Wesleyan Student Assembly — Wesleyan University

Minutes: November 9, 2003, No. 5

WSA Officers

President: Sohana Punithakumar
Vice President: Daniel Rodriguez
Coordinator: Sara Mirsky
Treasurer: Camille Zahniser

Meeting Agenda and Business

1. Meeting Opening
2. Moment of Silence for Terence Leary
3. Approval of Minutes
4. New Business and Announcements
5. Mike Sciola, Director of the CRC
6. Dean Mike and Jeff Ederer
7. Committee Reports
8. Adjournment

Opening of Meeting

The meeting was opened at 8:12 PM.

Approval of Minutes

Minutes approved as corrected.

New Business and Announcements

Nora Connor requests that the committee reports and the minutes be sent Saturday or early Sunday so that WSA members will have more time to review them prior to the meeting.
Karen Courtheoux compliments the Coordinating Committee on organizing the community service project earlier Sunday and thanks to all members that participated.
Sohana Punithakumar proposes that next week the WSA discuss changing the Sunday Meeting time to 7 PM so that more administrators might attend in the meeting.

Mike Sciola – Director of the Career Recourse Center

(Link to CRC Update)
Mike Sciola in sharing his update of the CRC following the suggestions of the WSA last year. He sited as specific improvements increased career advising drop-in hours and appointment times, an increase peer career advisor training, updated print materials, increased on-line resources, new programs such as Business Immersion Program and a Wesleyan adaptation of the Myers-Briggs survey.

Stack

• Karen Courtheoux compliments the CRC's progress, and asks that the alumni-student network be further strengthened along the lines of the winter Career Outlook program, and offer more opportunities outside New England.
• Sciola replies that the CRC changed Career Outlook to include the entire alumni database containing current addresses and career fields, totaling 1000 alumni. CRC also joined career search engines on-line with a million and half organization, all searchable by location.
• Sohana Punithakumar asks if parents are included in Wescan.
• Sciola says yes, those parents that have volunteered.
• Camille Zahniser asks if there is a chance of career fair.
• Sciola replies that their usual venue, Downey House is no longer available, so a new location is needed. Right now, students can come to the CRC to talk about strategies for contacting companies, though.
• Pacho Carreño asks if it would be possible to review how successful the CRC has been in finding jobs for students.
• Sciola replies that the CRC ultimately does not find jobs for students, but we can measure students' happiness with CRC. A study that could be conducted would be to survey the number of alumni with jobs one year out of college and three years out of college.
• Juan Moreno suggests that the CRC offer ways for Alumni to network over job openings.
• Sciola acknowledges the flaw and replies there is a new alumni portfolio that launched one month ago, on which there are active email addresses for the class of 2003.
• Selina Ellis asks when will passwords going into portfolio?
• Sciola replies that the deadline November 1 was not met, but once the passwords are on-line, there will be an advertising blitz.
• Jesse Watson asks about the lack in job opportunities beyond teaching English or digging a well outside of United States.
• Sciola replies that there are many opportunities for students going abroad. But even though, international experience is becoming more and more important, there is no recruiting in United States from international companies.
• Annie Heindel asks if there will be more sessions for students on the Career Institute Survey waiting list.
• Sciola replies that the CRC held two sessions this fall. There are 25 people on the waiting list. The CRC will try to have one more session this semester and more next, but it is currently reviewing student responses to the past sessions.
• Nora Connor asks if CRC has scholarship opportunities for undergraduates.
• Sciola says that through web site there are pages on fellowships and links to financial aid office. The web site has gone from 50 pages to over 400 pages and now the CRC is trying to pull it back together.

Mike Whaley, Dean of Student Services and Jeff Ederer, Director of Residential Life (Link to External ResLife Review Summary)
ResLife held an internal review in 2001 and 2002. In the fall of 2002, a to day external review was conducted by certified reviewers. Their report produced this Summary. Dean Mike Whaley and Jeff Ederer ask for questions and comments on this summary to present to the review team. The team will work with the URLC and the SLC to compile student response and will return to the WSA for more feedback. Dean Mike and Ederer also request suggestions of organization to contact to discuss the issues presented by the External Review.

