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Minutes from September 28, 2006

Download Word File: Minutes-9-28-06

 

Associated Students of Occidental College
General Assembly Minutes
September 28, 2006
12:00-1:30, J200
Minutes by Kenna Cottrill 

 

Senate Members Present: Andrew DeBlock, Alison Dempsey, Matt Kuzio, Konstantin Chaykovskiy, Max Thoman-Tedford, John Wilson, Patrick McCredie, Rozell Hodges, Jimmy Gillan

 

 

Patrice Hall and Katie Orme called the meeting to order at 12:08 PM.  Katie and Patrice 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. 

 

Susan Prager, Oxy’s 13^th President and 1^st woman President is here to address the student body.  President Prager, who prefers Susan,  regards this as an important learning opportunity for her, particularly in the learning phase she is in right now.  She is meeting with each member of the tenure track faculty individually.  She wants to spend lots of time learning about students’ perceptions and what is needed  to make the College better.  She just finished a meeting with Student Affairs staff, Barbara Avery and others are in attendance now, to get their sense of issues she is concerned about.  She has met with Matt Kuzio, the ASOC President, and he stated that one of the biggest issues for students is that of gathering space.  As a person living on campus, Susan knows there is a need for this kind of improvement.  Matt thought that students would place gathering space as a higher priority than improvements to the residence hall spaces.  She would like to try to drive forward with short term actions and invites students to help dream about what would be ideal to build for a longer term plan. 

 

Last spring, the Faulty Council presented plan to improve study abroad opportunities.  By using some of the presidential discretionary money, and creating a few more spaces in first year class, the College was able to satisfy need for study abroad.  She is concerned about how the College can ensure that higher level of attention so that study abroad is permanently part of budget, particularly with this junior class being so large.

 

She is also interested in learning about issues of campus climate, specifically regarding race and class.  She wants to make meaningful progress in that regard.  She was struck by the conversations she had with the entering class who said that one of the attractions of Oxy was the diversity that’s been created here.  We need to figure out how to improve climate to harness that advantage and to make the climate as positive as possible.

 

Now she would like to open conversation up.  What do students think Susan should be paying attention to?

 

Andrew DeBlock asked about her thoughts on the creation of student lounge on campus.  Susan noted that this was the principal topic with the Student Affairs staff.  Matt has said that the Samuelson Pavilion is site most students talk about.  There will be a planning meeting with the Chief Financial Officer about that soon.  She asked about what would be workable.  Part of the need is to identify existing spaces that would not be oriented around specific programming but would be gathering spaces.  Andrew said it should be accessible at all hours.  It would not have to be food oriented, but perhaps there could be a coffee bar.  There would be couches and pool tables.  Perhaps it could be attached to Branca Patio.  There would need to be open space, so students can watch a football game, or something.  Andrew thinks the Cooler is an awesome space.  He would like something that is open all hours so students do not have to leave campus to spend time together, but was still outside the residence halls.  A lot of students only know people from their own halls.  Susan noted she is sympathetic to the night space need.  She wants administration and students to work toward creating a space that is open ended and late night.  The Cooler may be the right space with some improvements to make it more comfortable.  Barbara Avery, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, and Kecia Baker, Director of Residence Life and Housing Services, went to the Cooler at 1 AM on a Friday and found people sitting on hard chairs—there’s clearly something we can do here. 

 

Susan asked if it would work to have a space associated with a current residence hall that anyone could access.  Students wondered what hall she had in mind.  Dean Avery noted they had discussed the lower lounge of Stewie.  There is an open cement area in the back where tables could be placed.  The lounge could be equipped with coffee machines, comfortable furniture.  Student input is needed.  They are looking for alternative space.  Samuelson Pavilion/The Cooler is doable, but they are also looking for space that is not Samuelson Pavilion. 

 

Darcy Garretson noted that as a former Upper Campus resident, Stewie sounds great.  But now, she lives on Lower Campus and the trek up the hill seems daunting.  Dean Avery clarified that they were not thinking it had to be one space or the other.  Nathalie Morrison, thought a central gathering space would be idea.  She also noted that Upper Campus residents don’t want to walk down and back up.  She thinks the ideas should be tried and then Upper Campus residents should be a asked how they feel.  It would be nice to have an Upper Campus option. 

