Agenda:
- Call to order (1:00-1:02)
- Roll Call (1:02-1:05)
- Adoption of Agenda (1:05-1:06)
- Approval of Minutes (1:06-1:07)
- Community Comments (1:07-1:17)
- Old Business (1:17-1:27): Updates on Club Budgeting
- New Business 1 (1:27-1:42): Shared governance idea
- Introducing idea of shared-governance body for inviting 3rd party speakers to campus
- New Business 2 (1:42-1:57): Addressing concerns about takeout containers
- Adjournment (1:57-2:00)
Call to Order
Victoria: I call this meeting to order at 1:05pm.
Emma: More than half of Exec board is in attendance. Quorum has been met.
Victoria: I move to adopt the agenda. I also move to approve the minutes. Any concerns? The agenda is adopted and the minutes are approved.
Old Business
Victoria: We have some updates on club budgeting
Oliver: After talking to the Donkeys leaders and Tyler, the club sports coordinator, we have decided to reconsider providing food and water for the tournament they are hosting. They will pay back the costs of the trainers, food, and we’re hoping the porta potties to us. Effectively we are not paying and it is a loan.
Grant: I move to approve the Big Donkey Ultimate budget.
Emma/Kabir: I second.
*everyone approves this budget*
Yehyun: On another note, the electric blue bus drivers are not allowed to take students if the seats are full. So no one should be standing.
Jorja: I noticed this week that they were counting people getting on the electric bus and not allowing more people on.
Thea: I had the opposite experience, where a lot of people were standing on the bus.
Yehyun: We met with the campus safety student advisory committee, and they said any changes to the bus is Bryn Mawr’s job. They are discussing this.
Shared Governance
Yehyun: This was brought up when we were meeting with Wendy and Jesse. We wanted to ask what the school’s response to the protest on Monday, September 30th was. We asked if there is a student voice or input in what 3rd party groups come to campus. That is when Jesse is informed of the structure of how certain programs like Meeting the Moment come to Haverford.
Yehyun: Jesse shared with us that some students who were available over the summer had some input, but it was mostly the IDEA office. That’s when we brought up, can we have a shared governance body for inviting 3rd body parties to campus for the spring.
Kabir: I believe using our shared governance with official student representatives on the committee which decides what organizations/people the college wants to invite, is the logical next step for students to voice numerous very valid concerns, for example, about our college platforming institutions which perpetuate the belief that opposing genocides, nakbas, and invasions are anti-semitic. We as VPs hope to work on this as soon as possible.
Victoria: This is also a conversation that should be happening with that committee itself between Jesse and IDEA. They met earlier today and we should be able to ask them for an update when we meet on Monday. Are there any questions?
DC Takeout Containers
Victoria: Since we last brought this up, Yehyun and I have contacted Mike and Tom and met with them about DC services and takeout boxes. We wanted to learn more about why they got rid of takeout boxes and open a channel to address this specific concern.
Yehyun: One of the biggest reasons that Tom and Mike addressed was sustainability. We have a carbon neutrality goal to meet by 2035. By having unlimited to go boxes it is impossible to reach that quota. We asked if we could bring Ozzi containers back, they said 100% of the containers were not returned and they lost a lot of money on that program. We did ask if there are other systems that have more accountability.
The 2nd big reason is financial sustainability, we were told no other colleges have both all you can eat and unlimited takeout, and how it is hard to do unlimited takeout like Bryn Mawr as their dining system is different from ours, as all students are on a meal plan.
The two other reasons are Quaker values, they want to honor the tradition of eating over one roof. Also this was not a norm before COVID. They actually had less to-go box options before COVID. They are now in a transition of going back to the norm.
Victoria: Moving forward with that we did bring up concerns. We brought up how students need access to takeout boxes because of night classes, practice, sickness, etc. They informed us that there is a form you can fill out to have access to takeout boxes as need be. We are still looking for that form. That did stem a question of how effective dining center communication is. We discussed with Tom and Mike the ways to which they can improve communication with students. We heavily encourage them to restructure the DC student advisory committee. We also talked about how they can better use their emails or the DC website to more effectively communicate updates about the DC, including takeout ability. We don’t have updates to the takeout box system as it is work we simply cannot do. It is a level beyond students. If you are really invested in these topics you should consider applying for the dining advisory committee.
Kabir: As someone who was not there for the meeting with the dining center administration, a lot of the reasons seem real and high level. Others seem less than satisfactory, particularly, eating under one roof, there are many reasons people can’t eat around others. Grant and I will be seeing the implementation of this year’s dining center committee, and we will be able to provide more in-depth reports and ask questions. This is not the end of the conversation, we will use that committee.
Victoria: With shared governance committees, students on those committees will have StuCo as a resource to bounce ideas off of. We are support to students on those committees.
Yehyun: This is specifically for the dining center committee, if the meeting structure is not productive, Tom has said that he is open to different structures of meetings. In the past, Tom was with the students, but Tom shared that he struggled with students not showing up. If the current system is not working we highly encourage the students reps to find a more productive space and system.
Victoria: This meeting is adjourned.
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