Student Assemblog

Student Assembly Mentions

2008-08-20T17:04:00.002-04:00

It is only because I care about SA that I wrote this in The D today:

The Demise of a True Believer
By Nathan Bruschi '10

I was one of those “true believer” freshmen: excited, idealistic and eager as ever to do whatever work was thrown at me. I didn’t just drink the Kool-Aid, I guzzled it. I got involved through the “freshmen cohort” during the Andreadis impeachment affair and in its aftermath wound up the Assembly’s secretary. It was an exciting, if time-consuming, job: lots of gossip and exclusive meetings. It was like Gawker for Dartmouth administrative politics. At my term’s end, I thought I’d give it another go-round and was elected treasurer, the Assembly CFO and second in line to the presidency. This past spring I was reelected, but quietly resigned instead. Let me explain why. Keep Reading

Course Guide Mentions:

College responds to Forbes.com rankings

Forbes ranks Dartmouth 127th

While no Dartmouth organization tracks usage of Ratemyprofessors.com, interviews with several students suggest that undergraduates at the College do not frequently visit the site. “I’ve never even heard of it,” Bari Wien ‘10 said. Students said they believed the Student Assembly Course Guide is a more accurate representation of the quality of Dartmouth professors.

Regarding Finances:

The Undergraduate Finance Committee gave Dartmouth’s Student Assembly $85,000 on Tuesday for its budget for the upcoming year, which is $10,000 more than the committee allocated to the Assembly last year. Former Student Body President Travis Green ‘08, who chaired the committee this term, attributed the budget increase to the detailed budget proposal submitted by current Student Body President Molly Bode ‘09. The Assembly, in its last meeting of the term Tuesday night, voted to allocate $5,000 of the UFC-provided budget for the Summer Assembly’s use. Keep Reading

Bode Assumes Presidency Early

2008-04-16T16:35:00.004-04:00

From The Dartmouth

Green ‘08 passes presidency to Bode ‘09

Outgoing Student Body President Travis Green ‘08 and Vice President Ian Tapu ‘08 resigned their positions Tuesday so that newly elected President Molly Bode ‘09 and Vice President Nafeesa Remtilla ‘09 could take office over a month earlier than in previous years.

Tapu resigned first, which allowed the Assembly to elect Bode as the new vice president, which they did unanimously. Green then resigned, which caused Bode to become president, vacating the position of vice president. Remtilla was subsequently voted in, again unanimously, as vice president. Keep Reading

Travis's decision to resign early was unprecedented, but allowed Molly to to more smoothly transition her leadership, a problem that has plagued assemblies in the past. Let the record show that was I the one who nominated Molly. As the organizer of the event, I'd like to thank everyone who came.

In case you missed election news coverage, here's another article from The Dartmouth

Bode ‘09 triumphs in SA election

Molly Bode ‘09 and Nafeesa Remtilla ‘09 were elected president and vice president, respectively, of Student Assembly in landslide victories, the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee reported Wednesday evening. Keep Reading

Additional Thanksgiving Buses

2007-11-09T00:14:00.000-04:00

over blitz:

Hey Everyone,

Due to the popularity of the NYC Bus Program there will be two additional buses traveling. One of the buses will leave from Hanover at 11:00 am and arrive in NYC at 4:00 pm. The second additional bus will leave NYC at 2:00 pm and return to Hanover at 7:00 pm. Tickets for these additional buses will be sold at Collis Common Ground from 12pm – 2pm on a first come first serve basis tomorrow (Friday, November 9 2007). Once again only cash, checks, and DA$H will be accepted. Come early because the tickets will sell out fast! If you can't make when sales start and need a ticket, it is strongly recommended that you find someone to wait in line for you. See previous blitzes for any additional details and questions.

-Student Assembly

The Dartmouth Moose Helps at Blood Drive

2007-11-08T08:32:00.000-04:00

Helping outside the Hop

The Moose helping the poor, fallen blood drop.

"Moose ears" at Lou's

From The Dartmouth:

Campus blood drive aims for 300 pints

'Blackboard' has secretive tracking system

2007-11-08T08:10:00.000-04:00

We've been working on this issue for a while or so.

From The Dartmouth:

Students who have learned about the tracking features, however, are calling for more public and more widespread notification. David Nachman ‘09, vice president of the [Academic] Affairs Committee, said that he discovered the existence of the tracking features by reading about student controversy over the issue in the Brown Daily Herald. He was concerned that many students did not know that they were being tracked and also that such actions could violate Dartmouth’s computing privacy policy.

“I feel that students should at least be warned,” Nachman said. “I don’t know if this literally violates the policy, but I do think that it violates the spirit of the policy.” keep reading

Assembly takes on Novack redesign

2007-11-07T08:36:00.000-04:00

From The Dartmouth:

Potential renovations of Novack Cafe were among the topics discussed during Tuesday’s Student Assembly meeting. Meisha Smith ‘09, a student coordinator of the effort, explained that a meeting is planned between Student Assembly representatives, Facilities Operations and Management and librarians in charge of the Novack space.

The effort, a potential fulfillment of one of Student Body President Travis Green ‘08’s campaign promises, would seek to make the area more student-friendly and aesthetically pleasing by replacing worn out furnishings. This might translate to reupholstering couches and benches, replacing tables, providing decorations and investing in a new paint job, according to Smith.

She also said that they were considering a “Starbucks-style” theme, but added that she would be happy to receive suggestions from the student body. keep reading

GA Minutes 6 Nov 07

2007-11-06T21:00:00.000-04:00

A presentation on Class Divide was made by Margaret Lawrence and Daniella Sloane. The General Assembly then discussed plans to renovate Novack Cafe in Berry. The point was made that there is a lack of dissention in GA and a forum was held to discuss assembly procedure and brainstorm ways to allow GA to have a greater role in shaping legislation and leading executive projects.

GA Minutes 30 Oct 07

2007-10-30T21:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Fund the Student/Faculty Lone Pine Tavern Event
Proposed by Corey Chu ’08, David Nachman ’09, and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS improving interaction between students and professors is a central goal of the Academic Affairs Committee;

WHEREAS focusing on student/faculty relations was a goal of the Undergraduate Teaching Initiative, which was started by the Assembly in Fall 2001, and which continues to serve as a framework for Student Assembly’s academic efforts;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee believes that holding an event where students and professors can meet each other in a casual environment would be an effective way of improving student/faculty interaction;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee has been working with the Collis Governing Board to develop a student/faculty event to be held in Lone Pine Tavern, whose programming is overseen by the Collis Governing Board, which will be held in mid-November;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee and the Collis Governing Board have agreed to split the cost of the event evenly, should it be approved by the General Assembly;

WHEREAS the current plan for the event has an estimated cost of up to $600;

WHEREAS the Collis Governing Board has agreed to fund the event up to $300;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Academic Affairs Committee work with the Collis Governing Board to hold a student/faculty interaction event in Lone Pine Tavern;

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate up to $300 to fund the event.

GA Minutes 23 Oct 07

2007-10-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

GA discussed Course Guide maintenance and incentive programs to boost responce rates. The SA website will soon be redone and updated and people interested in helping were encouraged to contact the Academic Affairs Committee. The Student Life committee will be organizing a mock COS trial to display how the process works.

No legislation was presented.

GA Minutes 16 Oct 07

2007-10-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

Resolution to Fund and Support the Thanksgiving and Winter Break New York City Bus Service
Sponsored By: Uthman Olagoke’11, Sam Epstein’11, and the Student Services Committee

WHEREAS hundreds of Dartmouth Students travel to New York City each interim via public transportation;

WHEREAS the current fastest public transportation to New York City takes approximately 10 hours, costs above $75 each way, and involves multiple layovers and transfers;

WHEREAS last year Student Assembly organized a private bus service for Dartmouth Students going to New York City;

WHEREAS the service sold out 5 buses (275 seats) during the first two hours of sale, and eventually all seats last fall;

WHEREAS Student Assembly has received an overwhelmingly positive response about this service from many members of the Dartmouth Community;

WHEREAS there have been numerous inquiries to the Student Assembly Blitz Account regarding the continuation of this program this term;

WHEREAS the ticket prices of $40 each ticket each way will cover all charter cost of the buses;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly charter eight 55-passenger buses from Premier Coach Co.;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Services Committee undertakes the responsibility of managing and organizing the program;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that Student Assembly subsidize the chartering of the buses until the money can be returned to the account;

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED that Student Assembly support and publicize the New York City Bus Service in its current iteration.

Passed by call for acclimation without dissent.

Proposal to Fund and Support the Laptop Voucher Program
Sponsored By: Zach Mason ’10, Neil Kandler ’09, and the Student Services Committee

WHEREAS Computer Sales and Service’s laptop loaning program was created to provide student with rental laptops when their own computer is in need of warranty repair;

WHEREAS the loaning program has been both beneficial to and well-received by Dartmouth undergraduates;

WHEREAS Computer Sales and Service has historically charged $15 for the first day of rentals and $10 each day after;

WHEREAS this cost of renting a computer can prove burdensome if a student must use the program for a prolonged period of time;

WHEREAS many students have approached Student Assembly about the high cost of the loaning program;

WHEREAS Computer Sales and Services has agreed to lower the price to $10 for each voucher instead of charging $15;

WHEREAS the program was extremely successful the past two terms;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly continues to support the Laptop Voucher Program to address the demonstrated needs of students;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that Computer Sales and Services keeps the vouchers and gives them to Dartmouth Undergraduates who have checked in their computer for repair and would like to rent a replacement;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that each voucher is good for one day of rental and each student can request a maximum of three vouchers per term for his/her own use;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that each student can only be entitled to a voucher when his/her computer is being repaired by Computing Sales and Services and he/she needs to loan a laptop;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOVLED that after the 3-day voucher limit, students would have to pay $10 for each day of additional rental;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that Student Assembly advertise this program;

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocates up to $2500 for the Laptop Voucher Program, for the rest of the Fall 2007, Winter 2008, and Spring 2008.

Passed by call for acclimation without dissent

Proposal to Fund the Pangea Program
Sponsored by the Diversity and Community Affairs Committee

WHEREAS one of the Diversity and Community Affairs Committee’s goals is to promote unity on the Dartmouth campus;

WHEREAS the Pangea program groups diverse organizations and encourages them to collaboratively plan an event promoting unity;

WHEREAS representatives from the organizations will discuss common interests and strengthen ties within the Dartmouth community;

WHEREAS this summers Pangea successfully brought together eight organizations who would not otherwise have worked together, providing opportunities for future networking;

WHEREAS finances allocated to this program will be used for implementing each of the collaboratively planned events;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate up to $3000 to fund the Pangea program.

Updated Constitution

2007-10-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

The updated Student Assembly Constitution, which passed today unanimously, can be viewed here.

Superbad's "McLovin" to join the Dartmouth Class of 2011

2007-08-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already done so, I would highly suggest that you go see Superbad, the laugh-a-minute comedy movie of the moment. With as many enduring and fashionably quotable lines as Anchorman, Superbad features three friends -- soon to be high school graduates -- on a quest to lose their virginity before college, a distinction that has thus far evaded them for readily apparent reasons. Two of the characters are Dartmouth-bound, while the other didn't get in and will instead be attending a state university, thus breaking up their life-long trifecta for the foreseeable future.

A partly autobiographical cinematic masterpiece written by Seth Rogan (of The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up fame), who himself stars as a comically inept police officer (ala Super Troopers), Superbad focuses on Seth (Jonah Hill), Evan D'11 (Michael Cera, of Arrested Development fame), Fogell D'11 (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who is rumored to be rooming with Evan somewhere in East Wheelock) and their quest to buy alcohol for the only party they have ever been invited to, using Fogell's newly acquired fake ID, bearing only the singular name "McLovin"(which is also the name the character and actor will be exclusively referred to by all people, everywhere, from this moment forward).

Outside of the fact that everyone in the fall will be talking about it and that every line and scene has instantly become a part of American pop-culture, the movie is well worth the price of admission for its sheer entertainment and laugh value and its portrayal of Dartmouth in a well-deserved positive light (which is increasingly hard to come by nowadays).

Thomas Crady named dean of the College

2007-08-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

From The Dartmouth:

Thomas M. Crady, vice president of student services at Grinnell College in Iowa, will take over as Dartmouth’s dean of the College starting in January, College President James Wright announced Thursday. Crady will replace Acting Dean Dan Nelson, who assumed the duties of the post after Dean Jim Larimore left for Swarthmore College in August 2006... keep reading

Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs • Press Release

Dartmouth President James Wright announced today that he has appointed Thomas M. Crady, the vice president for student services at Iowa's Grinnell College, as Dean of the College at Dartmouth, effective January 2008... keep reading

Congratulations to the New Executive Board

2007-06-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

Diversity
Summer- Nafeesa Remtilla, Allen Buansi
Fall- Anne Kasitaza, Allen Buansi
Winter- Anne Kasitaza, Nafeesa Remtilla
Spring- Anne Kasitaza, Allen Buansi

Student Life
Summer- Molly Bode, Leah Adkins
Fall- Francis Vernon, Leah Adkins
Winter- Molly Bode, Kaya Suarez
Spring- Francis Vernon, Leah Adkins

Academic Affairs
Summer- David Nachman
Fall- David Nachman, Corey Chu
Winter- David Nachman, Alison Peterson
Spring- David Nachman, Corey Chu

Student Services
Summer- Neil Kandler, Harshil Shah
Fall- Harshil Shah, Adam Halpern-Leistner
Winter- Neil Kandler, Adam Halpern-Leistner
Spring- Neil Kandler, Harshil Shah

Farwell 2007 Executive Board

2007-06-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

Forever and ever, endeavor.

