Minutes
University Assembly
Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Art Gallery, Willard Straight Hall

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 4:37 p.m. by M. Esposito

II. Roll Call

Present: J. Austin, S. Caldwell, M. Cameron, H. Chung, C. Cole, M. Esposito, D. Grubb, M. Hartill, J. Johnson, J. Kozlow, B. Lewis, D. Marsh, A. Mathios, A. P. Pirondi, M. Travis, L. Yannone

Excused: John Cisne, L. Clougherty

Absent: D. Geohring, D. Levitsky, E. Loew, J. Sherry

Others Present: Cris Gardner, Mark Frontera, G. Hartz, K. Ellis, M. Hodges

III. Additions to the Agenda

No additions were made to the agenda.

IV. Open Forum

No comments were made during Open Forum.

V. Report from the Chair/Announcements

M. Esposito announced that the faculty appointments to the University Hearing Board had been approved by the Executive Committee. A list containing the names and biographies of the appointees were then distributed to the members of the UA. There were no objections.

The Chair, M. Esposito, then reported on the Assemblies Leadership Meeting. He commented that only two questions arose at the past meeting. In representation of the UA, a question arose if it would be possible, if and when University policies are under consideration throughout the year, these be brought to the attention of the UA. It was resolved that M. Esposito would be informed of new policies and he in turn would judge if these policies should be brought to the attention of the UA to comment upon. M. Esposito added that the other question was initiated by the GPSA pertaining to the problem that the only choice of long distance service was AT&T, whose current long distance rates were not competitive to the rest of the market. The University responded by stating that the matter was being addressed and various solutions were being investigated. The University considered this matter unacceptable, yet at the present time an answer to this problem is not available.

M. Esposito requested that any questions that UA members wanted addressed at the next leadership meeting be e-mailed to him.

M. Esposito then acknowledged that the University Hockey Tournament, that took place last weekend, was a success. He commented that each constituency was able to field a full team and that the attendance at the tournament was very impressive. He noted that hopefully, in the future, this tournament will build more support and this inaugural year will prove as an indicator for a very successful activity.

J. Kozlow remarked that a policy presently being worked on by the University is dealing with alcohol and other drugs on campus. He stated that he was selected to the committee due to his status as an undergraduate and position on the University Assembly. J. Kozlow noted that this policy review has been worked on since the first semester of this school year. The final draft policy is still approximately six weeks away from presentation. He remarked that the draft policy will in fact be brought to the UA after it is completed and that he will distribute copies of the policy should any member want to review the work. The policy will not necessarily need the UA vote of approval, yet it will be open for concerns and questions. Overviewing the policy, J. Kozlow expressed that this will include education policies, steps to take in the planning of events where alcohol is served, and the freedom with responsibility of an individual. Also included in the policy are matters of insurance, policies for a responsible individual, and the offices to contact with concerns and questions regarding alcohol and drugs. J. Kozlow encouraged members to address him with any comments or concerns dealing with this issue.

M. Esposito remarked that the President approved Jason Murtagh as the new JCC M. Hartil added that 3 candidates were chosen by the search committee for the JCC, out of 10 to be presented to the President. She stated that each person selected was a very qualified candidate. M. Esposito commended the UA representatives for their effort on this selection committee.

M. Esposito also announced that J. Zern had to resign from his duties on the UA, due to the fact that he is presently studying in Washington this semester.

VI. Approval of the Minutes

The Minutes of November 19, 1997 were passed by acclimation.

VII. Constituent Assemblies’ Reports

Faculty Senate

D. Grubb reported that the Faculty Senate was basically dealing with long term issues in the present meetings. He mentioned that the main concerns deal with issues such as the retiring process and if the University should be guiding research areas on campus. D. Grubb added that all the minutes of the Faculty Senate are available on the corresponding website.

Employee Assembly

In referring to the Employee Assembly meetings, M. Esposito stated that two had taken place since the last UA meeting. He remarked that the first was a retreat, which served as an informal meeting session for the members to become acquainted. He then added that he was unable to attend the last meeting. M. Esposito announced that the EA was holding an Open Forum on February 3rd, at 12:00 noon in Bailey Hall. He added that President Provost and the Vice Presidents of the University would be in attendance and a video presentation of changes at Cornell and employees affecting change. He explained the Forum would also include an open question and answer period and encouraged those interested to attend the Forum.

GPSA

G. Hartz reported the actions of the GPSA since the last UA meeting. He announced that one of the main concerns of the GPSA was the bus schedule. A letter was formatted and sent to TCAT concerning several issues and suggestions. The first goal, G. Hartz remarked, was establishing a more flexible bus schedule. He indicated the goal of the GPSA was to increase the influence of graduate students concerning the bus schedules. He then added that the other concern of the GPSA was long distance phone calls. He stated that the concern of the graduate students was the only available phone company, AT&T, offers rates that are 5 to 6 times more expensive than other comparable services. Another issue concerning the GPSA was the formation of a board overviewing the quality of teaching and research assistants on campus. G. Hartz stressed that this issue is very important in insuring that the representatives of the graduate students understand their expectations. He remarked that this board will consist of Faculty from various departments and some graduate students.

G. Hartz also announced that the GPSA recently joined the National Association for Graduate and Professional Students. He explained that this organization is made up of similar collections of graduate students at many different universities throughout the United States. This association provides services such as health insurance and job listing services.

Student Assembly

J. Kozlow reported that the SA is almost 90% finished with the Student Activity Fee proceedings. He announced that the Student Activity Fee had been increased by 25%. He stated that this issue was very time consuming, but now that it is completed, the Student Assembly can refocus its attention on other issues. He announced that this Friday would bring the monthly informal meeting sponsored by the Student Assembly. He said the issue of this meeting was on race relations. He noted that one of the resolutions on the floor currently is the free speech issue, dealing with the burning of newspapers. J. Kozlow added that this issue has been a part of the agenda for many meetings, but due to the Student Activity Fee time has not allowed this issue to be addressed.

J. Kozlow also announced that the Student Assembly recently passed a resolution that would call for the election of four of the six members of the student representatives serving on the UA to be directly elected by the student body. He added that the remaining members would be chosen from the SA following the present format of appointment. He requested that he be informed of any concerns on this issue. He predicted that with this policy in effect the student representatives will have more time and energy and will raise the UA to a higher level.

VIII. Business of the Day

M. Hodges, Policy Program Manager of Information Technologies, gave an updated report on the present condition of the Data Access Policy. She stated that the policy would be presented to the Cornell Administration during the month of February. She commented that she felt a significant amount of effort has been placed into receiving feedback from the Cornell Community concerning the Data Access Policy. She added that there is still time available to bring up any additional questions and concerns. M. Hodges remarked that she had recently held two informational sessions concerning the Data Access Policy, and both these sessions were not well attended. She stressed she is more than willing to hold an additional session, if more representation would be present. She announced that on February 11, a presentation would be made concerning the cost effects for all the presented policies. M. Hodges added that the decision of which policy to pursue will most likely be made by the end of the month. However, the decision then must go through an approval process before it is passed.

J. Kozlow noted that another informational session would not be necessary, but that M. Hodges should continue to return to the various Assemblies with updated reports. It was pointed out that the student body did not seem to be very concerned with the issue, for the topic was just not that controversial.

M. Esposito questioned if there would still be time for input after the policy was decided on.

M. Hodges responded by explaining that once an option is decided upon the Assemblies will be presented with the updated policy and in turn can provide input and concerns or questions throughout the entire procedure.

IX. Old Business

C. Cole presented the discussion dealing with the Resolution on Transportation. He began by reviewing the general reasoning behind this resolution and the necessity for it to be passed. Based on the charter of the UA, the assembly has authority over the transportation services on the Cornell campus. These services include parking, differing forms of transportation and the bus system. Recently, ties have been made between the three bus companies of Ithaca and the surrounding area. Agreements between the city, county and university bus companies have been made to form a universal Board of Directors. The Board calls for three voting members of the three companies to sit on this committee. However, when this is instigated the UA will officially be removed from control of the bus systems. C. Cole expressed his concern that the community will lose any direct input in the bus systems. The resolution calls for the UA to retain some control and voice in the busing systems. The ultimate goal of the resolution is to gain a voting seat on the Board, but C. Cole indicated that these conditions are open to compromise. He added that the details of this negotiation will be settled with the parties concerned. To exemplify his concern on the representation of the Cornell community, he referred to a recent action of the GPSA. The GPSA recently sent a letter to the bus companies dealing with some concerns they held for policies and procedures. Issues such as increasing the frequency of service in the evening, service to Cayuga Heights, a machine to dispense bus tokens, posted bus schedules at the stops, and the use of the bike rack were all addressed in this letter. Although the bus companies said that these issues would be addressed, this letter proved that the University has lost any avenue of representation and now any concern will have to be requested directly to the companies.

M. Hartill raised the point that the three Cornell bus service representatives should represent the Cornell community and the representatives are in contact with the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC). It was suggested that perhaps the Cornell members of the Board attend the TAC meetings. C. Cole stated that the ultimate goal of the resolution was to have the 3 members represent the Cornell community and to have an additional liaison to promote communication.

J. Kozlow pointed out that the exact means of representation will be worked out after the resolution is passed.

D. Grubb indicated that the wording of the resolution was not very specific, due to the fact that the exact means of representation has yet to be worked out. It was pointed out that the public meetings that TCAT instigated were not well attended. Also, it was noted that all of the issues raised in the GPSA letter were considered high priorities by the bus service.

C. Cole reminded the UA that the Ithaca City and Tompkins County citizens are nervous about Cornell’s control. Their fear is that the busing service will struggle to please the Cornell community at the expense of others. However, C. Cole pointed out that many members of the surrounding community are employees of the Cornell campus and, therefore, receive representation through that branch.

J. Kozlow called for a vote on the resolution.

The following resolution passed by a vote of 13–1−0

Resolution on Transport

WHEREAS, the University Assembly shall, by delegation from the President have legislative authority over policies which guide the activities of the Department of Transportation, and

WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee shall recommend policies and policy changes to the University Assembly for deliberation and endorsement and transmittal to the President and Board of Trustees for approval, including policies for parking on all streets, roadways and parking lots within the grounds of the University of Tompkins County, for the regulation of traffic, and for the University operated buss services. The committee shall have authority to recommend fees and user charges for parking and bus systems, and

WHEREAS, Cornell University is a partner in a county-wide transit system, Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT). TCAT provides public transit service for the community and operates on the University campus, throughout the city of Ithaca and Tompkins County, and

WHEREAS, the members of the University Assembly, representing all campus constituencies, and considering their legislative authority over policies which guide the activities of the Department of Transportation,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Transportation Advisory Committee, as described according to the University Assembly Charter, Article 10.7.2, be represented on the Board of Directors of Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (or appropriate joint governing body) so that policy matters of the University Department of Transportation remain within the legislative authority of the University Assembly.

BE IT FINALLY THEREFORE RESOLVED that the best method of representation shall be determined following discussions with interested parties involved.

C. Cole questioned the future of this action now that it has been passed by the UA. C. Gardner responded that M. Esposito will send a letter to the President. The following action on the resolution depends on what form of resolution it is considered. If it is considered a recomendatory resolution, she explained that the next step must be taken by the UA. She said that letters will be sent to all parties concerned in order to establish a meeting date in which all parties will be able to hear the concerns of the action. She then explained that if it were considered legislative authority, the President would be given 30 days to respond to the letter sent by M. Esposito. In any case all members involved in the action will be sent a letter outlining the concerns of the UA and most likely a meeting will be established to discuss the reactions and negotiations of the actions.

X. New Business

Kent Hubbell was unable to attend the meeting, therefore the issue of Campus Planning Committee Activities was postponed.

XI. UA Committee Reports

Health Services

J. Johnson reported that the Health Services Committee has been dealing with many issues. First, the finance sub-committee has been addressing summer services and fund raising functions for the Health Services. Another concern brought up was the transportation driver for the Health Services. It was brought up that such a driver should have a medical background to hold such a position. J. Johnson also mentioned that disabled students are eligible for transportation. Also discussed in the meetings were the goals for 1998. J. Johnson stated that included in these goals were finance options, transportation issues, and the charter. She explained that the charter includes issues and responsibilities of the Health Service Board.

Codes and Judicial

H. Chung reported on the Codes and Judicial Committee. He stated that since the last UA meeting the committee has met twice. He stated that B. Krause, the Judicial Administrator, stated that the Campus Code of Conduct is not specific in the number of people that should serve on hearing boards. This concern was clarified in the meeting. H. Chung presented another issue of the Codes and Judicial committee as being the Cornell Review burning issue. He stated that the question fell as to what the reprimand should be for the guilty party. He stated that this issue was not decided upon and to his knowledge had yet to be resolved. C. Gardner announced that the issue had indeed been decided on. She explained that the Cornell Review had filed a complaint and that 2 or 3 violations had been brought against the accused part. However, the JA determined that no violation as filed of the Campus Code of Conduct had been committed. To her knowledge, the Cornell Review has not issued an appeal. C. Gardner added that part of the agreement of the two parties included that this information be made public.

H. Chung also added that another issue addressed by the Codes and Judicial Committee was the suspension of student organizations. The dilemma arises as to who has the authority to suspend a group. The question arises as to what people should serve on a hearing board to decide if an organization should be suspended while under investigation for a violation of policy. He stated that a final decision to this question has not been decided upon. The main question is who should have the authority over organizations. He stated that the JA has the authority to suspend groups and individuals, but the question is if the power to suspend extends to organizations. Therefore, there is a necessity to form a board in which the decision of suspension to organizations can be decided upon. C. Gardner reviewed that the JA was granted, by the UA, the power to suspend individuals under defined circumstances, during the time of investigation. However, this power does not extend to an organization, hence the debate over who posses this authority.

M. Esposito questioned if in regular cases the participants are made public as in the case of the paper burning incident. It was pointed out that this is not normal in cases presented to the JA. H. Chung stated that the reason that this case was made public was due to the fact that it was presented to the Student Assembly and became public information, hence publicizing the names of those involved in the case.

Committee on Committees

J. Kozlow reported that the Committee on Committees was making great progress in the quest to aid committees. He said that each committee has been delivering the minutes of the meetings to this committee. He was pleased to report that all committees were up and running. He said the Committee on Committees is also creating documents to outline the duties and responsibilities of committee members.

Transportation Advisory Committee

B. Lewis reported on the Transportation Advisory Committee. She reported that in response to the TCAT proceedings, a member of the Transportation Advisory Board is presently serving on the TCAT Board of Directors, therefore, giving direct feedback to the Advisory Committee. She also informed the members that these proceedings are only changing the financial aspects of the bus companies and will not affect the services of the companies. She expressed that the other issue being dealt with is the increase in parking fees.

Campus Store

A. Pirondi reported that the committee presently does not have any scheduled meetings. S. Caldwell reported that the technology of the Campus Store is continually increasing.

C. Cole questioned the recent computer hardware sales and wondering if these would occur again. S. Caldwell reported that this sale was rare because the Campus Store received an entire shipment of inventory that had to be moved.

A. Mathios addressed a concern about the changing of administration in the offices of Day Hall. He questioned if the UA should have a voice in the decision. He did not know the procedure of the UA in this matter. Referring to his question, it was explained that the UA had no authority in these matters, however it can voice an opinion about the procedures. M. Esposito suggested that this concern be submitted and brought up at the next Leadership meeting.

In response to a concern made about the new policy of the SA holding direct elections for UA representatives, A. P. Pirondi announced that she would bring a copy of the resolution passed by the SA to the next UA meeting. She stated that she would also e-mail a copy of this resolution to all UA members.

C. Cole suggested that a resolution be formatted to support the actions of the JA to improve the Campus Judicial system.

XII. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 5:47 p.m. by M. Esposito

Respectfully Submitted,
Mark A. Frontera