Wesleyan Student Assembly — Wesleyan University

Minutes: January 23, 2005, No. 13

WSA Officers

President: Emily Polak
Vice President: Jeremy Abrams
Coordinator: Ali Gomer
Treasurer: Pacho Carreno

Meeting Agenda and Business

1. Introduction and brief explanation of how stack works
2. Presentation of statement to WSA by students
3. Further WSA discussion regarding any other actions WSA may take over the next week
4. Election update from the Election Committee

Opening of Meeting
The meeting is opened at 7:07 PM.

Approval of Minutes

Minutes approved.

Approval of Appointments

Five new members of the assembly are approved.

Mid-Year Committee Reports

• Committee chairs have worked on reports over the winter break. The WSA has done this in the past but not last year.
• Emily Polak says that she is proud of the several program houses that did not exist before. She is satisfied about the Fauver Field dorms, which required much effort from WSA members. The new senior houses will also add to the campus. Besides structures, the WSA has maintained a role at Wesleyan that is something to be proud of. She brings attention to the many positions that WSA students hold on different campus committees. However, we need to have a continued emphasis on student involvement. The WSA hopes to start a student-faculty-administrative decision-making body that would be the result of a shared power. Similarly the WSA will be continuing our push for a student representative to serve on the Master Plan Executive Committee, and for a more codified way of making changes to the code of non-academic conduct in conjunction with the Student Judicial Board. A composite of the Mid-year report will be sent soon to students.
• One of COCo’s main responsibilities is on the Public Safety Advisory Board. Public Safety put up two new blue light phones and public safety officers will be attending sustained dialogue programs. COCo met with SBC and came up with the idea of sending one COCo member to each campus activity. Jacob has been working on an online calendar of events. They are in the process of formatting the student packet so that it’s more accessible and sending it to club presidents. Outreach to local area high schools encouraging them to get involved with Wes events has occurred.
• Brittany Mitchell asks how student groups are being held accountable for the funds they receive. Nora Connor replies that COCo members have been attending meetings and reporting anything they feel is negative.
• Arijit Sen asks if when and how the new student packet will be completed. Nora Connor says that it will be out by next fall and that it has incorporated some creative changes already.
• Ali Gomer, chair of Coordinating Committee, began to address issues of transparency of the WSA and relations with the student body. CC worked to publish minutes in the Argus. We appointed several members. We conducted the gender neutral poll and conducted the SBC election. The administration was not as responsive as we would have liked but it was, nonetheless, a strong show of support. We have a website master who has posted minutes and made several other improvements to the website. We would like to improve communication with the student body through a larger column in the Argus, newsletters and information through student reps. We would also like to keep better track of absences.
• Karen Courtheoux, chair of Educational Policy Committee, says that the goals of the EPC involved improved course access and better relations with professors. We were limited in our choices but now faculty adopted new guidelines so that more classes will occur at 2:40 and more early classes. We will continue to advocate strategic hiring in highly demanded fields. We also want to improve our student faculty ratio. We continue trying to pursue advisor criticism methods. Besides department chairs, we also hope to include . The student library committee will meet more this semester. WesClassified will be in our eportfolios this year and Esquid is up and running. One goal is to work with admissions this year so that they are more transparent. We would also like to address issues of pedagogy, mainly to ensure that there are comfortable learning environments. We also want to increase the use of key capabilities as guidelines for classes.
• Jacob Mirsky asks how will EPC advertise esquid. Karen Courtheoux says that she will work with other committee chairs if necessary.
• Ben Evar asks if it is possible to get a link to esquid on the Wesleyan homepage. Karen says that it is a contentious issue and many teachers and administrators are against it. She says that we could talk about the trade-offs. Emily Polak says that right now the course is self-policing, but a Wes alum, Dan Stillman, is overseeing it. The process is extremely labor intensive.
• Annie Fox says that she and Jacob Mirsky are working on putting a link on eportfolio. Would that be a possibility? She will look into it.
• Henny Ademony asks how close the Wesclassified is to being posted. It is very close, probably within a couple of weeks.
• Zach Kolodin mentions that many administrators are talking about the advising, which is a testament to EPC’s and Karen’s hard work.
• Nathan Victoria, chair of FiFac, says that groundbreaking for the new university center will occur this spring. Everything except for the steel drum band has been moved out of the old buildings in that area. Fauver Field dorm designs are being finalized. Students are on every committee except for Long Lane development, masterplan executive committee and campus renewal committees, but FiFac hopes to make changes. There is a new campus standard for lighting. FiFac would like to create a committee outside of WSA that would discuss campus looks and facilities. Major maintenance: the university moved to a five-year planning system. Sprinkling has been a major issue this year because Wesleyan has more woodframe houses than any of its peer institutions. We discussed uses of the third-floor campus center for programming and performing. We have met red tape with Aramark because it is not sure if it could support two employees. Administration has suggested using Summerfields for such entertainment. The laundry card and the Middletown cash system are currently available as is the ride.
• Brittany Mitchell asks if FiFac has looked into mold problems in 200 Church. Nathan says that it will be completely revamped. FiFac will work to make it happen sooner.
• Karen Courtheoux asks if FiFac could get a really good sense on the issue of the RIDE.
• Emily Polak mentions that we should work to get earlier hours for the RIDE. She also says that we should not get discouraged about the third-floor of the campus center. We need to work to get back the service, which paid performing artists $50.