Tim Andreadis '07, President

Jacqueline Loeb '08, Vice President

Ruslan Tovbulatov '09, Treasurer

Nathan Bruschi '10, Secretary (07W, 07S)

David Nachman '09, Secretary (06F)

<><><>

Corey Chu '08, VP Academic Affairs (07W, 07S)

Adam Shpeen '07, VP Academic Affairs (06F)

Molly Bode '09, VP Alumni Affairs

Kapil Kale '07, VP Communications

James Guba '09, VP Community Service (07S)

Leah Adkins '09, VP Community Service (06F, 07W)

Lena Martinez-Watts '08, VP Diversity (07S)

Yuki Kondo-Shah '07, VP Diversity (06F, 07W)

Joe DeBonis III '10, VP Ivy Council (07S)

Katy Whisenhunt '09, VP Ivy Council (06F, 07W)

Kenny Brown Klinger '07, VP Student Life

Neil Kandler '09, VP Student Organizations (07S), VP Student Services (07W)

Josh Jacobson '09, VP Student Organizations (06F, 07W)

Harshil Shah '09, VP Student Services (06F, 07S)

Shaun Stewart '10, Parliamentarian (07S)

Jaromy Siporen '07, Parliamentarian (06F, 07W)

Raymond Rodriguez '09, Assistant to the President

Job well done.

Facebook: The Movie

2007-06-01T22:35:00.000-04:00

(click to watch)

I would see this movie.

End of Year Awards

2007-05-30T22:05:00.000-04:00

Members of the Year: Neil Kandler '09, Yuki Kondo-Shah '07

Outstanding Service Award: Corey Chu '08

New Member of the Year: Nathan Bruschi '10

Committee Members of the Year:

Academic Affairs: Adam Halpern-Leistner '10

Alumni Affairs: Peter Matthews '10

Communications: Ashley Cartagena '10, Lawton Leung '10

Community Service: Sarah Peterson '10

Diversity and Community: Ali Necamp '09, Ray Rodriguez '09

Ivy Council: Victoria Boggiano '10

Membership and Internal Affairs: Tabetha Xavier '10

Student Life: Margaret Chen '10

Student Organizations: Michael Coburn '10

Student Services: Cory Cunningham '10

GA Minutes 29 May 07

2007-05-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

Statement of Support for Current Initiatives by the Inter-Fraternity Council and Mentors Against Violence
Sponsored by Lena Martinez-Watts ’08 and the Diversity and Community Committee

WHEREAS sexual assault is an equally shared concern of the Inter-fraternity Council, Student Assembly, the Mentors Against Violence program and the student body at large,

WHEREAS similar initiatives were independently conceptualized by both the inter-fraternity council and the student assembly leadership regarding effective means of addressing issues of sexual assault,

WHEREAS an educational program has been designed that seeks to utilize a peer-to-peer system of education regarding effective methods of sexual assault prevention,

WHEREAS the program has been designed jointly by members of the inter-fraternity council and mentors against violence with student assembly acting as a facilitator for the two organizations,

WHEREAS the inter-fraternity council has unanimously voted in support of the program,

WHEREAS the inter-fraternity council has unanimously voted in favor of implementing the forementioned programming into the pledge process of all incoming pledges,

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly supports and acknowledges the proactive steps that the inter-fraternity council and Mentors Against Violence are taking in order to improve and ensure a healthy campus climate.

James Wright: ABC's "Person of the Week"

2007-05-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs • Press Release

On Friday night, May 25, "ABC World News with Charles Gibson" featured Dartmouth President James Wright as its "Person of the Week" (click to watch) recognizing his leadership role in creating an educational counseling program for wounded U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan that is now being offered through the American Council on Education.

The New York Times carried a feature on the same subject earlier this week (Wednesday, May 23), headlined, "The Few, The Proud, the Dartmouth-Bound."(click to read)

Well done, President Wright. You've all made us proud to call ourselves sons and daughters of Dartmouth.

Treasurer and Secretary Elected

2007-05-24T19:53:00.000-04:00

Nathan L. Bruschi '10, Treasurer

Jen Argote '10, Secretary

SA Banquet Postponed

2007-05-23T17:28:00.000-04:00

The SA end-of-year banquet (originally scheduled for tomorrow) has been postponed until next week on Wednesday or Thursday. We'll keep you updated.

GA Minutes 22 May 07

2007-05-22T21:00:00.000-04:00

Resolution to Fund and Support the Expansion of Da$h to further Vending Machines
Sponsored by: Neil Kandler ’09, Mike Coburn ’10 and the Student Organizations Committee

WHEREAS the expansion of Da$h to additional vending machines has consistently been one of Student Assembly’s goals for the past few years;

WHEREAS many dorms and building without Da$h have already been wired correctly;

WHEREAS the expansion of Da$h has been in high demand with students;

WHEREAS Student Assembly has been in contact with the procurement office about expanding the Da$h program to further vending machines;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate a minimum of $5000 and any additional funds remaining at the end of the year for the expansion of Da$h to additional vending machines;

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly work with the procurement office and other interested parties to implement the expansion of Da$h in the most efficient and cost effective means possible;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that Student Assembly seek additional sources of funding for the project;

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED that Student Assembly seek to complete the project over the summer term.

Proposal to Renew Funding for the Course Guide Incentive Program
Sponsored by Corey Chu ’08 and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee oversees the SA Professor/Course Guide in conjunction with the SA Web Team;

WHEREAS the Course Guide helps students choose courses by providing them with feedback and ratings from previous students;

WHEREAS the efficacy of the Course Guide is contingent on having a large number of reviews, which are submitted by students upon the completion of the term;

WHEREAS in the Fall 2007 term, the number of reviews submitted had recently declined;

WHEREAS the Course Guide contributions rely on students providing input for courses they’ll never take again while also competing with a faculty-administered course evaluation whose results are inaccessible to students;

WHEREAS in the first week of January 2007, over 2,000 students viewed the Course Guide, with an average of 40 courses viewed per user;

WHEREAS last term, the Academic Affairs Committee instituted an incentive program to raffle off a large quantity of small prizes to boost participation rates;

WHEREAS to obtain these incentives, the Academic Affairs Committee has arranged a deal with Everything But Anchovies to purchase 150 $15 gift certificates at a 50% discount;

WHEREAS course evaluation incentives raffled based on the number of reviews submitted would encourage students to fill out evaluations not only from this term, but for previous terms as well, thus improving the Course Guide’s reviews on a whole;

WHEREAS a fifth of the reviews submitted to the Guide were for courses from previous terms;

WHEREAS since the Fall 2001 term, the Course Guide would receive on average roughly half the number of reviews every Winter term as compared to the Fall term preceding it;

WHEREAS the Course Guide incentive program has stopped the recent decline in participation rates, receiving more reviews for Winter 2007 courses than courses for any previous term since Fall 2005;

WHEREAS with the current incentive program in place, those who would choose to contribute to the Guide contributed an average of 15% more reviews;

WHEREAS a quarter of the users who contributed to the Guide last term (a tenth of the reviews) received a gift certificate;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee can utilize the incentives themselves, as well as the statistics gathered, to promote the incentive program, thus further boosting future Course Guide participation rates;

WHEREAS on average, for a given Winter term, the Guide receives half as many reviews as it did the preceding Fall term;

WHEREAS the Course Guide received over 2.8 times more reviews following the Winter 2007 term than the preceding Fall Term;

WHEREAS continuing the Course Guide incentive program will allow the Assembly to assess the incentives’ potential for positive reinforcement as their novelty diminishes.

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate $1130.25 for the Course Guide incentive program:
-- $1125 in order to purchase 150 $15 gift certificates, and
-- $5.25 to print out 150 3.5¢ black-and-white thank-you letters to the winners.

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Academic Affairs Committee coordinate the random and fair distribution of gift certificates to students who complete course evaluations.

Loyal Opposition in Student Assembly

2007-05-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

Travis and I were talking the other day, and we started to explore this idea. He had me type up some notes and I came up with this.

<><>
A Brief on Legislative Opposition in Student Assembly
For Travis Green, President
By Nathan L. Bruschi

Current State:
In the current legislative process, a standing committee passes a bill before it is placed on the docket by the executive committee and presented to the General Assembly. At GA, the bill is shown on the main screen, read aloud by one of its sponsor, and further crystallized before opened to questions. Once all questions are answered, the bill passes into debate, starting with amendment or opposition. Oftentimes, members are intimidated to speak against a particular measure on ideological grounds – the proper role of SA, oftentimes – for fear of chastisement from their friends. This is particularly true regarding bills that address the sensitive issues of race, gender, sexual assault, non-binding statements of support, and large allocations of money.

The result is a system where nearly every bill presented before the General Assembly is passed regardless of merit. The funding bills for co-sponsorship or SA events, that are presented to and passed by GA, tax the treasury and may prevent SA from taking on major student service and student life initiatives. Because committees are liberal in their endorsement of bills and because a failed bill can be presented again to a different committee, the committee approval process presently provides an insufficient filter.

The U.S. congress lacks this problem because the legislation approval process consists of many steps which each have the power to shoot down the bill. The two party system, and the parliamentary system in Great Britain, ensures that there will be at least some organized opposition to any bill and that all legislation with be scrutinized by a critical eye.

First proposed solution:
The creation of a ‘”loyal opposition,” “devil’s advocate,” or “skeptical respondent” would help fix this problem. In the proposed system, the committee would first present its legislation to GA and explain why they believe it should be passed. The opposition would then make a presentation on areas of rational concern within the bill: the amount or breakdown of funding within the bill, the way the bill plays into the desired role of SA, the details of the event or function, etc. The opposition does not need to explain why the bill should not be passed, but just explain the weaknesses of the bill and present a skeptical viewpoint for GA to consider. This would be followed by a factual questions period and finally debate.

The opposition could consist of one of three things. First, it could be another committee and its Vice President presenting on flaws within the bill. GA is more scrutinizing of bills when executives make critical statements, and the position of the VP on the executive committee would enable him or her to have a fuller perspective to draw upon. Second, an appointed or elected “skeptic” would have the job of finding flaws with all bills presented before GA. Members of the parliamentary debate society are expected to mount entire cases against imaginary propositions without any prior knowledge of the issue or the argument at hand. This solution is problematic just because the person who fills the position would likely garner the wrath of his or her colleagues and may not be able to effectively present against all kinds of bills. Third, a committee of skeptics could be formed and various members would be assigned to lead the opposition for various bills. If one committee member felt that they could not for personal reasons present an effective opposition, another member would take on the task. The committee would ease the burden of the job, help dilute potential rebuke from members in GA, and could increase the quality of oppositions as members specialize in different areas.

Second proposed solution:
As there would be two VP’s for every committee, one of them would serve as the skeptic for any bill while it is in the committee approval process or in GA. This would encourage committees to question their actions and foster debate among the members. It would also make the infighting less public, but deny GA the benefit of seeing the reasons for the ultimate actions. At the very least it would free up more time in GA as less bills make it to the floor, and require less opposition once they do.

Third Proposed solution:
Before a bill may pass into debate, the President would call upon one member of the executive committee who would have to give at least one reason why the bill should not be passed or otherwise take a stance against it. The fact that a VP is chosen to do it would help start debate and encourage critical review by the General Assembly, following the VP’s lead. Unlike in the first solution, this opposition does not need to be organized and instead could just be a few remarks made by a randomly chosen person. No matter how good a bill is, there has to be some flaws, and no matter how much a VP wants to see a bill through, he or she should be able to say something.

Scope:
It is particularly important that skepticism be drawn towards spending bills. I would strongly advise that a system be build in which the treasurer or a committee chaired by the treasurer must sign off on the spending breakdowns of funding bills before they may be presented to GA. It is problematic when GA attempts to adjust the budgets of spending projects as it is a complicated, difficult, approximate, and often messy task. If all spending bills were researched and approved by the treasurer, the bills could be considered on their face value and a simpler judgment could be made by GA whether to fund it in full, in half, or not at all.

The organization of an opposition preserves and enhances the ideal in the current SA procedure that calls upon opposition or amendment before debate can take place. For bills that have broad support and no general problems, the opposition could merely point out ideological/logical flaws or negative ways the bill could be perceived by the press or campus at large. It is important for SA to examine how it will look by passing certain bills and what kinds of messages it would be sending to campus. Failure to consider popular sentiment may result in loss of faith in SA by the student body.
<><>

comments?

2007-05-18T16:30:00.000-04:00

From Blitz:

**********************
STUDENT-FACULTY BRUNCH

When: Sunday, 11 AM - 2 PM

Where: 1st Floor Rocky · Silsby Front Lawn

Why: A perfect opportunity to unwind after Green Key Weekend and interact with professors in an informal setting.

FREE CATERED BRUNCH will be provided!

