Student Assembly

Minutes — October 27, 2011
Cornell University Student Assembly
4:45pm — 6:30pm, Willard Straight Hall
N. Raps called the meeting to order at 4:45pm.

I. Call to Order/Roll Call (4:45pm)

• Voting members present: S. Balik, G. Block, D. Brown, A. Chopra, A. Gitlin, R. Gitlin, D. Goldberg, G. Hoffman, J. Kay, J. Lee, A. Meller, J. Mueller, D. Muir, A. Nicoletti, N. Raps, P. Scelfo, U. Smith, E. Szulman, N. Treffeisen, A. Wolford, E. Yeterian
• Non-voting members present: A. Santangelo
• Voting members unexcused absent: S. Breedon, M. Gulrajani, D. Kuhr,
• Voting members late: R. Desai, A. Pinkney, J. Rau
• Non-voting members late: A. Raveret

II. Approval of the 10/20/11 Meeting Minutes

• The minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

III. Open Microphone

• None

IV. Announcements/Reports

a. AAP Update — Ulysses Smith

• U. Smith said he met with the Deans of AAP regarding the reprogramming of Sibley and Rand Halls. The fine arts library is now on the third floor of Rand. East Sibley will become studio space and you will soon be able to walk from one end of Sibley to Rand. They also discussed card access problems for AAP students entering these buildings. Finally, they talked about partnering with Big Red Bikes to add another bike share near Sibley and Rand.

b. Owego Flood Update- A. Gitlin

• A. Gitlin said now there are over 800 students who have gone to Owego to volunteer. R. Desai has sent an email about volunteering to the list serv, so everyone should pass this information along.

V. Business of the Day

a. 1) Appropriations Committee Recommendation, Senior Week — Adam Nicoletti

• A. Nicoletti said the Appropriations Committee met with four organizations on Monday. The first was Senior Week- a student-led week of activities the week prior to May commencement. They are currently funded at $5.00 and they requested an extra $0.50 in order to pay for a better comedian. However, the Appropriations Committee recommended maintaining their current level of funding because this increase isn’t necessary.
• There was a call to question. Seconded with no dissent. By a vote of 19–0−1, the recommendation was approved.

b. 2) Appropriations Committee Recommendation, EARS — Adam Nicoletti

• A. Nicoletti said EARS counsels students over the phone and via walk-ins. They are currently funded at $1.25 and are requesting $1.25 this year as well. The Appropriations Committee also recommends funding them at $1.25. There was a call to question. Seconded. No dissent. By a vote of 20–0−0, the recommendation was approved.

c. 3) Appropriations Committee Recommendation, Welcome Weekend — Adam Nicoletti

• A. Nicoletti said Welcome Weekend was originally part of the Orientation Steering Committee. They host numerous events at the beginning of the year to welcome students back to campus. They are currently funded at $2.75 and requested the same amount for this year. However, the Appropriations Committee recommended funding them at $2.55 because many felt they were spending too much money on food and giveaways. Others felt that these expenditures were effective.
• G. Block said he was hesitant to cut funding for a group that provides programming options to freshmen during their first few weeks on campus.
• There was a call to question. Seconded with no dissent. By a vote of 15–2−2, the recommendation was approved.

