SA Community Life Committee

MINUTES
Student Assembly Residential & Community Life Committee
November 8, 2011
4:30pm — 5:10pm
Goldwin Smith 164

I. Call to Order

II. Announcements

• C4 — Nov. 17 @ 12 Noon-4 PM (WSH & Ho Plaza)
• Undocumented Students Resolution
  • Contacts: MeChA and others
  • 3 different initiatives
    • Endorsement of Dream Act
    • Creating safe spaces on campus
    • Financial aid initiative for undocumented students
• Gender Neutral Housing
  • To provide such an option in the housing lottery

III. Fire Safety Initiative

• Resolution passed unanimously in SA
• Next Step
  • Off-campus concerns (i.e. responsibilities of landlords, etc.)
  • Possibly requiring video and/or fire safety quiz as part of pre-registration process

IV. Smoking Behavior Investigation

• Greek Sororities
  • 12 sororities (1 currently without a house)
  • Informally no smoking in house overall
  • Only one house follows national chapter rule: no smoking in house or on property
• Greek Fraternities
  • Most likely do not follow national rules
• Smoke Free Campuses
  • 500+ smoke free campuses in US
  • www.no-smoke.org
  • Generally involves long process of transition with a lot of prior education
  • Main reasons
    • Health reasons
    • 2nd hand smoke considered Class A Carcinogen
    • Littering costs associated with cigarette butts (emptying ashtrays, cleaning areas more frequented by smokers than non-smokers)
  • Many campuses have rewarded students for going off campus to smoke (positive reinforcement)
  • More of a grassroots movement by student body leads to better chances of succeeding
• Factors to Pay Attention to here at Cornell
  • Higher numbers of international students
  • On campus locations of graduate students
  • Cornell employees

V. Adjournment