 

Jimmy Gillan thought Stewie would be a fantastic idea because the space needs to be utilized.  It would be ideal to have an Upper Campus option as well.  If the SAC was in Samuelson Pavilion, there could also be pool tables and foosball tables, which are not well maintained in the residence halls.  The SAC could watch those investments.  Dean Avery also noted that Samuelson Pavilion would provide the option to eat at 3 AM. 

 

Laura Smith-Heimer feels that if a lounge were created in Stewie, it might distract people from studying and cause noise problems.  Dean Avery noted that the space doesn’t have to be a noisy space.  They are open to any idea and have talked about the need to find a more quiet study space. 

 

Dan Miller felt that renovating Stewie would be a patchwork solution.  Renovating Samuelson Pavilion/Cooler is a better option because it will give everyone one option.  He recommends making one strong space not 2  mediocre spaces.  He felt a café should be done in Samuelson Pavilion.  Dean Avery noted they have been thinking about a quiet café space in Stewie, not a student union space.  Susan noted that there is concern about a critical mass of students gathering in one space and that dividing the students into 2 spaces would make each space less successful.  This, the renovations would be less appreciated in both spaces.

 

Riley Steiner suggested Lower Herrick as a great space that is not used as much.

 

Rozell Hodges noted that the grass on side between Johnson and Samuelson Pavilion could be good space to extend Samuelson Pavilion.  That area could be the SAC, and it could extend out to where the grass is in front with outdoor lounge area. 

 

Susan asked students to discuss the potential of Johnson Student Center.  Jimmy Gillan noted that Senate had discussed this in Senate training.  The Green Family Dining Room could be a space for computers, study lounge, more of a lounge than round dining tables, which feels more like a convention meeting room.  Benna Gottfried noted that if any of those meeting rooms were open it would be a sacrifice of the College to provide that for students hanging out.  John Wilson noted that JSC has a lot of potential.  The current SAFE (Office of Student Life Program Assistants) office used to be a student lounge that was widely used.  Another space is the back of the JSC by the entrance to the football field, if the office was expanded and door alarms were turned off.  Patrice noted that the Bengal Room currently houses the Student Services and wondered what would be done with the Student Services offices.  John also suggested an open door policy room where people can watch KOXY DJs play music.  Kenna Cottrill, advisor, noted that the door alarms in the Bengal Room cannot be turned off because they are fire doors. 

 

Susan noted that she wants students to think in large terms.  A large content for capital campaign being moved in to the public next year.  She needs to understand space needs on campus—what could be done somewhere else and what could be created as meaningful student-focused space other than for pre-planned events.  Students would not have to plan to go there, but would know that they would know people there. 

 

Mike Kuhn wondered if a new café building could be built between the new residence hall and the baseball field.  If 270 student will be in new residence hall, it will be a long trek to Cooler for a lot of people.  Susan agreed that there should be and will be gathering space in the new residence hall.  Benna Gottfried noted that ideally a lounge should be in JSC, but somehow major renovations would be required.  The Student Services offices could be moved to the outside of a middle lounge.  She noted that there is a dark room in the newspaper office that is not being used.  The space needs to be reorganized.  These new offices could have glass windows, with lounge in the middle.  This would provide more involvement of Student Services.  It would be down by the SAC and Media offices.  Dan Miller noted that the lounge café in the new residence hall would be good, but that expanding JSC is a weird idea if all the other things happened.  JSC renovation would require knocking down walls, and would mean spreading out the community more throughout 3 semi-good meeting areas.

 

Susan noted that there are needs for different kinds of spaces.  She toured the residence halls and found that the lounges were all the same—with a pool table, piano, other gaming table.  Residence halls do not have distinctive spaces which might attract some people and not others.  Dan felt that the Cooler would be different than a café, which could be more intimate, closed.  It would be good to have 2 different spaces, but he felt that a 3^rd space would be too many.  Meagan Colvin suggested building a café type area by Sycamore Glen.  There is space there and it’s midway for everyone.  Alison Dempsey noted that the problem right now is that the Cooler is for eating and sitting.  If the JSC had space for computers or games, more than eating and sitting, possibly vending machines that were accessible all night, it would be different but still exciting for students.  Riley Steiner noted that Sycamore Glen is nice in nice weather.  Adding patio furniture and a coffee cart would be key.  There is not a lot of good outside study space, which this could provide.  Ashley Bennett agreed that Sycamore Glen is a good idea because it is midway for both Upper and Lower Campus.  Also, having more games in the Cooler is a good idea for convenience.  Students are busy with lots of homework so it could be  hard to go to Cooler for food, then somewhere else for games.  If it was centralized, people might be more willing to participate and come together.

