1/27 Committee Reports!

Prepared by WSA Coordinator Izaak Orlansky '08 and the Committee Chairs.

WSA Committee Reports for the weeks of

Jan 1 – Jan 27 2008

Highlights

1. Community Outreach Committee (COCo) bids adieu to Cesar Medina ‘09.
2. Educational Policy Committee (EPC) is gearing up for the spring semester.
3. Executive Committee (EC) reports on Institutional Priorities.
4. Finance and Facilities Committee (FiFaC) is evaluating the transition to all-you-care-to-eat for lunch at the Marketplace at Usdan.
5. Organization and External Affairs (OEAC) is monitoring the response to the slightly decreased number of New York Times.
6. Student Affairs Committee (SAC) reports that the Undergraduate Residential Life Committee voted against any reduction in the WestCo program.
7. Student Budget Committee (SBC) will start up again for the spring semester on Monday!

Community Outreach Committee (COCo)

1. COCo member to study abroad

We have to sadly say bon voyage to Cesar Medina ’09, who has decided last-minute to study abroad this semester. We wish him luck. And we will be doing appointments to replace him next week.

Educational Policy Committee (EPC)

1. Issues for the Spring (repeat from previous semester’s report)

Looking forward, the EPC discussed several issues to be addressed in the Spring. Highlights include

• the role of the Committee on International Study, which purportedly provides oversight of the OIS (this is Alex’s pet issue)


• how to better make use of course clusters (Sam's pet issue)


• allowing graduate students to register for undergraduate classes through WesMaps


• the creation of both student and faculty advisee/advisor handbooks

Executive Committee (EC)

1. Institutional Priorities Meeting

A group of people met to discuss Institutional Priorities the day before classes started. After President Roth gave faculty and staff a request for proposals, they gathered around 50 ideas for innovation. The ultimate goal of the process is to identify around five institutional priorities that they will raise money to achieve.
Sam, Matt, and Emily attended and gave our feedback. At the end of the meeting, the proposals were grouped into several categories. The committee discussed that there were other issues that might fit and kept open the option of new ideas.

2. Meeting with Vice President for Diversity and Strategic Partnerships

Emily, Matt, and Melgily (who went abroad this semester L ) met with Sonia Mañjon at the end of last semester. We talked about diversity issues (and more) for around an hour and gave her a mini-tour of the WSA space. She was hired at the beginning of this semester, and will be joining Wesleyan next year.

3. Divestment Discussion

An ad-hoc committee of trustees, WSA members, and members of SEWI (Students for Ending the War in Iraq) is being set up to discuss the possibility of divestment. No meetings have happened yet, but they should start soon.

Finances and Facilities Committee (FiFaC)

1. Dining

• Over break Dean Rick informed me that last year 1,033 students added $129,000 in points during the fall semester, while this year 1,057 added $117,000 in points during the fall semester. Keep in mind that everyone started with more points this year, although I think the extra points were eaten up at the beginning of the semester before prices were lowered in the Marketplace.


• Contract negotiations between the dining workers’ union and Bon Appetit began on Wednesday.


• Please email feedback about the transition to all-you-care-to-eat dining in the Marketplace to rweiss@wesleyan.edu. The Dining Committee will be meeting next week to discuss the new set-up.

2. Endowment Advisory Committee (EAC)

Over spring break Becky was in contact with Cheyenna Weber, the organizing director of the Responsible Endowments Coalition (REC), a national student group that works with investor responsibility on college campuses. The REC provides a proxy vote preview every spring and can help the EAC if we are interested in filing or letter writing. Hopefully with the help of the REC the EAC will be more active this spring.

3. Molecular and Life Sciences Buildings

• The M&LS building is in the final stages of schematic design, which will be completed in time to present to the trustees in February.


• The project is currently at least $7 million over-budget, and Payette, the architectural firm designing the building, is looking for creative solutions to save money without sacrificing quality. The project cost will not exceed the $160 million budget.


• The only program house getting knocked down for the building is Chinese House, which will be replaced elsewhere.


• Payette originally wanted to fashion the façade of the building out of brownstone to match many other buildings on campus, but problems have arisen. Most significantly, it is difficult to find brownstone of a high enough quality. As an alternative, Payette is considering a terra cotta exterior.

Organization and External Affairs Committee (OEAC)

1. New York Times Circulation

As planned, fewer papers are being circulated. In order to make students the primary recipients of the NYT, the North College stack has been eliminated. So far, the transition to fewer papers seems to be few. Let Robert or Sami know if you have any feedback.

Student Affairs Committee (SAC)

1. Undergraduate Residential Life Committee (URLC)

The URLC concluded its extensive discussion on housing distribution.

• The proposal to remove one or more buildings from the WestCo program was voted down by a 1-vote margin.


• The proposal to remove frosh from Nics 6 and 7 was voted down.

2. Student Life Committee (SLC)

• The Dean of the College needs to cut its budget over the next several years to reduce the University’s reliance on the endowment. The SLC voted to recommend removing the Assistant Dean of Diversity position as the DOC budget cut for this fiscal year.


• The SLC voted to recommend that the Dean of the College continues to make its $4000 contribution to the New York Times readership program.


• The Political Speakers Policy was discussed, voted on, and unanimously approved. It is available at the end of Committee reports.


• The URLC presented an end-of-the-semester report.

3. Fire Safety

New fire safety software will NOT have the ability to send follow up emails after students are fined. Barbara Spalding expressed interest in learning how to use a mail merge so she could send follow up emails herself.

Student Budget Committee (SBC)

1. Argus accounting

Veteran members of the SBC will be meeting with the Argus business manager and the editors-in-chief next week to review first semester Argus spending and consider adjustments for second semester's budget.

2. State of the budget

Gianna expects to go over the state of the budget with Office Coordinator Lisa Hendrix some time this week.

3. SBC Meeting

The SBC will meet for the first time tomorrow, Monday January 28th at 4:15pm in Usdan 104 as per usual.