Harvard Undergraduate Council

Last updated
The logo of the Undergraduate Council. UC Shield.png
The logo of the Undergraduate Council.

The Harvard Undergraduate Council, Inc., colloquially known as "The UC," was the student government of Harvard College between 1982 and 2022, until it was abolished by a student referendum. [1]

Contents

In 2019, students called the UC "out of touch from reality" and launched a popular movement to "dissolve the UC." [2] [3] The Harvard Independent declared that the UC was "known to spend a huge budget to accomplish nothing (except a line on a resumé)." [4] The Harvard Crimson's editorial board characterized the UC as "a dysfunctional, detached government...unpopular enough to spark massive support for its abolition. [5]

The UC was criticized for grant funding delays, internal procedural debates, funding disparities between student organizations, political infighting, and bureaucratic inefficiencies. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] In the late 2010s, voter turnout in UC elections was as low as 2 percent, and a Winter 2021 Harvard Political Review poll found that only 9 percent of Harvard undergraduates approved of the UC. [2] [13] [14] [15]

On March 31, 2022, Harvard undergraduates voted to dissolve the UC by a 76 percent to 24 percent margin. [16]

History

Early years

In the year 1980, the Dean of Harvard College John B. Fox initiated a committee that was to be called the Committee to Review College Governance, chaired by John Dowling, who was a professor of biology at the College. This committee was tasked with the duty of determining the strengths and the weaknesses of the present system of governance at the College and considering any needed reforms that might improve the quality of college life at Harvard. [17]

This committee's deliberations eventually led to the passage of legislation from the faculty, a bill which was created the Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Council in 1982. The constitution of the Council was ratified by a student body referendum in the same year. The first Council had roughly 80 members, and these members would elect a chair and a vice-chair to oversee the Council. The Undergraduate Council funded undergraduate organizations with the proceeds of an opt-out fee collected from the tuition bill of each registered student, planned social events and services, and sent representatives to student-faculty committees.

In 1993, Carey Gabay, who said he wanted to pursue a "dynamic and grassroots path toward council leadership," was elected as the Undergraduate Council's first Black president. [18] In 1999, Fentrice Driskell was elected as the Undergraduate Council's first Black female president. [19] In 2001, Sujean Lee was elected as the Undergraduate Council's first Asian-American president. Lee's victory as Harvard student body president sparked international media attention, as 20 of South Korea's top broadcasting companies and newspapers covered her win. [20] In 2002, in a symbolic gesture to honor the advancement of gender relations on campus since the integration of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, the Council voted to strike "Radcliffe" from its name to simply become the "Harvard Undergraduate Council". [21] Throughout the 2000s, the UC's elections drew relatively high voter turnout (in excess of 50 percent), and the UC was given credit for practical campus life improvements, such as moving final exams to occur before winter break and 24-hour library access. [22] [23] [24] [25]

Emerging disillusionment and attempts at reform (late 2010s)

By the late 2010s, Harvard students expressed widespread dissatisfaction with the UC and voter turnout in UC elections frequently dipped below 10 percent. [13] [14] In October 2019, Harvard students launched a movement to "Dissolve the UC." [3] In November 2019, a presidential ticket that promised to "Abolish the UC" won the most first-choice votes, but lost by 0.8 percent in the final Borda count tally of weighted votes. [26] [27] [28] [29]

In March 2020, after the coronavirus pandemic forced Harvard undergraduates to leave campus, the UC advocated for Harvard to adopt a "Double A" model ensuring a grade of A or A− for all students (with no failing grade) and then pivoted to calling for a "Universal pass system that preferably treats a Pass as a '4.0' for GPA purposes," sparking widespread ridicule. [30] [31] Ultimately, Harvard's administration ignored the UC's recommendations and adopted a universal pass/fail system. [32]

During the late 2010s, one notable controversy occurred when the Undergraduate Council used funding from a student grant for diversity, harassment prevention, and mental health initiatives to purchase council Patagonia sweaters. "UC Patagonias" became an infamous token of the Undergraduate Council's excesses leading up to the council's abolition. UC Patagonias.png
During the late 2010s, one notable controversy occurred when the Undergraduate Council used funding from a student grant for diversity, harassment prevention, and mental health initiatives to purchase council Patagonia sweaters. "UC Patagonias" became an infamous token of the Undergraduate Council's excesses leading up to the council's abolition.

