The Office of the Dean of Students announced it will delay office reorganization until next fall to give University of Wisconsin students a chance to provide input.

Associated Students of Madison Academic Affairs Chair Ashok Kumar said students were concerned because Dean of Students Luoluo Hong’s proposal, revealed last Wednesday, was made without any say from the student body. Kumar added he thought Hong’s proposal took advantage of student rights stated in the ASM constitution.

“It was illegitimately done,” Kumar said. “There is a reason why [the constitution] is there, and it’s not there to be manipulated by the administration.”

Students met with Hong April 15 to discuss the creation of a new student shared governance committee to contribute to the reorganization of the Dean of Students Office.

Once selected, the committee will meet to discuss a new proposal for fall 2005.

According to ASM Shared Governance Chair Eyal Halamish, a majority of the new committee will be students. Halamish said he believed this portrayed the Dean of Students Office as ready to cooperate with an influential student body. He also said Hong should be commended for her cooperation with students on the new proposal.

“Dean Hong has taken a revolutionary step with the student majority,” Halamish said.

Hong allowed increased student representations, according to Halamish, and her actions should be taken into account and implemented in the creation of shared governance.

Halamish added he is glad the proposal has been postponed from its original date of July 1 to the fall semester, saying this will allow more students to be involved in the process when school commences in the fall.

“Even if it were passed now, it would be presented in summer and reviewed when not a lot of students are here,” Halamish said. “Fall will allow for more people to look at, respond and understand the new proposal.”

Hong’s original proposal included condensing the Multicultural Student Center, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Campus Center, Diversity Education Programs and other groups into ODOS student services. The proposal also included expanding the McBurney Center and strengthening ties with international students.

Hong said she could not say anything specific about the new proposal until the new shared-governance committee had been chosen and met with other organizations, including the Student Policies and Non-Academic Programs Committee. However, Hong stressed student input as a priority in the future.

“Any discussions we have in the future will continue to focus on how we can maximize the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of any programs and services we provide for students, even as we face diminishing state resources,” she said.