 

Andrew DeBlock noted that it is important that there be a nice TV in the Cooler because it is a way to come together.  The lounges in the residence halls are not conducive to people hanging out together.  If there was a nice TV and some room for games in another space, there would be 2 distinctive spaces.  There would also need to be large couches so students can watch TV and movies together.  Jimmy Gillan noted that he sees 2 options: getting patio furniture and a coffee cart in Stewie or Sycamore Glen.  Then there are 2 major renovations—the major one being the Cooler, which needs to be completely revamped because right now it looks like a dollhouse with empty rooms and little furniture.  He liked the idea that the furniture would be movable.  He thinks there is so much more that could be done with the space.  Perhaps ASOC and RHA could put together some money money.  He felt the college should focus on the Cooler and also a café in another location because of the smaller scope. 

 

Meagan Colvin noted that with a TV in the Cooler, PB and RHA could share resources to get a TV and program, such as Monday Night football, Desperate Housewives, and Grey’s Anatomy, so students could plan to come to watch shows together.  Nathalie Morrison felt that the College’s energy should go towards revamping the Cooler which would make it more conducive to holding other programs.  Having comfortable couches and a nice TV would make the space more conducive to putting on programs and interacting in daily life and alternative programming.  Max Thoman-Tedford reminded students that a lot of popular shows are on at the same time.  Students could use both rooms to watch different shows.  People can watch different things.  Max agreed with Jimmy that the Cooler should be the priority.  He noted that the Cooler is not the biggest space on campus, at most 4 pool tables could be put in there.  Students will need more spaces. 

 

Meagan Colvin liked Rozell Hodges’s idea of extending the Cooler towards Coons.  People could sit on patio and it could be part of lounge.  Rozell Hodges wondered if the Cooler could be extended upwards, making it a 2 story building as well as extending it out towards the administration building. 

Patrice reminded students that spaces besides Cooler that could be used.  The lounge space in the Library with chairs, tables, and a TV could be better utilized.  She didn’t know how excited administrators are about building, and she reminded students that a space is what students make it.  Even if couches and food is brought in, it’s still what students make it.  Dan Miller reminded students that there shouldn’t be several spaces and only a little in each space.  He feels it’s important to focus on just one spot to make it really good.  He encouraged students not to worry about existing space and although it may be cheaper to put stuff all over campus, it probably won’t be effective in getting everyone together.

 

Susan wanted to find out if students had another other concerns. 

 

Darcy Garretson is a DWA major and concerned that since DWA is the one of the most popular majors and so many students come to Oxy for DWA, if more faculty will be hired to lower the class sizes.  She wondered if there are things that could be done to stability and lower the class size before she leaves at the end of next year.  Susan noted that there are short term and long term solutions.  In the short term, there is a search for another faculty member who should be in place for next year.  There will be more temporary solutions such as adjunct and visiting faculty.  Eric Frank, the Dean of College, has an eye on the enrollment picture of that department.  In the long term, Susan has thought about augmenting the department by thinking about it as a truly interdisciplinary effort.  There could be faculty from different disciplines adding to and complementing what international relations core might be.  This solution could make progress more quickly.  Another positive impact for DWA will be a gift, which will provide for an established scholar in international economics.  Economics has been affected by the growth of DWA because of overlapping requirements.  DWA students will see some relief, now that budget has been stabilized and the department is enjoying faculty growth—2 faculty have been added in recent years and there are plans for 2 more faculty.

