Senate wraps up semester

Student senators gathered for their penultimate meeting Sunday to wrap up most of this semester's business and to prepare for the Fall.

First-year Benjamin Joffe-Walt approached Senate and asked the body to sign a petition that asks president Nancy Dye to attend an open discussion about the sexual offense policy. Senate agreed to sign it as a body and a few senators individually endorsed the petition.

In connection with the sexual offense policy forum, sophomore senator Amy Pandjiris read aloud a letter from Dye. The letter was in response to one sent by Senate urging Dye to listen to student voices when revising the sexual offence policy. In her letter Dye cited the involvement of the student members of the Sexual Offense Review Committee. She also noted that revisions to the policy submitted by students were reviewed. "Changes are still under discussion," said Dye in the letter.

Dye also encouraged Senate to meet with her to discuss the policy. Senators asked to meet with her at the open discussion. Dye agreed to attend. Senators as well as the students holding the discussion hope that this will give students the opportunity to voice any concerns.

Junior Sarah Fineberg was also present for the meeting. She came to the meeting to voice concern about the selection process for the new dean of the Conservatory. There are no students on the search committee, and appears to be little student input. One candidate for the position has already visited campus. Fineberg said that several of her friends had voiced concerns about the lack of student participation in the process. This comes in the wake of the protest spurred by the lack of student involvement in the search for the new Dean of Students.

"Some publicity needs to happen on our part," Fineberg said.

Senate spoke with the head of the search committee, Timothy Wiess, an associate professor of wind conducting. According to Pandjiris, Weiss was very open to student involvement. Senate hopes to work with the committee and students to open lines of communication. Senate also contacted senior Joshua Rubin, a member of the Conservatory Council, asking about student concerns and input.

Along other lines, Senate prepared for next year. Senators are working with the Office of Student Employment to review and prepare a Student Employee Grievance policy for submission to General Faculty, as well as other committees, next fall.

Senate also passed a proposal to restructure the open meetings. Meetings will now be shorter and more public-friendly with the creation of a guest handbook.