SGA Meeting 11.09.08
Agenda
Roll Call
Announcements
Your Two Cents
College ACB Discussion
Plenary Update
What’s Going On In SGA?
Old Business
New Business
Meeting called to order at 7:10 pm.
Roll Call and announcements coming soon.
Announcements
Your Two Cents
Ashley Madden, ’09: Tania announced last year that people should stop parking in front of the accessible ramps in front of places. People can’t get to the dining halls and their own dorms if you block them, so please keep on the lookout. Especially with the weather getting work.
Taline Cox, ’10: Point Of Information: COPS is working on painting on that spot yellow!
College ACB Discussion
Katie Kellom, Honor Board Head: Announcements, SGA’s Involvement, and Survey Options. As we mentioned last week, we were thinking of having a survey. A few things to clarify, the website is no longer google-able. If you are within the site, you can search, but it is not externally searchable. Also, their Terms of Use is interesting – it’s not meant to have detrimental effects on communities. It’s meant for discussion. It’s one of the better sites about having people report things, and they are very user-dependent on reporting, because they can only do so much. If you email them, or click on “report”, they are very open to having posts removed, and you can also contest that, and request it to be reposted. It’s one of the more conscientious sites. We’ve had questions and issues come up about the site because people haven’t been using it in the best way possible. We wanted to ask you if we as SGA should be addressing this. At the end of the discussion, there will be a straw vote. If you vote yes, we will have a survey about this.
Sadie Marlow, Member-at-Large: I think that SGA should be involved in this. Just because it is online does not mean that it isn’t part of our campus. Also, the Honor Code applies to everything here, even online.
Liana Donahue, Class of ’12 President: I think it’s dividing the campus, and we need to be involved. If we aren’t going to do something about it, it’s not going to get done.
Erica Seaborne, Elections Co-Head: While I do agree that SGA is a place where we should talk about this, as Katie pointed out, the site operates very much like our Honor Code. The site is very open to removal. We need to think about what it says if we say that some people were offended, so we are going to start making rules about what can and cannot be said.
Julia Harris, ’09: While I agree that this is a problem, no one can be held accountable on an anonymous site. As much as we can work on this, no one can be held accountable, and that goes against what Bryn Mawr should be teaching us.
Liz Hood, Erdman Dorm Co-President: I think that these boards are an inherent use of freedom of speech – it’s a shame that people haven’t used it well, but realistically, that’s a right for people to have to share their opinions.
Steph Hilton, COPS Co-Head: I agree that we should be able to self-regulate: I have a question as to what capacity SGA would get involved in this. I don’t want to have to go on the site and regulate it myself. I’m beginning a job search, and I don’t think it’s my responsibility to see if my name is on there for any reason.
Taline Cox, COPS Co-Head: What prompted us as a college to be part of this.
Katie Kellom: I don’t know how we found out about it, but if you go to the site, anyone can request that a college be added to it. Someone in the community adds the college as having a page.
Liana Donahue: I think being a member of this campus, people should be held accountable for saying what they say – if you are so eager to speak about this, sign your name.
Amanda Bowes, Class of 2010 President: It’s not only limited to Bryn Mawr right now, so maybe we could limit it.
Sadie Marlow: I know that Haverford students have posted on here, so I know that these people are also saying awful things, as well.
Katie Kellom: I was researching this – everyone has a few free posts, and after that, they ask you to create a login, with a Bryn Mawr College address to sign-in.
Steph Hilton: Posts per IP address?
Katie Kellom: I think it is per IP address. We wanted to have a survey to involve as many people as possible on campus. These were the options that we saw – we are here asking if you think these are sufficient, if we are missing any. Survey would be through SurveyMonkey.
Steph Hilton: The third option – requiring a login – they will never reveal an identity. Can you clarify?
Katie Kellom: They would not, it would be where you would login – if you had an issue, you would contact the college and not the site.
Ashley Madden: It’s kind of like the college making a temporary firewall — a redirect.
Rachel Corey, Board of Trustees Rep: Would it only be if you are on the Bryn Mawr server.
Katie Kellom: We can’t block it off campus. But you would always have to login to post with a Bryn Mawr email and password.
Judy Barr, Student Curriculum Committee Head: So the firewall would still pop-up from off-campus? Yes, OK.
Brittney Thornbury, Member-at-Large: It would be more like Facebook – blocking the site without a Bryn Mawr email address.