Sponsored by the Dean of Faculty's Office and Student Assembly

***************************

Stephen F. Smith '88 Elected Trustee

2007-05-17T22:57:00.000-04:00

"The Dartmouth College Board of Trustees has elected Stephen F. Smith as a trustee following a nomination vote by Dartmouth's alumni from a slate of four candidates.

Smith, a 1988 graduate of Dartmouth, will join the board on June 10, following commencement ceremonies in Hanover. He succeeds Nancy Kepes Jeton '76, who will step down in June after ten years of service on the board."

continue reading the press release.

Student Assembly Banquet on May 24

2007-05-17T22:47:00.000-04:00

from blitz:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Join us at the..

*End-of-the-Year Student Assembly Banquet*
Thursday, May 24 @ 6pm
McLane/Fahey Basement Common Room

+Celebrate our achievements over the past year!
+Celebrate yourselves for your hard work!
+EAT AMAZING FOOD!

**Awards will be given out**

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Catered by Murphy's<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~
please RSVP to Raymond Rodriguez

If you would like to nominate someone for an award, blitz Ray by tomorrow (Friday).

New SA Elects MIAC Membership

2007-05-17T21:42:00.000-04:00

The following people were elected to the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee in the new Assembly.

Jaromy Siporen '08

Neil Kandler '09

Cory Cunningham '10

David Imamura '10

GA Minutes 15 May 07

2007-05-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Fund the 2007 Student-Faculty Brunch
Sponsored by: Franklin Obi ’09, Ian Rorick ’10, and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS the Student Assembly feels that it is of the utmost importance to foster good relationships between faculty and students;

WHEREAS good student-faculty relationships enhance learning in the classroom and strengthen the Dartmouth community;

WHEREAS last year the Assembly organized a three-hour Student-Faculty Brunch in which 500 people attended it;

WHEREAS this year’s Brunch will take place on Sunday, May 20th during Green Key Weekend, and is expected to have roughly 450 people attend it;

WHEREAS this year’s Brunch’s total cost will be around $4186.40, costing roughly as much as it did last year;

WHEREAS the budgetary breakdown of the Brunch is the following:

Food--------------------------- $3118.00 ($5.50/person + tax & gratuity)
Location Set-up/Cleanup--- $670.00
Ad in The D------------------ $72.00
Entertainment---------------- $50.00
Invitations-------------------- $276.40
Total Estimated Cost (max)- $4186.40

WHEREAS Dean of the Faculty Carol Folt is in full support of the event and has pledged to allocate a significant amount of funding for its implementation.

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate $750 towards this year’s Student Faculty Brunch. The brunch in its entirety will cost $4186.40.

Statement for Support for Current Initiatives for the Community Action Network
Sponsored by Lena Martinez-Watts ‘08 and the Diversity and Community Committee

WHEREAS student assembly resolved to support the creation of the community action network on (DATE) in response to the numerous acts of discrimination which negatively affected the overall climate of the institution,

WHEREAS Student Assembly further resolved to continue to initiate programs and offer its support to students who have been confronted by acts of intolerance,

WHEREAS the Student Assembly has met with the Campus Climate Committee to discuss proactive steps to achieve such goals,

WHEREAS the Student Assembly supports and acknowledges the proactive steps that the administration is taking in order to improve and ensure a healthy campus climate,

WHEREAS the community action network is a joint initiative requiring both administrative and student body support,

WHEREAS the Dean Sateia provided funding for chap-sticks labeled with appropriate contact information for students who have been affected by a biased incident,

LET IT BE RESOLVED that members of Student Assembly fulfill their portion of this commitment through the allocation of up to $2000 to purchase first aid kits labeled with contact information for the community action network,

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the first aid kits be distributed to the incoming class of 2011 during orientation week.

Proposal to Fund the Profiles in Excellence Award
Sponsored by Corey Chu’08 and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS sustaining a rich culture of undergraduate teaching is important both to Dartmouth College and to the Student Assembly;

WHEREAS the Profiles in Excellence Award reflects the Student Assembly commitment to developing the relationship between students and faculty, and has been awarded each term since the fall of 2001;

WHEREAS the award recognizes outstanding teaching by professors;

WHEREAS the winner of the award is chosen by the Academic Affairs Committee from student nominations;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly holds award dinners each term for the winner of the Profiles in Excellence Award;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee will soon be choosing a professor as this term’s recipient of the award;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate up to $600 for the Profiles in Excellence Award plaque and dinner.

Resolution to Allocate $3,000 for the Diversity of Thought Picnic
Sponsored by: Lia Cheek ’09, Lena Martinez Watts ’08 and the Diversity and Community Committee

WHEREAS the research done on minority faculty retention suggests that many minority faculty members do not feel as if they are a part of the Dartmouth community,

WHEREAS the inclusion of faculty as part of the larger Dartmouth community is beneficial to both students and faculty,

WHEREAS the recommendations of the Minority Faculty Recruitment and Retention report recommended that outreach from student communities would help to strengthen the Dartmouth community overall through increased minority faculty retention,

WHEREAS intellectualism is a commonality shared by both the minority faculty and the student community,

WHEREAS networking with minority faculty allows minority students to interact with successful individuals with similar background to their own,

WHEREAS research suggests that faculty are largely unaware of events and sentiments on campus which affect their students,

WHEREAS there is currently no forum in which minority faculty members can interact with the student community as individuals outside of their role as faculty,

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student assembly support the Diversity of Thought picnic, and allocate up to 3,000 dollars to implement this event.

Resolution to Fund the End-of-the-Year Student Assembly Banquet
Sponsored by Raymond Rodriguez ’09 and the Executive Committee

WHEREAS the SA banquet serves to bring together all Student Assembly members and recognize their hard work and achievements throughout the past year

WHEREAS the SA banquet happens every year at the end of the Spring term

WHEREAS this year’s end of the year banquet will happen on Thursday May 24 at 6pm in the McLane-Fahey Common Room

WHEREAS the event will be catered and outstanding members of the Assembly will be recognized

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate up to $1500 for the end of the year SA Banquet.

Travis Green Elected Student Body President

2007-05-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

The results are in...

Travis Green, President

Ian Tapu, Vice President

I guess the iGreen ticket worked. Is this the start of a new election dynamic?

More info:
Green elected student president (The Dartmouth)

New SA Class Representatives Elected

2007-05-09T09:50:00.000-04:00

Class of 2008:
Jacqueline B. Loeb
Jeffrey K. Coleman
Corey B. Chu
Jaromy R. Siporen
Ephraim Froehlich
Erin A. Johnson
David N. Glovsky
Kyle A. Jazwa
Haley R. Morris
Travis Mushett

Class of 2009:
Molly Bode
Ruslan Tovbulatov
Raymond E. Rodriguez
David Nachman
Harshil Shah
Neil Kandler
Kathryn N. Whisenhunt
Christian Kiely
Ayla Glass
Jacob Kahane

Class of 2010:
David Imamura
Cory Cunningham
Landon Brown
Nathan Bruschi
Robert Hoffman
Lawton Leung
Taylor Stevenson
Jennifer Argote
Janill Espaillat
Sara Hudner

GA Minutes 08 May 07

2007-05-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Fund the Student Legal Rights Dinner Discussion
Sponsored by: Neil Kandler ‘09 and the Student Organizations Committee

WHEREAS many student are unaware that the New Hampshire State Constitution has been interpreted in a manner in that it provides more legal rights than the United States Constitution;

WHEREAS over 120 students are arrested every year for drug and alcohol-related offenses and other crimes according to the “Annual Security Report” published by Safety and Security in 2006;

WHEREAS many of these arrests could be prevented if students fully knew their rights;

WHEREAS Kacavas, Ramsdell & Howard, P.L.L.C. (the “Firm”) has an extensive track record of representing Dartmouth students and has extensive knowledge of the laws and students’ rights in New Hampshire;

WHEREAS the Firm has agreed to charge the Student Assembly a fee of $250 for services rendered;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the 2006-2007 Student Assembly allocate $350 towards the Student Legal Rights Dinner Discussion: $250 for services and $100 for food;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that this event be held with the objective of educating students about their legal rights and preventing unnecessary student arrests;

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED that the Student Assembly hold this program on May 14th, tentatively scheduled to be held at Tri-Kap at 7pm.

Proposal to Renew Funding for the Course Guide Incentive Program
Sponsored by Corey Chu ’08 and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee oversees the SA Professor/Course Guide in conjunction with the SA Web Team;

WHEREAS the Course Guide helps students choose courses by providing them with feedback and ratings from previous students;

WHEREAS the efficacy of the Course Guide is contingent on having a large number of reviews, which are submitted by students upon the completion of the term;

WHEREAS the number of reviews submitted has recently declined;

WHEREAS the Course Guide contributions rely on students providing input for courses they’ll never take again while also competing with a faculty-administered course evaluation whose results are inaccessible to students;

WHEREAS in the first week of January 2007, over 2,000 students viewed the Course Guide, with an average of 40 courses viewed per user;

WHEREAS last term, the Academic Affairs Committee instituted an incentive program to raffle off a large quantity of small prizes to boost participation rates;

WHEREAS to obtain these incentives, the Academic Affairs Committee has arranged a deal with Everything But Anchovies to purchase 150 $15 gift certificates at a 50% discount;

WHEREAS course evaluation incentives raffled based on the number of reviews submitted would encourage students to fill out evaluations not only from this term, but for previous terms as well, thus improving the Course Guide’s reviews on a whole;

WHEREAS a fifth of the reviews submitted to the Guide were for courses from previous terms;

WHEREAS since the Fall 2001 term, the Course Guide would receive on average roughly half the number of reviews every Winter term as compared to the Fall term preceding it;

WHEREAS the Course Guide incentive program has stopped the recent decline in participation rates, receiving more reviews for Winter 2007 courses than courses for any previous term since Fall 2005;

WHEREAS with the current incentive program in place, those who would choose to contribute to the Guide contributed an average of 15% more reviews;

WHEREAS a quarter of the users who contributed to the Guide last term (a tenth of the reviews) received a gift certificate;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee can utilize the incentives themselves, as well as the statistics gathered, to promote the incentive program, thus further boosting future Course Guide participation rates;

WHEREAS on average, for a given Winter term, the Guide receives half as many reviews as it did the preceding Fall term;

WHEREAS the Course Guide received over 2.8 times more reviews following the Winter 2007 term than the preceding Fall Term;

WHEREAS continuing the Course Guide incentive program will allow the Assembly to assess the incentives’ potential for positive reinforcement as their novelty diminishes.

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate $1130.25 for the Course Guide incentive program:

1) $1125 in order to purchase 150 $15 gift certificates, and

2) $5.25 to print out 150 3.5¢ black-and-white thank-you letters to the winners.

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED that the Academic Affairs Committee coordinate the random and fair distribution of gift certificates to students who complete course evaluations.

Statement in Support of Alternative Options for Cable Television Systems in ORL Residence Halls
Sponsored by: Cory Cunningham ’10, Harshil Shah ’09, Corey Chu ’08, Neil Kandler ’08,
and the Student Services Committee

WHEREAS the Department of Computing Services at Dartmouth College administers the cable television network for students living in on-campus housing;

WHEREAS as of present, Computing Services has not modified its plans to charge students approximately $300 to purchase a cable box that is required to watch television on anything but DarTV;

WHEREAS many of Dartmouth’s peer academic institutions, including Brown, Cornell, Amherst, Boston College, Villanova, Lehigh, and UNH, include free cable television access in their residence halls at no additional cost to students without the need for a cable box;

WHEREAS the current policy would place a significant financial burden on a large number of Dartmouth students, 51% of whom receive some sort of financial aid, by requiring them to pay $300 for the cable boxes;

WHEREAS Computing Services is still planning on partnering with Evolving Vox, an organization unaffiliated with the College, for the future distribution of the cable boxes no longer needed by graduating seniors;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly issue the following statement of concern regarding the Department of Computing Services’ plans for charging for cable boxes:

Dartmouth College frequently prides itself on its ability to offer all of its resources, both academic and otherwise, to all of its students regardless of financial need. Furthermore, Dartmouth often holds itself to a standard greater than that of its peer institutions with regards to maintaining a particularly high quality of life for its students.

By allowing its peer institutions to continue to offer cable television at no charge while charging Dartmouth students $300 for the privilege of having television in their rooms, Dartmouth places its students at a serious disadvantage in comparison to other colleges and universities.

The Student Assembly urges the Department of Computing Services should take the policies of other colleges’ cable television policies into consideration before implementing their intended program of cable box purchase, ideally creating a solution that costs students no out-of-pocket funds.

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution and concerns be shared with Dean Stuart Lord and President Wright to encourage them to dissolve the issue of class that could potentially occur as a result of this initiative;

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED THAT the Student Services Committee and the Student Assembly at large share its concerns with Computing Services and the Office of Residential Life to encourage them to provide free cable television access, a standard set by many of their fellow institutions.

