Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Short Term Goals
Resource Guide
StuCo is working with ITS to form an accessible way of providing information for students called a Resource Guide (information for funding, etc). There are talks of taking the information and putting it into a convenient format—possibly on the student dashboard.
Meals/Points in the Ville
Further updates were provided on the topic of possible meal/point spending in the Swarthmore Village. There are some logistical difficulties with having meal plans in the ville, such as the number of meals and points that would be spent in the ville each week.
More general surveying, information gathering and conversations with various groups will be conducted. Some budgeting and logistical issues of concern will arise because money would be going into the ville rather than the college. StuCo will be researching other schools that have a similar program and how they’ve instilled it.
As of right now, these are two potential paths that may be taken:
- Restaurants in the ville would be wiling to buy card-swiping machines themselves.
- The College could buy the swipers and the stores would provide some sort of long term discount for the school.
Long Term Goals
Academics
Responding to the suggestions that have been posted on the Sharples board, StuCo would like to direct more efforts to discuss academic support, course diversity and faculty diversity on Swarthmore’s campus. StuCo will be attending a meeting on November 29, 2010 organized by the IC/BCC Coalition with Deans and academic support to discuss the hiring process by departments.
StuCo would like to be part of larger discussion with the campus and may host an event in which they’ll be discussing promotions and tenures, as well as welcoming student feedback.
Rollover Fund
Another issue at hand for StuCo is to formulate a clear notion of guidelines the Grant Committee rollover initiative would fund. The fund will hold rollover money that need to be directed toward some purpose; however, the question remains whether this will be for larger student projects. Both student and administrative members of the Swarthmore community will be taking part in further deliberations.
Jewish Student Lounge
This week, Josh Sokol ’11 presented StuCo with a case specific to the Jewish Student Lounge. The lounge is located in Lodge 5 and has not been in regular use since the 1990s. It is in the process of being revived and encouraged/advertised as a social space for all students. The space has been cleaned out, furnished with a television, lamps, and board games.
Sokol is seeking to attain cable television for the lounge and asked Student Council to request the installation of the cable. Further detailed information will be sought — including answers to such questions as whether Facilities would fund the cable, how much it would cost, and whether the cost would factor into the rest of the bill. StuCo voted for further working on the project and investigation of the details of the arrangement, but the members made no commitments to funding the project.
Student Co-op
Ben Wolcott ’14, Mallory Pitser ’14, and Chris Fortunato ’14 were also present at this week’s StuCo meeting seeking StuCo’s support on their resolution and proposal for an on-campus Co-op beginning in the Fall of 2011.
There are a list of issues they need to be addressed that will be worked on as long as the students have the support of StuCo and the Deans office. They would like StuCo to recommend that the dean’s office support their project.
Questions were raised about the diversity of the students who are interested in the Co-op: generally those students interested thus far have already been exposed to this concept of living. However, the students believe that the body of students interested would expand when it becomes a reality. All of StuCo voted in favor of supporting the project at its current standing and going forward.