Emerging Sources of Student Influence. ERIC Higher Education Research Report No. 5, 1975

While students have become more sophisticated in their modes of political influence, their interests since 1970 have become delimited to concerns that affect their lives the most--the cost of their education. They also remain concerned about issues of freedom and participation in campus decision making. While these newly emerging sources of influence are potentially quite effective, students have met with a number of barriers, both on and off the college campus. The sources of influence seem to have taken two routes: students organizing separately or students participating in already existing structures and processes. The evolution of sources of influence seems to be toward more student extra-institutional political activity where students may have an advantage at this time. Student extra-institutional political activity has been used directly to gain specific ends (like more financial aid appropriations) but, perhaps more importantly, indirectly to gain influence through permanent and legitimate participation in the ongoing institutional decision-making processes. (Author/KE)