Advisory team's mission: bring students together

The team draws from a pool of 50 students, but due to schedule conflicts, the core group generally consists of about 25, said Carol Thompson, associate dean of students.

"Obviously, part of the mission of the group is to bring students together and give them a voice," she said.

She also said the group has begun to discuss project ideas and elect officers.

One of the group's plans involves different campus groups coming together to discuss issues of diversity, including: race, gender, age and sexuality, Thompson said.

"There are a lot of different ideas, but no concrete dates or times yet," she said. "This group is very directed at getting some things done this semester."

Matthew Everitt, advisory team member and president of the University Activities Board, said the group has not yet decided on a definite project for the semester.

"The whole purpose is to build bridges between different organizations," Everitt said.

He said the group is more about communication between areas of campus than about planning activities.

"It's a kind of hope that the members of the board are a representative of a diverse population of students - there are members from each college, from organizations across campus," he said.

However, Everitt said he has already been let down by one of the group's efforts.

"I've been disappointed with the follow-up that we have done. This is one of my main concerns. I think we are still trying to establish the principles of the board," he said.

Thompson said the group plans to meet once a month, and is scheduled to meet March 12.