Stack

• Sohana Punithakumar states, regarding program houses, among URLC, members feel the first key finding does not apply to Wesleyan, siting late night discussions about various issues as productive learning experiences.
• Pacho Carreño asks, what do these reviewers feel the students' role is in the residential life decision making process?
• Dean Mike replies that many decisions are institutional decisions not ResLife decisions, for example those regarding X house last fall.
• Jeff says that apathy is prevalent among many other college student bodies, but not Wesleyan's.
• Karen Courtheoux states she feels that decision making and construction are rushed. She is concerned about minute planing, saying, if Wesleyan continues on the trajectory it is on, there are potentially many problems in the future. Karen suggests that ResLife take time in decision making, and create a coherent vision that all planning will follow.
• Jeff says that ResLife is often a storefront and he will pass that comment on.
• Camille Zahniser says that the suggested policing role of RAs and adults in residencies will cause detrimental separation between residents and Assistants.
• Sara Mirsky says that the review has a negative tone toward Wesleyan. Davidson and NYU are contrasting institutions. She asks, why will area coordinators, full time professionals be better than Head Residents are?
• Jeff replies that besides the many requirements necessary for the position, any person applying to live in a residence hall after college must desire to have a positive effect in working with students.
• Sara Mirsky says that is just as important to have RAs communicate with students, as it is to have peers supervisor the RAs.
• Jesse Watson says that the review suggests that students do not want to have the University play a role in students' lives. Watson stresses that, in the past, direct intervention has had bad consequences. Jesse would be very upset to see the practice of social engineering come into effect at Wesleyan.
• Nora Connor sites 200 Church RAs as students that do not take position of programming seriously.
• Pacho Carreño likes the recommendation of creating a living, learning community where students can interact without worrying about grades.
• Sohana Punithakumar suggests that it is important not to give more weight to classroom learning over interactive social learning unique to college.
• Georgi Radev asks, how were these two reviewers selected?
• Jeff says that there is a training institute for persons interested in reviewing. Tom Ellet was selected for his experiences in reviewing campuses similar to Wesleyan's.
• Sara Mirsky suggests that ResLife stress in their distribution of these recommendations that this report is not from Wesleyan ResLife
• Gabe Tabak asks, what is the timetable for revision of the review and implementation?
• Dean Mike replies that some of the recommendations have budget implications so we want to receive feed back quickly, early next semester will be decision making, after
• Sohana asks if ResLife reviews SJB cases?
• Dean Mike replies that there are communication reports from RAs to ResLife which are sometimes forwarded to SJB, sometimes SJB will give a case to Area Coordinator to resolve the issue with the student.

Committee Reports

1. Finances and Facilities Committee (FiFac)

   Nathan Victoria, FiFac Chair, reports:
   FiFac chose names for bins in new "Village of Receptacles" project. Major Maintenance Advisory Committee will be meeting November 17.

2. Student Budget Committee (SBC)

   Camille Zahniser, Treasurer, reports:
   The SBC is aiming for a 20 thousand dollar surplus, will be improving their website, will improve contact with groups, and is thinking about purchasing a round table for hearings in order to decrease intimidation. SBC is also considering purchasing button maker, getting a student group van and as always is working on transparency. Large allocations went to:
   
   • Ujamaa, $1550 (for retreat)
   • Cardinal Sinners, $1500

3. Student Affairs Committee (SAC)

   Becca Solow, SAC Chair, reports:
   The international student advisor search will begin in December. Administrators disagreed on the proposed process for the review of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct and Honor Code. I will now happen simultaneously between SJB, Honor Board and SLC. There will be a comprehensive review of the Campus Center dining menu.

4. Independent Projects Committee (IPC)

   Danny Rodriguez, IPC Chair, reports:
   The IPC did not meet this week. On Wednesday, November 19 the next CRC Advisory Committee will happen.

5. Educational Policy Committee (EPC)

   Karen Coutheoux, EPC Chair, reports:
   The faculty EPC met. Because it is browsing period, email Karen with any questions or complaints about curriculum this year.

6. Coordinating Committee (CC)

   Sara Mirsky, Coordinator, reports:
   WSA members participated in the Sunday brunch and community service. The members dug postholes, mixed cement and put in posts. Congratulations to Nora Connor member of the week for getting down and dirty in community service.

7. Community Outreach Committee (COCo)

   Rafael Medrano, COCo Chair, reports:
   A safety tour will be coordinated by Public Safety. The Lighting Tour is coming up.

8. Executive Committee (EC)

   Sohana Punithakumar, President, reports:
   The EC discussed a WSA statement about the passing of Terence Leary. The WSA will be sending flowers and a donation in Terence's name to Regis. Sohana will be meeting with Manny Cunard to discuss the creation of an Auxiliary Services Advisory Committee. There was a lunar eclipse at 8:06 PM on Saturday night.

   Stack

   • Jesse Watson asks if the potential off-campus restaurants serving with points will have vegan options.
   • Becca Solow replies ideally, but it depends on the restaurants that are interested in operating with points.
   • Watson asks why is the SBC planning on having a surplus.
   • Camille replies that there has been a surplus each year for the last five years. This year the SBC needs to consider individual group overspending and inflation for the next couple years before it will be able to raise the Student Activities Fee again.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Juan Sebasti—n Moreno, WSA Secretary