Senate discusses credit/no-entry policy, dean search

Also discusses Holford eviction

Student Senate addressed junior Matt Holford's recent eviction, the college's Credit/No-Entry policy, the search for the new Dean of the College, and the Trustees' visit in its Sunday meeting.

For about an hour, Senate discussed Holford's situation and appropriate action for the Senate to take. After this intense discussion the senators took a short break during which, senator sophomore Dan Persky said, "Trust me. That's as exciting as it's ever going to get."

The next discussion topic was Oberlin's Credit/No-Entry Policy. Persky passed out his proposal and said, "The deadline should be the last day of classes of the semester...I don't see any problem with this except that it will make it easier for students."

Some senators did find problems with Persky's exact proposal, but many agreed that , as senator sophomore Blair Heiserman said, "[The present] deadline is way too soon." Senator senior Noah Bopp, in opposition to the proposal, said, "Oberlin has academic standards...Suck it up is all I'm saying."

The senators compromised in their final proposal for an eight-week (four-week for module) deadline along with more advertisement of the deadline. The decision passed with twelve in favor and one against.

The replacement of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Mary Ella Feinleib was Senate's next agenda item. Senator sophomore Andreas Pape said, "We need to be sure students get in on [the Dean search] committee."

Senator senior Matt Cole talked about the existing plans for the search when he said, "This search is going to be internal and over the summer. There is speculation that President Dye has picked out someone she wants."

A discussion that focused on the role of the Dean began when senator junior Rebecca Bryan said, "Faculty perceive the Dean as advocate of faculty...students are very secondary." In agreement with Bryan, Cole said that getting students on the Dean search committee will not be easy. "Faculty are not going to roll over and play dead," Cole said.

The senators agreed that they want three student representatives on the search committee for the Dean and that they want the search to be external, seeking nationally and inside Oberlin. Bryan and Cole have an appointment to meet with Dye about the next Dean this Thursday afternoon. On Thursday, Bryan said that Cole cancelled their appointment because of a sudden faculty meeting. Bryan still has plans to meet with Cole later. In addition, during the meeting Bryan and Cole decided to write a letter to Dye about the Senate's concerns and desires.

The final discussion topic was the Trustees. Senators talked about the lack of student contact and input that the trustees received when they visited last week. One suggestion on how to change the visit for next time was "to get a two hour time slot in trustees schedule [for students] so we know now when that is," Pape said. The senators agreed to give Pape power to negotiate this scheduling with Secretary of the College Bob Hausun, and as Cole said, "to do reconnaissance."

The meeting ended with Senators' evaluations of their meeting. "A non-senate student asking for our help - that's suave," Pape said. Persky added, "Let's keep going with our activist government."