Students are encouraged to embrace the concept of self-governance from the moment they arrive on Grounds. It is an ideal that is purportedly at the heart of the University's mission. Although the institution's administration is composed of adults, it is the students - particularly undergraduates - who are supposed to be the underlying force for change. In essence, students, not administrators, are meant to guide the University's path.
For all the lip service given to this principle, the current condition of student self-governance is not especially robust. University administrators should do whatever is possible to foster the ideal, but the ultimate burden to sustain this tradition falls upon students. And though tradition is a word that makes some of the University's more progressive students cringe, the true nature of student governance requires leaders that are in fact forward-thinking, perceptive and independent.
History demonstrates the potential for student leadership to accomplish impressive feats. In the early 1970s, for example, the University's growing student population was causing a shortage of study space on Grounds. One morning in 1973, an adept Student Council president named Larry Sabato arranged a tour of Alderman Library for several members of Virginia's General Assembly to witness the overcrowding firsthand. What the legislators did not know, however, was that Sabato also had convinced a large number of students to crowd the library that same day. The tour persuaded legislators of the need for a new library on Grounds, and construction began on Clemons Library several years later.
Naturally, applying this principle of bold student governance to contemporary efforts on Grounds proves more challenging. For instance, Council this year had to commence the difficult groundwork of building a more stable relationship with the student body. Speak Up UVA, an online forum devised by Council's Chief Technology Officer William Reynolds, is a promising tool for this task, creating a closer-knit community between students and their leaders. The significance of such an accomplishment should not be overlooked; if Council maintains its responsiveness to student concerns via that forum, it can galvanize its own ranks and the student body in general to take on a greater role in shaping the University's future.
Of course, the burden of student self-governance does not fall solely upon Council's shoulders. Many organizations, including the Honor Committee, the University Judiciary Committee and Greek organizations are expected to develop insightful student leaders. Students involved in such groups form something of a prominent culture on Grounds because of their visible roles in the University community. There is, however, a difference between those who take the charge of student leadership seriously, who seek to rise above the rest in their energy and power to make the University a thriving institution, and those who simply desire the social distinction that comes with reputable offices and organizations. Only one of these two types of people fits the mold of a leader.
This empowerment of student self-governance does not mean a rift should form between student leaders and administrators. The two should see themselves as partners working toward the University's long-term goals and ambitions. That relationship has become too one-sided, however, and student leaders must protect their autonomy if they wish to contribute meaningfully to this institution's future.
Tasks like passing commemorative resolutions and adjusting by-laws are not without merit, but they do not invoke the full force of self-governance. Students will generally admire one of their peers for leading a prominent organization on Grounds, but those accolades are fleeting. In time, only truly exceptional effort and nerve will be remembered.
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