Students can’t have a voice without information
by Mandi Rice
Doug Bennett often notes that Earlham has more information available online than any other college he knows of. He has said so in all-student meetings, and he reiterates that position in a press release on Earlham’s homepage. I largely agree with his assertion, but I note that the information is not truly accessible if students don’t know that it is available.
I’d like to lay out a few resources on governance already available to students, after which I will suggest ways that the college can further increase transparency.
1. Earlham’s Governance Manual
Available: http://www.earlham.edu/policies/governance/ or in print from the office of the president.
This document lays out the procedures for governance at Earlham, including the role of broad consultation, consensus and expertise. It also includes a section of brief essays on Earlham College Governance.
2. Community Documents
Available: In WebDB, under the “campus info” tab, or through The Heart portal.
Go there for minutes of faculty and committee meetings, memos and other information.
3. The Board book
Available: In the archives and faculty lounge of Lilly Library.
The Board of Trustees holds final responsibility for the college. Before each meeting with the Board, the President’s Office compiles inch-thick binders of information. This is what the college wants the Board to know, and it will clue you in to the kinds of decisions the board is considering.
4. Standing committees and their members
Available: http://www.earlham.edu/policies/governance/standingcommittees/
A list of all of the college’s standing committees, what they do and their current members.
5. Committee meetings
Available: Students may attend on request (guidelines available at http://www.earlham.edu/policies/governance/faculty/three.html#B)
According to the most recent Governance Manual, “All college committee meetings are normally open to any members of the college community who wish to attend, except Faculty Affairs Committee and Nominating Committee.” Those attending can observe the meeting but should not participate in the discussion unless the committee asks them to do so.
Despite the wealth of information available, students are largely unaware of these resources. Without information about decisions being made (and the governance process in general), I do not think we can consider students to have been “adequately consulted” about governance matters.
This is not a trivial problem. As Nelson Bingham and others write in their Governance Manual essay “The Role and Meaning of Consultation,” those in charge of consensus recommendations and decisions “must act to ensure that adequate consultation will occur prior to a decision and must have assurance that, after a consensus is reported, genuine consultation has occurred.”
To remedy this problem, I would like to see students take initiative in sharing these resources with one another—clip out this article and put it on your fridge or your door! RAs: Host a program next semester about governance at Earlham. NSO committees: Include this information where it is relevant.
Though students’ initiative is important, I would also like to see the college administration take steps to further information availability. These and other resources should be listed somewhere that students can easily find them, perhaps at the beginning of the student planner or on The Heart portal.
Moreover, I think it is essential that students have practical access to all of these resources. How many students know that there is a faculty lounge in Lilly Library, and that they can find the board book there? Perhaps a copy could be made available online or, if that is not possible, through Runyan Desk. This would have some cost, but would provide substantial benefit to students.
Finally, I would encourage all committees to keep students informed. One step is uploading minutes and other work to Community Documents in a timely manner. Many committees are very good about this, but others—including the Committee on Campus Life and the ESG Cabinet—have not posted any information this semester. The student body, no matter how driven to find information, cannot give input into decisions as they happen if the relevant information is not available.
Mandi Rice is a senior comparative languages and linguistics major and can be reached at mmrice06@earlham.edu.
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