an Ivy Council as we've had this weekend at Dartmouth." Council Secretary Meredith Epstein '97's organized the Council.
