This Wednesday, student group leaders eager to take part in the debate over an increase in the Student Activities Fee may attend their first Undergraduate Council of Students general body meeting. As the debate drags on, students may spend their first several hours in Petteruti Lounge wondering why questions are introduced with a "point of inquiry" and why discussions are structured with speaker lists.
These terms are part of UCS' parliamentary procedure, a longtime staple of the council intended to make meetings run more smoothly and give members equal time for discussion. Many find the procedure only serves to complicate, while others think it ensures fairness.
"The purpose of the procedure is to make sure UCS does things fairly and openly," said UCS Student Activities Chair Drew Madden '10, who serves as parliamentarian pro tempore. "Everyone knows the rules we're playing by."
UCS Communications Chair Gabe Kussin '09 said parliamentary procedure provides a framework necessary for running smooth meetings. "I've seen what happens when you suspend the rules, and it can get pretty crazy, so having a framework is important."
UCS President Michael Glassman '09 said he can see the benefits of parliamentary procedure, but a strict focus on rules can prove frustrating. "It's supposed to help things run smoothly and instead of having a crazy free-for-all debate, it gives it some structure and organization," he said. "Sometimes it gets really annoying and frustrating - when you're voting on whether to vote, and everyone's confused."
Some of the procedures do not seem necessary, Glassman said, and he usually does not worry about whether or not every aspect of procedure is followed. "When someone wants to ask a question, and they have to say 'point of order' or 'inquiry,' ... it gets a little ridiculous," he said. "I try not to stick to that too heavily. If you have a question and you don't say the right thing, I'll call on you if you have a question."
Procedure can be frustrating for members sometimes, Glassman said. He noted a time when UCS took a straw poll - a non-committal vote where members raise their hands to indicate their leaning on an issue. It was clear that most people had voted yes, but "someone really into parliamentary procedure wanted to go around and count it and have it go into the minutes. We said 'No, we're going to move on,' " Glassman said. "It becomes this point of contention, which I think is stupid."
UCS Appointments Chair Erik Duhaime '10 said while he understands the rules are important, they can take away from the overall effectiveness of UCS. "My biggest qualm with UCS is that (parliamentary procedure) plays too large a role," he said.
Duhaime said the procedure should not be followed so closely in situations where everyone agrees. "If there is a situation where it is very clear exactly what is going to happen and what everyone wants, I see no problem with getting to the point," he said.
Lisa Gomi '10, who served as UCS secretary last fall and a representative in the spring, said the process of debate can be time-consuming and inefficient. "There will be times where we'll be debating about something and it's pretty contentious, and you still have to go into a whole process, which bogs down the discussion," Gomi said.
"The current system has elements which are good, but I don't know if you need to structure every discussion," Gomi said.
Parliamentary procedure is not specific to Brown's UCS - other schools' student governments use a form of it as well, though their practices vary.
At the University of Pennsylvania, the Undergraduate Assembly follows a code of parliamentary procedure closely, but it also honors "an unspoken rule of chair's discretion" that allows the president to extend speaker time by one speaker, said Penn Undergraduate Assembly Chairman Jason Karsh.
The Yale College Council also uses parliamentary procedure but frequently discusses matters informally, unless it is passing a resolution. Its official guide to procedure lays out the rules it consistently uses and considers "non-negotiable," said Vice President and Parliamentarian Emily Schofield. The introduction to the council's official guide reads: "The official procedure is listed below these bullet points, but it's pretty dense. Just stick to these simple rules, and you'll be fine."
"We definitely adhere to the rules when it's necessary, but we also think that informal discussion is a lot more constructive," Schofield said. "I think it's more constructive when you're going to collaborate but do it (in) an orderly way, and that's really the point of our rules and the way we enforce them. I haven't heard any complaints."