Rachel Corey: I think it would also be helpful to put the site up.
Katie Kellom: I don’t think it’s necessary for people to see right now – we know there are offensive things on there.
Aheli Purkayastha, President: This is an opportunity for us to step up as an SGA to talk about what we’d like to see with this. I respect both of your opinions, but this discussion is more about CollegeACB’s role in our community, and less about the content.
Emma Wisniewski-Barker, Member-at-Large: Would that banner refraining from talking about people only be for harmful personal attacks, or in any way?
Katie Kellom: We could have the banner say whatever we want.
Kendalyn Brown: I think it’s asking not to use names at all. There are even discussion threads talking positively about people, and they can be detrimental as well, even if you intend it in a good way.
Amanda Bowes: I was also wondering if on the banner if there was any way to bring in the Honor Code into it – you can ask people to refrain, but if you add in that this is part of the community you are a part of.
Sofia Nitchie, Residence Council Co-Head: I agree there should be no mention of names.
Taline Cox: I just wondered, how attached are people to this? Would it be a really bad thing to get rid of it?
Chelsea Dunkel, Merion Dorm President: I think it’s not only the students who need to think about it, it’s also Professors, etc., so we should think about them as well.
Kaitlin Menza, ’09: I think there are people who are hugely attached to it. It’s typical Bryn Mawr, and that the most attached people are not sitting in this room right now.
Steph Hilton: I would love to have this page taken down. The people who are attached to it, they should be here. I saw people come up here and cry, talking about how much it affected them. Where were the people crying about how much they love it.
Jane Morris, ’10: The College ACB is a good site, and I think now with the exposure, it would be hard for SGA to take away. There could be backlash. Because College ACB has these checks, it’s better than JuicyCampus, and if your name is up there. I’m not sure that it’s feasible anymore. As far as mentioning names, everyone has talked about someone else – I’m not sure why we are setting a double standard about why online is different than in person.
Sofia Nitchie: There are a few positive things on this site – things they would never talk about non-anonymously. Perhaps it could be a forum for people.
Kendalyn Brown: I do agree that the board has positive aspects, I’m concerned about it affecting members of our community in a way that cannot be erased. We need to acknowledge that while the ability to delete it is positive, it may be difficult for anyone who hasn’t been through this experience to think about it in that light.
Patricia LeBron, Pem East Dorm President: The point of being at Bryn Mawr is that you confront people person-to-person directly, instead of putting slander out. A big part of communication is knowing who you are talking to. I think it’s better if it’s gone.
Grace Kung, Pem East Dorm President: What effect has the forum had on the postings on the website?
Aheli Purkayastha: There was a post right after the meeting bringing up this idea of having a banner, and having individuals take action on their own. It’s not consistent. It happened a lot in the beginning, but when any post is particularly damaging.
Hannah Curry-McDougald, ’10: As someone working at Guild, have you talked to anyone at Guild to find out about how they would create this extra login. Do you happen to know how Haverford’s Help Desk’s call volume has increased.
Amanda Cegielski, Faculty Rep: Point of Information: Guild is just an ISP, but so we have nothing to do with this site and blocking, etc.
Katie Kellom: We’ve talked to people in the administration, but they would be more inclined to do something if there were a student vote about this.
Klaralee Charlton, Treasurer: My personal opinion – I don’t want us to be trying to go out in the world and policing everything. Because ACB is here, and there are other sites like it, it would be in our best interests to make the best out of what we have. As soon as we take it down, another worse one would pop up – so it would be best to work with what we have now rather than stall the problem later.
Antonia Kerle, Denbigh Dorm Co-President: If we do decide to remove the page, is there something to prevent it from being recreated?
Katie Kellom: No, and I think that’s another question I was concerned about. People could also make a false name for the college. Other sites haven’t been as cooperative, and aren’t as interested in student concerns.
Katherine Redford, ’10: This board is really willing to work with us so the positive can come out and keep the negative to a minimum. My concern is that the bad comments will move to somewhere else.
Nina Jankowicz, Brecon Dorm Co-President: We all agree that the Honor Code extends to this site. The important thing is getting the word out to the community. If people treated each other the same online as they do in person, we wouldn’t have this problem. I think the report option is the best.
Amanda Bowes: What is JuicyCampus?