d. 4) Appropriations Committee Recommendation, SUB — Adam Nicoletti

• A. Nicoletti said Willard Straight Hall hasn’t been used as much as it used to during the past 5–10 years, so the SUB works to bring more students back to the Straight. The SUB requests an increase in funding from $1.25 last year to $2.25 this year. Most Appropriations Committee members acknowledge that the SUB provided a drastic increase in programming quality, but they think the current level of funding is sufficient to continue these quality programs. However, the SUB did request a $0.55 increase for pub-related activity in the next two years because the SUB will be responsible for the new pub. Speakers from the SUB are here to explain why they are requesting additional funding.
• M. Motley said the SUB sponsors a number of great organizations, and they will be unable to assist other clubs to host events in the Straight if they do not receive $2.25 this year. The fourth floor resource center provides groups with chalk, paper, etc. to advertise their events and additional funding is needed to continue this program. Additionally, the Straight will soon be forced to stop handing out free hot cocoa and popcorn, possibly this semester.
• G. Hoffman asked about the new fourth floor resource center.
• M. Motley said the Center is a brand new program and they have a brand new finance director as well.
• G. Block asked what the majority of money in the fourth floor resource center has gone towards.
• M. Motley said a significant portion has gone towards popcorn and cocoa, but there is also a lot of spending on paper and other office supplies.
• A student who works at the fourth floor resource center said that many student organizations have been using materials from the center. It has been popular among organizations that want to host events in the Straight. The popcorn also draws people into the center and creates a sense of community.
• David Ge said he organizes the weekly Coffee Hours held in the Straight. He would not be able to make Coffee Hour happen without the help of the SUB. Every week, 50–60 people come into the Straight for free coffee because of his event.
• D. Goldberg asked if the people coming to the resource center for supplies are SAFC-funded groups.
• M. Motley said that a wide variety of groups come to the resource center and they are mostly SAFC-funded.
• D. Goldberg said SAFC funding allows for these supplies, so why does the fourth floor resource center have to provide them with these supplies for free?
• M. Motley said that having a center allows groups to pay more for their events. Communal supplies are more cost-effective.
• A. Raveret asked for a breakdown of expenses for the fourth floor resource center.
• M. Motley said one third of their expenses go toward popcorn and cocoa, about one half goes towards paper, chalk, and other office supplies, and they hoped that the remainder would go toward day programming, which they would be like to begin soon.
• A. Raveret asked what the difference is between Procrastinate at the Straight and the fourth floor resource center.
• M. Motley said the fourth floor resource center is used daily. In contrast, Procrastinate at the Straight is only held on Thursday evenings and its funding goes toward that event itself and not toward cocoa, popcorn, etc.
• Katerina Athanasiou stressed how integral the SUB was for the farmer’s market to work this year. Without the SUB granting the farmer’s market $500.00, this event would not have happened.
• A. Gitlin said the discussion is making it sound like the Appropriations Committee recommended cutting the SUB’s funding, but there has not been a cut. There is actually a $0.55 cent increase in funding for the pub. He also asked how VP Nicoletti felt about the amount proposed by the Appropriations Committee.
• A. Nicoletti said he agreed with his fellow Appropriations Committee members that the SUB had some unnecessary expenses. For instance, SUB’s funding requests for trivia night and movies on the slope were too high.
• M. Motley said they provide a lot of co-sponsorships and they are trying to get even more organizations on board. But, they had to turn several away. They help events from start to finish, planning and during included.
• Nicole Offerdahl, President of Alpha Phi Omega, said her organization’s funding was capped pretty hard, so she had to seek funding from outside sources in order to hold events. The SUB helped her group out because it exists to increase the diversity of events on campus.
• P. Scelfo asked where programming is held in the Straight.
• M. Motley said there are programs on the 5th and 6th floors, the international room, the music room, the browsing library, the art gallery, the garden room, and in the fourth floor conference center.
• P. Scelfo asked what the SUB does to make people with disabilities able to attend events.
• M. Motley said they do the best they can to accommodate as many people as possible. For example, they hold many events on the fourth floor.
• P. Scelfo said they should advertise the elevator in Willard Straight Hall because many students may not know it exists.
• R. Desai said he thinks that members of the assembly should consider whether or not the funding requested by SUB would allow this organization to grow in an efficient, economic sense. The Appropriations Committee did not think that their proposals were efficient, although he agrees with the importance of the programming provided by the SUB.
• E. Parcher said she wanted to emphasize how amazing it is to work at the fourth floor resource center because she gets to know students, alumni, faculty, and families. The center is a great place for people to congregate. However, she thinks they can expand on their services to Cornell students. Willard Straight is a main center on campus, so it is important to focus attention on providing programs there.
• M. Motley said given the number of students served by Willard Straight Hall, the amount the SUB is requesting is valid.
• E. Yeterian asked why the SUB is asking for more funding in a particular area of their budget.
• M. Motley said they hope to contribute funding to an AIDS week.
• J. Rau said he is confused as to why the budget proposed to the Appropriations Committee on Monday differs from the budget proposed today. Why have the numbers fluctuated so much?
• M. Motley said that he told the Appropriations Committee on Monday that the fourth floor resource center needed more than a dollar increase to account for additional costs.
• A community member said this year is a brand new year for Willard Straight. Denise Cassaro is trying to make the Straight similar to RPCC: a place to gather in the center of campus. Many more students want to host events here. There is more activity occurring in the Straight this year as opposed to in previous years. The staff has completely changed and they are more dedicated to growing and promoting the Straight.
• A. Wolford asked how much money has been spent on the fourth floor resource center this year.
• M. Motley said they have already spent over $24,000 this year. They can no longer afford to fund the center.
• R. Gitlin wondered whether these numbers had been read to the Appropriations Committee on Monday.
• M. Motley said they had not been.
• R. Gitlin asked about how the SUB co-sponsors events held by other organizations in the Straight.
• M. Motley said they have a funding cap of $500.00 to each organization.
• U. Smith said he thinks it is ironic that the SA has approved a number of different initiatives, such as increasing late night programming, making Willard Straight a hub on campus, etc. However, the SA is actually stifling its own initiatives. He thinks it is also unfair that SUB changed their budget for this meeting. He thinks they should spend their money more efficiently, too. Still, he motioned to amend their funding to $2.00. Seconded.
• A. Nicoletti said he wanted to say that he appreciates the efforts of the SUB, but an increase is not a right, it’s a privilege.
• R. Gitlin asked what the rationale is for raising the funding to $2.00.
• U. Smith said he thinks the pub is a great idea, but there are other things that take place in the building and more money should go toward that.
• Griselda Velado, WSH resource center manager, said her center wouldn’t be where they are now without the SUB. The SUB needs its requested allocation because Willard Straight Hall is going to become much more popular soon.
• A community member said WSH is a canvas for students to host their events. Therefore, it makes sense that the resources for these events are held in the building itself if the SUB if trying to promote the Straight.
• N. Treffeisen said WSH is the one place on campus that is not academic-related. $2.00 is necessary for this building to expand to where it should be.
• E. Szulman asked what the resource center provides and what attendance looks like at events.
• G. Velado said many groups don’t have an obvious location for information on how to put on events. The resource center helps them to put on events and provides them with free advertisement so they can spend more on the events themselves.
• A community member said free advertising in the Straight makes students want to put on their events in the Straight.
• G. Velado said there are at least 100 people per lunch at the resource center. There are probably 300–400 people who use their services each day. These services include how to fill out forms, how to reserve rooms, etc.
• J. Kay said student organizations across campus are frustrated with funding cuts this year. It’s good to know that the SUB has maintained their funding and isn’t being cut. She wondered whether a $0.20 cent increase would help all students justifiably.
• M. Motley said the resource center has gone through 11,000 bags of popcorn this year. That’s a good indicator of how many people they have served so far.
• A. Nicoletti said the SA still has to consider a number of other groups who are also appealing.
• R. Desai said the $0.20 cent increase is $2,600 more this year. He thinks this amount can be used more efficiently elsewhere.
• N. Raps said they would now vote on the amendment for funding for 2.00. Must pass by 2/3 vote.
• By a vote of 6–13–1, the amendment was not passed.
• There was a call to question. Seconded with no dissent. The motion passed by a roll call vote of 13–6−0.

