In response to both Amelia Meyer’s article (“Academic self-governance,” Oct. 1) as well as Seth Ragosta’s letter to the editor, (“Show a little respect, Oct. 2), I would like to swing the pendulum somewhere near the middle. I am an instructor for the student-initiated course Global Development in Practice as well as president of Third Year Council.
First of all, I’m not sure what contentious issue has recently come out of class council, except maybe not enough hot chocolate at Lighting of the Lawn. Meyer definitely underestimates the services provided to the University as well as the administration by organizations such as Honor, UJC, Student Council, UPC and class councils. The University doesn’t even pay a living wage to some of its employees, so I doubt they would be willing to hire 100 staffers at a minimum of $35,000 a year to do the jobs of the students in all of these organizations. Honestly, there might be just a little too much self-governance, and the administration could definitely be more supportive of the initiatives coming out of these large organizations. I am so incredibly proud of all the third years on class council who work all year long to make their peers’ time at the University better, so Meyer really has no right to take that pride away from them by saying self-governance lacks meaning around Grounds. Not to me, and not to them. Ironically, Meyer is writing for one of the largest student-run groups in Charlottesville, let alone the University.
As for Seth Rogosta’s response: Don’t get your panties in a bunch. We’re all doing our jobs. We’re all doing what we think matters most to the University. What matters to me is not only class council and listening to my classmates needs, but I want to listen to their ideas too. As one of multiple instructors for the student-initiated course Global Development in Practice, I know how much time and effort went in to planning this “hackneyed and untested chance for a few people to make up their own three-credit study hall.” Well, Rogosta, it’s two credits, and show a little respect yourself. All of the instructors and Professor Robert Swap combined their experiences and knowledge to create a discussion-based class that we could all learn from. In terms of this “academic self-governance,” I really hope I’m not governing anyone in the classroom! I specifically ask the people enrolled in the class questions to which I do not know the answer because I’m interested in learning the answers from them. 15 students found the class I helped create valuable enough to spend two hours each week talking about issues of global development and applying it to a case study of Nauru Island. If you, Rogosta, don’t know about Nauru, maybe you should consider taking the class; it is certainly not as invaluable as you made it sound.
Michelle Henry
CLAS III
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