Harvard students frequently satirized the UC on social media as an "impotent body made up of slick wannabe politicians" and joked about the UC's lack of legitimacy. [36] [37] [38] The Harvard Crimson's editorial board criticized the UC for "debating parliamentary issues" instead of improving student life. [39] Some Harvard students even launched a presidential run claiming that the UC had committed tax fraud. [40] [9]

In 2019, the Undergraduate Council passed a package of reforms that modified the structure of standing committees and created a new communications team. [41] In April 2020, the Undergraduate Council launched a plan to interact and engage more with the student body after taking a survey of the student body. [42]

Abolition of the Undergraduate Council (2021-22)

Nevertheless, the Undergraduate Council continued to suffer from widespread distrust and disillusionment. [43] [44] In fall 2020, Harvard students launched a campaign encouraging students to waive the $200 fee that funded the UC's activities. [12] On November 13, 2021, Harvard undergraduates elected a presidential ticket that promised to "Defund the UC." [45] A Winter 2022 Harvard Political Review poll found that the Undergraduate Council had a 9 percent approval rating. [46]

On March 31, 2022, the student body voted to dissolve the UC and replace it with a new student government by a margin of 76 percent to 24 percent. [1] 57 percent of undergraduates turned out to vote despite the attempts of some UC proponents to boycott the election. [47] Supporters of abolishing the Undergraduate Council coalesced around the slogan "Vote Yes for Change," while opponents launched the Know Your Vote movement and claimed that dissolving the UC would decrease student representation and undermine Harvard's diversity. [48] [49] After the vote, controversy emerged over uncertainties regarding club funding and conflicting communications from council members. [50] A transition meeting was held on April 4 of council members and club leaders to establish interim funding procedures and program continuations. [51] Every Harvard undergraduate received $10 from a sum of $125,325.44 that had been withheld from the UC while it was being audited by Risk Management and Audit Services. [52] [53] [49]

The replacement organization, the Harvard Undergraduate Association, intended to address many of the alleged problems of the prior organization, such as a widespread lack of confidence in the Undergraduate Council, allegations of Undergraduate Council financial mismanagement, and the Undergraduate Council's existing representation plan. [54] This new body included fewer elected representatives and solicited undergraduate volunteers to join one of the organization's issue-focused teams. [55] [56] [57]

The fall of the Undergraduate Council sparked widespread campus discussions, ranging from the serious to the satirical. [58] [59] Campus administrators, such as Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana, frequently commented on the fall of the UC. [60] [61] The Harvard Crimson 's magazine satirically compared the abolition of the UC to the fall of the Soviet Union. [62]

The Undergraduate Council was indirectly satirized in an original play, written by Chinyere Obasi, called Under Control/Utter Chaos which ran at the end of November and beginning of December 2023. [63] [64]

Operations

Founded with the purpose of representing undergraduates at Harvard to the administration, faculty, and wider community, the Undergraduate Council was responsible for advocacy on behalf of students and funding student activities on campus. The Council operated with a budget that was, ostensibly, primarily dispensed to student organizations; in years of proper financial dispensation, it would also fund social events and student initiatives. The vast majority of the UC's funding came from the composite of $200 opt-out fees collected from the tuition bill of each student. [65]

The council was responsible for the administration of student services, campus-wide events, and student advocacy at Harvard. There were 54 undergraduate students at any given time serving on the Council: a president, vice president, 3 from each of the 12 residential houses and 5 freshman districts, and one from the Dudley Community. [66]

Administrators at the College often consulted with the council to discuss student issues, and former UC leaders advocated for increased student input on higher-level administrative decisions. [67] The Undergraduate Council would field applications from the student body for places in student-faculty committees that brought administrators and students together to discuss campus issues. [68]

The UC also formerly interfaced with its graduate counterpart, the Harvard Graduate Council.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard College</span> Undergraduate college of Harvard University in Massachusetts

Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard College is Harvard University's traditional undergraduate program, offering AB and SB degrees. It is highly selective, with fewer than four percent of applicants being offered admission as of 2022.

<i>The Harvard Crimson</i> Harvard College undergraduate daily newspaper

The Harvard Crimson is the student newspaper of Harvard University and was founded in 1873. Run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates, it served for many years as the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Harvard College has several types of social clubs. These are split between gender-inclusive clubs recognized by the college, and unrecognized single-gender clubs which were subject to College sanctions in the past. The Hasty Pudding Club holds claim as the oldest collegiate social club in America, tracing its roots back to 1770. The next oldest institutions, dating to 1791, are the traditionally all-male final clubs. Fraternities were prominent in the late 19th century as well, until their initial expulsions and then eventual resurrection off Harvard's campus in the 1990s. From 1991 onwards, all-female final clubs as well as sororities began to appear. Between 1984 and 2018, no social organizations were recognized by the school due to the clubs' refusal to become gender-inclusive.

Jayne Loader is an American director and writer best known for the 1982 Cold War documentary The Atomic Cafe.

The Institute of Politics (IOP) is an institute of Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University that was created to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and to inspire Harvard undergraduates to consider careers in politics and public service. The IOP works to bring the academic world into contact with the world of politics and public affairs in a non-partisan way to promote public service.

