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Until now, The Hoot has refrained from editorializing about the choice of Frederick M. Lawrence as the future president of Brandeis.

Though we have been heartened by Lawrence’s conscious effort to meet and connect with the student body, we have been reserving our judgement until we see what he will do once he takes the reins.

This week the student union president announced he would appoint a student committee on administrative restructuring and a student representative to the search committee for the new Rose Art Museum director.

This editorial board has lamented to no end the administration’s tendency to ignore student input in important university decisions. It happened with financial aid and study abroad decisions in January 2009 and the initial decision about The Rose in March 2009 and the more recent decision to abandon need-blind admissions–when student opinion was not even considered until after announcements about university change were made.

Even in such decisions like academic restructuring and choosing the new university president, where there was a student representative on each committee, the student did not have a vote.

These two new committees are Lawrence’s opportunity to prove himself.

This past month, Lawrence has done a lot of talking on campus about how he wants to ensure that students are included in decision making and that their voices are heard.

Well, future President Lawrence, here’s your chance.