Student Assembly

Minutes — November 1, 2012
Cornell University Student Assembly
4:45pm — 6:30pm, Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room

I. Call to Order/Roll Call

A. Gitlin called the meeting to order at 4:47pm.

Members present

S. Balik, J. Batista, G. Block, E. Bonatti, G. Braciak, S. Breedon, I. Chen, M. Cho, A. Chopra, R. Desai, A. Gitlin, R. Gitlin, I. Harris, D. Iwaoka, D. Kuhr, J. Lee, G. Lovely, M. Lukasiewicz, J. Marshall J. Mueller, D. Muir, C. Pritchett, P. Scelfo, M. Stefanko, N. Terrones

Members tardy

T. Hittinger, U. Smith

II. Approval of the 10/25/12 Minutes

• Minutes approved by unanimous consent

III. Open Microphone

• None

IV. Presentation by Tim Marchell, PhD, MPH, Director of Mental Health Initiatives and John Keefe, Senior Project Manager

• Means Restriction Project — particularly speaking about fencing around campus bridges and steel mesh to be installed beneath them
• Project started in 2010 — delay due to waiting for approvals
• Steel mesh nets have been very effective in the countries that have them — no suicides
• Nets manufactured in Switzerland, coated in Germany, sent back to Switzerland, then sent to US
• Thermal cameras also manufactured in Switzerland — they will monitor the nets and alert the CUPD when something bigger than a small animal is ‘seen’
• Stone Arch Bridge is done — will take down fences once thermal cameras arrive
• Order of bridges to be worked on: Trolley, Thurston, Stewart Ave (2), Bebee Dam, Suspension
• Very grateful to the SA for the support and help they have given regarding health and mental safety issues
• D. Kuhr: What are your plans to deal with people who tamper with the nets?
  • They will be sure to communicate with campus regarding that issue
  • There is also a city ordinance against vandalism of the nets — significant penalties
  • Jumping into nets is not a good idea either — 15 foot drop to a steel net is not a gentle impact
• G. Block: Is there a plan to use the taking down of the fences as an educational opportunity for incoming students?
  • They do see the opportunity, and they plan on doing just that
• J. Mueller: What have been the responses to the negative aspects of this steel mesh netting system?
  • Means restriction is one of the central components to suicide prevention
  • Idea is to ‘buy time’ — to increase the distance (time) for the suicidal impulse to pass
• J. Lee: Why steel mesh instead of something softer?
  • Steel requires lower maintenance and will last much longer
  • Also, the tensile steel is transparent

V. Announcements/Reports

AAP Announcement — U. Smith

• Met with AAP Dean Kleinman to talk about things brought up at the last AAP outreach event as well as discussed the Diversity Committee

TCAT Announcement — G. Lovely

• Has been reaching out to TCAT
• Schedules not posted at each bus stop as a matter of practicality
• Suggested to TCAT to post schedules at the most popular stops around campus (RPCC, Uris, Risley)

Ivy Council Announcement — C. Pritchett

• Ivy Council 2012 Summit from 11/9 to 11/11 at Dartmouth
• Today is the last day to register — great opportunity to interact with leadership

Diversity Announcement — U. Smith

• Email sent out to all the colleges to begin the staffing process for the Diversity Committee

Outreach Tracker Announcement — R. Gitlin

• Yesterday was the last day to fill out the tracker for October

Appropriations Committee Announcement — R. Desai

• Will be seeing Class Councils and Haven on Monday
• Will also be discussing SA funding procedures

Public Relations Strategy Report — S. Breedon

• In the process of revamping how SA handles public relations
• 1) reforming PR strategy 2) student engagement
• FB campaign — goal to have 3000 likes by the end of the November

Greek Tri-Council Announcement — J. Toledo

• All 3 councils are completing the election process for E-boards for the next school year
• 2 Associate Dean positions are in the process of being filled
• Actively working on addressing and preventing the issue of hazing
• Suggests members involved in the Greek system to reach out to leadership to try and get more alumni involvement
• Open to any recommendations

