General Assembly

Minutes from March 29, 2007

Associated Students of Occidental College

General Assembly Minutes

March 29, 2007

12:00-1:30, J200

Minutes by Chelsey Brack

Senators Present: Caroline Kim, Matt Kuzio, Jimmy Gillan, Andrew DeBlock, Amy Laslett, Patrick McCredie, Mike Myers, Max Thoman-Tedford, Konstantin Chaykovskiy, Rozell Hodges, John Wilson, Teddy Zou.

Guests Present: Max Read, Brittany Sanders, Michael Adams, Joseph Wolfe, Kathleen Jo Luerano, Richie DeMaria, Justin Aguiliaz, Neil Okey, Conor Sanchez, Tessa D’Arcangelew, Kyshawn Hooks, Meagan Colvin, Daniel Landesman, Stephanie Bundy, Rosny Daniel, Cameron Yuen-Shore, Krystal Wright, Richard Highsmith, Eric Lavin, Elizabeth Teurley, David Martinez, Mike Heffner, Spenser Smith, Mike Salisbury, Liana Rose Tobin, Christine Wagner, Monica Espinoza, Debbie Weiser, Deylin Thrift-Viceros, George McIntire, Dan Miller, Sarah Richey, Sara Fulton-Koerbling, Michelle DeLateur, Chelsey Brack (35).

Spencer Jemelka and Katie Orme opened the meeting at 12:06 PM. Katie and Spencer welcomed everyone to the official student forum. The General Assembly is a place for students to bring up issues and policy change. The General Assembly recognizes that the student body is one of many forums that form the community. This is a forum for students to work with other students and administrators. Katie welcomed a team from Facilities, who are here to answer questions that we have.

1. Kecia Baker - Director of Residence Life and Housing services, and Mike Groener – Vice President of Administration and Finance. Student Housing Upgrade Plan 2007-2008

Mike is very happy with board meetings this week concerning matters of Major Renewal and Replacement plans. Not much was done last year with residence halls. It is a big issue for President Prager and Mike, and there is a new emphasis on residence halls because they are where the students live. Initially thought about adding more students on campus, but realized would be missing a golden opportunity to use new res hall as a “surge space” to move people from their res halls to renovate them. The plan is that all residence halls are to be completely refurbished or renovated by fall 2008. Refurbishment includes new paint and carpet and fixing what’s broken, etc.

Three major candidates for renovation: Erdman (built in 1927), Wylie (built in 1940), and Bell-Young (built in 1956). The college wants to do a full renovation of these halls when new residence hall is available. Renovations include refurbishments of lounges, common areas and hallways for most residence halls this summer in time for student return in the fall 2007 and renovation will begin right after commencement this year. For the summer of 2007, Norris, Braun, Chilcott, Haines, Newcomb Pauley, Stewart-Cleland, Newcomb and Pauley will all be renovated. Over Winter Break 2007-08, Stearns will have its common room area refurbished, and the New Res Hall will be completed. In the summer 2008 they will finish all refurbishments and renovations. Mike Myers asked if all three of the main dorms are going to be renovated, and Mike Groener answered that they would. Chris Wagner asked what is being done accessibility-wise for existing dorms as well as for the new dorm and Mike acknowledged that it is something obvious that needs to be done. Because they are major renovation projects, required by codes. Chris asked about the implementation of elevators and ramps, and Mike answered that he doesn’t know yet about the plans for those.

Mike Salisbury asked where the Multicultural Summer Institute will be held if Pauley I sunder construction, and Mike Groener answered that it will take place in Bell-Young.

Daniel Landesman asked about 1601, if it was receiving any refurbishments, and Mike answered that he didn’t know yet.

John Wilson asked what the plan is for the card-key entry system. Mike said the only one for sure is Newcomb this summer, and then the new res hall. The general plan is to have all interior and exterior doors of res halls to eventually be on the system, and it will take some time to do and will be fully implemented several years out from now.

Daniel Landesman asked about plans for res hall computer rooms, if they will be card-key system as well, and Ethan said yes, he thinks so. The card-key system is really about protecting people, and there may be a need for it in the computer labs, but they will have to see.

Brittany Sanders asked about if power goes out - will there be a back-up generator for the card-key system, and Ethan said that the power is lined by battery systems backed by building power. If it’s for a short period of time, it will be fine. If it is for longer than that, then campus safety would have to take care of it, monitor it.

Mike Salisbury asked if some money is going to be used for replacing computers in computer labs because it takes a very long time to log-in and print. Ethan said that since the board just made this decision in the past couple of days, he is not sure yet, but knows that there will be a considerable number of computers replaced in the labs in the res halls.

