A former Student Assembly member presented a letter Thursday to the Dowling Committee, which was formed to review and reorganize the student governance system, calling for greater student authority in University decision making, especially in areas directly concerned with student life.

Ross D. Boylan '81-3, a former member of the Student Assembly committee that asked for the review of student governace, criticized the Dowling Committee effort in a speech to the Student Assembly last night. He said the committee's report, which will be released in final form this month, leaves students in an advisory role rather than grants real power.

"An advisory role is an advisory role any way you cut it. We need to keep the issue of having students in the final decision making open," Boylan said. "There are some areas over which students should have complete authority such as meal plans and shuttle buses," he added.

Joseph McDonough '81, a member of the Dowling Committee, said he sympathized with Boylan's views. "The idea that there are things that ought to be done by students themselves appeals to me greatly," McDonough said yesterday. McDonough added, however, that the governance system outlined in the committee proposal will provide a structure through which students can obtain power.

End to Fragmentation

"The problem is going to be the interest of the student body as a whole and their willingness to accept the new structure that the committee is proposing," Mc- Donough said. "The structure (a single body replacing the current system of several student-faculty panels) gives students new and important opportunities in college governance that the haven't had. They should try to make efforts to exploit those opportunities," he added.

John E. Dowling, professor of Biology and chairman of the committee, said he didn't find Boylan's concerns "relevant to our deliberations." He added, "We certainly aren't suggesting what students should have autonomy over." Other committee members refused comment.

Boylan questioned the policy of closed door committee meetings, saying that students should be allowed to sit in. McDonough said the committee was just making recommendations and that its meetings should be kept confidential to prevent lengthy arguments which might slow progress.

During Boylan's presentation to the Student Assembly last night, assembly members pointed out that other universities give students more authority. Boylan said that the issue of student authority has been raised several times in the Dowling Committee, only to be ignored or dismissed.

Since the Dowling Committee proposal is due to be released within the next two weeks in its final form, Boylan said that the "door is slamming shut" on proponents of student authority.

The Dowling Cimmittee report "clearly will be an improvement." Boylan said. "We just have to improve on what is presented," he added