Counsel for the student councils

Over Thanksgiving break, Columbia College Student Council, in conjunction with Columbia University EcoReps, piloted a new initiative to clean up the poster boards in Columbia dorms. Concerned about aesthetics and environmental waste, the organizations, with the support of the Activities Board at Columbia and Student Governing Board, divided bulletin boards in Hartley, Wallach, and John Jay into grids. They request that student groups place their fliers within the grids, that they post only one flier per bulletin board, and that they not cover other groups’ fliers. They are also working with the administration to get additional bulletin boards if they determine that there is not enough space available for student groups to advertise.

The idea of implementing a new fliering policy to reduce waste is not bad. But even in the first week of its implementation, groups have ignored signs asking them to post only one flier and have covered bulletin boards in the same disorganized fashion as always, highlighting the need for better communication between student councils and their constituents. Ultimately, the fliering initiative addresses a minor issue on Columbia’s campus, and CCSC’s power lies in where it can implement policies that directly impact student life.

In fact, the councils have been working hard on several large, campus-wide initiatives. For instance, they have also been active in their efforts to foster a greater sense of a community through campus events—the more than 1,300 students who attended this year’s Basketball Mania is a testament to their success. Their work in opening up John Jay at the end of the semester helped create more valuable study space during the finals crunch. These are the types of initiatives that merit the councils’ efforts.

Student councils should advertise these initiatives broadly and ensure that they are accurately representing students’ views. At the same time, the councils cannot make a positive impact on campus life without the active support of administrators and students. The student councils are a vital link between administrators and undergraduates, a role all the more necessary at a notoriously bureaucratic and decentralized university like Columbia. If undergrads are a priority for the University administration, they must listen to the councils and work with them to achieve legitimate, positive change. But first, the student councils must have their fingers on the pulse of the student body.