Professor of Economics Gil Skillman led a student discussion focusing on the interaction between students and the administration on campus, the second Talking Points meeting meant to garner student input on campus issues.

“I think for any lasting change to happen there has to be institutionalized [student] voice,” Skillman said.

Skillman emphasized the lack of student voice during administrative policy formation as one of the biggest problems on campus. Skillman, who has served on the Board of Trustees Finance Committee, highlighted this point by first reviewing the way policy is formed on campus.

“How it works is the administration, hearing various individual opinions, formulates a policy, [then] brings it to the board, presents them with information…and they finalize it,” he said.

Skillman explained that by the time the policies or plans were presented to student and faculty committees, they had already been fully formed, leaving little room for additions.

“Policy is a formed thing by the time it gets to committee,” he said. “What [students and faculty committees] are responding to is the thing that’s already in place.”

During the discussion, participants advocated a need for more student power, such as voting rights within the committees, and also the need for knowledge concerning current policies and issues in order to use this power effectively. Skillman said that the provision of an adequate student voice would satisfy both needs.

“If you had student presence on a formal committee, students would have a voice, and [on these formation committees] you do get relevant information necessary to your decision,” Skillman said.

Students criticized the current system’s inadequacy, expressing dissatisfaction with its inability to adequately satisfy their demands.

“It’s just seems like there isn’t really receptivity,” said Z Behl ’07. “Every time students push, it doesn’t seem like there’s adequate response, positive or negative.”

Skillman referenced the protests on campus in December of 2004, in which student leaders presented a list of issues to the administration including the WESU/WSHU deal, the chalking ban, gender-neutral housing, hate crimes, and lack of ethnic studies. They led outdoor demonstrations including a rally trapping President Doug Bennet in his office. The administration responded with public forums in Crowell Concert Hall and Memorial Chapel involving faculty and administrative members where students publicly voiced their concerns.

“This was really an extraordinary thing that happened last year,” Skillman said. “A huge effort went into formulating a list of needs and demands…the last comparable incident was over 15 years ago.”

Reading from a condensed list of the concerns raised by the student protesters, Skillman asked students whether they thought the majority of demands had been realized or effectively addressed by the administration since that time.

“There was no response negatively [by the administration],” said Caroline Rober ’08. “That’s because the response [was made] by listening but not reacting.”

Skillman said that the faculty also felt that concerns that had not been accurately addressed.

“The important thing is our communication with the Board of Trustees…to make sure [they are] with us, on the same page,” said WSA member Tian “Jerry” Ai ’06. “The most important thing is that the student voices can be answered, not just heard.”

Skillman did support the administration on some issues, noting that the majority of student demands dealt had financial repercussions. He noted the University’s limited budget and need for economic restraint in policies and decisions devised by the administration.

“[A] necessary consideration is anything that costs money; you get more of one thing, you get less of another,” Skillman said.

Skillman also said that many faculty members supported the administration’s ban on chalking, made in 2003.

“This is a community we share, and can’t avoid sharing,” Skillman said. “[There was] a second set of people for whom [chalking] was a source of harassment…people were asking why, just because I work here, do I have to be exposed to that?”

Skillman finally acknowledged the power of public protest as a means of voicing public opinion, especially with the current system remains in place.

“Just because certain demands haven’t been met, it doesn’t mean there’s not student voice,” Skillman said. “That voice should be heard.”