Student Assembly

Minutes - February 2, 2012
Cornell University Student Assembly
4:45pm - 6:30pm, 401 Physical Sciences Building

I. Call to Order / Roll Call

N. Raps called the meeting to order at 4:45pm

• Voting members present: S. Balik, G. Block, D. Brown, A. Chopra, B. Francisco, A. Gitlin, R. Gitlin, D. Goldberg, M. Gulrajani, G. Hoffman, J. Kay, J. Lee, A. Meller, D. Muir, A. Pinkney, H. Pittell, N. Raps, P. Scelfo, N. Treffeisen, A. Wolford
• Non voting members present: A. Bores, D. Evensen, A. Santangelo, Dean Hubbell
• Voting members tardy: R. Desai
• Voting members unexcused absences: S. Breedon, J. Mueller, A. Nicoletti, J. Rau, E. Szulman, E. Yeterian
• Non voting members unexcused absences: A. Raveret
• Also present: Vice President Susan Murphy, Amy Edwards, Ari Epstein

II. Approval of the 12/01/11 Meeting Minutes

• Minutes approved

III. Open Microphone

• None

IV. President David Skorton and Vice President Susan Murphy

• President Skorton was called away to business and was unable to attend the meeting
• Vice President Susan Murphy:
  • Thanks the Student Assembly for the excitement they built around the NYC Tech Campus. Announcement came a month early — currently working on administrative structure
  • Student and Academic Services: continuing work around Greek Recognition Policies, Alcohol Use and Abuse, talking with Gannett Health Services
• G. Block: Regarding tuition: raise is justified by a greater need for financial aid. The middle class is not qualified for financial aid and are getting squeezed.
• Vice President Susan Murphy:
  • Too simplistic to say financial aid justifies raise — they are related, but financial aid is not the only reason for the increase. Cost determined by investments Cornell believes it needs to make to maintain its quality of education. Tuition cost based on what the market can handle and what is fair to students.
  • Middle class of Cornell is far above middle class of America by tens of thousands of dollars. Expansion of financial aid has brought in more people that were previously eligible. Every group except for the ones that pay full tuition has had their cost decrease over the years. Those who pay full tuition have had their cost held constant for the previousyears. Unlike peers, Cornell requires a loan from all of students — however, that amount has decreased significantly in recent years.
  • Financial Aid Task Force Meeting: stalking about how to stem the rate of tuition increase, how to maintain open doors, and the appropriate sacrifices students and parents can make to afford tuition
  • America’s middle class: making between $50 and $70 thousand — those students are barely paying anything. Cornell’s Middle Class between $120 and $200 thousand — those families are feeling pinched.
• A. Gitlin: What is the administration’s vision for the social scene on campus?
• Vice President Susan Murphy:
  • Late Night Programming Board recommended creation of a pub — administration has approved it: The Bear’s Den. Waiting for liquor license, waiting for approval from Health Board, working on how to reorganize the Ivy Room, reviewing financial model
  • Trying to work with students to�. Rob Callahan working with a group to plan a robust late night calendar for Fall 2012
  • Programs being created on North Campus — six events (3 big 3 small) — club concept to be held in RPCC
  • Administration looking to work with students regarding ideas they might have to make the social scene not completely dependent on alcohol
• R. Desai: Response from undergrad population regarding Dream Act Resolution (passed in December) was amazing. Is this a topic being discussed actively in the Administration?
• Vice President Susan Murphy:
  • She has not been a member of the conversation.
  • The employment situation is challenging, as a W-2 is required. Unsure of how Cornell works around that issue
  • International financial aid is very much based on the financial aid program.
• R. Gitlin: Now that the NYC Tech Campus has been approved, how will it affect the undergrad population? Will the focus be turned to NY?
• Vice President Susan Murphy:
  • Focus will remain in Ithaca, where the main campus is held. Cornell is the main undergraduate campus and will remain so
  • Questions of where students will be held, who will take care of them, where they will get heatlh care, etc.
  • Student Services will be working very closely with the Administration — in the early stages, the Administration will not be distracted from its responsibility to Cornell
  • In regards to undergrads, hoping NYC Tech Campus will be a net plus — possibly programs similar to semester internships
  • NYC Tech Campus, will not take away focus on undergrad education and experience at Cornell.
• P. Scelfo: What does the Administration plan on doing to increase the student population of the smallest minority — the disabled?
• Vice President Susan Murphy
  • Unaware that there is a strategic plan to actively recruit
  • Two initiatives:
    • Disability and Strategic Plan: focusing on physical and educational barriers on campus,
    • Diversity Committee: Focus on four areas: composition, engagement, inclusion, achievement for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and minority groups.
  • In some areas, there are specific recruitment goals and in others the goals are not as explicit.
• N. Treffeisen: Is the LGBTQ Community part of the community plan?
• Vice President Susan Murphy
  • Hopes so — unsure if there is an active recruitment strategy or if the focus is more on engagement and inclusion
  • Diversity model to come out soon — encourages the SA to push back if they believe a group is being left out or if they have suggestions
• A. Pinkney: What does the Administration plan to do to institutionalize SWAG and to ensure that it stays around
• Vice President Susan Murphy:
  • Aware of the budget needs of SWAG — unsure if they can fund all of it, but will at least fund the core needs. Question of how SWAG will fit into diversity initiatives. SWAG: Students Working Amibitiously to Graudate — focus on African male graduation rate. Working on balancing the institutionalization of SWAG and the impact of student voice and influence.
• M. Gulrajani: 60–70% of freshman have been drinking according to a recent survey. What is the administration’s plan to reduce this number so that the SA can work in the same direction?
• Vice President Susan Murphy
  • Main concern is health and safety. Question of the individual, environment, enforcement, prevention, and intervention. Question of how to pull people into activities in which alcohol is not the sole source of entertainment. Question of how to create a culture in which students say getting sick and drunk is not okay.
  • Changing the drinking age is out of the question — brains are still developing before age 21 and the impact of alcohol on developing brains is very significant and permanent
  • Administration working to take in input from students regarding messages and activities that will resonate with students.
  • The amount of students that binge drink has not changed recently. Working with students in Dartmouth Collaborative and hope changes will be made