• Nathan Victoria brings up the possibility of moving WesShop and taking seniors off the meal plan. We might have a way of pushing it through Aramark now that our representative liaison is different.
• Elaine Garven, chair of Student Activities Committee, says that SAC passed the hazing policy at the end of the semester and is now under effect. Gender-neutral housing committee and Queer task force will work together for the next steps in the process. The Office of Affirmative Action will take the SAC’s recommendations for harassment policy changes. As there is very little money for new program houses, the SAC will only admit new program houses if there are funds. Smoking ban will extend to all senior woodframe houses this semester. In fall of 2005, there will be fewer freshmen living in Foss Hill and Butterfield dorms and more living in Fauver Field dorms. The Student of Color Perspectives and Action Committee was created to help identify and address campus life issues from a unique perspective. The Queer Task Force held a forum at the end of last semester. There was frustration about classroom experience, gender-neutral housing and other issues. SAC would like to improve the Student Advisory Board to the Office of Behavioral Health this semester. In regard to dining, SAC is working to get more to-go item menus and coffee available to students. SAC will be looking into how to get more points for financial aid students. Subcommittees will meet this week to discuss the master plan workshop and will solicit for community feedback in the near future.
• Zach Kolodin asks if gender-neutral will be reinstated next year. Elaine Garven says it will depend on who the new dean is. Interim Dean Peter Patton was responsible for the decision.
• Karen Courtheoux asks if there is a student liaison to student health services. Elaine says she could add one. Karen says that financial aid students should be able to check a box that says how many meals they want instead of having to come forward and ask.
• Annie Fox if there is any conversation for more weekend dining options. No, but there can be.
• Pacho Carreno asks if there was any evidence that the Students of Color Committee was not responsive to problems. Elaine was not there.
• •Nathan Victoria mentions that the Office of Behavioral Health committee was non-responsive to outside feedback.
• Anda Greeney asks when is the masterplan for the dining supposed to be completed. It will be produced within the next few weeks. The University center will open in two years. The focus is to make sure that students know how dining services work. They are supposed to receive information in their admissions packet about a four-year living standard. Anda asks about whether DKE will be readmitted as a program house. Some women have offered to live there. Are women fully able to participate in the mission statement? Brittany Mitchell responds that there has been an acute effort to reform the mission statement.
• Matt Ball asks if there are going to be some only-Freshmen or only-Sophomore halls. Elaine Garven says that they know the total ratios but do not know about specific halls.
• Karen Courtheoux asks if we can make the office of student academic resources more visible and also to make them more accountable for telling students what they offer.
• Matt Ball asks if we can argue that meals should be available to be used for breakfast. Elaine says her committee will look into it.
• Pacho Carreno, chair of SBC, says that our financial status is great at this point. We should be able to cover everything by the end of the year. [The fall ‘O4 semester SBC finances and allocations will be posted online shortly.] The SBC structure is composed of internal and external elements. The external structure is designed so that treasurers, or representatives, of different student groups will remain in touch with the SBC. Jerry Ai discusses that the SBC has created an outlet on the web, where the committee can keep track of allocations and expenses. There will also be technical support and export data software so that data will not be lost. Brittany Mitchell says that there is an all-new filing system strictly for SBC requests, contracts and group history documents. The SBC website is completely up-to-date, meaning that SBC forms are all available online at www.wesleyan.edu /wsa/about/sbc.htm. In addition, the WSA office has been revamped and cleaned so that it is more accessible. The SBC is also creating a status sheet for all groups discussing their issues.
• Arijit Sen asks if the film department is providing any funds to help pay for the film series. No, but they do provide some support. Arijit asks why the Ajua Campos has received more than all other relatively small student groups. They are paying for some very expensive speakers.
• Jeremy Abrams asks about software security. It requires two passwords. The software will receive free maintenance for a year and in the future it will cost a yearly fee. The new system is more secure than the last system. Why did WesTV receive $0? They were
• Many identity groups received much less than they asked for, why? They sometimes feel that because they are a little more established, they have too much autonomy. They sometimes do not successfully communicate what they will use the money for.
• Nora Connor asks if the SBC has any plans of how to deal with the issue of identity groups not receiving the full amount of their requests. Pacho Carreno says that they often do not ask for realistic amounts. Brittany Mitchell says that improving general campus knowledge is an important issue.
• Anda Greeney asks what the cost of the new software is: $1,600.
• Elaine Garven mentions that SBC could create a list of alternative sources. They have already done this.
• Jeremy Abrams, chair of Independent Projects Committee, says that the IPC is putting together a CRC advisory committee. He will meet with the CRC representative along with one other IPC member and a WSA member. They will work on how to create a senior pack designed to make the process easier and more appropriately organized. IPC will work on alumni-student relations. IPC is still working on the Times Readership. The committee is working with Marcelo to create the GPS system in shuttles, but the funds are probably not available.
• Karen Courtheoux says that abandoning the CRC advisory committee is not the right move. Jeremy Abrams says that he is not abandoning it. Instead, he is making it smaller and more efficient.
• Nathan Victoria asks if there could be a freshman/sophomore job placement test. Jeremy has never heard anything about it.

