The table clearly matches the architectural style of the Diana

Another week, another SGA meeting. This time, they welcomed in several people, one of whom asked them to sign a petition. For what, you ask? Diana Center Daredevil Joseph Milholland brings you the minutes from last night. 

At Monday night’s Barnard Student Government Association general body meeting, the council interacted with an admin, their student senator, and a Columbia College student asking them to sign a petition.

Dean Annie Aversa on Housing: The administrative guest this week was Associate Dean for Campus and Residential Life Annie Aversa, who spent most of her time talking about housing. Housing is hoping to hire 21-22 new RAs next year. The number of students studying abroad this Spring semester is lower than past Spring semesters. There will be about 15-20 study abroad students returning next semester and about 70 visiting students. There is a possibility Barnard will not be able to house everyone.

For deciding who gets housing, Barnard first gives housing to those guaranteed it, then to transfers and returning students not guaranteed it, and then to those who had been living off-campus before based on how far they are from Barnard. People not in a reasonable commuting distance from Barnard will be grouped together and given first priority. Those within a reasonable commuting distance will be ranked according to how long their commute takes according to Google Maps.

The December room change process is underway with a deadline on Wednesday, December 3 at 4 pm. Plimpton will be the only housing available over winter break. There are several reasons for this: Plimpton houses many Columbia students who don’t have to vacate housing over break; having all housing open during break would be costly to staff; Plimpton has suites and kitchens for cooking over the break; and it’s not good for security reasons for students to be alone on a floor over winter break.

Aversa is also in charge of “programmatic efforts” of Dining Services, and Barnard students with questions about dining can go to her, although she may send them to a different administrator.

Barnard University Senator Erin Bryk on the State of the Senate: The student University Senator for Barnard, Erin Bryk, gave a presentation to SGA about the University Senate and its relationship to Barnard. The two big issues the senate is currently tackling are sexual assault and the Quality of Life survey. In a plenary earlier this semester, the President’s Sexual Assault Advisor Suzanne Goldberg stated her support for the new sexual assault policy that PrezBo created without senate approval using his “summer powers” but mentioned more work needed to be done and that the policy could be improved. The senate has also hired a PhD student to create a Quality of Life survey that is better but not necessarily longer.

Barnard has three senators. Bryk is on the Commission on the Status of Women, which is talking about tenure for women and sexual assault policy. She has recently gotten onto the Rules of Conduct Committee. She is also an observer on the the Alunmni Relations Committee, which does not officially deal with Barnard alumnae, but she has received information she can bring back to Barnard.

Rules of Conduct Petition: Abby Porter, a Columbia College student (she is the CCSC VP of Communications, but she wasn’t representing CCSC at the meeting), came to the meeting to ask the council to individually sign a petition asking the Rules of Conduct Committee to open up the Rules of University Conduct for review. Porter also mentioned that some students are working on an affirmative bill of rights.

The three most important things to review in the rules, according to the petition: 1. External/internal process revisited; 2. Serious vs. Simple Violations; 3. Ambiguous language, cited Ben Jealous case. However, Porter said that the goal of the petition “is strictly to open the rules to review.” Those behind the petition will send it to the committee before they vote to decide, probably in the form of a letter.

Updates:

• SGA voted to approve JCCC’s request that SGA pay $747 of $3,134 requested by Columbia Queer Alliance to fully fund eight students and partially fund four students who are going to a conference on LGBTQ+ issues in Denver. The students will be chosen by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and candidates can be from all four undergrad schools.
• The Financial Advisory Council accepted all the endowment proposals brought to the council two weeks ago.
• 125^th anniversary student subcommittee will officially launch tomorrow 125 days of service asking Barnard community members to commit to 125 days of community service.
• SGA Food Advisory has a survey out on its Facebook page

This looks a lot more official than last night probably was via Shutterstock