Associate Provost Cruzvergara addressed Career Services RSVP Policy Following controversy surrounding a new Career Services policy that penalizes students for failing to attend programs for which they RSVP’d, Cruzvergara addressed the Senate to clear up some student concerns. She said that the purpose of the new RSVP policy was to foster inclusive excellence, and, while providing for student’s mental health is important, Career Education also needs to prepare students for the workforce. She also emphasized that this policy only applies to about five percent of Career Education events. These events tend to be those associated with large costs or those hosted by high profile employers or alumnae. If a student does not notify Career Services that they will be unable to attend by a set date, their Handshake account will be suspended until they have the opportunity to meet with a Career Education employee.
Meghan Todd provided updates on Fall 2018 Housing
Assistant Director for Student Housing Meghan Todd provided updates on the student housing process and laid out a timeline for the housing selection process. Housing selection will start on April 8 for suites, apartments and singles. Double and triple selection will take place on April 10, 12, 17 and 19. In response to a question from a student, Todd clarified that students who had received high numbers in the past would get better ones in the future. This year, there will be a minor change to housing selection: rising sophomores who have not requested roommates will be able to select beds in half open rooms or empty rooms and later learn roommate information. A open-door night when students can look at various dorm rooms will occur sometime in the next few weeks.
Major SOAC policy changes announced
The Student Organizations and Appointments Committee (SOAC) will now give constituted organizations “CORE scores”, or Constituted Organization Rating Evaluation scores based on factors such as membership, meeting and event attendance, presence on campus and financial responsibility. Their goal for this new system is to improve the efficiency of resources going to organizations, and SOAC hopes that, if the Treasury chooses to adopt this system, it will help determine funding in the future. SOAC proposed a “hard reset” of the current system at the end of the semester in order to implement the proposed changes. SOAC will also be recognizing independent organizations in order to allow them to make space requests. Voting on these changes will occur next week.
