1. An Introduction
The following is a presidential report. What is the difference between this report and any other Assembly report? It was not approved by a vote of the Student Assembly. It was never even brought to the Student Assembly for a vote. It is not the result of a task force. It is not based on a student survey. It is not a reflection of student opinion. It is a reflection of my opinion. It is the opinion of the President of Student Assembly, a senior at Dartmouth, someone who is well acquainted with student demands for greater involvement in decision-making. And trust me, it is full of opinions.
This report is an attempt to gather much of what has been said before and to place it on the table. To take a look at where things currently stand rather than just focus on what needs to change. To find a new way to communicate old ideas and old frustrations. And at the end, to begin a dialogue. I hope this report gives faculty, trustees, students, and administrators the opportunity to come together to one table to discuss the state, and future, of student involvement at Dartmouth College.
The usefulness and worth of this document rests in the arguments it presents, in the ideas it puts forward. These ideas are not new. Almost all of them have been proposed before. In writing this report, I went through several past proposals and letters and editorials - all similar, with reoccurring themes and aims. But I hope the way in which this report is done will make a difference.
A good way to begin is to counter some popular sentiments. The notion that students do not have a say is a myth. Students do have a say. The notion that administrators don't care about student opinion is a myth. Administrators do care about what students think. Over the years, student leaders have asked for a lot. And in doing so, the picture painted is one in which students are the oppressed and administrators are the oppressors. The era of these myths is over.
What we do not need is more name-calling, finger pointing and exaggeration. What we do need is mutual understanding, open communication, and a commitment to improve the state of student involvement. Because although this report will set the record straight about the many venues and opportunities that students do have, the heart of the report will be on what still needs to be done. Hopefully, even without the use of metaphors like the "sun-king" or "fleas and ticks," this report will convey why institutional voice is not only a good idea, but a necessity.
Thank you for reading,
Jorge A. Miranda `01
Student Assembly President
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