Three students were elected on Sunday night to serve as liaisons between Tufts' undergraduate student body and the Board of Trustees, the governing body of the University. Juniors Jesse Levey and Alethea Pieters, along with sophomore Adam Carlis, were chosen from a field of six candidates by the Tufts Community Union senate to be this year's trustee representatives.
The issue of student representation to the Board of Trustees is especially pertinent in light of University President John DiBiaggio's recent announcement that he will be retiring by the end of 2002. The Board of Trustees is now faced with choosing Tufts' next president, and the three students elected Sunday night will represent the undergraduate voice in that discussion.
In their five-minute presentations, and during a question and answer session that followed, the representatives emphasized a host of other issues, including the need for more housing on campus.
"The Trustees are focused on selecting a new president, but we must show them that there are other issues to deal with too," Levey said
The lack of campus housing is perceived as the biggest area of student discontent in recent years, with sophomores and juniors facing the annual decision of whether to roll the dice with Residential Life or fork over the cash and move off campus.
An attempt was made last year to deal with this problem by then-trustee representative Tommy Calvert, who presented a proposal to the Board of Trustees in February that detailed student opinion on the housing crisis, and suggested that a new dorm be built and existing ones be renovated. However, no drastic moves have been made to address the issue since then.
"We need continuity from last year and bring the housing issue back to the table," TCU Senate President David Moon said. "All three [representatives] will do a good job."
Levey believes the first step in making progress on the housing issue is to coordinate those who have proposed solutions to the problem to work together with the Board of Trustees.
"We need to get everyone on the same page. We need a new dorm," he said. "Long term, Haskell and Wren need to be demolished. They are virtually unlivable."
"People can't study and learn if they have to worry about where they are going to live," Carlis concurred.
In addition to housing, Carlis stressed the importance of addressing the issue of diversity. He perceives a growing intolerance on campus and hopes to push for an increase in the number of multi-ethnic groups and programs.
Pieters emphasized improving Tufts by augmenting the size of its endowment. "There are holes or problems we could patch to make Tufts a better place," she said. "Harvard gets more alumni giving, and makes it better for current students."
In their presentations, the candidates all stressed the qualities that they posses that will make them effective in their role as trustee representative. Levey cited his previous Senate experience and capability to work well with administrators, while both Carlis and Pieters stressed their abilities to be good listeners as well as communicators. "We must keep the lines of communication open and keep the students feeling empowered," Carlis said.
These skills are important because, according to Secretary of the Trustees Linda Dixon, the trustee representatives must earn the respect of the Board of Trustees so that their opinions and input are given serious consideration.
"[One must be] not afraid to speak up, but in a tactful manner, and be able to establish a rapport with the Trustees."
Also seeking the position of trustee representative were senior Dan Landmann, junior Doug Hansen, and freshman James Christian Blockwood. The selection of the representatives was overseen by Elections Board Chair Bruce Kessler.
After the election, Senators commented that the leadership skills that the candidates conveyed during their presentations was the main factor in determining their vote. "Candidates seemed to have a grasp of the important issues, but their difference in approach made all the difference," freshman Nick Abraham said.
"Each person talked of some of there goals including work towards a new dorm, greater diversity in faculty and the student body, and improving alumni relations. I believe that these three will do an excellent job on these issues which are not something that can not be taken care of overnight," Parliamentarian Ben Lee said. "The framework was built last year for many of these topics and our new trustee reps. will do an excellent job building upon that."
Each representative was placed onto a Trustees committee. Pieters will serve on the Academic Affairs Committee, Levey will sit on the Development Committee, and Carlis will be on the Administration and Finance Committee. Each representative will serve a one-year term.