VI. New Business

a. R.21: Availability of Accessible Gender-Neutral Bathrooms — Nate Treffeisen

• Trey Ramsey, President of DASH, said people who are transgender or are transitioning may feel uncomfortable in gendered bathrooms. The biggest concern is being perceived as being in the wrong bathroom because of their gender expression. People fear discrimination in the bathroom. There are more incidents of bias toward the LGBTQ community than to any other Cornell community.
• N. Treffeisen said this could be extended to anyone who would feel unsafe in a bathroom or for families who would need to use one.

b. R.22: Reconsidering the Appointment of Grant Farred as Chair of Africana Faculty Search Committee — Dara Brown

• D. Brown said there is not support from the university in reversing sexism on campus.
• There was a motion to move this resolution to business of the day. Seconded with no dissent. Moved to business of the day.
• G. Block said he thought the professor’s actions were inexcusable. He asked if the professor is still seen as someone the campus doesn’t respect.
• D. Brown said his remark should follow him into this appointment. She thinks it is a bad policy for him to have been appointed to chair a hiring committee.
• G. Block said he is worried about the message this resolution would send. It says the SA doesn’t believe that the campus is doing enough. Where does it end when we don’t let this professor do things on campus anymore? Because he has already experienced backlash from his comments, he will be less likely to say similarly offensive things in the future.
• D. Brown said the resolution means that the SA opposes Cornell’s decision to appoint a professor to a position that may make women feel uncomfortable. His comments were made only last year and he admitted to his statements.
• T. Hicks, a graduate student in Africana Studies, said Professor Farred’s appointment shows a total disregard for his comments by the University because they passed without punishment. There was never a public apology. Additionally, Farred’s chairmanship is actually a reward because he now has a lot of influence on who gets hired at Cornell. Many people in the field, within and outside of Cornell, don’t respect him, so what message does that send to possible female candidates to the Africana Faculty?
• U. Smith said it doesn’t feel good for the Africana community to have this professor in charge of hiring new faculty.
• N. Raps said the resolution is not about one particular person’s character. It is about the broader message.
• D. Brown said the broader message is that the University needs to provide a community where women don’t feel like they are living in a discriminatory campus.
• G. Hoffman asked what repercussions Professor Farred has already had.
• D. Brown said those types of repercussions are confidential. Professor Farred is still working and being promoted although he admitted to his wrongdoings.
• Candace Katuci, an alum of the Africana Center and a current phD student, said Farred’s comments are indefensible to those committed to the Africana Center and what it stands for. The statements had a damaging effect to the black studies community, even throughout the nation. As one who specializes in black female history, it sends a message that she and other black females aren’t welcome at the University, so they need not apply if Professor Farred is chair of the Faculty Search Committee.
• J. Mueller said it isn’t the SA’s job to agree with the administration. This resolution is the SA’s conscientious way to say to the administration that other people on campus are talking about this appointment and do not agree.
• D. Goldberg said this resolution could hinder Farred’s career, so he would like to know more about him before this resolution is voted on.
• D. Brown said she isn’t trying to isolate this faculty member. She would just like to send a message to the administration about their decision-making processes in general.
• There was a call to question. Seconded with dissent.
• J. Rau asked for clarification on whether or not the professor was “accused” or “allegedly” accused.
• D. Brown said he was actually accused.
• N. Raps said this resolution would be sent to the administration and the Africana Center as a sense of community recommendation.
• By a hand vote of 17–1−3, the resolution passed.

N. Raps adjourned the meeting at 6:31pm.

Respectfully submitted, Allison Bazinet