Four issues to keep your eye on

It’s a new decade, a new year, and a new semester. The “aughts” were tumultuous both on campus and off, and the next decade promises to be no different. But while our University will continue to feel the effects of the ongoing turmoil in the city, the nation, and across the globe, it will also have to grapple with controversy in its own backyard. With an eye on those conflicts that strike closest to home, here are four pressing campus issues that Columbians should be paying attention to this semester.

First, the elephant of elephants in the room: Manhattanville. This has been the hot topic in campus news for the past few years, and it looks to be the issue of the decade. This Friday, we’ll weigh in on the short-term outlook of the project. But for now, it’s vital that students (and workers, professors,administrators, and community members) be well informed about developments. This is your community: this campus and this neighborhood. It will remain your community after you graduate. As a member of this community, it’s your duty to be an active, informed citizen.

We’re also looking at a number of major changes to dining policies in the coming academic year. At Columbia, formerly à la carte venues like JJ’s Place and Ferris Booth will shift to the meal plan, with all-you-can-eat meal offerings. At Barnard, beginning in the fall of 2010, all students will be required to have meal plans. Student government has been in dialogue about these proposals with the various administrative bodies that handle dining, but there has been limited publicity and transparency from the Columbia and Barnard administrations. We may debate the merits of the proposed policies, but what’s clear is that they promise to change significantly a critical component of campus life. At the least, students must demand that their administrations be forthcoming with their visions for how these changes would look.

On the housing front, this is the semester in which the proposal for gender-neutral housing will be finalized. Students should take heart in the administration’s quick movement on this issue—not only because of its political importance, but because it represents a move to make housing options more comfortable for the student body at large. We recognize that parents and students alike have legitimate concerns about gender-neutral housing, but we firmly believe students should support a policy that would give their peers more choice when it comes to selecting roommates.

Finally, study days. In the past, reading week began after classes ended on Monday and ran until Friday. This year, it was as short as two days for some students. For us, this is as clear-cut an issue as there is. Columbia is, first and foremost, an educational institution. After a semester of attending classes, taking exams, and writing papers, students need more than two days to review course materials. Over break, the class councils formulated a proposal under which the fall semester would begin the first week of September, regardless of the timing of Labor Day. This proposal would restore a full reading week, and it’s a step in the right direction. If you’re concerned about your academic future (or that of your classmates), or if you’re simply concerned about fairness—a lot of professors dealt with the short reading period by assigning earlier in-class finals or take-homes—this is the time to speak up. Sign a petition, join (or make) a Facebook group, write a letter or op-ed, e-mail administrators or student leaders—it’s your right and your responsibility.