12 Comments
Swipe card access policy…of the future!!!
Commuter student wondering how your interests are represented? Budding pollster just buzzing for the next CU election? Just a good college citizen concerned for their community (enough to procrastinate the lecture your in with CCSC recaps on Bwog)? No matter who you are, we have you covered. Nate Silver’s second speed dial and special correspondent Joe Milholland brings you the latest from CCSC.
On Sunday night, the Columbia College Student Council began discussing a commuter student swipe access proposal and shunted away discussion on elections changes for the time being.
The swipe access proposal concerned specifically how best to allow commuter students in CC and SEAS swipe access to dorms. This proposal lists a number of reasons why commuter students should be given access to dorms, such as the non-residential services of dorms and the lack of evidence they would cause vandalism. The proposal then suggests commuter students should be allowed to swipe in until 2am and be given a commuter student version of the Guide to Living.
As they discussed the proposal, the council members brought up many areas in which the current commuter student policy is inconvenient. VP of Policy Sejal Singh noted there was a mental health open forum in Broadway that would have been very inconvenient for commuter students to attend. VP of Communications Abby Porter noted that classes in Carman have to submit a list of admitted students who can’t swipe into the dorm every week.
The council also spent time discussing whether they should ask for a 2 am limit for commuter students to swipe in or no limit at all. Before commuter swipe access was changed, they had a 2 am limit. University senator Marc Heinrich argued that the council should first propose the best possible result for students (no limit on swipe access) and then negotiate with administrators if necessary. Academic affairs representative Grayson Warrick agreed, saying the administration could push the limit back further.
Class of 2015 president Kareem Carryl thought the 2 am compromise is fair, since at that time the visit essentially qualifies as an overnight stay, and, at that time, anyone visiting a dorm can probably get someone to sign them in. VP of campus life Andrew Ren, speaking in favor of the 2am limit, pointed out that commuter students haven’t signed the housing agreement.
15 council members supported not having the limit in the proposal, and 13 opposed it. CCSC president Peter Bailinson said he’ll look into what ESC thinks about this.
Also at the meeting, the council postponed consideration of changing CCSC’s election schedule until constitutional review in April, after elections. VP of finance Michael Li, who brought up the subject at the meeting, noted that ESC seemed reluctant about the proposal. Li’s argument for voting on it that night was to “set clear expectations” for the upcoming election. He also noted that no council member would gain by voting one way or another. However, president Bailinson noted that council members could still be biased in voting if they only wanted to be on CCSC for the upcoming fall semester. Singh, Heinrich, and university senator Jared Odessky all brought up the issue of conflict of interest, with Odessky insisting the council wait until constitutional review.
Updates
- According to Heinrich, administrators have pushed forward the release date of the Quality of Life survey to this Friday.
- Carryl said that three sexual respect workshops recently occurred in senior dorms. The first was poorly attended, but the second two, both on a Friday, were filled.
- According to Li, the university will likely cut down on the number of print issues of the New York Times Columbia receives each day. However, students will have digital access.
- There will be a CULPA-thon in John Jay Lounge from 7-9pm on Wednesday with free Dino Barbeque
Apathetic swipe man of the future, via Shutterstock
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12 Comments
@Anonymous “Carmen”? Seriously?
@Anon Commuter All students (including commuters) pay a Student Life Fee, which covers expenses like printers and community-wide CCSC activities (many of which are held in residential dorms). Forcing commuters to pay the full Student Life Fee, without giving them access to all rights accorded by that fee, is absurd.
Also, security and IDs are paid for by a fee that is completely separate from residential life. Double-charging commuters for these privileges with a second, redundant fee is ridiculous.
@Anonymous But why would you need swipe access to a dorm you do not live in? If are visiting someone, they are obviously with you or already there.
@Idk but I would immediately think of printing in residence halls or computer lab access (e.g. Hartley) between or on the way to classes
@Um.. Would you want to only have swipe access to the dorm you live in?
@bc15 To be fair, Barnard students also pay for things like printers.
Not having swipt access is my biggest impediment to feeling like a full part of the broader Columbia community.
@Anonymous Uh, Barnard has their own campus.
@GS/JTS But GS students don’t. We share what our activities fees pay for with the rest of you, except when these regulations dictate that we can’t. For us, these rules really make it harder to be part of the community.
@Anonymous The commuters should pay a small residential life or use fee every year like a couple hundred bucks. This would cover the extra expenses of cost, administration, ID’s, security, wear and tear, etc.
@Anonymous Commuters already pay the Student Life Fee, part of which goes to services such as the printers, etc. in dorms. In a sense, they’re paying for things they can’t easily use.
@Anonymous Is the culpathon meant to replace the Wikithon?
@Anonymous No. There will still be a Wikithon.