Vrinda calls the meeting to order at 7:10pm
Absent: Pam Lavin, Julia Fahl, Aya Martin-Seaver, Eva Sharma, Lily Scott, Amani Chowdhury, Kate Ciarlante, Sophie Balis-Harris, Danyelle Phillips.
Announcements:
Sarah Lovegren ‘14: CEO is partnering with the suitability 360 program be alert for opportunities to work with the Parkway Community Garden. If you are interested in developing a praxis III course, contact Neil Anderson. Also the ACPPA Summer Arts Initiative in Norristown has a 7 week program with available housing for really cheap. You work with kids all day and it is a community based work study opportunity. If you are interested, contact Ellie Esmond. The last and most exciting thing is that our CEO has gotten a place on the Presidents National Community Service Honor Roll with distinction. It is our 5th and it is based on the community impact that we have and Haverford and Swarthmore also got on the Honor Roll.
Saba Quadir ‘13: The health center is having their Pajama Party on the March 26th in the health center from 6:30pm-8:30pm. There are 24 chair massage spots, prizes, raffles, free pizza, and free desert. If you dress in your pajamas and go to the health center, you will be entered into an iTunes raffle.
Ali Raeber ‘13: Just a reminder that Candidates Forum is on Wednesday at 8pm in Thomas 110. Meet all of the candidates and ask them questions about the positions they are running for. There will be food. Also please volunteer to table at Erdman next Monday and Tuesday!
Lindsey Crowe ‘14: Soccer is having their annual sneaker sale on April 5th – more information will follow so get excited.
Nora Chong ‘12: There was supposed to be senior cocktails this coming Saturday, but it is going to have to be postponed. There will be an email going out about that later this week. Also on Friday in campus center, there will be an educational exhibit up about wealth gap in America. It will be going on from 10:00am – 2:00pm, and at noon Daniel Denver will be speaking. He is on the editorial staff of the Philadelphia City Paper and writes a lot about race and class inequalities and wealth gap issues in Philadelphia. I really encourage you all to come!
Blair Smith ’12 and Lee Mclenon ‘14: We just wanted to give you guys some room draw reminders. On Tuesday, March 27 at 6:00pm there will be a question and answer session in the room 200 in the Campus Center. If you have any additional questions and cannot make that session, feel free to contact us or Angie Sheets. Also multiple occupancy, hall group, and apartment draw cards are due Thursday, March 29th at 5:00pm.
Vrinda Varia ‘13: Just a reminder that appointments round is open until the March 30th. If you have any questions about the appointments round, feel free to contact Tyler Garber. Also, heads up, there will be an event held on April 15th, more information to come.
Irene Shin ‘13: Open hours for honor board is Thursday from 3:00pm-5:00pm in lower level of guild.
Your Two Cents:
Arncliffe
Amanda Beardall ‘14: I am bringing this up on the half of art club executive board. We have had a lot of issues with people respecting Arncliffe as a space. You go in and supplies are everywhere, people steal things, and leave supplies dirty. People have been viewing it as a place for free arts supplies. We have signs up and have talked to the Honor Board head, but what do you guys think about how to get people to respect studio more?
Melanie Rowe ‘13: Security camera.
Lindsey Crowe ‘14: If it is possible, to send out campus wide information about how much the supplies cost and make the community more conscious about they are using.
Kelly Wilkinson ‘14: maybe if there is a list that people would have to sign to see who is in the building at what time.
Amanda Beardall ‘14: we do have a list and people do have to email us for the code, but the problem is that people give out the code to their friends. I think the issue is in the people who come once because their friends let them into the building and they leave their stuff everywhere because they expect people to clean up after them.
Saba Quadir ‘13: I feel like this could be addressed during customs week because a lot of frosh don’t know that Arncliffe is a resource. So having customspeople or HAs tell incoming students so they are more aware that it is there and how you should use it would be better than hearing it later in the year from their friends.
Project Dorm Room
Saba Quadir ‘13: this is taking assembly back a while to project dorm room around last semester in nov/dec. The assembly got an email for a survey to be completed. There were about 75 people who entered project dorm room. As a member at large who was voting on the survey, I felt that I did not understand the changes to project dorm room this year. I felt that my vote on the survey was not representing the campus and what the constituents were thinking, but more my personal opinion. What did you like about it, not like about it? I am going to talk to Stephanie about it more.
Blair Smith ‘12: by changes, do you mean the fact that the residential council voted on it, but was opened up to the wider assembly.
Saba Quadir ‘13: As a member at large, I represented everyone’s opinion, and so I felt I did not know what I was voting as. I had also spoken to other people in the assembly who did not receive the survey, so I was not clear on who was getting it.
Kendra Kelly ‘13: I know in past years, Residential live has used the 360 camera to take pictures. Why did we not do that this year?
