Student Senate
Student Senate Updates
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Updates from Student Senate (12/3/2024):
- Dickinson Core Values Project Announcement and FAQ – Prof. Amy McKiernan
- The college currently doesn’t have institutional or core values; new ones will not interfere with the code of conduct.
- Want 3-5 institutional core values and wish to crowdsource them from the community: taking a grassroots approach and searching the archives.
- Core values will help contribute to the college; ability to lift up people, ideas, and projects as in accordance with the core values.
- Proposed values will be voted on in Spring of 2026 after research, analysis, focus groups, and public comment.
- New Business
- GPA and Conduct Requirements and Prior Service to Run for Student Government – discussion closed
- Value in including a GPA/conduct requirement to affirm being a good student is the priority.
- Student Government Requirements to Run for Executive Board – discussion closed
- One semester in student government before becoming an executive board member.
- Divisions
- APS
- Minor requirement changes in STEM majors; making it easier to meet requirements.
- ITS
- Officially switching to D2L from Moodle; slowly integrating into classes over the next years.
- PR and Marketing
- Still doing newsletter.
- Financial Strategy
- First round table of the school year tonight (12/3).
- APS
Updates from Student Senate (11/19/2024):
- The “Take a Dickinsinian to Lunch” Program is live!
- This program is for students to be able to take a mentor from the Dickinson community to lunch in Carlisle! This mentor can be faculty, staff or a student in a mentor role!
- “Raza Unida”, a campus organization received Senate recognition.
- Raza Unida is a group on campus, sponsored by the Popel Shaw Center that promotes community, career and networking opportunities for Hispanic students. In the past this group has been officially recognized, but on Tuesday they were given the Senate’s official recognition and funding.
- The Dining Hall will be hosting their annual holiday dinner December 9th.
- A planning committee has been formed to arrange study break events for finals week.
- Senate is currently brainstorming ways to increase attendance for the Men’s record breaking soccer game.
- If you are interested in receiving a Senate News Letter, please check the Senate Instagram story where the signup link can be found.
- Senate will not be meeting next week due to the holiday break.
Updates from Student Senate (11/12/2024):
Information Technology Services Committee – Jill Forester and ITSC
- No great avenues for getting student input in technology on campus; this is changing.
- Implementation of a student advisory board focused on technology on campus.
- Twice a semester meetings directly with ITS; structured way that students can communicate with ITS.
- Looking at weather or not students know how to get help, student opinions on systems, AI, Wi-Fi connectivity, and how the college should improve technology services.
Old Business
- WGRC Financial Contribution Resolution – approved
- Minor wording changes.
- Elimination of Plastic Bags Resolution – approved
- Change in wording.
- Club Recognition Process – approved
- Changes in wording.
- Immediate implementation approved.
- Raza Unida – tabled
New Business
- New Clubs That Want to be Senate Recognized
- Talk about when to start, how many clubs per meeting, and giving them money.
- Lunch with Pres. Jones
Divisions
APS
- Approved a new Middle East studies minor.
ITS
- Contact ITS with tech problems; use the help desk.
Operations
- Senate Election info for the next academic year will be available next semester.
CLIC
- Finished survey, streamlining data.
EIB
- More info on speaker series soon; changes next semester.
PR and Marketing
- Email newsletters.
Finance
- Sending financial info to clubs on November 25th.
Financial Strategy
- Round table schedule minor changes.
Updates from Student Senate (11/5/2024):
- The “Love Bucks” program has been approved, and there will be more discussions in the coming weeks over publicity for the program.
- The resolution for the funding allocated to the WGRC program for free period products in all campus restrooms was passed.
- There was a change to the final resolution regarding where the funding would be withdrawn from. Originally it was planned to be withdrawn from both the activities fund and sinking fund, however after some discussion senate voted to take the entirety of the funding from the sinking fund
- The Greek Life Expansion Committee announced they are conducting preliminary meetings regarding the opening of a traditionally Jewish fraternity chapter on campus.
- A motion to bring back support for a ban on the use of plastic bags on campus was introduced.
- In 2019 student senate voted to ban campus retail locations, such as the Book Store and Devil’s Den from using plastic bags. However, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic this program loss support. Student Senate will continue to discuss this motion over the coming weeks.
- A discussion over whether to change the number of Student Senate meetings was introduced, to accommodate the inclusion of more speakers.
- There is the possibility of having additional Senate meetings that the student population would be encouraged to attend and have easier access to the information given by the speakers.
- The Sophomore class is hosting a Fall Festival on Saturday November 9th at Morgan field from 1-4. All students are welcome to attend.
Updates from Student Senate (10/29/2024):
Burgess Institute (for the Global Economy) Presentation – Prof. Steve Riccio
- The Burgess Institute is open for all students, not just International Business and Management majors.
- Observing capitalism from a critical viewpoint; student-operated.
- Affiliated courses have a leadership aspect, an experiential aspect, and a global aspect, and have been redesigned to fit the institute’s goals; developing a Certificate in Leadership Foundations projected launch in the spring.
- Executives in Residence – bringing alumni onto campus to teach.