Proposal to Present Alternative Options for Cable Box Distribution and Pricing to the Department of Computing Services
Sponsored by: Cory Cunningham ’10, Harshil Shah ’09, Corey Chu ’08, Neil Kandler ’08,
and the Student Services Committee

WHEREAS the Department of Computing Services at Dartmouth College administers the cable television network for students living in on-campus housing;

WHEREAS as of present, Computing Services has not modified its plans to charge students approximately $300 to purchase a cable box that is required to watch television on anything but DarTV;

WHEREAS the Student Services Committee has repeatedly met with representatives from Computing Services and has evaluated a variety of options for the distribution and pricing of the cable boxes;

LET IT BE RESOLVED the Student Services Committee on behalf of Student Assembly makes the following recommendations to the Office of Residential Life and Department of Computing Services, listed in order of preference;

1) Cable boxes would be loaned to students with the contractual understanding that if the units are damaged in any form when returned, students’ college bill will be charged for the full value of the unit.

2) Cable boxes would be loaned to students upon the payment of a refundable $100 security deposit, in which students would not have their deposit refunded if the unit is damaged at the end of the academic year.

3) Cable boxes would be sold outright at a cost of approximately $300 to students, at which point the students would completely own the unit.

4) Cable boxes would be sold by Computing Services to Evolving Vox, a College-independent, for-profit organization, which would subsequently handle the sale and/or rental of units to students.

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Services Committee, on behalf of the Student Assembly, forward the aforementioned suggestions to the Department of Computing Services and the results from the attached student blitz survey in an effort to encourage a change in plans for the coming academic year.

Proposal to Fund the Lwala Benefit Concert
Sponsored by Lena Martinez Watts ’08, Jamal Brown ’08, Raymond Rodriguez ’09 and the Diversity and Community Committee

WHEREAS In 1977, Dartmouth College established the first gay student group, the Gay Students Support Group to provide an environment that was accepting towards homosexuality. Due to the College’s inclusive efforts, the 2006 Advocate College Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQA) named Dartmouth one of the top 100 gay–friendly universities in the country,

WHEREAS PRIDE week serves as an opportunity to celebrate and educate the Dartmouth community of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) history and culture at Dartmouth College, through a week long of events filled with various speakers, lecturers, educational campaigns, programs, performances/entertainment, a festival, and a dinner gala. The ultimate goal of PRIDE is to address and eradicate homophobia, prejudice and bigotry, in order to promote a more inclusive and pluralistic Dartmouth,

WHEREAS PRIDE will occur the week of May 7 – 11, 2007. Beginning on Monday and ending Friday night, PRIDE will involve numerous activities throughout the week,

WHEREAS The 2006-2007 Student Assembly has made it a priority to advocate and support all communities of Dartmouth College,

WHEREAS On Wednesday, May 9, 2007 in Collis Common Ground a three–hour benefit concert will take place. The benefit concert will feature Visionary-In-Residence Stacey Ann Chin, world-renowned drag artist Kevin Aviance, student group performances by Sheba, Dog Day Players, UJIMA, Rockapellas, among others, and exhibitions that illustrate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa and LGBT communities, and stories from individuals suffering from the epidemic. Proceeds of this event will go to help benefit Dartmouth alums Fred Ochieng’ '05 and Milton Ochieng’ '04’s Lwala project. The Lwala Project is a charity that strives to provide primary health care, clean water and HIV/AIDS education for a poor village in Kenya.

WHEREAS The Lwala Project has attracted great attention from the greater Dartmouth community and the nation. All proceeds from the benefit concert will go towards the Lwala Project.

WHEREAS participating in an event of this kind follows the SA guidelines for co-sponsorship;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Diversity and Community Committee and Community Service Committee coordinate volunteers from Student Assembly and participants from the larger student body.

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate $3000 to support the Lwala Benefit Concert.

GA Minutes 01 May 07

2007-05-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Resolution to Allow Computing Services to Take Over the Blitz Terminals
Sponsored Kapil Kale ’07 and the Executive Committee

WHEREAS Student Assembly has been maintaining and replacing the blitz terminals which are located all around campus for many years;

WHEREAS the service is extremely popular;

WHEREAS SA often has difficulty maintaining the blitz terminals due to lack of manpower and expertise;

WHEREAS Computing Services has offered to take over full maintenance of the terminals due to their specialization in campus electronic networks and technology;

WHEREAS Computing Services would provide a far more professional service than student-run operation of the blitz terminals, as exemplified by the exemplary quality of the computers located in the 1st floor Berry corridor;

WHEREAS Student Assembly faces difficulty in replacing the terminals on a regular basis due to leadership turnover and annual budgetary fluctuations;

WHEREAS Computing Services would ensure that the blitz terminals would be replaced every three years;

WHEREAS the Office of the Provost has indefinitely allocated $18,000 per annum towards paying Computing Services to maintain and replace blitz terminals;

WHEREAS this program would have no cost whatsoever to Student Assembly and allow it to focus on new and different student services;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly, starting in Fall ’07, give Computing Services maintenance and replacement responsibilities for the blitz terminal program;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that for the first three years upon replacing a blitz terminal, Computing Services return the expired terminal to Student Assembly to either auction, give away, or scrap;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that Computing Services continue to allow blitz terminal advertisements and Student Services update the campus about any changes in how to advertise;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that Student Assembly’s Student Services committee be in contact with Computing Services regarding requests for new terminals and changes to the program;

LET IT BE FINALLY PROPOSED that Student Assembly congratulate the college administration, especially the Office of the Provost, on recognizing an important student need and dedicating a substantial sum of money on securing that service professionally.

SA Presidential Debate

2007-05-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

There will be a debate among the 5 Student Body Presidential Candidates will be held tonight at 7:00 during the General Assembly meeting in Carson L01. It will be be moderated by Kevin Hudak ’07, Chair of EPAC and will feature:

TRAVIS GREEN ’08

RAJ KOGANTI ’08

CARLOS MEJIA ’08

NOVA ROBINSON ’08

JAROMY SIPOREN ’08

Molly Bode '09 has dropped out of the race.

Candidate List for Student Body Pres. and VP

2007-04-26T13:43:00.000-04:00

As it stands right now, according to Mr. Kevin Hudak, Chair of the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee:

Student Body President
Molly Bode (dropped out)
Jaromy Siporen
Carlos Mejia
Nova Robinson
Raj Koganti
Travis Green

Student Body Vice President
Nathan Bruschi
David Imamura (dropped out)
David Nachman
Ian Tapu

GA Minutes 24 Apr 07

2007-04-24T21:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Fund and Coordinate Student Assembly Election Awareness Dinner Discussion
Sponsored by: Neil Kandler ’09, Lena Rochelle Martinez-Watts ’08, the Diversity Affairs Committee, and the Student Organizations Committee

WHEREAS many students feel apathetic and distanced from the Student Assembly elections;

WHEREAS Student Assembly elections have suffered from low turnout in the past;

WHEREAS there are currently no events that discuss the significance of elections in a neutral and unbiased way;

WHEREAS a grassroots effort to reach students will increase student interest and involvement in elections;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly support an SA elections dinner discussion, with the stated purpose of bringing a diverse group of campus leaders together to discuss Student Assembly’s involvement in the various facets of the Dartmouth community and foster active interest in the elections;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that this event will not endorse any candidate or policy, and will strive to show no bias;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that this dinner discussion will occur on the evening of May 6th;

LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate up to $500 toward this event for the purchase of the dinner.

2007-04-23T10:32:00.000-04:00

News stories of the Day
Field takes shape in SA president race (The Dartmouth)

Despite delays in the formation of the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee, several candidates for Student Body President have already begun to lay plans for this May’s contest.

Travis Green ‘08, Carlos Mejia ‘08, Nova Robinson ‘08 and Jaromy Siporen ‘08 all confirmed their intentions to pursue the role of Student Body President. Molly Bode ‘09 and Leslie Shribman ‘08 each said they are considering a run for the position, though they have yet to make concrete decisions about their candidacies. Robinson is taking a leave of absence from The Dartmouth Senior Staff to pursue the presidency.

Current Student Body Vice President Jacqueline Loeb ‘08 said that she has decided not to enter the race. read more

Russian ex-president Yeltsin dies

Vanishing honeybees mystify scientists One-third of Americans' diets depend on polination, mostly preformed by honey bees.

Canadian arrested for naked Hitler birthday event One of the more imaginative ways to celebrate 4/20

N.H. retiree aces Rock, Paper, Scissors This is going to be on ESPN; what a country!

Illegal 'bones factory' shut down

US prisoner escapes after phony fax orders his release Talk about gettin' lucky in Kentucky.

NASA killer 'had bad job review'

Naked swimmer makes splash in Trevi fountainThat's one way to impress tourists.

Teen pockets $25,000 in texting contest

The MySpace party from hell

This girl single handedly destroyed this house. Lock her up.

2007-04-19T09:28:00.000-04:00

Links to consider:
Gonzales to face tough questions on attorney firings

Wife: Preacher had me dress slutty

Man hands police pot pipe instead of license

Dinesh D'Souza is a contemptible ghoul One of our illustrious alumni attacked.

The Party Party Always classic.

From the Onion, America's finest news source:
Your Horoscope If you only read on of these links, make it this one.

Just This Once, Let's Stay Up All Night And Do A Bunch Of Coke ("op-ed")

The Best Political Ad Ever

2007-04-18T23:15:00.000-04:00

In honor of the ongoing College Trustee election. I couldn't believe it when I saw this on television a while back.

Christy Mihos ad

(click play to watch)

2007-04-18T10:57:00.000-04:00

The Dartmouth:
An Unsustainable Apology
By Christian Kiely ‘09, Guest Columnist

Go Figure… Skate
By Zachary Gottlieb, Staff Columnist

Our thoughts are far away this evening...

2007-04-17T22:41:00.000-04:00

Regarding the shootings at Virginia Tech, sent over blitz to East Wheelock residents:

Dear good friends in East Wheelock,

We, who work with the East Wheelock Community, want to express our deepest sympathies for all those affected by the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech. Words cannot capture the profound sadness for the students, staff, families, and friends of all who will remember April 16th as the day their lives dramatically changed. While we seek more tangible ways to reach out to those in need, let our first step be to value and understand each other in hopes that we will be able to prevent such senseless violence in the future.

Talk to one another and never be afraid to ask for help,

Susan Brison, Judy MacNeil & John Pfister

Sewer Explosion + Unicycle Lady

2007-04-17T21:24:00.000-04:00

Thinking about the contents of the sewer makes this situation even worse.

Storm Sewer overflow

(click play to watch)

I have trouble enough on a bicycle as it is.

Unicycle Dance

(click play to watch)

GA Minutes 17 Apr 07

2007-04-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

Statement of Sympathy and Support for the Victims and Family of Virginia Tech Shooting
Sponsored By: David Imamura ’10, Nathan Bruschi ’10, and the Executive Board

WHEREAS Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University yesterday suffered the tragic death of 33 members of the community.

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly, on behalf of all of Dartmouth College, express our deepest sympathies and condolences to Virginia Tech, its students, and the friends, families, and loved ones of those lost.

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly will purchase and offer black ribbons for students who wish to take part in the nationwide showing of sympathy, and will allocate the necessary funds to achieve this end.

LET IT FINALLY BE RESOLVED that in keeping with President Wright’s recent letter (dated 17 April) to the community, SA will engage in discussions with Safety and Security in order to ensure constant review of emergency protocol.

Moment of Silence for VA Tech

2007-04-17T12:20:00.000-04:00

From President Wright, over blitz:

Dear Friends,

Dartmouth College extends our deepest sympathies to the Virginia Tech University community, and to the families and friends of those who who lost their lives in the terrible tragedy there yesterday.

In solidarity with those who are grieving the deaths at Virginia Tech, the Tucker Foundation and I would like to encourage you to observe a moment of silence at 2:00 pm today, the same time that Virginia Tech will be gathering as a community. This moment will be marked by the tolling of Baker bells. In addition, Rollins Chapel is open all day for those who wish to meditate or pray.

The staff at Dartmouth are committed to maintaining a secure campus. Safety and Security has emergency protocols in place, as do specific departments, and we review these regularly. There may be lessons about campus safety that come out of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, and we, along with other colleges and universities will listen and learn.

Counseling services are available for Dartmouth students and staff. Students should call Counseling Services at Dick's House 650-1442, employees should call the Faculty/Employee Assistance Program at 646-1165. Individuals may also contact the Chaplain's Office in the Tucker Foundation at 646-3350.

Please keep the Virginia Tech community in your thoughts as they face the difficult time ahead and remember to take care of one another.

James Wright

Student Governance Task Force op-ed

2007-04-17T09:35:00.000-04:00

by Kapil Kale
VP Communications emeritus
Chairman, Student Government Task force
(Printed in The Dartmouth)

Frustration with Dartmouth’s student government reached new heights this year. In response, Student Assembly unanimously voted to establish the Student Governance Review Task Force, an all-student committee charged with investigating and presenting solutions to longstanding issues. We began our work this spring, with the goal of improving the representation, efficiency and communication within our school’s standing organizations. Today, we hope to explain the work we are doing, how we are doing it, provide insight into the progress we have made, and invite your opinions into the process.

Our student government structure extends far beyond SA. Each student is assessed a termly student activities fee which is aggregated and given to the Undergraduate Finance Committee for allocation. The UFC is responsible for the oversight and dividing up over $800,000 each year to Programming Board, Student Assembly, Collis Governing Board, the Council on Student Organizations and the four Class Councils.