Saba Quadir ‘13: Carolyn Lloyd knew how to use the camera, but she left. So, I think either they do not know how to use the camera or there might have been too many applicants.
Natalie Zamora ‘14: I thought that was a problem because when I was voting, some people were taking more artistic pictures, which made it hard to see the room. Maybe a suggestion for project dorm room would be to clarify what kinds of pictures can be used.
Saba Quadir ‘13: there was not continuity within the pictures.
Natalie Zamora ‘14: I liked the 360 because it showed the room as it was, but if this is not possible, then you should clarify what kinds of pictures go up.
Lee McLenon ‘14: My understanding was that we wanted more opinions by opening it up to the entire assembly because it used to be a much smaller group of people voting. I agree about the pictures, they need to bring back the 360 or show example guidelines of what kinds of pictures can be used.
Sara Lovegren ‘14: I thought the survey was too long, because you could not look at all of the pictures at once.
Kendra Kelly ‘13: also with having students take their own pictures, it gave everyone an opportunity to be a part of it. It made so that all of the pictures looked good. I feel like to make it more inclusive, there should be more standardized pictures or camera being used.
Adelyn Kishbaugh ‘12: I think this is a very good point, but also hard because it takes a lot of Residential Lifes time. So I wonder if Res Co could help with that at all and divide the work more evenly.
Small Group Discussions about Big Cheese
Vrinda Varia ‘13: next week is Big cheese already, so we are going to break up into small groups. Everyone think of 3-5 issues that are pressing on campus and we will vote on ones to bring to big cheese.
Sarah Theobald ‘12: questions we want to address or people we want to talk to?
Vrinda Varia ’13: it can be both.
Adelyn Kishbaugh ‘12: do we know who’s coming?
Vrinda Varia ’13: I emailed everyone to save the date, and told them that we would be emailing topics and if you feel pertinent on coming, to do so.
Vrinda Varia ’13: if we could have a representative, share with what you game up with.
Group 1:
- Sharan Mehta ‘12:
- Space to talk about development of Perry house. What is exactly happening?
- Printing in terms of a follow up with what happened last semester. There were changes that were proposed that were supposed to happen this spring that do not seem to be happening. So a discussion about what’s happening next fall. Maybe different quotas depending on classes, grade.
- Trying to make people who come to big cheese be utilized with questions
- Bulletin boards in Canaday. How the space is going to be used and implemented, what plans with administration
Group2:
- Nkechi Ampah ’15:
- Undocumented students discussion
- Printing discussion
- Changes to appliance policies (appliances allowed/not allowed in dorms)
- Endowment and giving rate
- Retention rate
- Inviting requests: Jenny Rickard, Multicultural center head, Elliott Shore, Angie Sheets
Group3:
- Emma Rosenblum ‘14:
- Meal plan and clarifying who has what meal plan
- Looking at the $100 and $200 meal plans with uncommon for rising prices
- Financial aid
- Rumors about offering merit based aid. What that means, need sensitive vs. need blind
- Relationship between financial aid officers and students when they come, that they communicate more with students
Group4:
- Kendra Kelly ’13:
- Rising prices in uncommon. Concerns about how many meals will be allotted?
- Retention rate at BMC. Is the transfer rate going up, what are the reasons: financial, dissatisfaction? What can be or is being done to counteract that.
Group5:
- Adelyn Kishbauch ’12:
- asking Elliot Shore to talk about printing
- a way for printing money to roll over
- Dean Rasmussen
- clarification about policy with undocumented students
- goals that they met this year, what they are excited about for next year.
- Pems construction has to do with accessibility, ask about accessibility changes being done on campus and how they are being improved
Group6:
- Karina Siu ’14:
- Wanting to know what construction is happening over the summer (cow path)
- Summer storage as well
Vrinda Varia ‘13: I see themes in terms of financial aid, printing, undocumented students, meal plans, and the retention rate.
Sarah Theobald ‘12: we ask about meal plans every year and things that Bernie says never change because we know why it is the way it is.
Vrinda Varia ‘13: Bernie actually can’t make it to the meeting, so if anyone has questions relating to meal plans and dining services, come talk to us or email. She is really willing to answer questions but is not able to make it to big cheese.
Amanda Beardall ‘14: I think the discussion about Perry house is really important because it is going around a lot on campus.
Christine Calderon ‘13: Over Perry house, I would suggest inviting the presidents of Sisterhood, Picasso, and Mujeres because it should be an administrative discussion as well as represented by those people.
Vrinda Varia ‘13: I am going to suggest that that not be discussed at big cheese so that we can move it to a new agenda item. I can also see if there is a representative from Res Life who would be willing to come.