Menstrual Product Dispenser Implementation Presentation – Dr. Kate Schweighofer
- Proposal designed for the administration, which is that all women’s and inclusive bathrooms will have products in them in all academic buildings, the HUB, and Klein.
- Integrating menstrual products into the permanent systems of the college.
- Financial aspects have been integrated into the system, which will transfer to Facilities after this year, but Student Senate has to cover it this year.
- Eco-friendly, offers one size for both pads and tampons (meant for emergency needs).
Support for Menstrual Products
- Discussion topics:
- Where is the money coming from?
- Not compromising spring WGRC events.
- Engaging a conversation with other clubs to help fund the products.
- Where is the money coming from?
- Vote for a resolution to pull $3,000 from the senate sinking fund for the products: passed.
Take a Dickinsonian to Lunch
- Second reading of the resolution.
- Vote on the resolution: passed.
New Business
- Club Recognition Process
- Reorganizing how Senate and Campus Life go about the process: tabled
Divisions
SEE
- Goal of less disturbance in Britton during renovations.
ITS
- Working on building student tech advisory committee.
Operations
- Trial running print agendas.
EIB
- Talked about retention in their last meeting.
PR and Marketing
- New 101 things to do.
Finance
- Update on Round Table schedule for December (club financing).
Updates from the latest Student Senate meeting (3/28/23):
🌟AIC: close to finalizing the provost search, and the director of academics will be announced soon.
🌟ELC: currently accepting applications for the arts festival.
🌟IIC: working to distribute menstrual products throughout campus.
🌟Club Finance will be going over budgets for next years clubs.
🌟Operations will hold a training retreat for all of Student Senate on Sunday from 10 am-2 pm, located in Allison Hall. Attendance must be confirmed in advance.
🌟The Class of 2023 is planning for senior portraits.
🌟The Class of 2025 is planning for a sophomore send-off on April 13.
🌟Bao Tran, Director of Financial Strategy, presented the first reading of the budget.
Total expenses from the Spring 2023 roundtable meetings amount to $495,550.00, with $360,000.00 coming from the student activities fee and $135,550.00 from reserves.
🌟Burrough ambassador discussed Carlisle Burrough sidewalk maintenance issues, providing information on inspections and maintenance programs.
🌟The Burrough ambassador position is open until April 3, contact Anne Fisher-Henson ([email protected]) for more details.
Res life Open Forum (3/28/23):
Student Life includes Residence Life, Conduct, Public Safety (DPS), Campus Life, Wellness Center, Care Team, and First-Year Orientation.
🚔 Dee Danser, Director of Public Safety, shared important updates on crime logs, CPD on campus, and self-defense programming.
- A daily crime log is available on DPS website, which includes noise complaints, disorderly conduct, and car accidents. This information is available 3 months back, but more reports can accessed upon request.
- DPS updates and news will be available through a new Instagram account run by two students
- Students can request to do a ride-along with DPS to see a typical night for officers, just email Dee at [email protected]
- CPD (Carsile Police Department) only comes to campus when called by DPS, and DPS calls CPD more often than vice versa
- 95% of campus noise complaints are from students, and 5% are from non-affiliated neighbors
- Students can file a complaint about public safety through the DPS page on Dickinson’s website, which gets reviewed by DPS, George Stroud, and the vice-president
- There used to be a class called RAD for self-defense, but it had issues such as being time-consuming and women-only, now Students can access free resources at TrainToFightBack.com.
🍺 The relationship between DPS and Liquor Control Enforcement (LCE) was discussed, including how to handle LCE if they show up on campus unannounced.
- LCE is a branch of the state police that reports to the state police, and they are known for targeting “soft spaces,” such as college campuses
- Their goal is primarily to make arrests related to alcohol violations.
- LCE is allowed to show up unannounced on campus, but they are not allowed to be on campus property. So they can only remain on sidewalks. DO NOT RUN FROM LCE. They are allowed to and will chase you down.
- DPS and Student Life offices can complain about LCE, but they have no control over them. If students have complaints, they can call 911. LCE officers have also been accused of physically harming and harassing both officers and students, leading to complaints from DPS officers.
📱 If you’re dealing with cyberbullying on Yik Yak, report it to DPS who will assist with finding the person responsible.
🏠 Angie Harris, Associate VP of Student Life, shared information on housing selection for the now passed room selection.
Student Senate (3/21/23):
Senate discussed a few of these upcoming projects:
- Reopening the climbing wall in collaboration with climbing club, pending a costly inspection.
- Distributing menstrual products throughout campus in collaboration with Random Acts of Kindness.
- Distributing Narcan via the Wellness Center pending educational lessons.
- Considering the creation of a new role in the Student Senate, such as a Health and Wellness Liaison, to broaden representation
- Incorporate Title IX training into the Code of Ethics for student senators.
- Discussing the need for a closer relationship between the Title IX office and Student Senate, and exploring the possibility of providing training for student senators on how to support students who face challenges related to Title IX.
🌟Carlisle Student Bureau Ambassador position open, contact Anne Fisher-Henson ([email protected]) for more details. Application is due March 26th.
