Vice President for Business and Finance Eugene Sunshine and Vice President for Student Affairs William Banis will discuss the Lagoon construction plans with students at Associated Student Government’s open forum tonight.
But since the administration announced its decision, student leaders said they question how much administrators value student input. ASG leaders said the decision especially strains the relationship between ASG and administrators.
“The administration sees (issues like housing and dining) as directly affecting students on a day-to-day basis,” said ASG President Jordan Heinz. “They don’t think long-range planning, like the Lagoon, affects students on a day-to-day basis. That’s where they’re flawed.”
During his weekly meeting with Banis a week before the construction announcement, Heinz asked about a rumor concerning possible Lagoon construction. At the time, Banis had no knowledge of the plans, both Banis and Heinz said.
“When I know of issues coming up, I put it on the table,” Banis said. “If I don’t know of something they hear, I will try and track it down. The communication this year is good and ASG has really been a constructive force.”
On Oct. 29, Heinz presented a report to the Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee that requested more student input on long-range planning and development.
Last week, senators passed a resolution condemning administrators for making their decision without consulting students. The resolution also asked administrators to postpone construction until student opinion could be considered.
“We’re going to try to mend things and move forward, but it definitely puts the ball in their court to try and prove that they actually care what students think,” said ASG Student Services Vice President Courtney Brunsfeld. “Because they didn’t talk to us, it leaves us in a really difficult position to try and work with them.”
Administrators cite other examples of student involvement. ASG’s Vice President for Student Services serves on housing and dining committees and the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committees makes recommendations to Northwestern’s Budget Committee, Banis and Sunshine said.
“We value the student government very much,” Sunshine said. “(And) it’s not just valuing input, it’s responding to it in many ways.”
Banis said administrators exercise discretion when deciding when to consult students.
“Historically, I don’t think students or staff or faculty have been consulted broadly on capital projects,” Banis said. “Should they have been consulted on the Lakefill? No. It’s a capital project. It’s a complex institution and we have different offices that specialize in certain functional areas.”
But precedent should not dictate communication between administrators and students, Heinz said.
“In terms of long-range planning, they have not taken student input into account because they have put other things before student opinion,” said Heinz, an Education senior. “Just because they have historically not taken student opinion into account doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.”
Former ASG President Adam Humann said he recognizes the complexity of administrative decisions, but students should be consulted on projects such as the Lagoon construction.
“You’re not going to get student input at every level of the university, but on significant decisions that affect students, there has to be input,” said Humann, Weinberg ’01. “The university will run better if that happens.”
Off-campus Sen. Rachel Lopez, who helped found the Open Campus Coalition, said student leaders balance their role as advocates with administrators’ authority.
“(Student leaders) feel constrained because they want to keep their relationships strong with administrators, but they want to represent student opinion,” said Lopez, a Weinberg junior. “The two aren’t necessarily reconcilable.”
Although the ASG forum will show administrators are listening, Banis said they already realize the importance of student response.
“I understand students being concerned and upset that something that is unpopular hasn’t been discussed beforehand,” Banis said. “The reaction isn’t lost on me or my colleagues.”
