Hamilton College Student Assembly
Executive Report, December 2007
Introduction:
This Executive Report, written by President Stuart Lombardi and Vice President Ryan Messier, highlights a few of the Student Assembly’s recent accomplishments and, more importantly, advocates future College and Assembly projects and policy changes. Although we are proud of the Student Assembly’s work over the past year, this report is not a summary of the Student Assembly’s accomplishments. Rather, it is intended to highlight what we believe the College and the Assembly still need to accomplish. Accordingly, the report only cites a few accomplishments, and the accomplishments cited are merely cited to ensure they are enduring. Likewise, to ensure their preservation, each resolution and letter the Student Assembly approved over the past two semesters is attached to the end of this report.
Highlighted Accomplishes:
Hamilton used to be one of only two NESCAC schools without weekend Health Center hours. In January 2008, Hamilton will join the nine other NESCAC schools with weekend Health Center hours. The peace of mind the weekend hours will offer Hamilton’s students is priceless.
The Diversity & Accessibility Committee, formerly an inactive committee, has enjoyed two incredibly successful and productive semesters. It is absolutely essential the Diversity & Accessibility Committee continue to serve as an active and vibrant committee. Given recent events on campus over the past semester (i.e.: one student had a racist, hateful statement written on her car) and various concerns expressed by the SJI and many minority students, the work of the Diversity & Accessibility Committee is even more important.
As requested by the SA, the College permanently extended the deadline for declaring a course Credit/No Credit from the fourth to the seventh class day of the semester, effectively giving students three extra days to exercise the Credit/No Credit option. The three extra days are incredibly valuable, and give students more time to evaluate a course and determine whether they wish to take the course Credit/No Credit. The three extra days also encourage students to take courses they would not otherwise take, since student now have seven days to determine whether they wish to take the course Credit/No Credit.
The Assembly passed a resolution and approved a letter urging the College to renovate ELS and turn it into a student union. Both the resolution and the letter are attached at the end of this report.
Work Remaining:
The Assembly is working with the College in an effort to get McEwen open for continental brunches on the weekends. Opening McEwen for brunch on the weekend would make weekends – particularly winter weekends – far more pleasant for students living on the Kirkland side of campus. We are pleased with the progress the project has made. We hope the College will open McEwen for weekend brunches, and believe doing so would vastly improve the quality of life for over 600 students living on the Kirkland side of campus.
We are concerned about a communication deficit on this campus. The demand for courses that focus on oral communication and rhetoric exceeds the supply. The long waitlists for Rhetorical Act make this point clear. We believe the College should give oral communication the same respect and attention it gives writing. Accordingly, we advocate the creation of CommunicationIntensive courses modeled directly after the highly successful Writing Intensive courses. CommunicationIntensive courses should be optional, but similar to Writing Intensive courses in all other regards.CommunicationIntensive courses should require students to deliver a number of oral presentations in class, should require students to visit the Oral Communication Lab prior to at least one of the presentations, and should emphasize revision so students learn how to improve their work. In September 2006, the Student Interest Committee drafted, approved, and submitted a “Proposal for the Reform of Sophomore Seminars and the Implementation of Oral Intensive Requirements to Strengthen Oral Communication Skills and Interdisciplinary Learning.” A copy of the proposal, which outlines the need for Oral (or Communication) Intensive Courses, describes the proposal in detail, and acknowledges and responds to arguments some individuals may make against Communication Intensive Courses, is attached at the end of this report.
Roughly one year ago, without direct Student Assembly urging, the College formally decided to adopt a swipe-card system for dorm entry, laundry machines, and many other campus amenities. We applaud the College’s decision. We believe the College should extend cash swipe-card service to the Little Pub. Allowing students who are 21 to purchase drinks using their swipe-card will further encourage students to place money in the swipe-card account. Since our swipe-cards clearly indicate whether a student is 21 or not, there is absolutely no risk of underage students buying alcoholic drinks with their campus cash.
At the beginning of this Student Assembly administration, the College asked Vice President Martin Connor to resign either his Editor-in-Chief position at The Spectator or his Vice Presidency of the Student Assembly. Connor, upon the urging of the College, chose to resign from the Student Assembly. The College’s request left the Student Assembly without an official Vice President for over three weeks and distracted the Assembly from important work by forcing a protracted election process. We understand the perceived problem – having the same individual serve on the Student Assembly and run The Spectator – was a new and unique situation the College had not recently encountered. However, when Martin was selected Editor-in-Chief the Media Board knew he was a Student Assembly Vice Presidential candidate; when the students elected Martin Vice President, they knew the Media Board had selected him Editor-in-Chief of The Spectator. By not deciding until after the Student Assembly election that one individual cannot hold both positions, the College presented a new administration with a difficult and distracting problem. We hope the College will, whenever possible, address any future perceived conflicts of interest prior to, instead of after, Student Assembly elections.