Emma Condy ‘12: I don’t think that the problem is that people are not okay with Perry house in general, but that they have not provided a time frame when Perry house will be repaired which is causing concerns because it is taking away housing and we are supposedly shorter with housing
Kelly Wilkinson ‘14: there has been a lot of discussion about Perry house between students. I have read some things on tumbler regarding people have posting their opinions about Perry House. I think it would be a really good discussion to have, but at Big cheese to mainly discuss the time frame.
Adelyn Kishbauch ‘12: in terms of housing, I believe they are aware that the housing is an issue, so they are trying to get more apartments so Perry house moving will not affect overall number of rooms.
Nkechi Ampah ‘15: I agree with Kelly.
Melanie Rowe ‘13: I cannot remember the name of the head of facilities/planning/construction, can we invite them? If we have them here, then we can have a general informative meeting about Perry house, construction, etc.
Vrinda Varia ’13: Yes, we can try.
Saba Quadir ‘13: I liked the quick thing about the retention rate because I have heard discussion about that on campus.
Vrinda Varia ‘13: Here is a summary of the topics: printing, financial aid, retention rate, and undocumented students. Are these all of the topics we want to bring to the Big Cheese?
Sarah Theobald ‘12: what does that mean?
Vrinda Varia ‘13: I am emailing the people who will be coming so they are prepared for the questions we will ask them. That being said, please ask questions about these topics because they will come prepared to answer questions!
Melanie Rowe ‘13: given the heated nature of the undocumented student conversation, can we leave that till the end so the logistical stuff out of the way?
Adelyn Kishbaugh ‘12: I do not know how much more they will have to say about that topic, so I am not sure how long of a discussion it will be.
Vrinda Varia ‘13: Also we have invited the Big Cheese to come to us with questions, so be prepared. We will send out an email with the people who are being confirmed to come to the meeting.
Plenary Bylaws:
Vrinda Varia ‘13: after plenary this year, the new Executive board and old Executive board were talking and thought that there were a lot questions that came out of plenary and a lot of logistical things we could fix about how the plenary resolutions are born. We wanted to make bylaws to help make clarifications. Proposed Plenary By-laws:
Plenary Resolution Composition
A Plenary Resolution can serve one of the following purposes:
- Constitutional Amendment
- Recommendation to Administration, Faculty, Staff, and/or the Board of Trustees
- In this case, the recommendation must be an issue that directly affects student life and must be something that the Administration, Faculty, Staff, and/or the Board of Trustees has the power to address
- Ratification of school policy
- Challenge decisions made by the Assembly
- Creation or amendment of campus-wide policies
- In this case, the resolution is a clarification of expectations of students based on the Honor Code and the way in which students interact with it.
Other reasons for proposing a plenary resolution must be submitted to the SGA Executive Board for review one week after the resolution writing workshop.
Structure of a Resolution
Every Plenary resolution must answer the following questions in the resolution:
- Who is presenting the resolution? Who will be affected by the proposed changes? Who will the resolution-writer work with to ensure the proposed changes will be successfully implemented?
- What is the issue?
- When can action on the resolution be expected to start taking shape?
A timeline of action steps must be presented in the resolution.
- Why is this an issue?
Thorough research, including, but not limited to, conversations and opinions of students, Administration, faculty and staff, must be conducted.
- How does the Writer plan to follow-through with the resolution?
These questions must be answered within the appropriate format of a plenary resolution.
The number of signatures resolution petitions must receive is 1/3 of quorum of the Association.
Plenary Resolution Presentation to the Assembly
Before a resolution is presented to the Association, it must be presented to the SGA Assembly. This is done as a means of raising awareness for the resolution, as a way for giving advice on clarity and for checking the credibility of the context of the resolution. For a resolution to be presented to the Assembly, the following must occur:
- Resolution writer must go to one resolution writing workshop
- Resolution writer must get advice from workshop facilitators
- Resolution writer must thoroughly research the issue of their resolution in terms of its history and relevance to students, faculty, staff and administration.
- A member of the Executive Board and a Plenary Committee member will approach the Resolution Writer and ask if they need assistance in writing their resolution.
- Resolution writer must ask for assistance and commitment of the appropriate SGA contact to aid in the follow-through of the resolution, if it were to pass.
- The Executive Board must meet and discuss all proposed resolutions. The President of the Executive Board will determine if the resolution is adequately prepared to be presented to the Assembly.
If a Resolution is approved for Assembly Presentation by the President:
- The resolution will be presented to the Assembly.
- A final draft of the resolution must be submitted to the Executive Board two days after it is presented to the Assembly.
If a Resolution is not approved for Assembly Presentation by the President:
- The President must explain to the Resolution’s writer why the resolution did not pass in its current state and if appropriate, will identify changes that could be made so that the resolution is more likely to pass in the future.
