SENATE SAC REPORT 3

REPORT OF MEETING OF SENATE SAC COMMITTEE ON 10/7/05

This report was given at the 10-31-05 Senate Meeting

submitted by Dr. Eustace Palmer

The meeting continued the discussion about the availability of facilities for students at weekends. Kyle Cullers, the Director of Auxiliary Services, had been invited to the meeting and he stressed that specific student needs should be identified. He too was eagerly looking forward to the survey of student needs that the SGA representatives on the committee had promised, but he also mentioned that certain services, like “Books and Brew,” were running at a loss because of underutilization. If the student survey showed there was strong demand, then different or additional opening hours might be instituted. There was also a suggestion that the SGA representatives should consult with Michael Gass, the Director of Institutional Research, to get him to assist with the survey and ensure there was no duplication of surveys.

The main business of the meeting was a discussion of university publicity, posting and solicitation policy. Tom Miles, Director of Campus Life and Activities, had been invited to the meeting and he distributed copies of the existing Sales and Solicitation Policy and the draft of the proposed University Publicity and Posting Policy.

There were two issues: who should be responsible for administering the policy and what the policy should be. This turned out to be a complex topic involving issues such as:

Where students and faculty can post notices and adverts;

What was a proper advert or poster;

Whether external vendors are to be allowed to solicit or advertise on campus and who should give approval;

Whether such vendors might be in conflict with existing services offered at the university;

Chalking policy and whether that should include prohibition of the promotion of illegal drugs;

Whether the policy should include the prohibition of hate speech;

The addition of a “Free Speech Zone” to the policy; and

The inclusion of a banner policy.

There was lively discussion and the consensus was that Student Activities should still be responsible for administering the policy, but there should be an appeals process that would define a clear path of action for rejected applications. There was also a suggestion that the Free Speech Zone that is currently in the Bobcat Head Floor Mosaic on Front campus should be added to the policy. As far as banners were concerned, the Master Planning Committee as well as the Historic Preservation Committee should have an input as well.

Tom Miles promised to incorporate the suggestions made into a revised draft that would then be submitted to the Student Affairs Committee for further discussion at its next meeting on November 4.

It was also reported that the Council of Deans and the Graduation Committee are currently discussing changes to the graduation ceremony. The ceremony this December will probably be the last winter graduation. Future spring graduation ceremonies may include one major event for all the schools and four smaller breakout ceremonies for the four schools at which the degrees will actually be conferred. All this was still in the process of discussion and no final decision has as yet been taken.