As the debate over Student Assembly's role rages at Dartmouth, a comparative look at the student governments in the Ancient Eight reveals a variation in student opinion, budget sizes, electoral practices and ideological ambition.
Of those Ivy League student governments with broad campus support, a common theme is an ability to balance student services with ideological advocacy.
The Undergraduate Assembly at the University of Pennsylvania instituted a shuttle service to and from a local airport and petitioned professors to post their syllabi online prior to the start of classes. Harvard's Undergraduate Council recently spearheaded an effort to keep some library facilities open 24 hours a day. At Yale, the College Council is planning an expansion to the undergraduate residential college system.
"The student government is viewed as being pretty effective and influential," University of Pennsylvania junior Laura Paliani said. "A lot of it has to do with day-to-day life."
As these practical measures move forward, the University of Pennsylvania's student government is debating the more ambitious issues of alcohol-free dormitories and worker's rights. At Harvard, the topics of discussion range from sexual assault to sustainability, and at Yale a task force is focusing on inequality within the residential college system. These Ivy League student governments manage to provide practical student services and address ideological concerns at the same time.
"The SAs that straddle both [practical and ideological issues] tend to be the most successful," said Assembly adviser and Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia, in reference to the evolution of the Assembly at Dartmouth over the past few years.
The Yale College Council differs in several ways from Dartmouth's Assembly. The College Council's extensive committee system mirrors Dartmouth's Assembly, yet its electoral process is dissimilar. Two representatives are elected to the Council from each of Yale's 12 residential colleges, with the assumption that each elected official is at least somewhat beholden to his residential constituency. These representatives are joined by four at-large executives on the council chosen through campus-wide elections.
Despite the egalitarian electoral system at Yale, some students there criticize the council for its inefficacy and focus on "lightweight" issues.
"Some people definitely accuse the government of not doing much; they feel their hands are tied by the administration in terms of how far they can go," Yale junior Sabrina Howell said. "They run social events, advise the administration on student issues and they do the best job they can considering the constraints [of the administration]."
Dartmouth and Yale student governments also vary with respect to the size of their bank accounts. The Yale College Council has an annual operating budget of $210,000, according to Yale sophomore Zach Marks, the College Council's secretary. Dartmouth's Assembly has a budget of $70,000, down from $90,000 last school year. (Even though Yale has more undergraduates than Dartmouth, the ratio of student government dollars to students at Yale is about twice the ratio at Dartmouth.)
Sateia cautioned that it is ultimately up to the students on the Assembly to evaluate the organization's effectiveness.
"Students can decide for themselves what is the best way to recruit and obtain membership," she said. "Policies should always be reviewed from time to time."
