Harvard Undergraduate Council

The Harvard Undergraduate Council was created in the spring of 1982 to serve as an advocate for student concerns, organize campus-wide social events, and provide funding to student organizations. With an annual budget of $400,000, it is the first centralized and funded student government in the history of Harvard College. The Council offices are located in the Student Organization Center at Hilles.

The Council is comprised of thirty-five elected members: President, Vice President, two per residential House, one for Dudley House, and two from each of the four freshman districts. In addition to weekly committee meetings, the full thirty-five member Council meets once a week to review committee work, pass resolutions, and act on expenditure requests.

Every year a president and vice-president are elected in a campus-wide popular election; at the start of each term the Council elects a secretary and treasurer. The responsibility of the officers is described in the Undergraduate Council Constitution.

Undergraduate Council Committees

Most of a representative's work is done in the committee to which he or she is assigned. There are two committees dealing with the following areas:

1. Student Affairs:
• Academics: curriculum requirements and regulations, etc.
• Residential: housing policy, meal plans, etc.
2. Finance:
• Budget, relations to other organizations within and outside the Harvard community.

The Student Affairs Committee elects from its membership the student members of the Faculty's three advisory committees: Committee on Undergraduate Education, Committee on House Life, and Committee on College Life (see below). These committees, consisting of students and faculty members, advise on policy matters in the College.

The Undergraduate Council also supervises the election of undergraduates to the following standing committees so that they may be seated no later than October 31 of each academic year:

• Advising and Counseling: three undergraduates
• Library: two undergraduates
• Athletic: one undergraduate
• Core and its Subcommittees: two undergraduates on each, selected by and from the Student Affairs Committee wherever possible.
• The University Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility: one undergraduate.
• The Commission of Inquiry: one undergraduate selected randomly by the Dean of the College from among three offered by the Council.

Undergraduate Council Fee

A $75 surcharge on all undergraduate term bills funds the Undergraduate Council. The money is used to support student organizations, House Committees, and the Council's operations, and college-wide social events. Students may withhold their contribution through a opt-out provision on their term bill worksheets. For more information, see page 458.