All these organizations are important components of student governance at Dartmouth. These groups provide the services students need and expect: event funding and programming, regulation of student organizations and a voice and lobbying power with the administration. However, we have found that the organizational structure of the governing bodies creates difficulty in meeting the needs of students.

We seek to identify and improve these crucial aspects of campus life, for individual students and student groups alike. Thus far, we have spoken to administrators and deans, as well as student leaders of our government organizations. We have also conducted our first focus group to solicit input from the student body at-large. Meanwhile, we are also investigating other schools’ governance systems and calling on our own creativity to discover potential solutions. In the coming weeks, we will continue to interview students, organizations, deans and advisors.

An example of a problem we’ve observed so far is that PB, SA, CGB and COSO provide funding for many of the same events, but almost never coordinate their allocations beforehand. One solution is to integrate some of these bodies to simplify the process. Another solution is for the bodies to meet on a regular basis to discuss proposals. This could take the shape of in-person meetings, online discussion boards or shared proposal forms. There are many ideas we have discussed and even more yet to be developed. Over the next weeks, as we engage the leaders of these organizations and the general campus in this discussion, conduct research across the board on the College’s systems, and critically analyze our options, the most effective solution will emerge. Moreover, there are about a dozen of these types of problems �” we plan on using the same thorough methodology for all of them.

A process of reform has no value without two things: transparency and participation. This piece is the first in a series updating the campus on our methods and progress. Additionally, tonight we present to the Student Assembly at 7 p.m. in Carson L01 the details of our initial findings. Transparency is an easy obligation to fulfill. However, we can only open up the channels for your participation to make a contribution.

We encourage you to attend the Assembly meeting. Blitz “Task Force” with your input. Join a focus group. Fill out our upcoming online survey. Make suggestions not only about what is wrong with student government at Dartmouth, but what is right with student government at Dartmouth. The first wave of suggestions from students and administrators has been valuable and appreciated. With your further participation, we are confident that our final report in May will provide the framework for positive, tangible change for Dartmouth’s governing bodies and for you, the students whom they serve.

2007-04-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

News links today:

By Clear and Convincing Evidence (The Dartmouth)

Virginia Tech president: Shooter 'one of our students'

Japan mayor shot while campaigning

Cape resident flies 150 miles for Krystal burger - monthly

2007-04-16T19:12:00.000-04:00

VIGIL TONIGHT

over blitz:

Please join your Dartmouth peers in a candlelight memorial for the people murdered today at Virgina Tech. We hope to join as a community in remembering the victims of this tragedy.

Candlelight Memorial Ceremony
8 PM
Collis Porch
Monday, April 16

2007-04-16T10:53:00.000-04:00

Power outages, wind, and rain will unite to make today miserable.

News stories of the day
VA SHOOTING:

At least 33 dead in Virginia Tech shooting (CNN)

Deadly shooting at US university (BBC)

Gunfire on campus of Va. Tech kills at least 33 (LA Times)

Anna Nicole Smith's diaries fail to sell at auction
What? Is no one interested in her thoughful and profound insight to every day occurrences?
McCain To Send Self Back To Vietnamese POW Camp To Revitalize Campaign (from the Onion)

2007-04-15T18:29:00.000-04:00

It's looking like this lovely rain and snow we're experiencing with be joining us at least until Tuesday evening, possibly until Thursday. Fashion accessories this week: umbrella and boots.

News stories of the day:
Texas may require schools to carry elective on Bible
Man proposes after four minutes
US generals urge climate action

The Sunday Funnies

(click play to watch)

Distorted Images

2007-04-14T20:21:00.000-04:00

The following videos are about the way common perceptions of beauty are distorted. The first two are serious, the last one is a joke (you need to watch the second one in order to get it). Enjoy.

Facebook Profile Picture Evolution

(click to watch)

Dove Artificial Beauty: Evolution (original)

(click to watch)

Dove Parody: Slob Evolution (I almost wet my pants when I first saw this)

(click to watch)

Dumb College Pranks

2007-04-14T19:46:00.000-04:00

We've all seen drinkin' time (bottom), but this one gives it some serious competition.

Yellow Book Prank (Tufts)

(click to watch)

Drinkin' Time (Dartmouth)

Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - 2007)

2007-04-12T03:47:00.000-04:00

So it goes.

GA Minutes 10 Apr 07

2007-04-10T21:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Fund and Support “Collis-Up-All-Night”
Sponsored by: Lawton Leung ’10, Ashley Cartagena ’10 and the Communications Committee

WHEREAS the Dartmouth Student Assembly has, in the past, held successful “Collis-Up-All-Night” events

WHEREAS the event has provided a fun and safe alternative for social interaction;

WHEREAS the event will bring together a variety of organizations and representatives of the Student Body including performance groups and programming organizations, thus fostering cooperation and community;

WHEREAS there is a lack of alcohol-free events for the student body that last for the duration of a night;

WHEREAS “Collis-Up-All-Night” will be on the night of Friday, April 13th, 2007 during the hours of 7 PM to 2 AM;

WHEREAS an event such as “Collis-Up-All-Night” will be a positive addition to the successes sponsored by the Assembly;

WHEREAS the Communications Committee has found some alternate funding by working with Programming Board and Collis Governing Board and is implanting inexpensive activities to decrease costs;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate up to $3,000 for the execution of this event to be divided among the following expenses:

Food: $1000
Student Performance Groups (Including Final Cut, Rockapellas, Dodecs,
Decibelles etc.): $200
Advertising: $25
Activities and games: $1475
Poker Tournament: $100
Pong paddle painting: $750
Movies and popcorn: $25
Prizes (including iPods for poker and bingo): $600

Maintenance, building fees, discretionary funds: $300

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that student organizations including Face Aids, Habitat, and Grassroots Soccer, will have tables providing information and requesting optional donations throughout Collis during the event.

LET IT FINALLY BE RESOLVED that the Communications Committee will be accountable for the responsible use of allocated resources and the successful execution of the event.
Statement in Support of Syllabus Accessibility

Statement in Support of Syllabus Accessibility
Sponsored by Adam Halpern-Leistner ’10, Corey Chu ’08, and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS course syllabi provide accurate information about courses that can be beneficial to students during course selection;

WHEREAS copyright concerns prohibit the posting of syllabi on non-secure websites;

WHEREAS the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL) is working on limiting the Blackboard website so that syllabi posted there will only be available to the Dartmouth community, but with the expected release of a new version of Blackboard, this project will not be completed until after next fall;

WHEREAS using the Dartmouth Web Authentication system, academic departments can easily post course syllabi that will be viewable only by the Dartmouth community;

WHEREAS the Dean of Faculty’s office has called the process of uploading syllabi onto department websites a “trivial” task;

WHEREAS the Government Department has used this system to post past syllabi and has reported very positive feedback;

WHEREAS course syllabi provide a way to learn about a course that is more comprehensive than course listings and more objective than Course Guide reviews.

WHEREAS course syllabi provide information such as reading lists that can be useful to students not taking the class but interested in the subject;

WHEREAS the accessibility to course syllabi during course selection may decrease the adding and dropping of classes during the first two weeks of the term;

WHEREAS syllabus accessibility can assist professors in publicizing their courses;

LET IT BE STATED that the Student Assembly inform departments about the importance of making course syllabi accessible;

LET IT FURTHER BE STATED that the Student Assembly encourage departments to use the Dartmouth Web Authentication system to post syllabi online with professors’ consent.

Statement of Concern Regarding Computing Services Cable Box Distribution Plans
Sponsored by: Cory Cunningham ’10, Harshil Shah ’09, Corey Chu ’08, Neil Kandler ’08,
and the Student Services Committee

WHEREAS the Department of Computing Services at Dartmouth College administers the cable television network for students living in on-campus housing;

WHEREAS the current coaxial cable system that provides television free of charge will be deactivated at the end of the Spring 2007 term;

WHEREAS commencing with the Summer 2007 term, in order to receive cable television in on-campus housing, students must either use DarTV, which is only available on computers, or an STP cable box;

WHEREAS in order to watch television on a regular television set, students must use an STP cable box to convert cable from an Ethernet port to a coaxial cable;

WHEREAS Computing Services is currently intending on requiring that students purchase these STP cable boxes outright at a cost of approximately $300;

WHEREAS $300 is a significant sum for many Dartmouth students to be forced to pay if they wish to have television in their rooms on a traditional television set;

WHEREAS nearly all of Dartmouth’s peer academic institutions provide cable television service to students as part of their regular housing fees;

WHEREAS Computing Services intends on partnering with Evolving Vox, an organization not affiliated with the College, in order to allow students to rent cable boxes at a fee which is unnecessary;

WHEREAS given that Evolving Vox does not fall under the jurisdiction of the College, there is no guarantee that this will be a successful and fair program for ensuring the appropriate reuse of said boxes;

WHEREAS there are a variety of other methods that the Department of Computing Services can make said STP boxes available to students while still ensuring responsible use of the units;

LET IT BE STATED that the Student Assembly issue the following statement of concern regarding the Department of Computing Services plans for distributing STP cable boxes:

The Student Services Committee and Student Assembly at large are concerned that the Department of Computing Services is not considering Dartmouth students’ best interest given their current plans for the future cost and distribution methods of the STP cable boxes. There are a variety of different options available that would ensure that the units are properly handled, including, but not limited to, refundable security deposits and administrative fines, and none have been given fair consideration.

Given the significant student financial outlay necessary in order to purchase a STP box, and the inadequate current plans for the eventual reuse of the units, the Student Assembly, on behalf of the student body, request that the Department of Computing Services ascertain a superior method of distributing and controlling the usage of these units without such a high cost to students.

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Student Services Committee and the Student Assembly at large share its concerns with the Department of Computing Services in an effort to improve the plans for purchase and distribution of the STB boxes to develop a plan that is fair and equitable to both the students and administration.

'The Dartmouth Wiki' Controversy

2007-04-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

On March 30, a blitz was sent out by "The Dartmouth Wiki" to all students asking them to sign-up for their website. SA had been developing a wiki of our own for a while now and didn't want people to be confused and think that this 'impostor wiki' was our doing. Later that day, we sent this blitz out to campus:

Recently, a mass blitz was sent out from "The Dartmouth Wiki" asking students to register and help build a wiki (as in Wikipedia) for "Dartmouth University" [sic]. This website (as far as we are aware) is in no way associated with the College, Student Assembly, or any of its members and is instead an outside commercial venture. The Student Assembly and the Dartmouth Computer Science Department have been working to develop our own Dartmouth Wiki and will soon make it available for student use; however, this is not it.

This group has recently launched wiki sites for other schools (including the rest of the Ivy League and numerous others) and is selling advertisement space on its pages. The website seems to operate by allowing students to ask questions which are then emailed out on compiled mailing lists, much like spam. At the time of this writing, 175 students have already signed up. We advise that all students approach this website with appropriate care and recommend that those who wish to register with it consider using an email address other than their DND account.

We will be sending out more information about the upcoming official wiki in the near future.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Student Assembly

Appearently the guys over at collegewikis.com weren't too happy with this blitz. They subsequently wrote the following letter to the editor published in The Dartmouth on April 5, which they also posted on the front page of their website:

To the Editor:

We launched the Dartmouth Wiki because several Dartmouth students e-mailed us asking for one. CollegeWikis.com is a team of current and recent students whose only intention is to provide other college students with a useful and informative resource. Our wikis have been well-received at schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. We are not profiting from the website.

The Dartmouth Wiki creates a trusted network by using a facebook.com-like system of only allowing students with a @dartmouth.edu e-mail address to register and ask questions, thus ensuring accurate, high-quality, and relevant information.

There is value in both official and unofficial information. We’ve modeled our wiki after wikipedia, an unofficial yet extremely useful resource. We should welcome the diversity of both an “official” and “unofficial” wiki, especially when the official site plans to censor postings it doesn’t approve of and is still in the “formative” stages. (from the article: “this page will be approved by the administration and the information on the site will be filtered").

The Assembly telling students not to use a website is reminiscent of a government that tries to censor its citizens, and I hope Dartmouth students won’t stand for it. CollegeWikis.com purposely allows students to post about whatever they want, not to be monitored by others who decide what information to allow.

If I were a student, I'd be disappointed that the Assembly 1) thought they could dictate what websites I should go to, and 2) told me not to use something that could be of great value when they have no viable alternative. I would be even more disappointed if my classmates followed that order.

Joe DiPasquale
Founder, CollegeWikis.com

Thankfully for Dartmouth, Joe isn't a student, although he does have a pretty good idea (but we thought of it first). This is the letter we were thinking of sending to The Dartmouth, but we deemed too harsh:

We would like to thank Mr DiPasquale for his letter in The Dartmouth yesterday and for finally recognizing that we are "Dartmouth College" and not "Dartmouth University." We are all glad to see that his commitment to "accurate, high-quality and relevant information" extends far enough to get the college's name right.

The purpose of the blitz the Student Assembly sent out a while ago was to make sure that students did not think that his wiki (which sent emails to all students asking them to sign-up under the name, "The Dartmouth Wiki") was not affiliated with the college and was not the wiki that Student Assembly has been quite publicly developing. As flattering as it for him to compare the Student Assembly to 'big government,' Dartmouth students are smart enough to know that we were looking out for their best interests and that they are free to use his website as they please. His attempts to criticize us in order to protect his own commercial interests are transparent.