V. Announcements / Reports

Pub Superbowl Party Announcement — N. Raps

• Bear’s Den is opening on Sunday 5:00 in the Ivy Room
• Cornell testing out a lot of different food samples and drink samples — live showing of the game

Students to Unite Cornell (STUC) Announcement — G. Block

• There are limited interactions between groups on campus (not just within the multicultural community). Working to actively seek out commitments from different groups to make an effort to create programs together
• Urges everyone to attend the weekly Thursday lunches at 626 Thurston

Election Update — N. Treffeisen

• Election run by A. Raveret, but plan to reach out to more groups than ever before
• Have reached out to big campus organizations that have been heavily involved with the SA in the past semester

Sports Club Ad-hoc Committee Update — Tom Hayford

• Have representatives from all club teams except 3
• Collecting team profiles and rosters to reach out to all athletes, to know when peak seasons are, to be aware of all the needs of the club sports community
• Working well with the Administration and plan to continue to meet with them to make sure changes made are in alignment with what the Administration can do
• First big event on Monday, February 6 to introduce the changes that the committee would like to make for the community
• Transitioning from the committee to the long-term organization (to be names Club Sports Council). Committee will be phasing out by the end of the semester — by laws, executive board, constitution, committee board to be worked on in the next two weeks

Gorge Safety Update — A. Chopra, R. Gitlin

• Video on gorge safety (made by same person who worked on NYC Tech Campus videos) to be out by April. Approved to be shown to all undergraduates during their swim test, and will be sent to all incoming students before they arrive on campus

Cayuga’s Watchers Update — A. Gitlin

• Applying for incorporation of Cayuga’s Watchers — moving forward slowly but surely

Ivy Council Update — J. Kay

• Application for Ivy Council Leadership due soon

Outreach Update — N. Treffeisen

• Each SA member must go to a minimum of 3 outreach events
• Weekly Thursday lunches at 626 Thurston
• A lot of events planned for Black History Month
• Coffee Hours held at WSH before every SA meeting

VI. Business of the Day

Resolution 26: Reinforcement of Accessibility for Student Activity Fee Funded Events — Talia Shear, R. Desai, S. Breedon

• Reminding students of the requirements placed on them for the creation of social events
• Talia Shear: Feels that this plan is perfectly in line with the Facility Strategy Plan
• Call to question, seconded
• Vote: 17–0−2
• Resolution 26 passes

VII. New Business

Resolution 35: Designation of Student-Elected Trustee Seats — A. Bores, D. Evensen, Evan Cortens

• Resolution to solidify the split between the two student trustee seats: one for undergraduate and one for graduate
• Resolution passed unanimously in the last GPSA meeting
• G. Block: Feels this is unfair for the undergraduate population. Feels the division does not Allow half of the undergraduate community to run.
• Resolution moved to Business of the Day
• D. Evensen: While the graduate student trustee is a graduate, it is also their role to represent undergraduates.
• Evan Cortens: This resolution was actually brought up by undergrads after two consecutive wins by graduate students. With the division, there is a guarantee that the undergraduates will have at least one voice
• Tom Hayford: As a graduate student who is involved with undergraduate needs with the club sports committee, he believes that graduates are just as capable of representing undergraduate voices.
• A. Bores: Believe it is largely in the undergraduates’ interest to have this split and guarantee
• A. Gitlin: Having competition between undergrads and grads might not create a good culture on campus
• Evan Cortens: Everyone gets to vote in the elections, so graduates can very well cater toward undergraduates.
• Call to question, seconded
• Vote: 17–1−1
• Resolution 35 passes

Resolution 36: Medical Amnesty Decal Distribution — J. Mueller, A. Gitlin

• Working with Gannett Health Services to distribute the decals to Collegetown residencies
• Decal to remind students about the Good Samaritan Law
• During the Landlord Association meeting, all the landlords took a stack
• Collaborating with IFC on this resolution — working with fraternities to place decals in their annexes
• Decals are stickers that are a bit bigger than iPhones
• H. Pittell: Are there plans to redesign the decal in the future? Currently he sees a 911 decal as opposed to an amnesty decal
• A. Gitlin: The image provided on the appendix is not like the actual decal — the amnesty message is much more obvious. Recommendations can be made during the Student Health Task Force Meeting

Resolution 37: Amendments to Class Councils Constitution — Annabel Fowler, Anna Fowler, Robert Callahan

• Class president met to discuss ideas, flushed them out with their councils, and most were passed unanimously
• Process to make it easier for students to become involved and to develop more continuity in who would run for executive positions
• Changes are not in place until the next academic year, except for the change to the Academic Convocation chair, which is in place this semester.
• Resolution moved to Business of the Day
• M. Gulrajani: Does not agree with requirements for applying for an executive board position (6.1.d in the Appendix to Resolution 37). Logistically, what if there is not someone qualified to run?
• A. Fowler: The requirement involves attending 3 Class Council meetings. The Class Council has advertised very well, especially to freshmen and has a good number of members — not having someone qualified to run is not a concern. Meetings are once a week on Mondays.
• Call to question, seconded
• Roll call vote:

• Vote: 17–2−0
• Resolution 37 passes

VIII. Executive Session

The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 pm

Respectuflly submitted,
Chelsea Cheng