UC, FAS Create Three Student Advisory Boards

Faculty of Arts and Sciences have created new student advisory boards for each of the three FAS divisions, UC President Matthew L. Sundquist ’09 announced Monday.

The three advisory boards—for the arts and humanities, the sciences, and the social sciences—will meet with their corresponding divisional deans for lunch two to three times per semester starting this fall. They will discuss issues like advising, curriculum, senior theses, and tutorials.

Stephen Kosslyn, a psychology professor and the dean of social science, said he approached the Undergraduate Council about creating advisory boards this summer because he wanted more student input.

“There’s no substitute for talking to students who are actually taking the classes, actually living in our community and working with faculty,” said Kosslyn. “I need to know what’s going on. I want to have as much input as I can.”

Kosslyn said he will seek students’ ideas “about ways in which things can be improved, from course offerings to research opportunities to ways of interacting with faculty.”

UC officials were similarly enthusiastic yesterday.

“This will provide a very direct and honest way of discussing a lot of the issues that come up in concentrations,” said UC Vice President Randall S. Sarafa ’09.

The boards will include between 8 and 12 students, including the UC president and vice president, who will sit on each of the three committees.

Between Oct. 3 and 10, students can apply through the UC’s Web site to represent their department on the committees, Sarafa said.

Some departments, like psychology, already have student advisory boards. But Kosslyn said the three new committees will offer distinct opportunities.

“Departmental committees definitely are useful and have their place, but this will provide a context in which students might feel a little freer,” Kosslyn said.

Last year, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith expanded the powers of the divisional deans to include making more budgetary decisions.

“These committees are particularly exciting because of the extended role of divisional deans within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences,” Sundquist said.

—Staff writer Alex M. McLeese can be reached at amcleese@fas.harvard.edu.