An executive council will be chosen by mid-October for the first meeting of the new Student Advisory Council.

The council will represent students in the residence halls as a mediator between them and Department of Residence administrators.

Representatives of the various student governments will be a major part of the council, said Phil De Koster, sophomore in sociology and Barton, Lyon, Freeman, and Fisher-Nickell president.

De Koster said he has been trying to put together the Student Advisory Council since Helser Hall closed last May.

“We’re trying to work with the administration and students,” De Koster said, “We can’t guarantee that what students want is going to happen, but at least we can bring it to the table.”

De Koster said when Helser Hall closed last year, he and a few other students decided to get more involved with what happens in their homes.

“If you don’t like the ways things are now, you need to tell us,” De Koster said.

He said a smaller, more condensed group of student representatives will be effective in communicating student needs to the Department of Residence.

The council will include nine or more executives, including representatives from the Inter-Residence Hall Association, the Frederiksen Court Community Council, the University Family Housing Council, Richardson Court Association, Union Drive Association, Towers Residence Association, Frederiksen Court, and University Village and Schilletter Village.

Todd Holcomb, associate vice president for student affairs, said the council would help the administration see the student perspectives on budget cuts, enrollment and residence halls.

“We really want to work with students on these things,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb met with De Koster and other potential council members to brainstorm agenda items.

He and other residence administrators plan to meet with the council every two or three weeks after the council is formed.