The inaugural meeting of the Brown University Community Council, which took place Thursday afternoon at Leung Gallery, brought together diverse constituents of the Brown community to discuss the council's overall mission and future agenda.
President Ruth Simmons opened the session, explaining that the BUCC would bring together disparate regions of the University. "We have very separate governing systems," she said. "Each has their own group, but there is no venue to discuss matters that are important to all of us." She said she hopes the council will function as "an open environment" for the "debate of ideas."
BUCC members were generally optimistic as they introduced themselves and stated their personal goals for the group.
Tovah Reis, a librarian at the Medical School, compared the current system to a "three-legged stool," where faculty, students and staff make up the three legs that hold up the Brown community but do not often intersect to work together. Reis hoped that the council would be a positive step towards facilitating communication.
Another member, Emma Simmons MD '91 MPH '04, said she hoped the creation of the council could encourage yet more inclusion. "As a community physician, I believe it is critical to do something that brings in the local community to the University," she said.
At this time, there is no member on the council to represent the greater Providence community. Simmons said that it would be difficult to designate only one person to represent such a broad group of people, but that the council was open to adding one such person to its list of members.
When the meeting then opened the floor to general questions from BUCC members, some asked for more specifics on the function of the council.
Emma Tai '07.5 said she was unsure what kind of situations would arise where the council would be needed.
And David Sheinberg, assistant professor of medical science, said he was unclear of the council's role in relation to existing University governing committees.
Simmons responded that whereas a committee is "charged with the responsibility of planning, recommending and enacting," a council's larger purpose is to debate and consider matters at length. She also said there have been past issues, like the decision to arm the Brown police, that have needed the attention of a group that represented all parts of the campus community.
"I don't want feel-good sessions," Simmons said. "I want us to think of our work as having output to make change."
BUCC members raised a variety of issues during the meeting. Matthew Lease GS mentioned the need for a University-wide policy on the rights and responsibilities of teaching assistants.
Kate Brandt '07 said she hopes to address the topic of student advising in the future.
Tai said she would like the BUCC to discuss the persistence of "hate speech," which "Brown does not address enough." She mentioned the Daily Jolt as a popular forum that has often been used for the propagation of hate speech.
There was also opportunity for community members to contribute to the discussion. Zachary Drew '07, vice president of the College Republicans, asked how the council will deal with Brown's "failure to foster the debate and discussion" of different political viewpoints. He cited the Undergraduate Council of Students' resolution condemning the Patriot Act as one of the ways the University amplifies the isolation felt by dissenting groups.
Simmons responded that though it is important to attract people of different perspectives to the council, it would be difficult to ask professors and incoming applicants for information on their political orientations.
Lease also suggested inviting outside speakers to take part in campus-wide debates instead of just giving lectures.
After the BUCC meeting, UCS President Joel Payne '05 shared his thoughts on the event. He said what he noticed the most was the "comfort level" felt among members. "It can be intimidating for faculty, staff, deans and students to feel comfortable in stating their opinions, whether they are controversial or not," he said.
The next meeting will be held on April 15 in Leung Gallery. It will be open to all.
Simmons said future agenda topics may include women in science and University mechanisms for conflict resolution.