Neil Okey asked if people only living in Wylie and Bell-Young can move into new res hall, and Kecia said when people get the detailed email about room draw later today, they will be asked which dorm they want to move into, and it will be explained that you will be in the new res hall for first semester, and the other res hall for the spring. You will be choosing your room for the fall and your room for the spring as well.

Meagan Colvin asked about what happens to the students coming back from abroad, and Kecia said they will be placed in the new building. Rachel Johnson asked if people would have the option to choose where they want to live coming back from abroad, and Kecia said yes, but it’s based on space availability. If there is space, they will place people there as well. Max Thoman-Tedford said he is going abroad, and that he was told that people coming back from being abroad are not for sure being placed in the new res hall. Kecia said he was misinformed; housing has always focused on a spring opening for the new res hall to house abroad people.

Caroline asked if there have been any discussions about having more accessibility in the res halls. Mike said some work had been done on that, but the new res hall took the lead.

Matt Kuzio said that replacing one door on each academic building rather than every door in a res hall would be easier and more practical for the card-key system. Mike said it was good point, and that he will factor in.

Meagan Colvin said that Claremont has a card-key for their rooms, and separate card for their meal plans. She asked Kecia if upperclassmen are going to have to triple up, like in Erdman. Kecia said that many students choose to have a triple because of the economic benefit, and not going to have rooms vacant. It’s a choice, so upperclassmen will not be forced.

Joey Wolfe asked Kecia asked about the RA’s in the dorms that are being renovated next fall, Kecia said they will be moved over to new dorm and they will just be RA’s in the new dorm.

Chris Wagner asked about the first year halls, if there will be a first-year accessible hall, and if all of the first year res halls are on the top of the hill. She also asked what if a first-year with an accessibility issue came to Oxy, what would be done. Kecia answered that they have been talking about it, and will make accommodation when the situation arises, meaning if such a student were to come. Serenity Blauvelt said that arrangements can be made for that student to get to their dorm accommodated. Their professors who know them can come to them; vans can drive them to and from their dorms, etc.

John Wilson asked about gender-neutral housing, and Kecia said it is piloted in the Norris suites next year. George McIntire asked if students have to fill out two forms for Norris suites and gender-neutral housing next year and Kecia said yes, both. She added that there is no difference between a Norris suite and Norris quad, and that not all Norris suites are gender-neutral, just one is for the piloting program. Chris Wagner asked if suite means kitchen, and Kecia said they are trying to get away from the word “quad” because it sounds like “four” and there won’t be huge kitchens going in there, but it could be eventually an option.

Neil Okey asked about details of new residence hall and Mike said there are two types of rooms, double rooms that share a bath, and suites, which are three individual rooms that share a bathroom. There will be underground parking, a fitness center, a rec. room, classrooms, two courtyards, etc.

Dan Miller asked if there are renovation plans to add these things to other res halls and Kecia said that discussions have started about this. An example is the discussion of the microfridges in all suites of all dorms.

Debbie Weiser asked about the RA rooms in the new dorm. Kecia said she has to look at the floor plans, but it’s a square at the end of the wing, she thinks. Looking at one per floor in each, A, B, and C. Debby asked if they are going to change the AC’s. Kecia said that they were, and now Newcomb, Erdman, Chilcott, and Haines are all classified as lower campus. Bell-Young, Wiley, 1601, The Women’s’ Center, Stearns, and Norris are all classified as middle campus, and Braun, Stewie, and Pauley are now upper campus.

Stephanie Bundy asked if another dining service will be provided near the new res hall, and Mike Groener answered that there isn’t going to be a new dining hall in or near the new res hall.

Liana Rose Tobin asked where everyone will be located – first years, etc. in res halls. Kecia said that it has been decided that the FYRH are Braun and Stewie next year, and all of the rooms are going to be triples.

George McIntire asked what the name of the new dorm is, and Mike said it’s just called new res hall right now. He added that General Parking under new res hall is for everyone.

Debbie asked if there would be triples in the new building, and Kecia said no. Debbie asked if that would result in increased rates, and Kecia said they have been talking about this. She added that people will be retaining the same rate of a triple when they move to a double in the new res hall.

Neil asked if there is a reason why the layout of the room isn’t apartment style, etc. and asked if there is any reason why students don’t have a voice in it, and Kecia and Mike were told that there was much campus-input for these decisions.

Tessa D’Arcangelew asked if prospective first years have been told that they will be living in a triple before they come, and Kecia said that it’s always been on the application about whether students would live in a triple. Tessa asked if they got a lot of applicants who would want to live in triples. Kecia said they would work on it, but they hope that students coming in would understand that it is a sacrifice for now for refurbishments and renovations so people would not be inconvenienced for too long.

Sara Fulton-Koerbling asked if the rooms in Braun that are larger that are already triples are going to remain triples, and Kecia said yes.

