The Medill School of Journalism’s decision Monday to allow students on its faculty committees isn’t an original idea on campus, and some even say it may be overdue.
“It’s about time,” said Stephen Carr, associate dean for undergraduate engineering. “We’ve been doing it for a third of a century.”
Medill administrators announced that they will include up to three students on six of their seven faculty committees.
Following recommendations from a student survey taken last month, Medill Dean Loren Ghiglione moved swiftly to include students on faculty committees in an effort to promote student involvement. Since arriving on campus this summer, Ghiglione has made himself accessible to students, offering office hours twice a week and encouraging student input.
Medill joins other NU schools that already include students on committees. Students in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science were involved with the school’s committees even before Carr arrived at the school 32 years ago, he said.
“We think students are the most important stakeholders in their education and deserve to participate in what their experience is,” he said. “We do a lot to develop a sense of community and would wish for even more.”
Positions for students also exist on six Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences committees.
“The reason we’re here is to provide an education, and the people who are getting that education are the best people to tell us what’s going well, what’s not and what would be best for the next generation,” Weinberg Dean Eric Sundquist said.
But in order to have students on committees, there must be students to fill the positions.
“For students to be effective in these roles, there have to be students who want the position and have the time to do it,” Sundquist said.
The level of student involvement depends on the students in the school, School of Music Dean Bernard Dobroski said.
“In the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, there were some active classes and sometimes it’s not as much,” he said. “(Student involvement is) only as good as the faculty and student efforts that go into it.”
The School of Education Undergraduate Student Association serves as a link between students, faculty and administrators in the School of Education and Social Policy, and is rebounding from a recent lack of involvement.
“SEUSA existed when I came as dean five years ago and then it sort of died out,” Education Dean Penelope Peterson said.
SEUSA was revived in the spring, she said, and is working to build ties between the school’s students and faculty members.
“We’re starting off in little ways and we’re lucky because the faculty is receptive,” said Julia Sorisho, an Education junior and chairwoman of Faculty and Student Interaction. “The problem is we don’t have clear objectives yet because we don’t yet know what students want.”
The Recruiting Advisory Committee in the School of Speech, with half of its positions occupied by students and half by faculty members, will have its first meeting within the next few weeks, Speech Dean Barbara O’Keefe said.
“(Currently) there aren’t lots of good places to involve students in committees because we just don’t have (committees),” O’Keefe said. “As we form new committees, we’re definitely going to be including students in them.”
The current focus on student involvement is part of a cycle that is now on the upswing, Assoc. Provost Stephen Fisher said.
“There’s a pendulum swinging back and forth on both sides of the conversation,” Fisher said. “It’s very dependent on the will and ability of student leaders to initiate and participate.”
