The Student Assembly last night passed a resolution urging the faculty of the arts and sciences to reject the recommendations from the Social Sciences Council to convert the education department into an academic program.
The Assembly passed two other resolutions -- one calling for an administrative meeting to be held to reevaluate the College policy governing the use of the Green and the other calling for the Assembly to subsidize student buses to Boston and New York at the end of the term.
The education department resolution, sponsored by Case Dorkey '99 and Dominic LaValle '99, passed by a vote of 18 to three with one abstention.
LaValle said Associate Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences George Wolford gave students three reasons why the education department should be restructured and turned into a program at the meeting in 105 Dartmouth Hall last Thursday, but "the students weren't happy with" his argument.
LaValle cited Wolford's reasons as personnel problems, structural problems and difficulties finding a department chair. More than 300 students attended the education meeting last week.
"It is pretty clear where the student support is coming from," but since the faculty will make the final decision about the education department, Dorkey said "this resolution is really important."
LaValle said the faculty will not vote until the fall, but the Assembly passed the resolution now to show "the student sentiment and the sentiment within the education department."
The Assembly will send copies of the resolution to all tenured and tenure-track professors in the arts and social sciences division, Dean of the College Lee Pelton, Dean of the Faculty James Wright, Chair of the Committee on Organization and Policy Pamela Crossley and College President James Freedman, the resolution states.
Dorkey also sponsored the resolution on the College Green policy. He said this resolution is a "follow-up to the pow-wow on the Green resolution" the Assembly passed last week.
The resolution calls for a meeting to "rigorously reevaluate" the current policy governing the use of the Green.
The resolution contains an "at least" list of members who should attend the meeting.
The list includes Pelton, Vice President and Treasurer Lyn Hutton, Director of Facilities, Operations and Management Michael Getters, Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia, Assembly President Jim Rich '96 and Assembly President-elect Jon Heavey '97.
Last week, the Assembly unanimously voted to ask the administration to reconsider its decision not to allow the Green to be used for the pow-wow.
The annual pow-wow took place last weekend at Thompson Arena.
Dorkey said, according to the student handbook policy, a Green pow-wow should be permissible. But there is an "unwritten policy that has been in effect for about 10 years that conflicts" with the handbook policy, he said.
Assembly member Unai Montes-Irueste '98 said he did not support the resolution because he thought the "at least" list should include more student representatives, particularly from groups who are already working on the policy issue.
But Rich said the Assembly, and "particularly the president, is there to represent the student body" and is "specifically designed to deal with the administration while representing the student body."
The spring bus resolution, sponsored by Ben Hill '98 and Simone Swink '98, states the Assembly will subsidize two buses to New York and one bus to Boston at the end of Spring term. The bill passed unanimously.
Hill said the Assembly will spend $800 to fund the buses.
He also said the Assembly will have more than $7,000 left in its budget after paying for the buses.
Vice President of Communications Jonah Sonnenborn '99 said his committee is "still working out the logistics" for the town meeting which will be held this term, but he said it will probably be held next week.
Sonnenborn said the Assembly's executive committee is still debating the subject for the town meeting, and they also want more input from Heavey and Vice President-elect Chris Swift '98.
