Bollinger says extra regents unneeded

University President Lee Bollinger, in his monthly meeting with the faculty's governing body, did not lend support yesterday to a proposal to add a student and faculty member to the Board of Regents.

Bollinger said that "adding a faculty member to the regents will not perfect (the lines of communication)," and stated that he felt the same way about a student regent.

"I would like to keep it at the level of trying to perfect it at the levels we have," Bollinger said.

Louis D'Alecy, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee of University Affairs and professor of physiology, agreed with Bollinger that adding faculty members to the board is an unneccessary proccess.

D'Alecy said there are already many forms of communication open between faculty and administrators, including public and private meetings with the University provost and president and seven faculty committees that advise administrative offices, giving the faculty "a very high level of contact."

However, Olga Savic, vice president of the Michigan Student Assembly, said a student regent could strengthen the communication lines between students and administration.

"I think communication between students and administration is good for some students," said Savic, pointing to chairs and presidents of student groups that do get to speak to the administration on a somewhat regular basis.

The discussion of adding a faculty member and a student to the board was introduced at last week's SACUA meeting by SACUA member and natural resources Prof. Bunyan Bryant.

After D'Alecy asked Bollinger about adding student and faculty regents, Bryant stopped the president to outline his ideas on the additional regents.

Bryant, while admitting that relations between faculty and the administration were better than in previous years, said he "thinks it is time that the regents invite a faculty and a student to the board" for a one-to-three-year trial period and then evaluate the effects.

Bollinger said he is responsible for keeping the lines of communication open.

"I think it's (the president's and the provost's job) to stay alert to the range of the faculty's opinion and alert it to the regents," said Bollinger, adding that additional regents would be more symbolic than substantive.

D'Alecy said he has been impressed with the president's accessibility to the faculty.

"I think he has set a tone," D'Alecy said. "He is delivering. I think you have to respect that."

Savic also said that MSA is working with student governments at Michigan State University and Wayne State University in an effort to pass an amendment to the Michigan State Constitution in 1998 to get a student seat on the Board of Regents.

SACUA approved a motion to hold a conference with members of the University of California's Board of Regents at their Oct. 13 meeting to get an idea of how having faculty and students on the board has worked.

D'Alecy said that it was not fair to compare what goes on at the University to policies at the University of California.

"They have different problems," D'Alecy said.

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