MEETING MINUTES
Student Assembly Residential & Community Life Committee
September 20, 2011
4:30–5:15pm
Goldwin Smith 164
Present: Ulysses Smith, Elaine Lin, Nick Vasko, Stephen Breedon, Peter Scelfo, Cailin Clemens, Joe Burke
I. Introduction of Joe Burke, Associate Dean of Students & Director of Residential Programs
II. Residential Student Congress (RSC)
- Focused on the proposal of combining RSC and ResLife
- RSC
- Last year, faced difficulty with leadership and stopped meeting
- Made up of appointed/elected people from every residential hall
- Advises residential programs and serves as voice of those in residential halls
- Nationally affiliated
- So members attend annual national/region conferences
- Found on almost every other college campus
- Receives funding from SA and Campus Life
- Biggest Obstacle: Maintaining continuity on North Campus despite complete turnover that occurs every year
- Evidence of major overlapping in both missions
- Cons of combining
- RSC members would not be eligible for national/regional conferences
- RSC members fear their voice may be lost if joined with the SA
- Pros of combining
- ResLife would gain representatives from every residential hall
- RSC would gain some legislative power
- Combination of RSC’s detailed perspective on residential life issues and ResLife’s detailed perspective on SA resolutions process
- Both have similar goals of maintaining/enhancing residential life, so working together would eliminate communication/involvement issues
III. 401West! Initiative
- 104West!
- A multicultural dining hall (100% Kosher) run by Cornell Dining (not Jewish Living Center)
- Majority of visitors are from Jewish and/or Muslim community or residents of Sheldon Court and Cascadilla
- Not included on West Campus meal plan
- Problematic for Kosher students
- Instances when students had to turn down idea of living on West due to lack of Kosher food options
- Cornell’s Reason: to maintain sense of community on West Campus
- Many incorrectly think 104West! is only for those who keep Kosher or are Jewish
- 104West! Initiative
- An attempt to get more students to see the dining hall as a space for programming and dining
- Want to know how to get more student groups involved around campus
- Would provide more late night programming space
- Goals Toward Initiative
- Continue publicizing 104West! as dining hall
- During Sabbath?
- Themed nights?
- Letting freshmen know about it
- Letting other student groups know anyone can use the space for programming and/or eating
IV. Next Week: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
- Continue discussing RSC and 104West! Initiative
- Smoke-free campus
- Redbox on campus
- AND MUCH MORE! ☺