Reporter Volume 26, No.5 October 6, 1994

By STEVE COX
Reporter Staff
An effort by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, at their Sept. 28
meeting, to revive a dormant committee on student life sparked a
lively debate over whether student life, beyond academics, should
concern faculty at all.
	Despite an hour-long discussion with student and
administrative leaders in student life, including Vice President for
Student Affairs Robert Palmer, Dean of Students Dennis Black and Brion
Scudder, student representative to the FSEC, the FSEC was unable to
agree on a resolution giving formal operating instructions to the new
committee.
	The division centers on the scope of issues a Faculty Senate
Student Life Committee should consider. Several faculty members,
including Mathematics Professor Samuel Schack, felt that the
resolution was too broadly drawn and that the committee's focus should
be limited to a student's academic life.
	"(We) should focus in on what can increase bonds with students
academically, such as departmental clubs and speakers," argued Schack.
"We have no business worrying about bus shelters, athletic facilities
or entertaining students on the weekends."
	Others, including Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Professor Joseph Mook, believe the new committee should not be so
tightly constrained. Mook, who was tapped by FSEC Chair Peter
Nickerson to chair the "resurrected" Committee on Student Life, feels
that "at least some aspects of non-academic student life can have a
great influence on academic performance."
	Mook, who said he was "a little disappointed" in the
discussion that led to tabling his committee's proposed instructions,
added "My experience has been that the better job I did of teaching
undergraduate classes, the better the crop of graduate students we had
a couple years down the road."
	Scudder called the issues presented a "brainstormed list" and
conceded that perhaps some of them would be better dealt with by other
committees. However, he explained, committees under the Division of
Student Affairs are merely advisory. Scudder urged continued FSEC
involvement with items such as clinical programs, internships and
student leadership. He also offered to coordinate student
representation on committees and suggested making better use of
student publications to improve communications between students and
faculty. 
	Palmer said he was "delighted" that the faculty governing body
was again expressing an interest in student life, and offered any
assistance they would be interested in. 
	Black described the undergraduate student body as composed of
three distinct and almost equal parts: students living on campus,
off-campus students who live in the University Heights neighborhood,
and students who commute from homes in Western New York. Each of these
groups has significantly different needs, he explained.
	The five proposed committee instructions presented to the FSEC
were:
	1) Explore issues related to student retention and recommend
appropriate policy to increase retention of students. 2) Review and
recommend changes, if any, in University Rules and Regulations
promulgated by the University Council. 3) Review current programs for
regularizing contact outside of classes for students with faculty and
administration. 4) Examine and evaluate effectiveness of current
programs for student development. 5) Explore issues of current
interest to students (including): smoking policy enforcement, bus
shelter for Lee Loop, recreational facilities on South Campus,
differential tuition proposal by SUNY Central, student internships,
commuter concerns and organized weekend entertainment for students.
	The tabled proposal will return to the "virtual Senate," a
computerized E-mail network through which FSEC members communicate
between meetings, where it will be redrafted for further consideration
when FSEC meets again, Oct. 12.