 

Max Thoman-Tedford noted that if the goal in DWA is to have broader area studies, why were the emphases eliminated.  Susan noted that the idea of an interdisciplinary approach is her own thoughts.  The conversations have not happened with the faculty to really look at questions in that way.  As she looks at faculty related to area studies, this might be a solution.  Susan also noted that she is not well enough versed in the topic about why the emphases were eliminated.  Her sense is that the curricular restructuring was done to give more latitude and to alleviate clogging in courses.  Darcy Garretson was told by the SWA SAC (Student Advisory Council) that DWA eliminated the emphases because the Latin American emphasis was mainly from History, not DWA, so the faculty were not talking about current political events.  There may not be enough faculty in other departments to ensure adequate current event analysis for various emphases. 

 

Brittany Sanders is a French major, and concerned about limited number of courses offered.  This is her senior year and there is only one course for the major offered; they don’t have very many options.  She has already taken courses that are being offered.  She may have to go to USC for a course in the spring.  Susan said she would speak with Dean Frank. 

 

Jimmy Gillan asked what role the administration plays in determining curriculum.  Is it in the hands of the department only?  Susan noted that there are by-laws place the curricular decisions under faculty governance.  The Dean of the Faculty/College and VP of Academic Affairs, and Susan have some persuasive powers.  It’s important to be in touch with stresses and strains of students so they can be brought into conversations about what needs to be done.  The other place that the Dean of the Faculty and Susan have some power is in the authorization of new positions; they can think about curricular demands.  Susan noted that she got some perspective from The Weekly during her spring interview process.

 

Jeff Yarslow had had a concern all 4 years about safety on campus, specifically about the absence of sidewalks on the campus.  This is particularly true on the walk towards Upper Campus.  Also, lighting on certain part of the campus is nonexistent, such as towards the Admissions House and the President’s House, (coupled with no sidewalks on this part of campus).  The lighting by Haines Hall, and from the Cooler to Norris—there is a sharp corner and no lights.  Darcy Garretson agreed and mentioned that from Haines to Stearns to Norris the lighting and sidewalks are bad.  Stairwells are dark in that area.  Another area is by Stewie, Braun, and Pauley.  Right up on the hill, there is a light by Stewie and Pauley. 

 

Vince Karlen asked Susan to talk about the new residence hall.  With the opening date pushed back, what’s the plan for getting students into the building.  Susan said that realistically, they will know more by the end of October.  The way project is being done, not all subcontracts have been bid out yet.  The College has a lot of confidence in the contractor, and the issues are not attributable to contractor, but to site conditions, changing city requirements, and the slowness in architectural design.  There is a silver lining because the waiting may provide for more attractive pricing.  Right now, the contractor is predicting December 2008.  If we get an early wet winter, it will be a problem, but a later wet winter is not a problem.  The College will keep students apprised of the situation.  Dean Avery and her staff have been talking about what things we might do about mid-year occupancy.  The administration is sensitive to fact that rental arrangements require signing a lease for the year.  The administration wants to bring students into the conversations. 

 

Kecia Baker, Director of Residence Life and Housing Services (RLHS), noted that there are many options.  RLHS will work through RHA to finalize a few options to see what is feasible to students.  They have already discussed everything from module units, to tripling and de-tripling so that people who opt to triple for the first semester would be guaranteed for new building.  RLHS have about 5 options; they will work with Dean Avery, President Prager, and RHA.  Susan noted that she would like to know what students think would work.  They will have meetings and survey instruments.  If they go with voluntary tripling, it could be linked to moving into the building for those volunteers in They would like to have a plan that enables seniors to enjoy the new building.  Dean Avery noted that she ahs about 30 students on her advisory board and they will tackle this issue next week and help brainstorm how this will work.

 

David Martinez returned to the sidewalk issue and brought up a related concern that the campus is not handicapped friendly.  The campus is all stairs and hardly no ramps.  If the administration is looking for ways to make the campus more friendly, this is an issue that should be examined.  Susan noted that with all new major renovations, this issue is being dealt with.  She has noticed all kinds of things that need to be changed and the College will address them a little at a time as appropriate. 