UA Committee Announcement — M. Lukasiewicz

• Campus Infrastructure and Campus Welfare Committee looking for undergraduate members

Benefit Concert Announcement — A. Gitlin

• A benefit concert might be held in the Bear’s Den to provide relief for this impacted by Hurricane Sandy — SA probably won’t play a big role, but encourages members to get involved

VI. Business of the Day

Appropriations Committee Report — Outdoor Odyssey — R. Desai

• Committee pushing for Outdoor Odyssey to not be byline funded anymore: felt the group doesn’t meet the requirements
• Committee acknowledges the benefit of Outdoor Odyssey to the community and have proposed suggestions to make the group self-sustaining
• D. Kuhr: Outdoor Odyssey was upset by concerns expressed over summer student position — what was the response?
  • The student subsidy would be easy to replace based on the self-sustaining suggestions provided
• G. Block: Suggests that geographic data not be put in the report as it was a conjecture by the Committee
  • An Outdoor Odyssey rep actually stated that it was difficult to reach people outside the northeast
• G. Lovely: Participated in Outdoor Odyssey and felt his group as actually very diverse. The trip was really fun and really helped in the transition
  • Discussion is on whether or not the group meets the criteria to be byline funded — not disputing how great the organization is

Appropriations Committee Report — Athletics and Physical Education — R. Desai

• Receive $10 from the student activity fee - $7 goes to the Big Red Sports Pass and $3 goes to marketing
• Suggested ways for the group to improve efficiency

Resolution 14: Late Night Safety Survey — S. Balik, R. Gitlin, A. Chopra, G. Block

• Survey has been revised even more and appropriate groups have been alerted
• U. Smith: Thinks the survey is great. Suggests consulting with professionals to get constructive criticism on the formatting
• R. Desai: Seconds suggestion by U. Smith — there are many resources to reach out to help eliminate response bias
• D. Muir: How do you plan to handle the skew from the survey and what will you be doing with the data?
  • Will be working with professionals on both matters

Resolution 18: Improvement of Student Assembly Voting Procedures — G. Block, A. Bores, D. Muir

• Revised from last time — have enumerated sections in the bylaws where changes will be made
• R. Desai: Feels this would destroy the credibility of the Appropriation Committee regarding their byline funding decisions
  • SA members should have ‘no opinion’ on bylaws and internal operations
  • One clause wouldn’t come into affect since it conflicts with the charter, and the charter supersedes the bylaws
• Motion to strike Be it therefore/further resolved clauses 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7
  • A. Bores: Agrees 100% that all members should have opinions. Resolution allows people who are not knowledgeable or have a conflict of interest to have a true abstention. In no way does it change the byline funding process
  • R. Desai: To clarify, resolution doesn’t affect the Appropriations Committee decision on byline funding, but rather the vote the SA takes to overturn Committee decisions
  • U. Smith: Confident that more than half the SA haven’t read the charter or bylaws and is not fully educated on the matter at hand. Call to question on the amendment so that the resolution can be tabled
  • Vote: 7–13–4
  • Motion fails
• Motion to table the resolution indefinitely
  • Vote: 23–2−2
• Resolution 18 tabled indefinitely

Resolution 20: Calling for the Hire of an Associate Dean of L.G.B.T.Q. Outreach — D. Iwaoka, Emily Bick, R. Desai, U. Smith. R. Gitlin

• R. Desai: Please clarify why Matt Carcella shouldn’t be the advisor
  • Nothing in his job descriptions calls for it
  • He has a lot of other responsibilities — cannot commit the time necessary for the position
  • Want an advisor firmly under the LGBT umbrella
• M. Lukasiewicz: In full support of the resolution — job of the SA to point out student concerns — leave implementation of the solution to the Administration
• Call to question, seconded, dissent expressed
  • Vote to vote: 21–2−0 Moving on to vote on the Resolution
  • Roll call vote 22–1−0

• Resolution 20 passed

VII. New Business

• All New Business tabled until the next meeting

A. Gitlin adjourned the meeting at 6:36pm.

Respectuflly submitted,
Chelsea Cheng