Marisa Franz, Haverford Rep: JuicyCampus is another online site where you can post juicy gossip about your college. You can’t take things down. I know McGill University in Toronto has it.
Judy Barr: I know other campuses are confronting this issue about JuicyCampus, and these type sites.
Paula Hidalgo, ’11: JuicyCampus shows up on Facebook – so whenever you reload, that’s why so many students are leaning towards it.
Judy Barr: Should we talk about this in general?
Katie Kellom: Our concern right now is that this is the most prominent site, and this is the site we can actually do something about right now.
Kendalyn Brown: I think that if we do decide to do something it will set a precedent as to how to work on these issues. Also, if it’s not SGA, who would do something about it?
Aheli Purkayastha: It would be up to individuals to address the matter online.
Caroline Troien, ’09: Point Of Information: You can still confront online via Spring Plenary 2007.
Straw vote: Should SGA address this issue? 38 for, 14 against, 13 abstentions.
Katie Kellom: Is the survey a good means of doing this?
Weezie Lauher: Do we know enough about the login requirements covers past postings?
Katie Kellom: It would only apply to new postings.
Steph Hilton: Are we entirely positive that options 2 and 3 can be done?
Katie Kellom: They have a banner system in place, so yes, that is plausible. The third option is what Haverford has done. I know that it is possible, it would have to be done through Bryn Mawr, not through the website.
Patricia LeBron: On the survey, would there be an option to make comments/suggestions?
Katie Kellom: My concern would be about tallying it up – I would rather have it be like that, but we could have a write-in option.
Christina Wagner: It’s the same with the free posts – however, if you use them up, you get to a login screen with a blank that says “____@haverford.edu”, so you have to login.
Katie Kellom: I’ve had discussions with previous Haverford Honor Council chairs, and they said that that’s what they’ve done.
Kaitlin Menza, ’09: We are going around in circles because we don’t know the logistics of the technology. It will not make people less mean. I also want to remind that I really don’t think that Guild would be willing to take on this problem.
Judy Barr: Logistically, maybe it is problematic. Maybe SGA’s best role is to hold meetings and facilitate discussions about this. If this is an Honor Code thing, maybe we need to remind people about what this means.
Rodline Louijeune, Board of Trustees Rep: I don’t think the problem is that people are going to keep talking trash – it’s that you can’t confront. That’s the issue.
Straw Vote: Majority in favor of having a survey.
Plenary Update
Rachel Goddard, ’10: Jill Barndt and I presented about asking for the date of priority number release to be moved up. It passed, and we went to ResLife and presented the text. She said that it sounded great. Most likely it will be implemented this spring.
Paula Hidalgo, ’11: I presented on reducing paper waste – the catalog – the link will be on VRO next semester for registering for next year, you will see a request for a catalog. Soon, the Registrar will send out reminder emails. The phone directory went out this year with a message asking you to familiarize yourself with the online databases, because they have decided not to print the phone directories at all for any undergraduates, so no one will get it in the future [stress requested by Paula Hidalgo].
Dasha Mikic, ’09: I presented the resolution about uncovering Pass/Fail grades. I brought it to the Faculty Curriculum Committee, and I met with about 12 professors and staff, the registrar, deans, and there were no student reps at the time. Ignaco Gallup-Diaz is aware of the gap in representation, and would be willing to meet again. I went in saying student arguments from Plenary, and it was meant to engage faculty and staff with student concerns. They saw two serious problems that I wanted to bring to you: The first was that the registrar is in favor of making Bryn Mawr and Haverford’s campus policies comparable, but at Haverford, they are not allowed to take a class C/NC if it is in your major. First of all, there is lower usage of this policy at Haverford. It would lower exploration of classes, etc. The last thing they said is that students would take easier sounding classes. The second concern was that it may harm students who choose to take the C/NC option, because then they might suspect that Grad Schools would think that those were low grades if they chose not to uncover them. At the end of the meeting, I suggested to them that if they vote against this in a similar way, they should take it upon themselves to circulate it among the students. They told me no, and that I should write it instead. I don’t feel comfortable writing for them. I think it further reinforces the division between students and everyone else, and I didn’t want to perpetuate that feeling. I know a lot of students felt that there was no conversation last time. I wanted to ask you all what you want me to do.