🌟Navigate tool is being selectively rolled out to help students navigate college life
- Navigate is a tech advisor to all students, especially useful for first-year students
- It helps students tackle the challenges they typically face as they navigate their transition into college
- The tool provides access to many different resources via a mobile device and web version
🌟AIC continues Provost and Director of Academic searches.
🌟The Financial Committee mentioned ongoing work on financial strategy, which was not elaborated upon further.
🌟CLIC updates: on Red and White Day and Art Festival promotion, and need for a representative for Round Table meetings
🌟Class of 2025: successful sophomore event and upcoming send-off
🌟Class of 2023:
- April 28: Pints with Profs in Social hall 4:30-6:30
- Red and White tailgate
Student Senate (3/7/23):
🌟President Jones Open Forum. Check Below for a more detailed summary.
🌟AIC: the vacant director of academics position will be filled though application based submissions (check the Senate Engaged page). Applications are due 3/21.
🌟Club Finance: Club budget deadline reminder.
🌟PR and Marketing: Plans to create welcoming video for the Dickinson class of 2027.
🌟Class of 2023: Coordinating with Athletic Department and SAAC for Red and White day.
🌟Class of 2025: Sophomore class event (3/9/23) from 7pm-9pm in the Social Hall.
🌟Senate voted on the Leadership Recognition Award Nominees. Recognition Ceremony announcing winners is April 24.
🌟Dickinson Workers Party club recognition passes. Workers Party is now a Senate Recognized club!
🌟Wear red/gear day every Friday!
President Jones Open Forum (3/7/23):
During President Jones’ talk, he discussed various issues related to the college’s finances and infrastructure. He mentioned that while the college has a $630 million endowment, it is still tuition-dependent, leading to some necessary budget cuts. One concern raised by students was the increase in tuition without a corresponding increase in student wages. President Jones promised to discuss this matter with the CFO.
Another issue that was brought up was the poor Wi-Fi on campus. President Jones had not heard of this problem before and plans to contact the head of IT to improve the situation. Students also voiced concerns about accessibility issues on campus. President Jones urged students to write to him with specific complaints, and acknowledged that some of the issues may involve the Carlisle borough.
President Jones also discussed the ongoing renovations of the HUB, the college’s central hub for student activities and dining. The current dining hall was built for a student body population of 1600, while the current population is 2300. The new HUB will feature a variety of micro-restaurants and a “farm to table” experience, as well as increased staffing to accommodate the larger space and student population.
Students also asked about off-campus housing options, and President Jones explained that the college needs to fill all current dorms before considering investing in more properties.
President Jones also talked about the possibility of partnering with local restaurants to address issues with the college’s dining services, but cited logistical problems as an issue with idea. The college also wants to improve student opinion with dining services before outsourcing food options.
Finally, he mentioned plans to revisit the swipe system at the Denim dining location at the send of this semester.
Student Senate (2/28/23):
🌟 Tony Boston, the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Dickinson, spoke on the importance of diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice, and shared ways for students to get involved in promoting these values on campus. Check Below for a more detailed summary.
🌟 The ITS team to debut to use a new system called Navigate, which will help communication between students and their advisors. Laptops are available to students every semester, and can be picked up in the library.
🌟 Club budgets are due this Friday (3/3), unless a club has special permissions from financial office.
🌟 The Financial Strategy team is working to allocate this years budgets
🌟 New club voted Into Senate recognition: Korean Student Association hopes to promote Korean culture on Dickinson’s campus. They plan to host events with traditional food, beverages, and crafts.
Student Senate Election Results (3/6/23):
President: Katarina Swendrowski
Chief of Staff: Clara Blackwell
Director of Campus Life and Initiatives: Claire Wayne
Director of Equity and Inclusivity: Kayla Slomeana
Director of Club Finance: Martina Fernandez Bevk
Director of Financial Strategy: Ashley Kim
Director of PR and Marketing: Ishrak Zaman
APSC Senator: Alexis Boseman, Lia Jefferson
Class of 2026 President: Anna Purvis
Class of 2025 President: Angela Abinales
Class of 2024 President: Deon Rosado
Director of Academics: Vacant
Tony Boston Open Forum (2/28/23):
Tony Boston, the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Dickinson, gave an open forum talk at the student senate meeting. During his talk, he discussed the terminology used in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, including definitions for diversity, inclusion, belonging, equity, justice, and mattering. He also talked about the different phases of cultural change that affect an institution, division, department, and individual, as well as ways to engage in equity and inclusivity efforts.
Boston also provided information about the importance of reviewing processes and thinking about equity and inclusion efforts at the individual, department, division, and institution-level.
He also introduced the Bias Response Team and encouraged students to reach out to one of the six directors (listed below) in the division or to himself for more information or to get involved in equity and inclusivity efforts.
- Center for Spirituality & Social Justice (CSSJ): J. Cody Nielsen, Director
- Asbell Center for Jewish Life: Marley Weiner, Director
- Office of LGBTQ Services: Todd Nordgren, Director
- Popel Shaw Center for Race & Ethnicity (PSC): Yvette Davis, Director
- Women’s & Gender Resource Center (WGRC): K. Schweighofer, Director
- Bias Education & Response Team (BERT): Yvette Davis, BERT Chair