Foley outlines Student Senate achievements
Maureen Reynolds
News Writer
After a slow start this year, the Student Senate has proven they can take on major issues and begin to make real and important changes in student life.
"The year started off tough with the alcohol policy changes. [Senate] got a slow start because they focused so hard on that," said Trip Foley, Student Body Vice President.
After dealing primarily with the alcohol policy issue for some time and attempting to represent student opinion on the issue, something Foley said they did very well, the Senate began to tackle other key issues.
The primary issues this year's Senate has been involved with are Teacher-Course Evaluations, the proposed Flex-10 plan, a resolution on in-hall dances and the split of the Economics Department.
Foley said that conversations on these issues will continue into next year, but that the Senate has made good progress on all of them.
Foley said that he, Sorin Hall Senator Jeremey Staley and Jim Ryan of the Academic Council will meet next week with the Faculty Senate to discuss TCEs. They have already met with representatives of other departments involved with the TCE decision.
Foley said that this is an important issue to the current Senate, and it will continue to be a point of discussion within the incoming Senate.
"Pat Hallahan and Jeremy Lao are going to follow up with this," said Foley, "and Jeremey Staley will continue to work on it also."
While any changes to the TCE policy would probably not take effect this year, Foley said, "I'd like to have the Faculty Senate act on it before the end of the year." Such action would make it easier for changes to take place earlier next year.
The proposed Flex-10 plan, an issue that was part of last year's presidential campaign for Foley and current Student Body President Libby Bishop, is also of major interest to students. This issue, however, was not discussed until early this semester.
"It took a while to get on the right people's radar," said Foley.
Foley said that ND Food Services will conduct a broad survey soon, to gauge how students utilize their food plans in general.
Through the survey, he said, Food Services will look for areas in which they can scale back and things students would be willing to trade in order to obtain a Flex-10 plan.
"It's certainly a money issue," Foley said. By cutting back in certain areas, he said, Food Services may be able to provide students with such a plan. They will also look for new sources of funding.
The debate on this issue, Foley said, is also one that will likely continue into next year.
"It's sure to stay on people's radar in the coming year," he said. "Pat and Jeremy put in a lot of work on this, and I know they will follow up with it because it is an issue that is important to students in general."
Foley said the Senate did an effective job of representing the student body perspective on the issue of the Department of Economics split.
They sent a letter to Father Edward Malloy, University President, asking that the administration bear in mind student opinion and reaction in all future decisions that affect them. Malloy replied to their letter, agreeing that student opinion is important, and he said that the administration shares the Senate's goal of acting in the best interests of students.
"An agreement was worked out and a good compromise was reached," Foley said.
The in-hall dance policy is a major issue that recently resurfaced in Senate debate. A resolution was passed Wednesday, to be sent to the Campus Life Council at their meeting on April 14, asking that in-hall dances be reinstated for a probationary period of one year.
Foley said that the Senate believes that the changes in the alcohol policy have reduced incidents of alcohol poisoning on campus.
"Any moves to that end are good moves," Foley said.
He said the Senate hopes that the positive changes toward more safety and responsibility for students will cause the administration to reconsider putting the dances back in the dorms.
"Most people can agree that the dances this year have not been successful at all, and we need to get them back in the residence halls," Foley said.
The issue will be discussed at the Campus Leadership Council meeting April 14. If the resolution is passed, the administration will most likely closely examine the in-hall dance policy.
A second resolution on the agenda for the CLC on April 14 deals with weekday parietals, and it was passed by the Senate last week.
The Senate's resolution called attention to the number of students studying in groups. This number has doubled since 1993, Foley said.
The Senate suggested that students have resources in their rooms conducive to studying that justify later weekday parietals.
"There really is a need to consider having an extra hour during the week," said Foley.
Other major issues have come to the table in Senate meetings this semester.
One such resolution, passed Wednesday with the in-hall dance resolution, involved a request that Naval Science classes be considered a minor.
This suggestion will go to Father John Jenkins, the director of military affairs in the Office of the Provost, for consideration. It will also most likely go before the Academic Council for debate.
"I would think there's going to be more discussion on this," Foley said.
The distribution of student football tickets, an issue that Foley said arises every year, came up again at Wednesday's Senate meeting.
Howard Hall senator Brin Anderson gave a report that outlined new processes for ticket distribution in response to student complaints.
"They're going to have to look at that. I imagine there's going to be more discussion," said Foley.
The Senate has tackled some major issues this year, and Foley said that they have accomplished much.
"There are issues they've been working hard on — TCEs and Flex-10. What is important to remember is that it takes time to effect change. They've laid the ground work and I think we'll see the changes from that next year," he said.
Contact Maureen Reynolds at mreynold@nd.edu.
All News Stories for Friday, March 28, 2003