The University of California, Irvine has a number of student activities and traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association of American Universities</span> Organization of leading research universities

The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an organization of American research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. Founded in 1900, it consists of 69 universities in the United States and two universities in Canada. AAU membership is by invitation only and requires an affirmative vote of three-quarters of current members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard Student Agencies</span>

Harvard Student Agencies, Inc. (HSA) is the largest student-run company in the world, employing more than 600 Harvard undergraduates each year, and paying more than $1.7M in student wages annually. Founded in 1957, HSA is a multimillion-dollar corporation that provides Harvard University students with meaningful opportunities for employment and hands-on business education. Its mission is "to educate, empower, and inspire Harvard College students with meaningful employment opportunities and hands-on business experience." Student managers lead all aspects of the operations and strategy behind HSA's 12 businesses, which range from tutoring to retail, to coding, to tours, including HSA Cleaners & Dorm Essentials, and The Harvard Shop.

Paul J. D'Anieri is Professor of Public Policy and Political Science and former Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost of University of California, Riverside. Prior to his position at UCR, Dr. D'Anieri served as the dean of the University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), from July 2008-June 2014 and the associate dean for humanities from 2004 to 2008 and associate dean for international programs from 1999 to 2003 at the University of Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard University</span> Private university in Massachusetts

Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its influence, wealth, and rankings have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Student governments in the United States</span> American organizations representing high school or college students

Student governments in the United States exist in both secondary and higher education. At the collegiate level, the most common name is Student Government, according to the American Student Government Association's database of all student governments throughout the United States. The next most common name is the student government association. Other names are student senate, associated students, or less commonly students' union. There was one instance of a government of the student body, at Iowa State University. At Yale University, the undergraduate student government is known as the Yale College Council. High school student governments usually are known as Student Council.

Eric Matthew Nelson is an American historian and Professor of Government at Harvard University.

edX Online education provider

edX is an American for-profit online education platform owned by 2U since 2021. The platform's main focus is to manage a variety of offerings, including elite brand bootcamps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard Graduate Council</span> Council of students from the twelve Harvard University graduate schools

The Harvard Graduate Council(HGC) (formerly known as the "HGSG" [defunct]), and originally founded as the HGC is the centralized student government organization for the twelve graduate schools of Harvard University. Representing the interests of more than 15,000 Harvard graduate students, HGC is responsible for advocating student concerns to the University administrators, including the President of Harvard University, as well as the Provost and the Deans. HGC is also tasked with organizing large university-wide initiatives and events, managing and providing funding for university-wide student groups (USGs), as well as representing the Harvard graduate student population during conferences with other Ivy League universities and external organizations. In addition, HGC collaborates with its undergraduate counterpart, the Harvard Undergraduate Council (UC). The HGC Seal is formed by 13 different Harvard seals. At the center is the main Harvard University seal, which itself is surrounded by the 12 smaller seals of individual graduate schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fossil fuel divestment</span> Removal of investment in companies involved in extracting fossil fuels to reduce climate change

Fossil fuel divestment or fossil fuel divestment and investment in climate solutions is an attempt to reduce climate change by exerting social, political, and economic pressure for the institutional divestment of assets including stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments connected to companies involved in extracting fossil fuels.

The Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU), officially known as Harvard Graduate Students Union United Auto Workers (HGSU-UAW), is a labor union representing graduate students, teaching assistants, and other student employees at Harvard University. The bargaining unit comprises about 5,000 student employees, including graduate students working as research assistants and teaching fellows as well as several hundred undergraduate students holding teaching positions. Contract negotiations with the university are scheduled to begin in Fall 2018. HGSU is affiliated with the United Auto Workers labor union, whose 400,000 members include 45,000 graduate students and 30,000 academic workers.

During the Vietnam War, Harvard University was the site of a number of protests against both the war generally and Harvard's connections to the war specifically.

Adam Kovacevich is an American lobbyist and the CEO and founder of Chamber of Progress. He formerly worked as a Google executive and Democratic aide.

