While a committee of Student Union officials prepares to review a proposal for a student parliament, members said the biggest concern may be finding a way to coordinate with the student groups at Boston University and meeting their needs.
“The extent to which the implementation of this proposal would benefit the student body is too objective a question to answer at this point,” said Union Vice President of Internal Affairs Sophie Miller, a sophomore in the College of Communication.
Miller said the proposal, which was presented by a group of students at the Dec. 5 general assembly, went to an ad hoc committee in part because of the difficulty such a governing body would face in congregating.
Union senators and members of the parliament’s working group set plans to hold forums with students to draft an amendment that meets the needs of Union, student groups and the working group, said committee member D.A. Whatley, a freshman in the School of Management.
Whatley, who is vice president of the Warren Towers Residence Hall Association, said he supports the idea of a parliament, but that coordinating a meeting time for more than 400 representatives is the greatest concern.
“I want a viable, long-term solution if this student parliament is created,” Whatley said.
The working group proposed monthly meetings to be attended by a representative from each of BU’s 480 student groups; the representatives would then break into sub-groups. The structure of the parliament, however, would depend on the preferences of the members.
Union Senator Vivian Chao, who represents students at 575 Commonwealth Avenue, said she and a number of her constituents reviewed the proposal and think there is little need for a parliament.
“With over a hundred members, it will be extremely difficult to find a time and place where all of the student parliament can meet,” the SMG sophomore said. “In addition, with this many voices at one time, it would be harder to hear everyone’s opinion.”
However, Chao added the parliament could also create a more tight-knit community within BU.
Luke Rebecchi, who led the proposal efforts in December, said he is determined to push for a parliament regardless of whether or not it receives Union approval.
“Nobody here wants to go to war with Student Union,” the College of Arts and Sciences sophomore said. “The ball is in their court to collaborate with us.”
Members of the working group said the parliament would work to foster collaboration among student groups, engage representatives in issues relevant to BU students and work with administrators, among other responsibilities.
“The students of BU need a strong governing body who can advocate for us and understand our concerns,” said CAS junior Demarius Walker, president of Democracy Matters. “While many members of [Union] are well-intentioned, the current structure does not allow them to be an effective advocate and the administration knows it.”
Walker, one of 30 students involved in the proposal, said he sees the parliament dealing with issues such as socially responsible investing, student tuition hikes, funding for student groups and professor quality control.
Aditya Rudra, president of the SMG Student Government’s sophomore class, has also worked on the proposal and said he believes students would gain access to information such as how tuition money is spent and the balance between tuition hikes and fairness in financial aid.
“[The parliament] could possibly . . . have the power to speak against the administration should the need arise,” he said.
With a parliament in place, Rudra said students could provide input in proposed curricula, medical amnesty policy revisions and Student Activities Office reforms.
Rebecchi said many of Union’s initiatives, including the 24/7 study space, have not been implemented due to its failure to attract support from students. By creating the parliament, he said the Union would empower students to help pass such measures.
“If we can organize a forum of hundreds of student leaders, like our proposed student parliament, we believe we will enter any negotiations in the future from a position of strength,” he said.
Whatley said the Union has proven itself a useful resource, noting collaborative efforts with the BU Vegetarian Society for cage-free eggs and the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism for gender-neutral housing. He also said, however, that the parliament could help grow its impact on student issues.
“As a Senator, I would like to see this resource become greater,” he said. “Bringing in a student parliament consisting of students representing organizations could possibly do the trick.”
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