Mr. DiPasquale ends his treatise on the proper role of government by saying that it was wrong of the Assembly to ask students to "approach this website with appropriate care" when there is "no viable alternative." He is wrong here because there is a good alternative to his website: it's called bored@baker.

The Student Assembly Executive Board

Comments?

Explanation of the New Attendance System

2007-04-03T22:05:00.000-04:00

(from the GA Minutes of 3 April 2007)

Nathan L. Bruschi, Secretary, explained the new attendance and voting system for the Student Assembly. The following notes were written on the chalkboard:

1. If you are a member, you should have a card on the front table (in black ink, with the SA logo). If you are not a member, please fill out one of the blank cards (with the red marker provided).

2. To vote or get your name on the Speakers’ List, please raise your card so that we can read your name. We will know who has voting rights by the color of the card.

3. When you leave, put your card in the bins near the doors. We will collect these cards from these bins and use them note which members were present.

4. If you won “kudos” you will be presented with a sticker to put on the back of you card so that you can keep track of your achievements.

GA Minutes 03 Apr 07

2007-04-03T22:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Fund Ivy Council’s Spring 2007 Conference
Sponsored by Joe DeBonis ’10 and the Executive Committee

WHEREAS Ivy Council acts as a useful networking and information sharing body among the Ivy League schools;

WHEREAS Dartmouth’s Ivy Council serves as Student Assembly’s representative to the Ivy Council;

WHEREAS there are bi-annual conferences in the Fall and Spring, which provide a forum for Ivy League schools to discuss various issues that arise in their respective student governments;

WHEREAS issues from each school are discussed at the conferences;

WHEREAS past issues discussed at the conferences have included the Committee on Standards (or its equivalent), campus security, course evaluation systems, and ROTC and the LGTBQA community;

WHEREAS the spring 2007 conference will be held at Brown University on April 13, 14, and 15;

WHEREAS possible issues that will be covered at the conference this year include (but are not limited to) environmental sustainability on campus, recruitment and retention of student government, gender-neutral housing, and academic and departmental advising;

WHEREAS the information gathered at the conference will be relevant to many issues and projects that exist in Student Assembly;

WHEREAS discussion of these issues can lead to new and useful ideas for projects and policy;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate up to $600 to finance Ivy Council’s dues, transportation, and other expenses necessary to attend the Spring 2007 Ivy Council Conference.

Proposal to Endorse Ivy Council’s Ivy-Wide Climate Neutrality Resolution
Sponsored by Joe DeBonis ’10 and the Executive Committee

WHEREAS Dartmouth is an active and contributing member to Ivy Council;

WHEREAS environmental issues such as sustainability and climate neutrality are important issues for the student body and administration of Dartmouth;

WHEREAS Dartmouth is at the forefront of campus sustainability;

WHEREAS an Ivy-wide resolution of campus neutrality would be in accordance with the environmental goals and ideals of the College;

WHEREAS such a resolution will be passed by Ivy Council at the spring 2007 conference, contingent upon the support of each school’s student government;

WHEREAS, as the Resolution states, “Embracing environmental sustainability and clean energy is in concert with universities’ existing goals and values, including service to society, realization of social justice, the training of future leaders, and technological advancement”;

WHEREAS, as the Resolution states, “Ivy League universities are in a unique position in society to demonstrate leadership in addressing global climate change and have the academic and financial resources to be global leaders on this issue”;

WHEREAS the student group Sustainable Dartmouth was part of an inter-Ivy coalition that drafted and ratified this resolution;

WHEREAS the Resolution calls for each signatory to adopt the goal of individual and collective climate neutrality through a combination of increased energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, and the purchase of carbon offsets;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly endorse Ivy Council’s Ivy-wide Climate Neutrality Resolution and become a signatory thereof. (See following)

GA Minutes 06 Mar 07

2007-03-06T22:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Fund the Profiles in Excellence Award
Sponsored by David Nachman ’09, Corey Chu’08, and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS sustaining a rich culture of undergraduate teaching is important to both Dartmouth College and the Student Assembly;

WHEREAS the Profiles in Excellence Award reflects the Student Assembly commitment to developing the relationship between students and faculty, and has been awarded each term since the fall of 2001;

WHEREAS the award recognizes outstanding teaching by professors;

WHEREAS the winner of the award is chosen by the Academic Affairs Committee from student nominations;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly holds award dinners each term for the winner of the Profiles in Excellence Award;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee has chosen Professor Marlene Heck of the History and Art History Departments as this term’s recipient of the award;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate up to $600 for the Profiles in Excellence Award plaque and dinner.

Motion to Amend Article III, Section III of the Bylaws of the Constitution of the Student Assembly
Proposed by Jaromy Siporen ’08 and the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee

WHEREAS any amendment to a motion made during debate permanently changes the legislation if accepted by a vote of the Assembly;

WHEREAS Article III, Section III A-D of the Bylaws currently reads:

Section III. Motions Pending

A) After the Chair introduces the motion, the sponsor(s) will make a presentation outlining the motion and discussing the benefits and supporting evidence behind the motion. The Chair shall have the discretion to set a limit on the time of the presentation; however, the time allowed shall not be less than 2 minutes. After the sponsor’s presentation is complete, members will have the opportunity to ask questions about the motion to the sponsor(s);

B) After questions have been answered, any amendments to the motion will be considered. The sponsor of an amendment will speak in favor. Then, one speaker will be allowed to speak in opposition. After the opposing speaker has finished, the amendment will immediately be voted on;

C) After all amendments have been considered, the Assembly will debate the motion. The first speaker shall be a member opposed to the motion. If there is no member willing to speak in opposition to the motion the Assembly shall move immediately to vote on the motion;

D) If, and after a member has spoken in opposition, the President will compile a speaker list of everyone wishing to speak on the motion. No Member may change his or her position on the speakers list;

WHEREAS Article IV, Section II, C of the Constitution reads:

C) No legislation may be brought to the Assembly without prior approval of a Standing Committee;

WHEREAS an amendment to legislation during GA that is not germane could be construed as new legislation and therefore bypasses Article IV, Section II, C of the Constitution.

LET IT BE AMENDED that Article III, Section III of the Bylaws of the Constitution be amended to add the following, directly after clause B:

C) All amendments to legislation shall be germane, being related to the legislation at hand, applicable, and pertinent. If questions arise about whether or not an amendment is germane, the Parliamentarian of the Student Assembly shall make the final judgment.

The Student Body urges the Athletic Department and Dartmouth College to expand gym hours to midnight every night and to open the gym at eight or nine a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

In a survey administered by the Student Organizations Committee of Student Assembly, the student body supported expanding the hours of operation to midnight on every night of the week by a ratio of 686 to 75. Many students provided various reasons for their answers, and this survey had the highest response rate of any this year, demonstrating that this is an issue students care about.

Students’ schedules are often very busy throughout the day and involve activities such as labs, study groups, tutorials, organization's meetings, club sports’ practices, and homework which often run as late as 11 pm. This often precludes students from being able to go to the gym during the current hours of operation. In addition, many Dartmouth students prefer to engage in activities in the late evening.

An extremely high number of respondents also requested that the gym open an hour or two earlier on the weekends, citing lines of people to get in the door at 10 am when the gym opens.

The Dartmouth College Recreation Advisory Board, a board within the Athletics Department, unanimously supported expanding gym hours at their meeting on March 1st, providing more evidence for the student body’s support of expansion.

Expanding gym hours will help to alleviate the high demand for cardio machines during peak hours. In addition, working out is important to students’ physical and mental health. Expanding gym hours will also provide add an alternative activity to Dartmouth’s nightly social scene.
With all this in mind, the Student Body calls on the Athletic Department and Dartmouth College to expand gym hours until midnight every night and to open the gym earlier on weekends.

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly share this statement with the Athletics Department, the Board of Trustees, and the Dartmouth Community.

Proposal to Redesign the Student Assembly Website
Proposed by Josh Jacobson ’09, David Nachman ’09 and the Student Organizations Committee

WHEREAS the Student Assembly website [sa.dartmouth.edu] provides news, information, and resources to students;

WHEREAS the current version of the Student Assembly website is not very distinctive and uses a generic blog template;

WHEREAS a major criticism of the redesign of the Dartmouth homepage was that it resembled a blog;

WHEREAS the current version of the Student Assembly website is aesthetically weak compared to other Dartmouth websites;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly website does not make minutes, agendas, or legislation available online;

WHEREAS a redesign of the Student Assembly website would improve content, design, and branding;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Organizations Committee coordinate a redesign of the Student Assembly website by an experienced web designer;

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate up to $500 in order to compensate the web designer.

GA Minutes 27 Feb 07

2007-02-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

*Passed Legislation*:

Statement in Support of the Recommendations of the Professor Recruitment and Retention Task Force
Sponsored by:, Yuki Kondo-Shah ’07 and the Diversity and Community Committee

WHEREAS In 2003 President James Wright pledged institutional support for increasing the diversity of faculty;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly members believe that a commitment to a diverse faculty is an integral part of College’s mission;

WHEREAS the SA Task Force on Recruitment and Retention supports the ongoing efforts put forth by the College for recruitment and retention of faculty;

WHEREAS the SA Task Force on Recruitment and Retention has found areas in need of improvement;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the members of Student Assembly support the following recommendations:
• Streamlining hiring processes and making them collaborative in nature
• Improving “branding” and advertising strategies
• Re-energize Administrative Commitment
• Continue Housing Policies
• Increase Departmental Diversity
• Design Formal Faculty Mentorship Program for Junior Faculty
• Initiate Campus Dialogue

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Diversity and Community Committee follow through on the recommendations with the administrators and update the General Assembly.

Proposal to Fund Course Guide Incentives Program
Sponsored by Corey Chu ’08, David Nachman ’09, and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee oversees the SA Professor/Course Guide in conjunction with the SA Web Team;

WHEREAS the Course Guide helps students choose courses by providing them with feedback and ratings from previous students;

WHEREAS the efficacy of the Course Guide is contingent on having a large number of reviews, which are submitted by students upon the completion of the term;

WHEREAS the number of reviews submitted has recently declined;

WHEREAS since the Fall 2001 term, the Course Guide would receive on average roughly half the number of reviews every Winter term as compared to the Fall term preceding it;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly has previously given away iPods as an incentive to complete course evaluations;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee believes that giving away a larger quantity of smaller prizes is a better approach for course evaluation incentives;

WHEREAS course evaluation incentives raffled based on the number of reviews submitted would encourage students to fill out evaluations not only from this term, but for previous terms as well, thus improving the Course Guide’s reviews on a whole;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee seeks to purchase 150 $15 gift certificates, valued at $2250, from Hanover restaurants as incentives;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee informed Hanover restaurants of its proposal and asked the restaurants for discounted gift certificate rates;

WHEREAS the owner of Everything but Anchovies offered the Student Assembly a 50% discount, the largest discount offered by any restaurant contacted;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly allocate $1125 in order to purchase 150 $15 gift certificates;

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Academic Affairs Committee coordinate the random and fair distribution of gift certificates to students who complete course evaluations.

*Tabled Legislation*:

Motion to Amend Article III, Section III of the Bylaws of the Constitution of the Student Assembly
Proposed by Jaromy Siporen ’08 and the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee

WHEREAS any amendment to a motion made during debate permanently changes the legislation if accepted by a vote of the Assembly;

WHEREAS Article III, Section III A-D of the Bylaws currently reads:

Section III. Motions Pending
A) After the Chair introduces the motion, the sponsor(s) will make a presentation outlining the motion and discussing the benefits and supporting evidence behind the motion. The Chair shall have the discretion to set a limit on the time of the presentation; however, the time allowed shall not be less than 2 minutes. After the sponsor’s presentation is complete, members will have the opportunity to ask questions about the motion to the sponsor(s);

B) After questions have been answered, any amendments to the motion will be considered. The sponsor of an amendment will speak in favor. Then, one speaker will be allowed to speak in opposition. After the opposing speaker has finished, the amendment will immediately be voted on;

C) After all amendments have been considered, the Assembly will debate the motion. The first speaker shall be a member opposed to the motion. If there is no member willing to speak in opposition to the motion the Assembly shall move immediately to vote on the motion;

D) If, and after a member has spoken in opposition, the President will compile a speaker list of everyone wishing to speak on the motion. No Member may change his or her position on the speakers list;

WHEREAS Article IV, Section II, C of the Constitution reads:

C) No legislation may be brought to the Assembly without prior approval of a Standing Committee;

C) All amendments to legislation shall be germane, being related to the legislation at hand, applicable, and pertinent. If questions arise about whether or not an amendment is germane, the Parliamentarian of the Student Assembly shall make the final judgment.

LET IT FURTHER BE AMENDED that the rest of the clauses in Article III, Section III be re-lettered as needed;

LET IT FINALLY BE AMENDED that upon ratification by majority vote of the Assembly membership, the by-laws shall be updated by the Secretary of the Student Assembly and that this change shall have continuous effect.

