In an unprecedented move, the Associated Students of Madison will propose today the creation of new shared governance committees. ASM plans to appoint faculty and academic staff to sit on committees it creates to specifically deal with campus issues.
With little input into the university's formation of shared governance committees, ASM representatives said [they feel that] the students' concerns will be better addressed if they play a hand in the committee-forming process.
The inspiration to create shared governance committees arose from the idea to create an advisory board to UW Police, allowing students to voice their questions and complaints, ASM representatives said.
\[UW-Madison] students are given the right to control what goes on at the university; students across the country aren't given the power that UW students have,"" ASM Chair Mike Dean said.
Wisconsin state statute 36.09(5) mandates that there be student participation in all decisions made at the university.
""Right now [ASM] shared governance appoints people to committees, but the decisions as to what [issues] the committees deal with is held by the university,"" said Jessy Tolkan, the ASM shared governance committee chair.
The decision to begin organizing committees stemmed from a feeling of little influence over the direction of campus issues, Dean said.
""Under the current process, we're supposed to go to the faculty even though these are student issues, so we've been frustrated because a lot of their committees just don't deal with [students'] issues well,"" Dean said.
Some ASM Student Council representatives said they feel adjusting the process will help them pursue their agenda.
""We've been working within the system but we aren't going to work within that system anymore. We are going to create committees and ask the faculty and staff to sit on them just as they have been doing for us,"" Tolkan said.
ASM has worked to create guidelines in an attempt to prevent forming unnecessary commitments, Tolkan said.
Representatives said the extent of ASM's involvement with the university this year is helping them receive support in their decision to begin forming committees.
""We've shown [the university] this year that we are serious about change, by the responsible students we have put on the current committees. They now know that we aren't just going to complain about university problems, but are willing to be involved in fixing them,"" Tolkan said.
Dean said the faculty and staff seem very pleased with the students' willingness to step in and take more responsibility.
""We've worked to let the university know that we're not challenging their authority, that this is a way to ensure a reciprocal relationship, and just as we put students on their committees we hope they will put faculty on ours,"" he said.
University Committee Chair Thomas Sharkey and Academic Staff Executive Committee Chair Wilt Sanders could not be reached for comment.
