EDITORIAL: AGENDA

Senate deserves praise for good start, but needs clear plan.

With the school year just two weeks old, this year's Student Association has already taken steps to distinguish itself from its predecessors. For the first time (thanks to increased advertising revenue), the SA printed enough copies of the "Newcomers Guide" so that everyone -- not just freshmen -- will have a resource to help them find names to go with the new faces they see in their classes and at their colleges.

Even more impressive, the Senate has wisely chosen to keep this year's retreat on campus, enabling it to save money for uses that will be more beneficial to the student body. The retreat's location at Alice Pratt Brown Hall will also allow the Senate to bring members of the adminstration in for discussions on critical issues and enable members of the student body (other than Senate members) attend at no cost.

To help the Senate at this weekend's retreat, the Thresher would like to propose an agenda for this year:

* Teaching and tenure: How can we refocus our hiring policies to seek out and reward what makes Rice a great institution?

* Commencement speakers: Should the university pursue speakers with financial vigor, or should we turn away from big-name speakers?

* Campanile : How can the 80-year tradition be kept alive?

* KTRU: Reform should come from inside, if at all -- not from an outside committee.

* Fondren Library: How can we improve the library to make it worthy of this university?

* Student survey: The best way to find out what else should be added to this agenda is to go directly to the masses; a survey would remind the Senate who (and what) they represent.

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the September 13, 1996 issue.

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