 

Dan Miller noted that he will be working with Kecia and students from housing.  He wondered if the reason the College may have to put students in new housing in spring is because first year and sophomores are guaranteed housing, so there are more people to accommodate.  He wondered why the College would think about opening the residence hall mid-semester?  Why would the College promise and brainstorm ideas rather than just waiting?  Susan noted that some of the solutions would take more time to implement.  It’s important to see what direction we are headed.  She assumed that if the new building was ready, student  would want to get into as soon as possible, which is one of the reasons this mid-year move was an option.  Dean Avery noted that the goal is to have as many students housed on campus as possible.  Right now, the College houses 70-80%, and the goal is to house 90% to become truly residential.  This would help to ease community relations.  Right now, first years are required to live on campus and sophomores are guaranteed, but they can opt out.  Susan clarified that about 70% of the student body is housed on campus.  Our comparison schools tend to house upwards of 90%.  This is a significant shortfall the College is trying to address with the new building.  Every year there is the stress of people wanting to live on campus but not being able to.  Susan noted that if it’s it becomes iffy that students will be able to occupy and enjoy the new space, then the College will scrap the mid-year move plan. 

 

Benna Gottfried noted that there is an obvious need to provide space for those students studying abroad in the first semester.  It’s scary for students for their second semester housing to be left up in the air.  She also noted that seniors probably won’t be willing to live in a triple for the possibility of living in the new hall.  Susan noted that there might be sophomores willing to live in a triple and that the College will have to think more broadly for the first year.  Kecia Baker noted that there are other options to assist with the tripling idea.  She also noted that it’s like a puzzle and although the solutions make sense in her head, she wants to get input from students to make them a reality.   

 

Jimmy Gillan asked if with the new residence hall, if RLHS could reevaluate how students are placed in the halls.  He felt it was a fiasco last year.  As a junior, he put on wait list.  He asked to have this allocation of spaces be more efficient.  A separate concern he brought up is about the tensions between students and neighbors is growing.  He noted that this has been a college community for over 100 years, and new families moving in are welcome and Jimmy thinks they need to realize that they are moving in to a place where college has been.  He asked Susan whose side she was on.  Susan noted that she has been thinking about this issue in the long term.  One of the reasons to create more residence hall is to eliminate points of ongoing warfare that are developing in community.  Another goal of creating more opportunities to gather on campus is to reduce the use of off campus venues as the principal social gathering that people are gravitating towards on the weekends.  There will be points at which the College will officially intervene regarding conduct matters—either because neighbors or LAPD bring them to the College’s attention.  It’s in all of our interests to reduce the tension between neighbors and students.  Having said that, she assured students that when noise is emanating from the campus, the neighbors don’t have much sympathy form her.  She will remind neighbors that they chose to rent or move in knowing it was a college neighbor, but she will wait to remind folks about this until the long term master plan has passed through city process.  Dean Avery agreed that people choose to live next to colleges and have to live with what comes with that, to some extent.  She also asked students to be respectful in their interactions with neighbors.  Some of their concerns are legitimate.  Susan noted that there are some things that students may not be aware of.  When groups of students are walking in the neighborhoods, she encouraged students to keep their voices down.  She also noted that sometimes students drive too fast.  She encouraged students to work on certain things that don’t impair our ability to enjoy the space. 

 

Mike Kuhn asked if the College had thought about renting an apartment building or hotel rooms in the interim.  Other schools have done it.  Dean Avery noted that is was on the list of options.  Susan noted that that takes a lot of planning and they would need to know if that’s the solution soon in order to prepare.

 

Patrice closed the discussion.  She thanked President Prager, Dean Avery, and Kecia Baker for attending.  Susan thanked the students.  She noted that the last time she was in J200 was during her interview process.  She felt that the new practice of the student government to convene these meetings, and the willingness to convene meetings around specific topics is important.  She encouraged students to talk to Katie and Patrice if they have other topics they’d like to discuss.  Dean Avery noted that Susan is always asking about the students.  She has a lot of official functions at the house and is always making sure students are present.  She cares about what students think.  She is trying to make changes quickly.

 

Patrice reminded students to sign in and email asocga@oxy.edu if students have more comments for Susan.  Next meeting is Sekou Jones, Director of Emmons Health and Counseling Center.  He wants feedback!

 

There were no new resolutions. 

 

Dan Miller asked if there could be a GA meeting that deals with food on campus, specifically the Marketplace which is crowded and expensive. 

 

Meeting adjourned at 1:15 PM.