A recent editorial ("An expanded role," Oct. 14) expressed concerns about the Arts & Sciences Council's responsiveness to student concerns. The leadership of this year's council acknowledges the organization's historical flaws but would also like to point out ways ASC is working to become more effective in fulfilling its mission.
The structure of the Arts & Sciences Council is extremely conducive to the type of specialized concerns The Cavalier Daily correctly identified as where ASC would be most effective. Most academic departments in the College have a representative on ASC who serve as both an outlet for communication and a resource for students in the department. We are currently accepting applications for students who wish to represent the Philosophy, Physics, Chemistry, English, and Biology Departments.
ASC is proud to announce the launch of our new website, www.ascuva.com, by early November, which is designed to maximize opportunities for student feedback. We apologize that the transition has resulted in a temporary unavailability of the site, but in the meantime, all resources for students can be found on our @UVa web page.
We also invite all CLAS students to our always-public general body meetings Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 in Newcomb. We especially encourage attendance at our Nov. 18 general body meeting, which will be structured as a forum for community concerns.
This year our focus is concerned with working with other student government organizations to make our programming more effective than it has been in the past. We partner with Student Council to sponsor the College Readership Program, Student Initiated Courses, and the new Majors Advising Program (MAP); and Third Year Council and ASC have launched the Major Meals dinner series. For us it's not about getting the credit - it's about effective programming.
We continue to welcome applications for CIO co-sponsorships, which we consider every three weeks. Fewer students know about our Faculty-Student Interaction Grant, which provides funding for professors to plan events to get to know their students - tell your professors!
ASC welcomes student input and criticism. Our job, after all, is to represent you: the students of the College.
Abby Adams\nPresident, Arts & Sciences Council
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