As the University of Massachusetts continues to debate the merits of multiple recommendations made by the UMass Alcohol Task Force to curb excessive alcohol use, University administration needs to always keep one very obvious campus group in mind: the students.

The task force’s report includes many new and potentially controversial changes for the campus, including sending letters home to parents when their children break liquor laws, instituting community billing as a part of dormitory life, and putting professional security staff in all residential buildings.

Some of the proposals are good. The report calls for a number of changes that could be helpful and positive in changing a perceived cultural problem centering on alcohol at UMass, things that could benefit the student body regardless whether or not there is a problem now, especially increased programming for students.

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, however, stands in agreement with the Student Government Association in denouncing several key parts of the task force’s report. While we do believe alcohol abuse and alcohol-related events like vandalism and riots and disturbances following Red Sox games in the fall are problematic, we also recognize that for any changes to be effective, the student body as a whole is going have to accept changes that are made.

That means the recommendations need to have palatability – something that a number of the task force’s suggestions fall short of.

A number of the proposed changes have drawn the ire of students for a perceived lack of understanding of the University’s student body by the task force. Community billing means innocent students could be charged with destruction caused by others, the theory goes. Segregating the student body by age means a lack of community, they say. Administration needs to remember such reservations as they move forward with new alcohol policy plans, or implementation could be severely undermined.

Thus far, the University has proceeded wisely by floating ideas slowly without making them appear threatening or imminent. This is a good start. It stirs debate and gives administrators a chance to determine what public perception will be – something vital, if changing policy is going to have a positive impact at UMass.

We encourage administrators and the student body to continue the stream of communication regarding alcohol policies that has been central to public policy debates on campus all year. If the student body point of view is kept in mind as administrators plan changes, there are several positive changes that could be put in place based on the task force’s recommendations. If student input is disregarded, however, the entire point of the process – improving campus life – will be undermined. It’ll be a shame if all of the hard work that went into the report goes for naught.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian Editorial Board.