The Student Assembly and other student groups still lack access to SiteManager or a similar program to build appealing and effective websites. Currently, few groups are able to maintain visually appealing websites (or any website at all). SiteManager would allow student groups to quickly and easily build and maintain appealing and effective websites. Visually appealing student group websites will not only benefit the student groups, but will also benefit the entire College. Prospective students will able to visit student groups’ sites to learn more about the many active, productive student groups on campus. We understand that ITS is working to make SiteManager available to student groups. We applaud these efforts, and hope student groups will soon have access to SiteManager.
We strongly believe the College should e-mail the student body once per semester with a link to the academic regulations. Doing so would help ensure more students know what the academic regulations are. Reading the academic regulations is surely the responsibility of the students, but in order to read the regulations students first need to know that the regulations are clearly explained on one website. Sending a link to the regulations ( once per semester would ensure students know where the regulations are and would encourage students to read the academic regulations.
Respectfully Submitted,
Stuart Lombardi, Student Assembly President
Ryan Messier, Student Assembly Vice President
Attachments:Andrew Sheridan Resolution, January 15, 2007
Professor Blackwood Resolution, January 15, 2007
Health Center Resolution, February 19, 2007
Credit/No Credit Resolution, April 23, 2007
Academic Council Credit/No Credit Proposal
ELS Resolution, October 22, 2007
ELS Letter, October 22, 2007
Communication Intensive Proposal, September 27, 2006
Central Council of the Student Assembly
January 15, 2007
Mourning the loss of Andrew Michael Sheridan and celebrating his life
Resolution
Whereas Andrew Sheridan was a member of the Class of 2009 at Hamilton College;
Whereas Andrew Sheridan was an active member of Tau Kappa Epsilon;
Whereas Andrew Sheridan spent two fall semesters volunteering as a referee for a youth soccer league in Utica;
Whereas Andrew Sheridan aspired to be a doctor;
Whereas Andrew Sheridan spent the summer of 2006 conducting medical research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center;
Whereas Andrew Sheridan embodied the values and principles that this College cherishes: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, the Central Council of the Student Assembly:
(1)Is grateful for Andrew Sheridan’s contribution to the Hamilton College community;
(2)Expresses its condolences to Michael and Shirley Sheridan, Elizabeth and Lauren Sheridan, Rebecca Ashby, the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon, and his friends both at home and on this campus;
(3)Directs the Student Assembly President to send copies of this resolution to the Sheridan family, Rebecca Ashby, and the Alpha-Iota Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Unanimously approved by the Central Council of the Student Assembly on January 15th, 2007
Central Council of the Student Assembly
January 15, 2007
Mourning the loss of Professor Russell Blackwood and celebrating his life and service
Resolution
Whereas Professor Blackwood taught at Hamilton College for nearly half a century;
Whereas Professor Blackwood served as the College Marshal;
Whereas Professor Blackwood supervised the Asian Studies Program;
Whereas Professor Blackwood served as the John Stewart Kennedy Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus;
Whereas Professor Blackwood served as the Philosophy Department chair;
Whereas Professor Blackwood positively influenced the lives of countless students at this College;
Whereas Professor Blackwood’s service helped shape and perpetuate the friendly and nurturing academic environment that defines Hamilton College: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, the Central Council of the Student Assembly:
(4)Is grateful for Professor Russell Blackwood’s contribution to the Hamilton College community;
(5)Expresses its condolences to Cynthia Blackwood and the entire Blackwood family;
(6)Directs the Student Assembly President to send a copy of this resolution to Cynthia Blackwood.
Unanimously approved by the Central Council of the Student Assembly on January 15th, 2007
Central Council of the Student Assembly
February 19, 2007
Calling for weekend Health Center hours
Resolution
Whereas, the Health Center is not open on weekends;
Whereas, students must either call the EMTs or wait until Monday if they fall ill over the weekend;
Whereas, weekend hours would make it easier for students to visit the Health Center;
Whereas, weekend Health Center hours would improve the overall health of and quality of life for the College’s student body;
Whereas, the Health Center’s current budget cannot support weekend hours:
The Central Council of the Student Assembly resolves:
The College should increase the Health Center’s budget to allow for weekend Health Center hours.