Patricia LeBron: It sounds like they are doing the same thing again by not participating in dialog. It seems like they are not in support of it. Is there a way to call an open meeting with them with the Curriculum committee to talk about it?
Judy Barr: I was abroad when the first iteration, but we were in the elections process this time. I am in the process of talking to Ignacio about this. Student issues are on the agenda for the November 17th meeting, and this is currently not a part of it, but they felt like they just didn’t know how to do it, so I think they would be willing to.
Taline Cox: You said the registrar wanted to work with making our policy the same as Haverford. Does it have to be exactly the same that you can’t take a required course C/NC?
Dasha Mikic: I felt that the meeting veered that way, and we started having that talk instead of on my resolution.
Amanda Bowes: Isn’t that always a concern?
Nina Jankowicz: Do grad schools know which ones you took? Are they marked?
Kendalyn Brown: They would know the policy.
Aheli Purkayastha: To make sure we are answering your concerns, that while I recognize all of the comments in the room. Judy is now elected, and part of her job is to deal with these issues, and I think it’s great she’s offered to work on this topic.
Katie Kellom: We could ask for them to come and talk about it, that while they may say now, we can ask.
Dasha Mikic: My purpose was to make sure that students didn’t feel like I let it go, and that I tried to speak on your behalf. I really tried to do everything I could.
What’s Going On In SGA?
Aheli Purkayastha: The next part was intended for SGA members and community members to talk about SGA. We wanted to have a format for you to talk about this. I recognize it’s 8:22, and I don’t think it’s fair to ask that you extend this meeting to talk about this, even though I feel it’s really important. I’m proposing that I sent an email to the community – the next meeting is an SGA retreat focusing on the SGA Assembly members in the SGA house and reflecting on how to represent the community. This is why I want to beg you all to have the understanding that next week’s meeting will be specifically SGA representatives, and we want community member input. I would like to have the time for all of you here to have discussion. We will have a vote to extend time.
Sadie Marlow: Motion to extend time until 8:45.
Rodline Louijeune: Seconded.
Vote to extend time: 7 in favor, 20 against, 4 abstentions.
Old Business
Christina Wagner: I think it’s really important that community members have. I would like to ask that we push this agenda item to another date.
Aheli Purkayastha: This discussion will be tabled until next semester.
Jill Walker: Are community members welcome?
Aheli Purkayastha: They are welcome, but this will be a meeting dedicated to talking about roles and responsibilities is not necessarily fun for community members.
Ashley Madden: We also have office hours.
Kendra Hayde, Secretary: I will stick the questions for discussion we intended to use on the website.
Liz Hood, Erdman Dorm Co-President: What are your office hours?
Kaitlin Menza, ’09: I want to leave at 8:30, but because I want to hear about this, it sucks that this is being held in next semester. I know that the other options are having this outside our 7-8:30 forum, I want there to be something, even if there is something.
Amanda Cegielski: Can we have this discussion online on the blog?
Kendra Hayde: Comments can be enabled.
Amanda Cegielski: We can start a forum post on Bryn Mawr Chatter.
Klaralee Charlton: We had a vote at the end of last semester to not fund Bi-Co news at the end of last semester given the disparity of the funding. At this time, there is not a huge disparity, it’s about 40,000 per school. There isn’t this huge disparity anymore. We are working to find a method to use and institute for semesters to come because we have a good working relationship, he and I have agreed that we are ok with doing budgeting how we want. We want to try to institute a way to do Bi-Co budgeting that will work forever. This will take time, and we won’t have time before the next round of budgeting. I wanted to bring to you to decide how the Bi-Co News should be funded. I think that we should fund the Bi-Co News given the fact that there isn’t this great disparity. I needed to come back to the assembly and ask if it is OK for us to fund the Bi-Co News. This would be a move to show good will to the process and acknowledge that we are trying to work on it. This would give us time.
Vote for funding the Bi-Co News next semester: 34 in favor; 0 against; 0 abstentions. The vote passes, and so the Bi-Co News will be funded by Bryn Mawr next semester.
Ashley Madden: We discussed at a past meeting forming a constitutional review committee. We already have a committee that is historically going to do that. The Plenary Committee is supposed to do this already in addition to helping us run plenary. They haven’t done it recently, because we haven’t had people do it. We are going to send a community email that the description has gone back to the old system. The general community consensus was for it to be appointed anyways.
Meeting adjourned at 8:36 pm.