I love Tufts. Looking back on my experiences, I am not sure that I achieved all that I could have to make my college a better place. While in school, I became the treasurer of my fraternity and the president of the Interfraternity Council. After I graduated, I became a member of my class leadership committee and helped organize my fifth year reunion. But for my alma mater, I think that most of my efforts are too little and too late. To atone for this, I have become an active member of the Committee on Student Life (CSL) at Tufts.
Through my four-year tenure on this committee, I have come to learn how student governance works at Tufts. It is actually quite amazing how much power is placed in the hands of students at Tufts (compared to other universities) but only if they are willing to take on the responsibility. However, few Tufts students, even the ones who would be excited to take on such noble tasks, know what is available to them. Ay, there's the rub.
Talking to students at Tufts, most cannot tell you who their senators are, let alone what TCU stands for (that is Tufts Community Union for those keeping score at home). This reminds me of a video poll I saw in 1979. They went down the street and asked ten people who the vice president of the United States was. The person who came the closest said she was sure his name began with an "M" (she was right: it was Walter Mondale).
So, here is a quick rundown of what students can do to govern Tufts. The one most people know about is the TCU Senate. This is a body that has 28 elected members (seven of which represent each class). The Senate is responsible for many policies and programs on campus, as well as allocation of the funds collected from the student activities fee. This is a vast budget that is entirely in the hands of the students. The Senate involves a lot of work, but you can work closely to change things on campus.
There is also the Judiciary branch of the TCU. This body has seven elected members at large, and it serves to rule on the constitutionality of actions by the Senate and student organizations; the lion's share of the work of this committee is recognizing and re-recognizing student groups.
The last major governing body is the CSL: a joint faculty-student committee that has five elected undergraduate members at large. The CSL serves as the appeals body for the Judiciary and also serves as a forum for all issues concerning student life. It also hears all appeals of student disciplinary cases and chooses the Wendell Phillips Award winner.
In addition to this, there are at least ten standing committees at Tufts that take on student members though
applications and nominations. There are also three undergraduate representatives to the trustee committees.
During my six years at Tufts, I have heard students complain that they cannot make a difference, that they feel disenfranchised, that their concerns are never heard nor addressed, and the list goes on. Now consider this. In recent years, there have been too few applicants for the open Senate, Judiciary, or CSL seats. When people are complaining that they have no power, and yet we keep having uncontested elections or elections where there are not even enough candidates to fill the open seats, something is wrong.
This is my call to arms. Don't have a rally, don't write a letter to the Daily, don't complain to your friends over a cup of coffee over at Brown and Brew: run for a position of power at Tufts.
On Thursday, September 9, there will be an information session followed by a candidate's meeting on Sunday, September 12, where all completed petitions for students running for the Senate, the CSL, or the Judiciary must be submitted at the mandatory meeting for all nominees. Go run and get a petition (http://ase.tufts.edu/elbo/) and the 50 or 100 signatures you need. As of right now, there are seven open Judiciary seats, three open CSL seats, and 10 open Senate seats (for all years except juniors, unless too few seniors run). If you have questions, talk the Senators or members of the other groups.
Feel free to ask me questions because I also want to make sure that I get to work with new motivated and excited student representatives. I do not want to have another year of letters to the Daily complaining about how the university or the administration is not doing something or doesn't know about something, because each and every one of you has the right and the obligation to help lead this campus into the future.
Chris Morse is a lecturer in chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences.
