Harvard Undergraduate Council
Encyclopedia
The Harvard Undergraduate Council, colloquially known as "the UC", is the representative student government of Harvard College
. The Council was established in 1982 by a vote of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
and student referendum. The current President and Vice President of the Undergraduate Council are Senan Ebrahim and Bonnie Cao, respectively.
John B. Fox initiated a committee that was to be called the Committee to Review College Governance, chaired by John Dowling, who was a professor of biology
at the College. This committee was tasked with the duty of determining the strengths and the weaknesses of the present system of governance at the College and of considering any needed reforms that might improve the quality of college life at Harvard.
This committee's deliberations eventually led to passage of legislation from the faculty, a bill which created the Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Council in 1982. The constitution of the Council was ratified by a student body referendum
in the same year. The first Council had roughly 80 members, and these members would elect a chair and a vice-chair to oversee the Council. The Undergraduate Council funded undergraduate organizations with the proceeds of a opt-out
fee collected from the tuition bill of each registered student, planned social events and services, and sent representatives to student-faculty committees. The Council today still carries out these duties and largely gets its revenue from the same original source of student tuition.
In 1995, the Undergraduate Council passed a number of internal reforms, the most notable of which was the creation of the roles President
and Vice President
, more closely modelling an actual government. In 2002, in a symbolic gesture to honor the advancement of gender relations on campus since the integration of Harvard and Radcliffe
Colleges, the Council voted to strike "Radcliffe" from its name to simply become the "Harvard Undergraduate Council". Today, the Council still has the roles of President and Vice President; in addition, there are Chairs and Vice Chairs of the expanded sub-committees, in which most of the work of the Council is done: the Education Committee, the Finance Committee, the Student Initiatives Committee, the Student Life Committee, the Student Relations Committee, the Rules Committee, the Freshman Class Committee, and the Social Programs Task Force.
fees collected from the tuition bill of each registered student.
Since administrators at the College typically see the Undergraduate Council as the representative of the student body, these administrators often consult with the Council for nearly all student issues. In recent years, student-faculty committees have flourished with the joint cooperation of the administration and the Undergraduate Council. The Undergraduate Council fields applications from the student body for places in these committees and makes its decisions based on relevant experiences and perceived passion for respective roles. Chairs and vice chairs of certain UC committees sometimes sit on the relevant student-faculty committees to engage with faculty, administrators, and other students. Current student-faculty committees and committees with student representatives include:
Education
Student Life and Student Advisement
Other
All of these committees meet during the school term only.
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
. The Council was established in 1982 by a vote of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
The Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the seven faculties that constitute Harvard University.Headquartered principally in Cambridge, Massachusetts and centered in the historic Harvard Yard, FAS is the only division of the university responsible for both undergraduate and...
and student referendum. The current President and Vice President of the Undergraduate Council are Senan Ebrahim and Bonnie Cao, respectively.
History
In 1980, the then-dean of Harvard CollegeHarvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
John B. Fox initiated a committee that was to be called the Committee to Review College Governance, chaired by John Dowling, who was a professor of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
at the College. This committee was tasked with the duty of determining the strengths and the weaknesses of the present system of governance at the College and of considering any needed reforms that might improve the quality of college life at Harvard.
This committee's deliberations eventually led to passage of legislation from the faculty, a bill which created the Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Council in 1982. The constitution of the Council was ratified by a student body referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in the same year. The first Council had roughly 80 members, and these members would elect a chair and a vice-chair to oversee the Council. The Undergraduate Council funded undergraduate organizations with the proceeds of a opt-out
Opt-out
The term opt-out refers to several methods by which individuals can avoid receiving unsolicited product or service information. This ability is usually associated with direct marketing campaigns such as telemarketing, e-mail marketing, or direct mail. A list of those who have opted-out is called a...
fee collected from the tuition bill of each registered student, planned social events and services, and sent representatives to student-faculty committees. The Council today still carries out these duties and largely gets its revenue from the same original source of student tuition.
In 1995, the Undergraduate Council passed a number of internal reforms, the most notable of which was the creation of the roles President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
, more closely modelling an actual government. In 2002, in a symbolic gesture to honor the advancement of gender relations on campus since the integration of Harvard and Radcliffe
Radcliffe
- Places :England* Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, England** Radcliffe Tower, the remains of a medieval manor house in the town* Radcliffe, Northumberland, England* Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, EnglandUnited States* Radcliffe, Iowa, USA...
