Student body president Jeremy Lao and members of his staff will present a report to the Board of Trustees today, appearing before the Board for the second time this academic year after receiving a critical reception from Board members last fall.
Student government officers, led by then-president Pat Hallahan, last met with the Board in October. When they presented their report and discussed changes to the CLC, Board members responded fairly critically. They instructed student government to reorganize itself as a body and improve its credibility before asking Board members for assistance on various endeavors.
"What they were saying - what I gather from it - was, from what we were asking in regard to the CLC changes, they thought were very petty," Lao said of the officers
The Board members told Hallahan, Lao and the other representatives that they should be more responsible to students, dealing more effectively with issues such as alcohol problems on campus.
"I really think that they gave us some good feedback," Lao said. He said that Board members indicated that, if student government showed progress on various issues and increased responsibility, "they'd be more willing to work with student leaders."
"They were really honest with us in the fall, and I think that we've taken steps to address their concerns," Loa said.
Lao, student body vice president Emily Chin and Chief of Staff Patrick Corker will today update the Board on their efforts to address those same concerns, focusing on developments such as their campaign urging students to live to their full potential and their role in engaging student participation in the Church in Africa conference.
"We'll mention the structural changes that we've made," Lao said, adding that today's presentation will stand as a preview to the more complete spring report and to a proposal for a student programming endowment.
Lao also said that he and his team will seek the Board's perspective on how best to ask for additional funds.
"They were really honest with us in the fall, and I think that we've taken steps to address their concerns," Loa said.
The Board of approximately 60 members meets three times each year to discuss University issues and proposals. At their meeting in October, Board members unanimously re-elected chairman Patrick McCartan, who will serve in the position until 2007. The Board also approved three major campus construction projects - the Jordan Hall of Science, the Don F. and Flora Guglielmino Family Athletics Center, and a new facility for the Notre Dame Security/Police Department and campus post office.
