Revamping Student Life

The June 24 release of a task force report on the Trustee A Student Life Initiative drew little notice from students because, as an intern for this magazine reported, "Students haven't read it." The 47-page report, compiled by then-acting Dean of the College Dan Nelson '75's "working groups, "assembled dozens of ideas for overhauling residential and social life to make it more inclusive and coeducational and to curb alcohol abuse. The understated student reaction is understandable the report came out when only the sophomore class was in residence. Still, The Dartmouth editorialized, "students need to exhibit true interest...Many of the existing proposals probably anger or excite students if students were more aware of the report's contents." The report, submitted to the Trustee steering committee headed by Trustees Susan Dentzer '77 and Peter Fahey '68, represents "only a fraction of the ideas suggested to the Trustees," says Dentzer. A sampling: Freshmen dorms; fitness facilities in dorms; more socialspaces; campus pubs; graduate-student center; expansion ofWomen's Resource Center; better amenities in dorms; moredining options; more substance-free living spaces.

Change will come more slowly than anticipated. By midsummer the Trustee steering committee indicated that the Class of 2000 will see few, if any, changes and that the class of 2002 will have a traditional fall rush. Such improvements as new dorms will take years to implement, adds Fahey. The steering committee will report to the Trustees in late fall.Then, says Fahey, there will be additional community discussion of the report. "Our job," he stresses, "is to build consensus from a broad range of input."

Is centralized dining to go?