Internal Election of SBC Chair

• Meeting is closed for this section of the meeting.
• Anyone can be nominated to be elected the SBC Chair.
• Karen Courtheoux motions to close the meeting and allow Pacho Carreno to stay in the meeting during the discussions. Motion passed.
• The floor is opened to allow for nominations of the SBC chair. Brittany Mitchell is nominated for SBC Chair. Motion seconded.
• Pacho Carreno asks why Brittany Mitchell wants to be chair. She says that SBC needs to clarify its role and its identity. There is a lot it can do in the next semester to improve.
• Ali Gomer says that if there are not any strong objections, then Brittany Mitchell is automatically appointed. No objections.

New Business and Announcements

• Emily Polak says that we will compile the packet that will be widely distributed. She mentions that members of the executive committee will be allowed to sit on the stage at this week’s fortune.
• Meeting reopened.
• Zach Kolodin asks if the administration independently invited the executive members to sit on the stage. He thinks that it will be perceived as a betrayal.
• Matt Ball asks if there are no other students on the stage. The opening suggestion of the forum packet will discuss this.
• Karen Courtheoux says that she doesn’t see our sitting on the stage as something we should be worried about. She suggests that the more we aim to provide representation.
• Evan Simko-Bednarski says he is worried that the administration’s actions makes us vulnerable to criticism. Karen Courtheoux says that we will have an opportunity to defend ourselves.
• Jerry Ai suggests that we have a table that is separate from that of the administrators.
• Arijit Sen suggests that some members should not be from the Executive Committee.
• Zach Kolodin suggests that we should try to allow other students to sit on the stage. Zach says that we are going against the nature of our previous statement. Brittany Mitchell suggests that the people with questions often do not have answers while WSA members are.
• Jerry Ai says that the people on stage should be the most experienced members. Hence the Executive Committee should sit on the stage.
• Evan Simko-Bednarski says that we must be prepared to be very persuasive and aggressive.
• Zach Kolodin says that if this forum is for all of the students, then there will be people who feel incompletely represented.
• Jacob Mirsky says that if we are trying to ask the administrators for what we want, we
• Jesse Watson motions to have a WSA presence in some form on the stage. Anda Greeney suggests that we should have two WSA members and four members of the student body.
• Motion to move to previous question. Passed.
• Watson’s motion passed.
• Josh says that we should put the most senior members on the stage.
• Ali Gomer asks if we have any more information about the forum. Emily Polak says that all we know is that it is a long table question and answer session.
• Arijit Sen says that we should not email any of the anonymous protestors because we are valid student representatives and they are not.
• Matt Ball motions for the EC to choose the representatives on stage. Passes.

Adjournment
The meeting is adjourned at 10:24 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Arie Eernisse, WSA Secretary