By Kim Stickels
Published February 23rd 2005 in Brown Daily Herald
The Undergraduate Council of Students will not move to Instant Runoff Voting, in accordance with the results of the referendum held last Tuesday through Friday in which 2,174 undergraduates voted.
The referendum received 64.6 percent of the vote, just shy of the 66.6 percent needed to pass.
Charlie Cummings '06, vice president of UCS and chair of the independent Elections Review Commission - which endorsed IRV, although UCS did not - said that although IRV did not pass, "there was a real campus dialogue that we tried to foster surrounding Instant Runoff Voting."
Formed last fall to address the past election and suggest reforms, the ERC disbanded after making recommendations to UCS, Cummings said. IRV is one of over 30 solutions the committee suggested, Cummings added.
"I'm dismayed the IRV referendum didn't pass," said Schuyler von Oeyen '05, UCS alumni liaison. "However, I would actually prefer a plurality system," he added. "In the meantime, we'll have to deal with the current system, which, however flawed, has worked in past years."
Also included in the WebCT survey were 13 poll questions, gauging student opinion on issues ranging from whether University-subsidized RIPTA tickets would be put to use to lifting the campus ban on kegs.
66.7 percent of respondents appear to have opposed the ban on kegs, although some voters complained that the wording of the question was confusing. UCS will vote on a resolution to eliminate the ban at its weekly meeting tonight.
"I have faith in this resolution to bring kegs on campus that is safe for all students," said Brian Bidadi '06, Admission and Student Services Committee chair, in a statement. "Not only is the student population behind this resolution but also many leaders of large student groups."
Some UCS members disagree. "I wonder how many of these students are aware of what the health concerns are," von Oeyen said.
Students strongly favored creating an optional J-term over winter break, with 74.5 percent of respondents in favor. "We received over 2,000 individual open-ended responses" to a question about the structure of a potential winter term, Cummings said. UCS members will sort through the responses in the coming weeks.
"(We're) happy that this issue has such resounding support from the student body," Zachary Townsend '08, UCS communications chair and a Herald copy editor, said in a statement. "Since winter break a lot of students have been discussing this (issue) themselves, and it is clear now that this is a real priority to the student body."
UCS's Academic and Administrative Affairs Commit-tee will form an ad-hoc committee to generate possibilities for a winter term by the end of the year, said AAA Chair Emily Blatter '07 in a statement.
Respondents split almost 50-50 on raising the $136 student activity fee, an increase suggested to UCS by the Undergraduate Finance Board.
Results from the poll question on what cable TV stations students would prefer are still pending.
UCS members said they were pleased that many students voiced their opinions. "Last week we saw an impressively large turnout," said UCS President Joel Payne '05 in a statement. "I can't thank the student body enough."
The referendum received 64.6 percent of the vote, just shy of the 66.6 percent needed to pass.
Charlie Cummings '06, vice president of UCS and chair of the independent Elections Review Commission - which endorsed IRV, although UCS did not - said that although IRV did not pass, "there was a real campus dialogue that we tried to foster surrounding Instant Runoff Voting."
Formed last fall to address the past election and suggest reforms, the ERC disbanded after making recommendations to UCS, Cummings said. IRV is one of over 30 solutions the committee suggested, Cummings added.
"I'm dismayed the IRV referendum didn't pass," said Schuyler von Oeyen '05, UCS alumni liaison. "However, I would actually prefer a plurality system," he added. "In the meantime, we'll have to deal with the current system, which, however flawed, has worked in past years."
Also included in the WebCT survey were 13 poll questions, gauging student opinion on issues ranging from whether University-subsidized RIPTA tickets would be put to use to lifting the campus ban on kegs.
66.7 percent of respondents appear to have opposed the ban on kegs, although some voters complained that the wording of the question was confusing. UCS will vote on a resolution to eliminate the ban at its weekly meeting tonight.
"I have faith in this resolution to bring kegs on campus that is safe for all students," said Brian Bidadi '06, Admission and Student Services Committee chair, in a statement. "Not only is the student population behind this resolution but also many leaders of large student groups."
Some UCS members disagree. "I wonder how many of these students are aware of what the health concerns are," von Oeyen said.
Students strongly favored creating an optional J-term over winter break, with 74.5 percent of respondents in favor. "We received over 2,000 individual open-ended responses" to a question about the structure of a potential winter term, Cummings said. UCS members will sort through the responses in the coming weeks.
"(We're) happy that this issue has such resounding support from the student body," Zachary Townsend '08, UCS communications chair and a Herald copy editor, said in a statement. "Since winter break a lot of students have been discussing this (issue) themselves, and it is clear now that this is a real priority to the student body."
UCS's Academic and Administrative Affairs Commit-tee will form an ad-hoc committee to generate possibilities for a winter term by the end of the year, said AAA Chair Emily Blatter '07 in a statement.
Respondents split almost 50-50 on raising the $136 student activity fee, an increase suggested to UCS by the Undergraduate Finance Board.
Results from the poll question on what cable TV stations students would prefer are still pending.
UCS members said they were pleased that many students voiced their opinions. "Last week we saw an impressively large turnout," said UCS President Joel Payne '05 in a statement. "I can't thank the student body enough."