The Undergraduate Council of Students is undergoing a demographic reformation. UCS has close to doubled its membership to 48 members this year - 20 more than last year. Only about 9 members are returning, while 25 are first-years.
The student government's new open membership policy, which allows anyone who collects 150 signatures and attends the first two consecutive meetings of the semester to be a voting member, is presenting the body with new challenges and opportunities.
"With the increased number of members, we have more hands available to carry out projects," UCS Vice President Michael MacCombie '11 said.
UCS President Brian Becker '09 added that the increased manpower on UCS will increase the council's "visibility on campus" and enhance its ability to "enact new programs and advocate on behalf of students."
But Alumni Liaison Sammy McGowan '11 said it is too early to tell whether or not this year's UCS will be more productive than last year's. "Increased participation doesn't mean increased efficiency," he said.
McGowan also expressed concern, saying that in a large body, some members might not contribute as much as others. He added that this is a "pivotal time" for UCS and that he is very optimistic about its future.
"Certainly nobody is sliding by because the standards for membership are still very high," Communications Chair Clay Wertheimer '10 said. Members of UCS who miss more than three general body or committee meetings lose their membership.
"We're more effective this year because we require that members show up," said Academic and Administrative Affairs Chair Tyler Rosenbaum '11, also a Herald opinions columnist.
David Desprez '10, a member of the general body of UCS, said the attendance policy has helped UCS "weed out people we don't want to have."
Former UCS President Michael Glassman '09 said UCS has the potential to be very productive this year because there is more "manpower." But he also said that increased productivity depends on many things.
"It depends on what they're interested in. It depends on what (Becker's) goals are and how well (he) and the rest of the council help everyone do their projects," he said.
Since holding internal elections on Sept. 17, the body has passed three resolutions: setting its annual agenda; supporting the Real Food Resolution to increase local, organic and sustainable food in the dining facilities; and requesting an increase of the student activities fees.
Current general body member Alex Wilpon '10 said Becker did a great job on the UCS retreat in September in which all of the new members were introduced to parliamentary procedure. She added that Becker "runs meetings very efficiently" and that she thinks "he's been an effective president so far."
Desprez also said the Wednesday general body meetings have become more efficient. "There's a big focus this year on the committees instead of discussing everything in the general body meetings," he said. "It's more efficient because you have smaller teams working on different things."
In the past, Becker said, UCS had focused on its Wednesday meetings and did not necessarily use its committees "to their full advantage." He added that he is trying to turn Wednesday night meetings into an "open forum" by having community time at the start of every meeting and by inviting University administrators to them.
In addition to long meetings, a recurring concern with UCS over the years is a high rate of turnover. "I think every year there's a seemingly uncomfortable level of turnover," Becker said. "In my experience, in no way have I seen that hamper the board."
Glassman said he chose not to be on UCS this year due to other extracurricular activities. "People work really hard on UCS, and it's a very thankless job, in my opinion. You get really drained."
One of the biggest challenges that UCS faces, Glassman said, is that there is not enough institutional memory in the body from year to year. "People waste time working on the same things," he added.
Wertheimer said the council would benefit from having experienced members stay on for longer terms. This year's well-run meetings might also convince more students to return to the council next year, he added.
But high turnover can have its advantages, according to some students on UCS. Treasurer Harris Li '11 said new members come to the group "without any of the hang-ups from previous administrations."
Having two seniors and 25 freshmen on UCS brings necessary new perspectives, McGowan said. "Freshmen are very central on campus, so I think there should be a disproportional amount of freshmen," he added.
Glassman said the skewed membership of UCS is not unique to this year. "It has always been lopsided in my four years of being involved."
UCS Corporation Liason Erinn Phelan '09 - who is one of two seniors on UCS this year, along with Becker - said she doesn't think the class makeup of the council is a "weakness of the body" as a whole.
Since members are no longer elected, Glassman said he questions whether UCS is representative of the student body at all. "If any student can be a member and can vote, then is UCS representative? You're voting as you, not as a representative."
UCS Secretary Sarah Rutherford '12 said freshmen, though new to College Hill, join UCS with the idea that "they are themselves a representative of the student body - so they don't have to differentiate between what the student body wants and what they want."
Allowing anyone to join UCS without elections, Becker said, has yielded a different type of representation. "If anyone has an issue, if they want to be able to advocate for something through the student government, all they would have to do is join. If anything, I think we're more representative of the student body."