- The President must explain to the Resolution’s writer that if the student is still interested in pursuing the resolution in its current state by presenting it to the Assembly, this can be done by a two-thirds Assembly vote.
At the Resolution-Presentation SGA meeting:
- The President must explain how many resolutions were written and how many are being presented.
- If a resolution was not approved by the President, the President must summarize the content of the resolution.
- The Assembly may override the President’s decision by a two-thirds Assembly vote. This can only be done if the Resolution’s writer is still interested in pursuing the resolution and through a motion.
- If the Assembly votes to hear the resolution, and the Presenter is still interested in pursuing the resolution, the Presenter must be ready to present the resolution at SGA on Sunday.
- The final draft of the resolution must be submitted to the Executive Board two days after it is presented to the Assembly.
Plenary Resolution Follow-Through
A Plenary Resolution must define who the presenter will work with to ensure the resolution is successfully implemented.
The presenter must be an active member of the post-plenary action.
If the resolution’s follow-through requires interaction with Faculty, Staff, Administration and/or
Board of Trustees, the resolution must state a person who will work with them.
The appropriate SGA leader will work with the presenter/committee/student group to help carry the resolution forward.
Institutional Memory
The Secretary of SGA will transcribe all Plenary resolutions on the SGA Blog. This will track Resolutions as they are presented to the Assembly, the Association and the outcomes of the voting on all levels.
Sarah Theobald ‘12: so we have a plenary committee, they do a lot of things, but why aren’t the decisions being made by them? Why is it going to the executive board and why does the president have so much power?
Vrinda Varia ‘13: we see this as a working relationship between the plenary committee and the executive board in terms of how the resolution is going to be written. Also, because the executive board is going to helping the resolution writers from the beginning and end.
Yong Jung Cho ‘12: point of information, we felt that the president has the most knowledge in terms of all of the aspects on campus and could appropriately see the resolution in a different way than other student. And, the plenary committee works very hard with the Executive board and forms a very collaborative process. So, it was not excluding the plenary committee out of anything.
Vrinda Varia ‘13: it is also recognizing the fact that during this time, plenary is also being planned, so there is logistically a lot going on. So this allows us to try and even out the amount of work everyone has to do.
Nkechi Ampah ‘15: something that was brought up at the presentation for Plenary Resolutions was the question as to whether or not the resolutions needed to be written with the specific rhetoric that has been used in the past and if this clouds the meaning. I was just wondering what the follow up was.
Vrinda Varia ‘13: as it stands, we would like to keep the format the same but we would want to add to the format in that it would have to answer the certain questions that were listed.
Nkechi Ampah ‘15: can it be made so that the way to make the resolution is available ahead of time?
Vrinda Varia ‘13: yes, I think so. Do you feel comfortable voting those in today?
Lindsey Crowe ‘14: what is this a vote to do?
Vrinda Varia ‘13: vote to add these by-laws.
Adelyn Kishbaugh ‘12: can we make additions right now? I am concerned that it is a lot on the president and the focus is there, I feel that the executive board and plenary committee should have more involvement.
Jenna ‘13: I think that this is a really big issue, and I think I would like time to think and read this more.
Adelyn Kishbaugh ‘12: motion to extend vote
Sarah Theobald ‘12: second
Vrinda Varia ‘13: we will send it out and vote on it before big cheese
Old business
Lee McClenon ’14 and Blair Smith ‘12: we are doing a little bit of a report and a notifier about our Plenary resolution in the fall to establish a ResCo fund. We are currently in discussion with the ResCo Council about some projects and we just wanted to open that up to the community. We have $1000. Please send your ideas to resco@brynmawr.edu.
Some of the things that ResCo is currently discussing:
- The west laundry room would like shelves
- Improvements to Merion laundry room (a table to fold on)
- Ceiling lights in Denbigh Common rooms
- Unlocking doors in Denbigh Common room
- Brecon 4th Common room
Muna Aghaalnemer ‘13: new furniture for rock common room
Lee McClenon ‘14: we have not asked which the next common room to be renovated.
Emma Condy ‘12: point of information, we have new chairs, but no padding.
Saba Quadir ‘13: to go off of that, we would like to see the cushions return to rock.
Devanshi Vaid ‘13: if we could have more of the cigarette butt things around campus to reduce how many around campus. Specifically outside lusty and outside the library (1st floor Canday).
Lee McClenon ’14: we are also asking for one in back door of east
Natalie Zamora ‘14: is there a way we can set aside money for certain dorms that have parties
Blair Smith ‘12: not from this fund, because it’s specifically for furniture and structure of the dorm.
Natalie Zamora ‘14: like if something were to happen to a piece of furniture because of a party
Lee McClenon ‘14: what we are saying is that this money was not used for those purposes this semester, so we have this money. We will also have more money next semester to cover anything next semester.