Proposal to Fund the Profiles in Excellence Award
Sponsored by David Nachman ’09, Corey Chu’08, and the Academic Affairs Committee

WHEREAS sustaining a rich culture of undergraduate teaching is important to both Dartmouth College and the Student Assembly;

WHEREAS the Profiles in Excellence Award reflects the Student Assembly commitment to developing the relationship between students and faculty, and has been awarded each term since the fall of 2001;

WHEREAS the award recognizes outstanding teaching by professors;

WHEREAS the winner of the award is chosen by the Academic Affairs Committee from student nominations;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly holds award dinners each term for the winner of the Profiles in Excellence Award;

WHEREAS the Academic Affairs Committee has chosen Professor Marlene Heck of the History and Art History Departments as this term’s recipient of the award;

LET IT BE PROPOSED that the Student Assembly allocate up to $600 for the Profiles in Excellence Award plaque and dinner.

Resolution in Support of a More Effective Presidency
Sponsored by: Josh Jacobson ‘09 and the Student Organizations Committee

WHEREAS students complain constantly about the effectiveness of the current student government;

WHEREAS there are no specific plans to reorganize Student Assembly and make it more effective;

WHEREAS any reorganization of SA is likely to suffer from the same bureaucratic failures as the current Student Assembly;

WHEREAS the inherent conditions of student government at Dartmouth, such as a constantly changing leadership, taking class during service in Assembly, lack of time, lack of incentive, and lack of public support make it nearly impossible for any Student Assembly to effectively advocate and create change on behalf of the students at Dartmouth;

WHEREAS Student Assembly fails to complete the majority of the projects it begins in any given year;

WHEREAS many of the projects students care most about fail year after year due to the factors named above;

WHEREAS in the last election and throughout this year students have clearly expressed their desire to see drastic change in Student Assembly;

WHEREAS Student Assembly has trouble maintaining itself and suffers from decreasing membership within each year and has a high member turnover each year;

WHEREAS Student Assembly has failed to significantly improve its structure in the past;

WHEREAS if the President of Student Assembly only concentrated on improving Dartmouth many more projects could be completed;

WHEREAS it would add accountability to all of the executive positions which they have severely lacked in the past;

WHEREAS the President could focus on improving the Assembly for the future;

WHEREAS the current President (and current and past executives) has had to relieve himself from some of his duties due to overload;

WHEREAS the President could better communicate with and even travel to other schools to coordinate programs and learn how to improve Student Assembly;

WHEREAS many of the projects that Student Assembly attempts have a large impact on all Dartmouth students;

WHEREAS the completion of these projects would greatly enhance the undergraduate experience at Dartmouth;

WHEREAS many members of the administration are in support of this resolution and have already verbally committed to providing a stipend for the Student Body President and providing housing for the year of service;

WHEREAS many other Student Governments (71 percent) provide stipends for their Student Body President;

WHEREAS there is a precedent for students continuing to pursue their various college activities after finishing classes;

LET IT BE AMENDED that Article XII: General Election, Section VI read:

All undergraduate students of Dartmouth College in the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes of a given academic year who are in good standing with the college, who plan to be in Hanover or its environs all three terms in the next academic year, that is fall, winter, and spring terms, and who plan to not take classes or hold a full-time job are eligible to bid for the office of President and Vice President in Assembly elections for the following year;

AND WITHOUT CHANGE:

All undergraduate students of Dartmouth College in the Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior classes of a given academic year who are in good standing with the college, who plan to be in Hanover or its environs all three terms in the next academic year, that is fall, winter, and spring terms, are eligible to bid for the office of Vice President in Assembly elections for the following year;

LET IT FURTHER BE AMENDED THAT this is not to take effect until the election for the 2008-2009 academic year or until a reasonable stipend and housing for the President is procured and approved, whichever is later.

Gummi Bear

2007-02-21T12:44:00.000-04:00

Who ever said science wasn't fun?

Gummi Bear And Molten Potassium Chlorate

GA Minutes 20 Feb 07

2007-02-20T22:00:00.000-04:00

Statement for Support for Current Initiatives of the Community Action Network
Sponsored by Anoop Rathod ’07, Joshua Wexler ’08, Raymond Rodriguez ‘09, Yuki Kondo-Shah ’07, and the Diversity and Community Affairs Committee

WHEREAS numerous acts of intolerance have negatively affected the overall climate of the institution,

WHEREAS such behavior is unacceptable at Dartmouth,

WHEREAS students lack knowledge of the resources available to mediate such conflicts,

WHEREAS the Community Action Network (CAN), an integrated network of resources for students who have been affected, is currently being developed by the Student Assembly Diversity and Community Committee, Office of Pluralism and Leadership, and the Dean of Student Life Office,

WHEREAS the Office of Student Life will be actively promoting, advertising, and enhancing the resources that are currently available to students,

WHEREAS OPAL will be initiating dialogues and discourses around issues of diversity and inclusiveness with different residential clusters,

WHEREAS a student peer advising network is being developed in tandem with administrative resources to help students mediate such conflicts of identity,

WHEREAS the members of Student Assembly has met with the Campus Climate Committee to discuss proactive steps,

WHEREAS the Student Assembly supports and acknowledges the proactive steps that the administration is taking in order to improve and ensure a healthy campus climate,

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly support the current work of the Dean of the College, OPAL, the Office of Student Life, and the Campus Climate Committee

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly support the creation of the Community Action Network (CAN),

LET IT FINALLY BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly will continue to initiate programs and offer its support to students who have been confronted by acts of intolerance.

Statement in Support of Need-blind Admission for International Students
Sponsored by Yuki Kondo-Shah ’07, David Nachman ’09, David Ong ’09, Vlad Dobru ’10, and the Diversity and Community Affairs Committee

WHEREAS Dartmouth College is need-blind in its admission decisions for American, Canadian, and Mexican students, but not for students from other countries;

WHEREAS this policy further disadvantages international students who are economically marginalized or disenfranchised in their countries of origin;

WHEREAS need-blind admission plays a fundamental role in reducing inequities of opportunity, and helps create an economically diverse student body;

WHEREAS the current draft of Dartmouth’s new mission statement says, “[we] recruit and admit exceptional students from all backgrounds, regardless of their financial means”;

WHEREAS under current admission policies, Dartmouth does not fulfill its proposed mission statement;

WHEREAS Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Williams, and Middlebury, among others, have need-blind admission for international students;

WHEREAS the admissions policy causes Dartmouth to be less competitive than colleges that have need-blind admission when recruiting international students;

WHEREAS financial circumstances are not a measure of the quality of applicants;

WHEREAS Dartmouth annually loses extremely well-qualified students with limited financial possibilities to other colleges;

WHEREAS the College is currently searching for a new Dean of Admissions, and this statement will be able to be evaluated by the incoming dean;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Student Assembly issues the following statement:

The Student Assembly strongly urges the Board of Trustees and the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to extend its need-blind admission policy to all students, including international applicants. The absence of a need-blind admission policy for international students undermines Dartmouth commitment to a diverse student body.

The Student Assembly believes that implementing a universal need-blind admissions policy is necessary for fulfilling Dartmouth’s proposed mission statement, which affirms that “[Dartmouth recruits and admits] exceptional students from all backgrounds, regardless of their financial means.”

The Student Assembly recognizes that even with a need-blind admissions policy fundamental differences in opportunity often favor wealthier students, particularly in the case of international students. Therefore, Student Assembly urges that Dartmouth implement a need-blind admission policy for all applicants.

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Assembly shares this statement with the Board of Trustees, the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, the Dean of Admissions search committee, and the Dartmouth community.

Proposal to Fund A Discussion on Community Service and Philanthropy
Sponsored by: Leah Adkins ’09, Raymond Rodriguez ’09 and the Community Service and Activism Committee

WHEREAS the Community Service and Activism Committee was created in order to bring more awareness to opportunities to serve the Dartmouth and Upper Valley Communities;

WHEREAS the Community Service and Activism Committee maintains strong ties with the Tucker Foundation and desires bring greater awareness to student-initiated projects and to support initiatives that strive to engage students in community service;

WHEREAS it is important to understand the ways in which students would like Student Assembly Committees to be most effective;

WHEREAS much of the student body and many of its leaders are involved with community service and philanthropy can give valid input as to the needs and desires of those who engage in community service activities regularly;

WHEREAS it is rare for members of the community to find a forum in which issues of community service and philanthropy can be discussed outside of more exclusive organizations;

WHEREAS Student Assembly has the ability to facilitate a discussion beneficial to both the members of Student Assembly and the general student body;

WHEREAS this is an opportunity for Student Assembly to express its interest in community service and philanthropy through a discussion that has never taken place before;

WHERE AS Student Assembly wishes to engage as many students as possible in dialogue discussing the merits of community service and philanthropy;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly fund its own discussion on community service and philanthropy:
- On Thursday, March 1, 2007 at 6:00 PM, SA will hold a dinner/ discussion in Collis 101.
- The discussion would have a three-fold purpose: 1) to address the structure and interests of the Tucker Foundation as well as the distribution of the programs within the foundation 2) to question the importance of community service to an Ivy League student body and student government 3) to understand the shortcomings of current community service offerings and the best way to address them.
- The discussion will be open to the entire campus as well as administration from the Tucker Foundation. The set up will be small tables reflective of the small discussion-centered focus.
- Speakers will include Dean Lord, student interns from the Tucker Foundation, leaders of service opportunities and philanthropy chairs from Greek houses.
- This discussion will allow the Community Service and Activism to develop a more precise understanding of the shortcomings that exist concerning students’ expectations surrounding student government’s role in community service and philanthropy.

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate up to $550 for this event
- Up to $450 on dinner costs (Boloco), depending upon participation levels
- $70 for drinks, utensils, napkins
- $30 for advertisements, (200 flyers to be posted around campus)

GA Minutes 13 Feb 07

2007-02-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Proposal to Create the Dartmouth Student Government Review Task Force
Sponsored By: Jacqueline Loeb ’08, Jaromy Siporen ’08, Neil Kandler ’09, Shaun Stewart ‘10, Peter Matthews ‘10, Nathan L. Bruschi ‘10, David Imamura ‘10 and the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee (MIAC)

WHEREAS the structure, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of Dartmouth’s student governance system to the student body has been and continues to be a prevalent issue on campus;

WHEREAS constant critical evaluation is beneficial to any system of organizations;

LET IT BE PROPOSED THAT the Student Assembly create a Task Force with the purpose of critically examining the current structure, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of Dartmouth’s general system of student governance;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee (MIAC) of Student Assembly, which has the responsibility to constantly review and change Student Assembly’s constitution as the Assembly evolves and adapts to fit campus needs, undertake the task of publicizing, recruiting and selecting members for this task force;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT MIAC solicit applications from the student body as a whole and give students one week to apply for the task force;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT MIAC select eight members for said committee with the intention of assembling a diverse group of students with a broad spectrum of interests and campus involvements within one week of the application deadline;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT a non-voting chair be elected from within the committee by its second meeting;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force solicit the participation of pertinent administrators when necessary;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force compare Dartmouth’s governance structure to that of other comparable academic institutions;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force analyze the history of Dartmouth’s governance structure (how it came to be in is current form, changes it has undergone etc.);

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force assess student opinion on the current governance structure through personal and electronic interactions;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force aim to develop actionable recommendations for the improvement of Dartmouth’s student governance structure;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force develop and maintain consistent communication with MIAC, which will act as its sponsoring committee if it be necessary;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force compile and present its preliminary findings to the Student Assembly before the third GA meeting of Spring quarter;

LET IT BE FINALLY PROPOSED THAT this task force continue as long as it is deemed necessary by the task force itself.

Proposal to Fund the Mascot Costume
Sponsored by Kenny Brown Klinger ’07, Nathan Bruschi ’10, Margaret Chen ’10, Adam Halpern-Leistner’10, and the Student Life Committee

WHEREAS Dartmouth College is long overdue for an official Mascot behind which our fans can rally;

WHEREAS the prevalence of the Indian Mascot image on campus still to this day calls for a necessary replacement;

WHEREAS Dartmouth is the only school in the Ivy League that is without a tangible mascot;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly is investigating the possibility of a Moose mascot;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly is soliciting donations for a Moose costume from alumni clubs;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly would like to present an actual Moose mascot to the campus as soon as possible;

WHEREAS the Student Assembly believes it is important for the student body to support any potential official mascot and will assess student opinion before recommending the Moose as the official mascot.

LET IT BE PROPOSED THAT the Student Assembly will fund the final $900 of the down payment for the costume;

LET IT FURTHER BE PROPOSED THAT the Student Assembly will continue to solicit donations and will use the funds to repay the debt.

