Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) reflected on its recent discussion with Dean of Academic Affairs Cristle Collins Judd and looked ahead to next week's discussion of Bowdoin's revised sexual misconduct policy during its meeting on Wednesday.
Two weeks ago, Judd met with BSG to discuss academic affairs, and many BSG members felt that the ensuing discussion was not productive. While some students voiced this concern last week and the group went into executive session, in which the Orient was barred from the room, Wednesday's meeting involved a more concrete response to Judd's presentation and laid a general framework for future engagements with administrators.
Vice President for BSG Affairs Dustin Brooks '08 presented a document outlining the importance of meeting with administrators and suggesting ways to make these discussions more dynamic.
"This is an attempt to address what was clearly a problem," Brooks stated during the meeting. "Something went really wrong. We have to respect [administrators], but they have to respect us with legitimate answers."
While the document listed a new meeting location as an "essential" change, Rebecca Ginsberg '07 felt this point was overstated.
"Even though in this particular instance, the change of location would have made a difference in the dynamic of the meeting," Ginsberg stated in an email to the Orient, "I don't think that's necessarily true for all administrators with whom we will potentially be meeting."
The document, titled "An Approach for Interaction: Effective Engagement with Administrators," also calls for mutual respect and frankness between BSG and the administration and asks that meeting moderators clearly define the rules and purposes of each meeting before beginning discussions.
"The purpose of the document is to formally respond to questions regarding our executive session and to enable each member's voice to be adequately captured in addressing such a sensitive topic," noted BSG President DeRay McKesson '07 in an email.
"It does not state that we will only engage administrators in specific ways but highlights the importance of being sensitive to certain dynamics when so doing," he said.
Emily Hubbard '07 noted some of BSG's own faults in dealing with administrators.
"Each conversation should have someone follow up quickly and specifically after the meeting," she suggested.
Other BSG members were generally hesitant on officially accepting the document without revision. After a few moments of calm deliberation, Clark Gascoigne '08 motioned to table the issue, with 17 members supporting the tabling while Charlie Ticotsky '07 opposed it and Carolyn Chu '07 abstained.
In preparation for next week's meeting, which will include Associate Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon, BSG also discussed changes in Bowdoin's sexual misconduct policy (see story, page 1). Chu contrasted the recently revised policies with the College's former set of regulations.
"The big differences are the new definition of 'effective consent' and therefore what is meant by 'sexual misconduct,'" Chu said after the meeting.
Previously, the College's policies covered only "sexual assault." The new policy also encompasses "sexual misconduct," making the policy more comprehensive.
Chu also highlighted the new, more extensive process of filing a sexual misconduct or sexual assault complaint and the more proactive role that the Office of Student Affairs will assume.
Chu added that the new policy had not been enacted by the College yet, and that there still was "a lot of gray area in something we don't want to have gray area in."
The sexual misconduct policy will be a central focus of next week's meeting.
In addition to these issues, students briefly discussed BSG's Darfur Resolution, noting that BSG needed a more solid outline of what actions BSG will take concerning the issue. Torri Parker '07 stressed the need for full community involvement, including faculty, in actions related to Darfur.
"As students, we can't always organize ourselves sufficiently," Parker stated, "which is why I stress that faculty be involved."
BSG also addressed the iTunes U feature which recently appeared on the Student Gateway section of Bowdoin's web site. The program allows faculty and students to share audio and video content, including podcasts of interviews and lectures.
McKesson felt that iTunes U was a "great idea in theory," but needed further planning in order to become a success.
Vice President of Student Organizations Stephanie Witkin '07 felt that in light of a general student unawareness of the program, campus advertising would best inform students.