The Board of Trustees will convene at the College at the end of this week and throughout the weekend for the first time since their surprise announcement in February of the five principles for social and residential change, and indications are the initiative is on the Trustees' agenda.
Although Director of Public Affairs Laurel Stavis would not confirm that the implementation of the five principles is specifically on the Trustees' agenda, two students told The Dartmouth last night they and others were scheduled to speak with the Trustees about the revolutionary initiative.
In addition, according to the Residential and Social Life Task Force BlitzMail bulletin, the Trustees will discuss the process by which the principles will be implemented.
"We anticipate that the Trustees will discuss at their April meeting the process they expect to follow for deciding upon and implementing proposals addressing their principles, and the outcome of that discussion will then be shared with the Task Force and the Dartmouth community," the bulletin stated.
Stavis would say only that the Trustees will be discussing "a broad range of issues."
Among the issues that will be discussed at the April meeting are the professional schools and the faculty. The official dedication ceremony of Rauner Special Collections in Webster Hall will also coincide with their Hanover visit, she said.
Acting Dean of the College Dan Nelson confirmed that members of the Residential and Social Life Task Force and students involved in the five principles working groups will meet with the Trustee Committee on Student Affairs to update board members on student proposals and responses.
Task Force members Andy Louis '00, Aaron Akamu '01 and Eric Buchman '00 will present to COSA the findings and projects of the Task Force. Louis will give an overview of the residential meetings including the discussions on the five principles, Buchman will address facilities planning and Akamu will present the proposed alumni panel the Task Force is creating, Louis told The Dartmouth.
One co-chair of each working group will also present updates to the Trustees concerning what ideas students have come up with so far. Marc Fenigstein '01 will talk on the controversial third principle which involves the coeducation of residential spaces accompanied by other working group co-chairs Jill Carey '99, Melissa Maggio '99, Jeffrey Fine '99 and Tom Leatherbee '01.
Assembly President Josh Green '00 said he and Assembly Vice President Case Dorkey '00 will meet with the Trustees Thursday afternoon to discuss the participation of students in administrative and Trustee decisions. The Trustees recently denied a second request by the Assembly in as many years for a student vote in Trustee elections.