References

  1. 1 2 "Harvard Students Vote Overwhelmingly to Dissolve Undergraduate Council in Favor of New Student Government | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  2. 1 2 "Abstaining from the UC | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  3. 1 2 Kielstra, Michael (2019-11-07). "A Dissolute Council". Harvard Independent. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  4. "The Commencement Issue" (PDF). The Harvard Independent. May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  5. "One UC, Two Bad Choices | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  6. "UC Faces Student Criticism over Email Error and Funding Delays | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  7. "Undergraduate Council: Year in Review | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  8. Golemme, Ryan (2021-12-02). "BREAKING: The UC Votes to Limit Constitutional Changes Ahead of the Presidential Inauguration". Harvard Independent. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  9. 1 2 "UC Leadership Refutes Accusations of Tax Fraud | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  10. "Our (Student) Politics Are Broken: Assessing the UC Election | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  11. "What does 'Defund the UC' Actually Mean? | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  12. 1 2 "Undergraduate Council Budget Will Halve After Undergraduates Waived Activities Fee in Droves | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  13. 1 2 DiCara, Flora (2017-10-26). "You, Too, Could Have Won The Dunster UC Election". Harvard College Open Data Project. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  14. 1 2 He, Jeffrey Ding (2017-04-10). "Literally Nobody Voted in the Quincy Midterm Elections". Harvard College Open Data Project. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  15. "Winter 2022 Campus Poll". Harvard Political Review. 2022-03-26. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  16. "Harvard Students Vote Overwhelmingly to Dissolve Undergraduate Council in Favor of New Student Government | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  17. "We've moved".
  18. "Council Elects Gabay President | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  19. "Driskell Wins Landslide; Fee Hike Fails | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  20. "Sujean Lee Becomes Superstar in South Korea | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  21. "Council Removes 'Radcliffe' from Title | News | the Harvard Crimson".
  22. "Bok Announces Calendar Change | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  23. "Lamont To Stay Open 24 Hours | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  24. "BREAKING NEWS: Bowman and Hysen Narrowly Edge Hayward and Zhang in Unofficial Tally | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  25. "Spirited Petersen Soaks in UC Victory | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  26. "Running for Undergraduate Council Leadership, Dhar and Liang Call for Abolition | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  27. "Mathew and White-Thorpe Win UC Presidential Election | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  28. Aditya and Andrew: Abolish the UC , retrieved 2022-05-23
  29. "Home | Aditya & Andrew". Abolish the UC. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  30. "After Going Viral, Undergraduate Council Leaders Struggle to Find Footing | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  31. "In Reversal, Harvard's Undergraduate Council Endorses Universal Pass System | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  32. Correspondent, Jill Radsken Harvard (2020-03-30). "Harvard College adopts temporary grading policy for spring term". Harvard Gazette. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  33. "The Unprecedented UC President | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  34. "UC Audit Update for Students 3-24-22 Final.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  35. "Buying the UC Like Russian Oligarchy | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  36. "Final Clubs, the UC, and Swae Lee: Undergrads Make Fun of Harvard Culture on Sidechat | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  37. "Looking for Legitimacy". Harvard Political Review. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  38. "The Unprecedented UC President | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  39. "The UC's 'Great Reform' Misses the Mark | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  40. Cooper, McGavock (November 11, 2021). "Does the UC Exist?" (PDF). The Harvard Independent. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  41. "UC Changes Committee Structure in Unanimous Vote | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  42. "In First Meeting In Over A Month, Undergraduate Council Votes To Conduct Student Experience Survey | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  43. "After Going Viral, Undergraduate Council Leaders Struggle to Find Footing | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  44. "Undergraduate Council: Year in Review | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  45. "Cheng and de Kanter Ride 'Defund the UC' Platform to Victory in UC Presidential Election | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  46. "Winter 2022 Campus Poll". Harvard Political Review. 2022-03-26. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  47. "In Eleventh Hour Twist, Opponents of New Student Government Call for Undergrads to Vote in — Not Boycott — UC Referendum | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  48. Vote Yes for Change (A Parody) , retrieved 2022-05-23
  49. 1 2 "What You Need to Know About Harvard's UC Referendum". Harvard Political Review. 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  50. Golemme, Ryan (2022-04-02). "BREAKING: HUA Referendum Prompts Club Funding Concerns". Harvard Independent. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  51. "At First Meeting Since the Fall of the UC, Former Members Grapple with What's Next for its Programs | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  52. "Cheng Resigns as UC President Amid Transition to New Student Government | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  53. "Our Next Chapter | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  54. "Vote Yes For Change: A New Action-Oriented Student Association | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  55. "Harvard Undergraduates Will Vote on a New Student Government Constitution This Week. Here's What You Need to Know. | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  56. "What You Need to Know About Harvard's UC Referendum". Harvard Political Review. 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  57. "Representation or Advocacy? Wading Through the UC Referendum Campaign". Harvard Political Review. 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  58. "Representation or Advocacy? Wading Through the UC Referendum Campaign". Harvard Political Review. 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  59. Jones, Peyton A. "Flyby Imagines an Ideal Student Government | Flyby | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  60. "Dean of Students Office Affirms Support for Newly-Adopted Student Government, Continuity of Club Funding | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  61. "Khurana Calls on Students to Find 'Common Ground' After the Fall of the UC | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  62. "Buying the UC Like Russian Oligarchy | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  63. "Archives | MyHRDC". my.hrdctheater.org. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  64. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  65. "Following Activities Fee Increase, More Students Opt Out | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  66. "Harvard Undergraduate Council". Archived from the original on 2018-04-15. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  67. "Finding a Voice | Opinion | the Harvard Crimson".
  68. "The Committee Kids | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.