Brad Ross asked if could talk about the HC situation; he asked who is getting hired and asked if all of the dorms have already hired HC’s. Kecia said that they are working on it, especially for the First Year res halls next year. She added that they are expecting to use Bell-Young as a first year dorm in the future.

Mike Salisbury asked who will be the HC’s of Stewie and Braun, and Kecia answered that they will probably be grad students. Kecia said they have it sketched out on paper how it will be done, but they will be looking at it as a campus-wide community.

Rozell Hodges said that he doesn’t think the grad assistant system works very well, students are left out, and that the administration is putting them in a community that could be problematic. Students don’t have input, have animosity towards administration, and that the administrators don’t live in the dorms – we do, we have to deal with the dorms every day. Kecia said it’s true – the grad assistant system was not thought out well, students don’t know the difference between HC’s and grad assistants as well, but they are working on clarifying that.

Rosny Daniel said he was confused why administration keeps saying “we” when they don’t have a lot of communication with students, especially with the students of Pauley, that there is no way to go back on decision about putting freshmen in Pauley. Kecia said that people have been affected and they have come and talked to her. Stuff has been thought out. In all fairness, people really should come and ask, talk to her directly, if they are being affected. Rosny asked if grad assistants are going to be in Braun and Pauley, if it would be a different job description in Braun than Pauley. Kecia said they want to continue supporting the situation, especially supporting first years. Rachel Johnson asked how the role of a grad student will be different than of a student HC, and Brad Ross asked Kecia to explain the benefits of having a grad student than an HC. Kecia said that the way that it’s set up now that HCs are graduating seniors, gets to be a lot for them. She said that students are students here first, and there are things that come up in buildings and communities that need to be addressed, and with grad student the support will continue, and they will continue to do a dedicated, committed job that student HC’s stray away from sometimes.

2. ITS – Telephones in Residence Halls

Ethan said that in years past they have provided dial tone and voicemail to all rooms in all res halls. As cell phones have become more popular, the volume of calls made from those phones, students who have signed up for telephone accounts (long-distance calls) have gone down. When he was in school, people would sign up for phone, and now most people have had cell phones since before college. Plan is to discontinue the phone service in res halls, starting in the fall of 2007, with the exception of HC’s and RA’s - employees of the college who lives in residence halls - dial tone voicemail and physical telephone will not be provided. They are going to look at all the buildings and make sure there are sufficient phones. Talking about improving coverage on campus; Cingular is adding a new tower by York and Eagle Rock Boulevard. Largely up to the company, has to be specific economic reason to do so.

Liana asked how Campus Safety will contact students now when something is lost and found when they used to contact them using landline, and Ethan said they would use email, unless it was something more urgent. Liana asked if the directory will be updated to have cell phone numbers listed to be contacted by campus safety, and Ethan said he is not sure, but that would become an issue about privacy and safety.

Patrick McCredie asked if it was a cost-study measure, Ethan said yes. Patrick asked if it really will be a substantial benefit, because he uses the land lines quite often, and emails are hard to rely on – people take a long time to reply. Ethan said that yes, though things may be expensive, they are still important, but this was based completely on total call volume and the number of people signed up on campus. Patrick asked for an approximation of how much the phone system costs, and Ethan said more than $50,000.

Andrew DeBlock asked where this money is going to go now if it won’t be used for the phones. Ethan said he can’t be specific, but there are many things that need to be addressed, and ITS won’t have to ask for this additional money anymore for this service. Money will be able to be devoted to things that are getting a lot more use.

Michelle DeLateur said that a lot of people don’t use their phones because the jacks don’t work, phones don’t work, etc. that could be a big reason why people aren’t using their landline phones. She is an RA and receives calls from her residents on her room phone, which has been a good form of communication for her dorm. Ethan said there is a technician they have that fixes phones so that should have been taken care of, and acknowledges that it’s a good form of communication, but not all the phones will stay.

Patrick McCredie asked if there is no way that the phones could stay on campus in rooms in res halls, and Ethan said to keep track of this commentary, and possibly in the future if people do want something done, maybe it will change.

3. The Senate

Matt said they have been working really hard to review their processes and make them much better and more efficient

Revised student home page – up by today, easier to navigate, easier for students to look at and enjoy

Reading days – have been complaints about reading days, Senate worked on them, so Faculty Council set for next year at least 3 days straight as reading days before finals

EMT Program will be up and running in next few weeks

Sexual Assault Campaign – there is a committee in place to have a SAFE campaign, 50% will be advertised in the Oxy Weekly writing articles to advertise

Institutional Support for Cultural Graduations – Black, Latino, and API graduations – Senate to fund them and money to be set aside for them.

Longer Gym Hours – negotiating with athletics

Katie and Spencer thanked everyone for coming and encouraged people to email them with questions or concerns at asocga@oxy.edu

Meeting adjourned at 1:26 PM.