SGA meets every Monday at 8 pm in Diana 2! These meetings are open to all Barnard students, but we all know you’re too busy exterminating cockroaches in your Brooks double at night, so Bureau Chief Leena Chen has it covered for you.

Looks like DAD is back in town! Among other opening announcements, SGA representatives brought up the newly-released semesterly Desserts After Dark (DAD) survey on campus issues, which is open from now through Thursday, March 7th. Fill out the survey to get a free Doughnuttery donut on Tuesday, March 12th! tinyurl.com/dadspring2019.

This meeting, Josh Alexander spoke about his role as Senior Associate Director of Residential Life and Housing and answered questions about ResLife. Alexander explained that the ResLife focuses on four goals: community, life learning, social justice and inclusion, and health and wellness. He then opened up the floor for a Q&A session.

SGA representatives’ questions primarily focused on students’ personal health and safety. In response to SGA representatives’ questions about physical health, he re-directed potential concerns from students with disabilities or life-threatening health conditions to contact ODS for living accommodations, since ResLife does not have access to student medical records or medical needs.

Regarding emotional or mental health, Alexander outlined emphasized the resources of the ResLife Office. For example, if an RA or hall director violates community standards or policies, students should directly reach out to the ResLife Office, which will respond with appropriate disciplinary action or employment termination. Unfortunately, if RAs or hall directors are exhibiting microaggressions that might make students feel unsafe in their living spaces without directly violating a community standard or policy, this falls into a gray area that ResLife will evaluate on a case-to-case basis. Going forward, Alexander revealed that ResLife is in the process of developing a more comprehensive and intentional curriculum for RAs and hall directors.

Alexander concluded his talk by making clear the ResLife Office’s accessibility as a resource to address student concerns, both through the semesterly feedback survey and throughout the year as concerns arise. That’s good to know, especially as the Housing Lottery looms in the distant future…

SGA Logo via Bwog Archive

The Suite Life Dude via Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons