Campus Center Room 204
Thursday, March 8, 2006 7:00pm
Members Present: Meg Ambrus, Jillian Flynn, Molly McCadden, Jan Arbaugh, Adrienne Lee,
Ayesha Siddiqui, Michele Chapdelaine, Devin Burke, Rae-Anne Butera, Mary Opler, Ali
Woodruff, Aliza Leventhal, Shadavia Jones, Kamille King, McKay LeBlanc
Members Absent: Margaret MacRae
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Call to Order – Meg
A. Meg called the meeting to order at 7:00pm
Opening Activity – All
A. What was the high point of your week?
Minutes – Adrienne/ All
A. Motion to pass minutes from 3-1-07 passes 11-0-1
Special Guest: Dean Ohotnicky
A. Alcohol Awareness at Smith
1. There was little to no alcohol and drug education when she arrived 8 months ago
(ResLife, Health Services – without a wellness coordinator for several years)
2. Support students in knowing the role of alcohol and drugs in their lives
3. What does Dean Ohotnicky not know about the Smith community that would be
helpful as we continue to develop programs? What programs are effective, what
policies are students struggling with, what would be more effective?
4. Program: shared experience for new students, and students have same knowledge
basis
5. HPA putting newsletters/information in houses
6. How do we help our friends not knowing if they will get in trouble?
7. What are students looking for in terms of education? What policies are we
looking for?
a. Have HPs or HONS talk about drugs/alcohol (peer education)
b. Could a group of students be trained to have these discussions being equipped
with the most current, correct information?
c. Group similar to Peer Sexuality Educators?
d. Information in bathroom stalls is good; put flyers about alcohol awareness on
classroom bulletin boards?
e. Orientation: might get bored if a professional talks at you; but might be more
effective if it’s peer-based
8. Don’t need to promote drinking/smoking to those who don’t do it
9. Educate people about the real consequences so they’re not too scared to call for
help (Smith’s first-offense policy is very lenient)
10. Mock JB hearing
11. Clark University: Peer-to-peer conversation about code of conduct had the
greatest impact
B. The Pub
1. Last week, more people went on Saturday than on Friday
V.
VI.
2. People at Sexhibition couldn’t go to the Pub because they had a Sexhibition
bracelet (need to keep capacity), but had to repay to reenter Sexhibition. Campus
Center staff was also very discourteous
3. Wonderful way to model responsible drinking
4. Wants to see faculty and staff go; can we open it at 4pm so they can come as their
day ends? Staff Council is talking with the Campus Center staff about making
this happen
5. Can the pub be open on other nights? Some faculty may take issue with this
C. Housing Renovations
1. Becky Shaw and Diane Benoit visited every house and put together a list of house
renovations and refurbishing that is a five-year plan to address significant house
needs for cosmetic and structural reasons
2. $10 million summer of replacing/renewal/refurbishing and one renovation (Haven
– all mechanical, plumbing, bathrooms, suites); new bathrooms, carpets,
wallpaper, lighting quickly being put in many houses
3. $27 million for future years
4. Lots of houses that need work (Talbot has holes in the ceiling and rust in the
showers)
5. Groups book houses for summer programs in advance
6. Houses with dining/kitchen spaces no longer being used – instead, use it for
meditation or as a social space?
7. How to use common spaces (e.g. Jordan, Gardiner)
8. Haven’s monthly dinners: fund community-building activities like the food for the
dinners; find a way to fund
Dean Ohotnicky De-Brief – All
A. She seems happy about the pub
B. She has long-term goals for the college
College/Board of Trustees Updates – Meg/All
A. Rules Committee/ Constitutional Review Updates
1. Trustees were very pleased with our discussion
2. Nancy Schacht – impressed with the pub
a. It’s easy for a college to deemphasize the importance of diversity because they
don’t live in the kind of situation we’re living in; she recognizes this difficulty
and is working with the Board to get more support
3. Gave $3 million for the engineering building
4. Independent Study – helpful to have a student face to it
5. We have a great cabinet!
6. Some disappointment in not getting to go around the table and say the one thing
that’s the most important to us
B. Faculty salary increase
1. Making our salaries competitive among the Consortium on Financing Higher
Education (COFHE) colleges and attractive to faculty (biggest jump is in assistant
and associate professors’ salaries)
2. Endowment spending rate is now 4.5% (from 4.1/4.2) = additional $2-3
million/year
C. Invite Audrey to tea?
2
VII.
VIII.
1. Audrey Smith gave Meg an old “I am Smith” video
2. Will have an interactive tour of campus incorporated into new video
D. Georgia to cabinet next week/ Meg meets with her
E. Recognizing Excellence Awards
1. Nominate someone on your respective committees or on cabinet!
Committee/Cabinet Updates – All
A. Rules Committee/ Constitutional Review Updates
1. Most concern about Judicial Board – checks and balances
a. Have Michele come when Senate will vote (Tuesday after Spring Break)
B. Party Policy Updates
1. Mary will share next week
C. Other committee updates?
1. Kamille
a. Preparing a video to show at Orientation – filming last week of March in the
Campus Center
2. Ali
a. Senior Ball theme: Vogue and Vintage
3. Shadavia
a. Set date for NYC bus trip
b. Care packages
c. Class cabinet team for Relay for Life
4. Aliza
a. Care packages – send letters for international students
5. Michele
a. Very heavy case load currently
6. Ayesha
a. Hot tubs
b. Crêpes
c. Pocket knives with Smith logos
7. Jill
a. Senior rep is working on Casino Night; need volunteers; charity Friends of
Florence will get all proceeds
D. Curriculum Committee Updates
1. “Top 10 books Smithies should read” reading list – want to know what kind of
books would be suggested
2. Renaissance Scholars – encourage people to fulfill Latin Honors even if GPA will
not be high enough to earn honors; designation on transcript, and recognition
from Dean Mahoney (e-mail or letter)
a. Faculty members don’t like the title “Renaissance Scholars”
b. Liberal arts recognition/ distinction/ commendation/ acknowledgement/
award/ panegyric/ attestation/ testament/ laudation/ encomium/ ???
c. Think of a jazzy name by next Friday (by next CAP meeting)
Motion to Adjourn
A. Everyone motioned to adjourn at 9:01pm
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