To the Editor:
Daniel Moraff’s ’14 accusation that the Undergraduate Council of Students appointed “people in the social circles of student government kids” is a gross mischaracterization (“The bogus strategic planning process,” April 24). The provost approached UCS and asked us to suggest students to appoint within five days. So we appointed members of the community that had been previously vetted in the democratic appointments process Moraff mentioned earlier in his piece. We considered people who had previously applied and served on University committees.
We did not simply pick our friends. We picked people who had knowledge relevant to the different strategic planning committees and had experience mobilizing student opinion (half with no student government experience). For example, we appointed Brown for Financial Aid President Alex Mechanick ’15, who helped lead a successful petition-gathering campaign, to the Committee for Financial Aid. It was his effort that assured student opinion, which favors fully need-blind and reducing parental contributions, ended up in the final report.
Our appointees have represented their peers admirably, and that should not be belittled. If Moraff is concerned about the process, he should gather other students, including the strategic planning committee representatives. Challenging undesirable aspects and engaging with stakeholders is more effective than dismissing the process all together. What all need to remember is that actions speak louder than words, and united actions are more powerful than individual tirades.
Anthony White ’13
UCS President
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