Unanimously approved by the Central Council of the Student Assembly on February 19th, 2007
Central Council of the Student Assembly
April 23, 2007
Urging the College to extend the Credit/No Credit deadline
Resolution
Whereas the current deadline for choosing to take a course credit/no credit is 2:00pm on the first Friday after classes start;
Whereas many classes do not meet until Wednesday, a mere two days before the deadline;
Whereas the current deadline does not provide ample time to carefully deliberate before choosing to exercise the credit/no credit option;
Whereas, according to the College’s academic regulations, the College adopted the credit/no credit option “to encourage greater breadth in course selection.”
Whereas, students will be more willing to vary their course selection if the College extends the credit/no credit deadline;
Whereas, students cannot overuse the credit/no credit option, as current regulations prevent first semester first-year students from exercising the option, prevent juniors and seniors from exercising the option in their major or minor, prevent students from ever exercising the option more than four times, and prevent students from taking more than one course credit/no credit in any given semester;
The Central Council of the Student Assembly resolves:
The deadline for choosing to take a course credit/no credit should be moved from 2:00pm on the first Friday after classes start to the following Monday at 4:00pm.
Unanimously approved by the Central Council of the Student Assembly on April 23rd, 2007
Appendix D
Credit/No Credit Proposal from the Academic Council
Motion
To change the Catalogue wording concerning the election of the credit/no credit option as follows:
3) The student must inform the registrar of his or her intention to use the credit/no credit option no later than the first four calendar days seventh class day of the fall and spring semesters.
(from p. 20 of the current Catalogue)
Rationale
Faculty members are interested in encouraging students to try new and different kinds of courses, and to that end we make the credit/no credit option available to students. Students now have until the first Friday of classes to exercise that option. The Student Assembly has expressed concern that the current deadline does not provide students ample time to deliberate before choosing whether or not to exercise the credit/no credit option. In the interest of encouraging students to be more willing to vary their course selections, it seems appropriate to have a modest extension to the deadline for electing the credit/no credit option.
Central Council of the Student Assembly
October 22, 2007
Urging the College to turn ELS into a student union
Resolution
Whereas, Hamilton College does not currently have a fully functional student union (defined as "a building on a college campus dedicated to social and organizational activities of the student body") (
Whereas, offices for student organizations are spread out across campus;
Whereas, the bookstore in the basement of Bristol is small and generally insufficient;
Whereas, Beinecke lacks the meeting rooms, offices, and bookstore needed in any student union;
Whereas, Hamilton College students need a student union located in the center of campus to foster a greater sense of community and to facilitate increased cooperation and coordination between student groups;
The Central Council of the Student Assembly resolves:
(1)Hamilton College should renovate ELS to turn it into a student union.
(2)A student union should include (but is not limited to):
- Meeting rooms and storage space for student organizations
- Offices for the office of Student Activities
- A room for parties and large gatherings
- Office space for the college media board
- Office space for the campus activities board
- A fully stocked college book and convenience store
- A studio for WHCL
Unanimously approved by the Central Council of the Student Assembly on October 22nd, 2007
To the Hamilton community:
In the opinion of the Hamilton Student Assembly, it is important that Hamilton make good on its promise to renovate Emerson Hall as a student activities/student organization center, as envisioned in general terms in the Excelsior Campaign prospectus. Currently, the various components of student social life are not in the center of campus. The average student does not pass the Bristol Center on a regular basis. Furthermore, the Bristol Center has many flaws; among these is a lack of storage space for student organizations, limited space for WHCL and campus publications, and a small and out-of-the-way college store. The Beinecke Village is not a student union either. Although Beinecke does house the diner, mail center and events barn, Beinecke lacks the meeting rooms, offices, and bookstore needed in any student union.
The Emerson building is the perfect location for the student union Hamilton is sorely lacking. As Martin's Way is the main thoroughfare on campus, a student union on Martin's Way will be easily accessible to students as they move between classes. The Emerson building is also near the mail center, one of the few places on campus visited daily by nearly all students.
Emerson Hall is also in need of renovations; the top two floors are closed and the roof has holes in it. Converting it into a student union would not only make the building safe again but would also create a highly functional space in a building that is currently only half-usable.
A student union built in and around the Emerson building could and should bring student activities to the center of campus life. The ideal student union would contain the following: meeting rooms and storage space for student organizations, office space for the office of Student Activities, a space for parties and other large gatherings, office space for the college media board, office space for the campus activities board, and a fully stocked college book and convenience store.