Student Council Committee Report urges New Extra Curricular Center

The Student Council Extra-Curricular Affairs Committee last night recommended that the University "take immediate steps" toward the establishment of a Harvard-Radcliffe Student Affairs Center.

Contained in a report submitted to the Council and approved by unanimous vote, the recommendation specifically called for the initiation of "a study of specifications and available sites" by the Planning Office. It also noted that "the interval for action" on establishment of the Center should not be more than three or four years.

In view of recent mergers of under-graduate organizations, the report said the Center should be a "joint venture" between the University and Radcliffe, and should be "located as centrally as possible."

The Committee also recommended that the University ends its "highly ambiguous and discriminatory" policy toward extra-curricular activities.

It stated that prestige of organizations is presently based on their age, and asked that an evaluation consider more "value to participants and measure of accomplishments."

The report noted a hesitancy on the part of the Administration to aid new organizations, and recommended that "the University accept an obligation to provide adequate facilities for student activities.

At the same time, it said that "assistance does not amount to interference." and affirmed the rights for student activities to remain free of control even though they receive Administration subsidies.

As a short-term remedy to the "inadequacy of present facilities" the Committee suggested enlargement of the Dean's Discretionary Fund to an "effective level." It listed genral grants and bequests as possible sources of revenue for the increase.