Colleges, the Council voted to strike "Radcliffe" from its name to simply become the "Harvard Undergraduate Council". Today, the Council still has the roles of President and Vice President; in addition, there are Chairs and Vice Chairs of the expanded sub-committees, in which most of the work of the Council is done: the Education Committee, the Finance Committee, the Student Initiatives Committee, the Student Life Committee, the Student Relations Committee, the Rules Committee, the Freshman Class Committee, and the Social Programs Task Force.
Operations
Founded with the purpose of representing undergraduates at Harvard to the administration, faculty, and wider community, the Undergraduate Council is chiefly responsible for advocacy on behalf of students and funding student activities on campus. The Council operates with a budget that is primarily dispensed to student organizations, but also it funds social events and student initiatives. Most of the UC's funding comes from the composite of opt-outOpt-out
The term opt-out refers to several methods by which individuals can avoid receiving unsolicited product or service information. This ability is usually associated with direct marketing campaigns such as telemarketing, e-mail marketing, or direct mail. A list of those who have opted-out is called a...
fees collected from the tuition bill of each registered student.
Since administrators at the College typically see the Undergraduate Council as the representative of the student body, these administrators often consult with the Council for nearly all student issues. In recent years, student-faculty committees have flourished with the joint cooperation of the administration and the Undergraduate Council. The Undergraduate Council fields applications from the student body for places in these committees and makes its decisions based on relevant experiences and perceived passion for respective roles. Chairs and vice chairs of certain UC committees sometimes sit on the relevant student-faculty committees to engage with faculty, administrators, and other students. Current student-faculty committees and committees with student representatives include:
Education
- Committee on Undergraduate Education - a committee for discussing curricular change in the College, comprising 5 undergraduates, 5 faculty members, and chaired by the Dean of the College
- Committee on General Education - a committee charged with generating and maintaining the new General Education curriculum, overseeing policy, petitions, and academic credit issues
- Committee on Writing and Speaking - a committee dedicated to improving the quality of writing and speaking of undergraduates in the College
- Educational Policy Committee - an advisory committee mostly comprising deans and faculty that has oversight on all areas of the undergraduate curriculum and can pass advisory legislation to that effect
- Committee on the Library - a committee charged with advising the library system on potential changes or improvements
- Student Advisory Boards for Arts and Humanities, Social Science, and Science - three academic committees in which the Divisional Deans can keep in touch with the concerns of students in the relevant concentrations
Student Life and Student Advisement
- Committee on Student Life - a committee for discussing the recognition of new student groups and a number of other issues, including changes to Harvard's residential system and many other aspects of student life, with the committee comprising 5 undergraduates, 5 faculty members, and chaired by the Associate Dean of the College
- College University Health Services Committee - a committee responsible for coordinating and improving the activities of the many departments of Harvard University focused on student well-being, including the Center for Wellness & Health, the Bureau of Study Counsel, the Harvard College Women’s Center, the Office of Accessible Education, and more
- Campus Safety Committee - a committee for discussing safety issues on Harvard's campus, comprising undergraduates, residential life staff, deans, administrators, police, the Women's Center, and more
- Advisory Committee to the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response - a committee dealing with issues of sexual assault on Harvard's campus, overseeing the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR)
- Harvard University Dining Services Student Advisory Committee - a committee charged with advising HUDS on the state of residential dining services, suggesting improvements, evaluating student satisfaction, and serving as liaisons between HUDS and the student body
- Committee on Advising and Counseling - a committee overseeing the various advising and counseling offices, dealing with the Peer Advising system, the freshman advising system, the sophomore advising system, and the concentration advising system
Other
- Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility - a committee, with some alumni members, responsible for making recommendations on how the University should vote its shares on social responsibility resolutions, such as divestment from organizations which noticeably breach the ethical standards of Harvard
- Committee on Athletic Sports - a committee responsible for enhancing the presence and enjoyment of athletics at the College, comprising the Athletics Director, House Masters, faculty, and undergraduates
- Commission of Inquiry - a body created to deal with inquiries, suggestions, or complaints brought to it by faculty or students concerning matters of fact and policy within the purview of the faculty
All of these committees meet during the school term only.