GA Minutes 6 Feb 07

2007-02-06T22:00:00.000-04:00

*Passed Legislation:*

Legislation to fund sexual assault educational event at Tri-Kappa Fraternity
Sponsored by: Ian Tapu ’08, Yuki Kondo-Shah ’07, Tim Andreadis ’07, and the Diversity and Community Committee

WHEREAS Student Assembly has committed itself to addressing sexual violence on the Dartmouth campus;

WHEREAS Student Assembly stands as a student advocacy group, and as one of its main platforms, aims to create a safer environment for all members of the community;

WHEREAS Student Assembly seeks to support the work of any campus group wishing to address sexual assault;

WHEREAS Student Assembly seeks to generate a general student body discourse about how all members of the Dartmouth community can contribute to better gender relations;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly collaborate with Trikap in order to put on the following event, “Hearing Their Silent Voices: Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women:”
- On Monday, February 26, 2007 at 6:00 PM, SA and the Brothers of Kappa Kappa Kappa will hold a dinner/ discussion at Tri-Kap
- Working with the Sexual Assault Peer Advisors (SAPA) and Mentors against Violence (MAV),
- Performances by X.ado and the Rockapellas will address the topics of sexual assault and violence.
- Discussions will lead to peer-to-peer dialogue about the subject.
- Through this discourse, we can provide recommendations for students, faculty, and administration on more effective ways of engaging the community in a productive discourse around sexual assault.
- The event will be held in conjunction and in support of “Speak Out” which will occur later in the week.

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that Student Assembly allocate up to $500 for this event
- $300-$400 on dinner costs, depending on the RSVPs
$100 for advertisements, ($40 graphic designer, $60 Color and Black and White Posters, distributed by the Communications Committee)

Resolution to Support Alumni Funding for Readership Program
Sponsored by :Molly Bode ’09 and the Alumni Affairs committee

WHEREAS the readership program provides newspapers such as The New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, and The Financial Times everyday to the student body free of charge;

WHEREAS the readership program is one of the most successful and effective programs implemented by the Student Assembly;

WHEREAS a large proportion, twenty-five thousand dollars, of the annual budget of Student Assembly is currently spent on the readership program;

WHEREAS funding by the alumni would guarantee continuation and improvement of the readership program;

WHEREAS funding by the alumni would alleviate restrictions on the Student Assembly budget;

LET IT BE RESOLVED that Student Assembly seek funding via the college Alumni to ensure the unhindered continuation of the program;

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that Student Assembly endorses the following letter to the development office in its initial dialogue to obtain funding.

*Tabled Legislation*:

Proposal to Create the Dartmouth Student Government Review Task Force
Sponsored By: Jacqueline Loeb ’08, Jaromy Siporen ’08, Neil Kandler ’09, Shaun Stewart ‘10, Peter Matthews ‘10, Nathan L. Bruschi ‘10, David Imamura ‘10 and the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee (MIAC)

WHEREAS recent events on campus have called into question the structure, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of Dartmouth’s student governance system to the student body;

WHEREAS constant critical evaluation is beneficial to any system of organizations;

LET IT BE PROPOSED THAT the Student Assembly create a Task Force with the purpose of critically examining the current structure, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of Dartmouth’s general system of student governance;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT the members of said committee be comprised of thirteen students consisting of one representative from each of the following organizations: the Undergraduate Finance Committee, the Council on Student Organizations, the Committee on Standards, the Organization Adjudication Committee, the Programming Board, the Class Councils; the Student Assembly, the Collis Governing Board; two from the Greek Leadership Council, and four at large members to be selected from the student body;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT the above members vote within the task force to elect a committee chair;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee (MIAC), which has the responsibility to constantly review and change Student Assembly’s constitution as the Assembly evolves and adapts to fit campus needs, undertake the task of publicizing, recruiting and selecting members for this task force;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force solicit the participation of the pertinent deans when necessary;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED THAT this task force compile and present its preliminary findings to the Student Assembly before the end of Winter quarter.

LET IT BE FINALLY PROPOSED THAT this task force continue as long as it is deemed necessary.

*Failed Legislation*:

Amendment to create Student Government Review Taskforce/ Constitutional Amendment
Proposed by Adam Shpeen ’07

WHEREAS the Constitution of the current Student Assembly and, therefore, the current Student Assembly structure has remained fundamentally unchanged since at least 1995;

WHEREAS broad student opinion is decidedly against the current structure and function of the Student Assembly;

WHEREAS Student Assembly ought to be an organization that empowers students to advocate student interests;

WHEREAS Student Assembly ought to concentrate student power to the extent possible in order to maximize the influence that students can have on the direction of the college and on the quality of student life;

WHEREAS a massive transformation of Student Assembly would engage campus in constructive dialogue regarding student government;

LET IT BE PROPOSED that upon the approval of this resolution the Student Assembly permanently disbands;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that upon the approval of this resolution the final act of the Student Assembly is to oversee an election of 11 students charged with leading the effort to construct a new student governing body;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that the 11 students be elected by an online student-wide vote, to be held no more than two weeks after the passage of this resolution;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that any student currently enrolled in the College and on-campus may run, pursuant to the accumulation of fifty petition signatures from other students;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that all students currently enrolled in the College will each receive 11 votes in the election;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that the group of 11 students will meet with Deans from the Office of the Dean of the College, including but not limited to the Dean of Student Life and Upperclass Deans:

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that the group of 11 students will meet periodically on Tuesdays at 7 PM in Carson L01 with students interested in aiding in the formation of the new student governing body;

LET IT BE FURTHER PROPOSED that the group of 11 students issue a definitive plan to form a new student governing body no later than April 1, 2007.

LET IT BE FINALLY PROPOSED that the new student governing body be one that concentrates student power and grants students with more substantive influence than the current Student Assembly

The Freshmen Manifesto

2007-01-21T22:00:00.000-04:00

Around the time of the impeachment controversy, about twenty members of the freshmen class met to discuss the issues at hand and arrive at a consensus upon which they could vote as a block. This is the result of those initial meetings.

THE FRESHMEN MANIFESTO,
or
Observations and Suggestions on the Current Student Assembly Crisis.

We, the Freshmen class, recognize that all Dartmouth students have an interest in the stable and productive future of student government. We believe that the impending leadership crisis has the great potential to damage the authenticity of the Student Assembly and even threatens to destroy it. We have met and discussed possible solutions to bypass the impending crisis and hereby offer the following observations and propositions, which reflect our consensus.

Observation 1: Student government needs reform.

Student Assembly serves as the only organization with the mandate of the student body, but exists in an inferior or external role to important and powerful committees such as the Undergraduate Finance Committee, Council on Student Organizations, the Committee on Standards, Programming Board, and the Class Councils among others. We do not believe that Student Assembly needs to take a more active role in the day-to-day operations of these groups, nor do we believe that such a change would be beneficial to those groups or SA, but we do recognize that in order for student government to have legitimacy, these groups must be brought under the oversight and governance of the Student Assembly. We believe that the mandate to govern is given from the students to Student Assembly and from Student Assembly to other campus groups; without this connection there is no mandate.

Observation 2: Suspending or demolishing Student Assembly is not at this time beneficial to the Students of Dartmouth College or the cause of reform.

While we recognize that there must be a way to ensure that the immediately necessary progress occurs in timely manner, the destruction of Student Assembly would only serve to remove popular student input into the larger reform conversation.

Observation 3: While there are strong beliefs on both sides of the issue, the impeachment or no-confidence vote of the Student Body President, Tim Andreadis, would not result in the accomplishment of needed reform. The Executive Committee is not a one-man movement and the current leaders who have helped to guide SA would continue serving in their roles without the needed powers to enact change regardless.

We also believe that regardless of the justification, the impeachment or no confidence vote of the President damages the authority and credibility of Student Assembly and the future leaders of the Student Assembly. Therefore, with the understanding that such motions will be dropped or voted down, we propose the following legislation for reform.

WHEREAS, Student Assembly serves as the lone organization vested with the popular mandate of the students.

WHEREAS the current student governance is inefficient and could benefit from consolidation, greater transparency, and more student oversight.

WHEREAS there exist a moral imperative to bring groups including Undergraduate Finance Committee, Council on Student Organizations, the Committee on Standards, Programming Board, and the Class Councils, which are critical to student life on campus, together to deliberate and decide upon a new campus leadership structure

THEREFORE, LET IT BE PROPOSED that a Consolidation Committee vested with the power to change governing practices and the leadership structure on campus be created to consolidate student leadership organizations under Student Assembly as follows.

ONE: The Consolidation Committee shall be empowered to do whatever necessary to create a new centralized student government that best represents the interests of the students at Dartmouth College.

TWO: The committee will be made up of one (1) student representative each from the Undergraduate Finance Committee, Council on Student Organizations, the Committee on Standards, Programming Board, and each of the Class Councils, The Student Body President, two (2) students appointed by the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee of Student Assembly, three (3) Students selected by a vote of the General Assembly of SA; the President of the College or an appointed representative, the Dean of the College, the College Provost, and the Dean in charge of supervising Student Assembly. The non-voting Chairman shall be the current Student Assembly Parliamentarian.

THREE: The Committee will make final recommendations to Student Assembly as to new operating methods for Student Government of Dartmouth College and, if necessary, amendments to the SA Constitution.

FOUR: The Consolidation Committee will expire after a three-week period and upon its conclusion shall deliver its recommendation.

FIVE: The changes decided upon by this committee shall be enacted pending approval by the Student Assembly.

Observation 4: Students remain largely unaware of the actions of Student Assembly and have thereby raised criticism that it is ineffectual or unnecessary.

If student had greater knowledge of what Student Assembly has done and what it is doing, SA would gain more credibility among the students and administrators. Students who feel strongly about the way SA is conducting itself or the issues SA is considering would then be empowered to come and voice their opinion.

Observation 5: Student Assembly has been largely reliant on The Dartmouth, which has its own perspective, to spread information to the student body.
Student Assembly needs to directly inform the students of its actions and we propose the following legislation to achieve this end.

WHEREAS the general student body remains largely unaware of the activities of Student Assembly – what it has done and what it is planning on doing – and have thereby come to believe that SA is ineffectual, and

WHEREAS with greater information, students who feel strongly about an issue may come to General Assembly and voice their opinion and feel more involved in the process, and

WHEREAS greater exposure of the progress Student Assembly has made will give it greater credibility among students and administrators,

THEREFORE, LET IT BE PROPOSED that the Secretary of Student Assembly disseminate information to the Student Body on the current and future on-goings of Student Assembly weekly via blitz-mail and monthly via notices in the Hinman boxes.

LET IT FURTHER BE PROPOSED that Section IV, Article A, Bullet 2 be modified to read:
“To record the proceedings of General Assembly meetings and make available the minutes of those meetings to the Assembly and the student body through a weekly campus-wide BlitzMails which will also include upcoming legislation, and monthly through letters to the Hinman boxes outlining the past activities of Student Assembly. The minutes will also be made available in a centralized, and organized mechanism in hardcopy;”

Observation 6: As Freshmen, we are among the only honest power brokers in this troubling time, and while we are generally free of institutional bias, we are not disinterested and seek the amicable resolution of the current problems.

It is our hope that our plans and suggestions will taken seriously and that a resolution can be found.

Sincerely,
The Freshmen Class

21 January 2007

Updated Constitution

2006-10-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

CONSTITUTION OF THE DARTMOUTH COLLEGE STUDENT ASSEMBLY
RATIFIED 11 OCTOBER 2007
PREAMBLE

We, the undergraduate students of Dartmouth College, in order to foster trust, understanding, and communication between and among the members of the Dartmouth College community, to provide for the support and development of all aspects of the educational process, to improve the quality of life at the college, to responsibly represent the student body, to provide a responsible student voice, and to supply the basis for cooperative action, hereby establish this Constitution for the Dartmouth College Student Assembly, hereafter referred to as the Assembly.

ARTICLE I: EXECUTIVE OFFICES

Section I. Student Body President
A) The Student Body President (hereinafter “the President”) shall be elected from among the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior classes and by all classes within the first three weeks of the spring term of a given academic year for service in the next academic year;
B) The duties of the President shall include the following:
1) To give a speech regarding the State of the Assembly at the beginning of the winter term in a public forum and outside of a regular Assembly meeting;
2) To serve as a non-voting chair for General Assembly meetings;
3) To cast tie-breaking votes in the General Assembly, including in-Assembly elections for various offices or posts, unless otherwise noted;
4) To facilitate student communication with the college administration and faculty via regular meetings with the leadership of both;
5) To propose the agenda for Assembly meetings;
6) To appoint one Vice President to chair each Standing Committee, excluding the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee (hereinafter “MIAC”) and the Executive Committee
7) To consult the Student Body Vice President on all appointments;
8) To serve on the Council on Student Life, as the chair of the Undergraduate Finance Committee, and in other ex officio positions as may arise;
9) To chair the Executive Committee;
10) To set the agenda for Executive Committee meetings;

Section II. Student Body Vice President
A) The Student Body Vice President shall be elected from among the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior classes and by all classes within the first three weeks of the spring term of a given academic year for service in the next academic year;
B) The duties of the Student Body Vice President shall include the following:
1) To assume the responsibilities of the President in the event of the President's inability to do so as a result of temporary absence or temporary incapacitation;
2) To serve as a chair of MIAC;
3) To advise the President on all appointments;
4) To act as a liaison between the President and the Vice Presidents;
5) To oversee the appointment of students to College Committees;
6) To serve on the Executive Committee;
7) To serve as Parliamentarian of the Assembly in that person's absence;

Section III. Treasurer
A) The Treasurer shall be elected from among and by the General Assembly;
B) The Treasurer shall be elected at the second organizational meeting held by each Assembly;
C) The duties of the Treasurer shall include the following:
1) To maintain financial records of all Assembly business and be prepared to inform the General Assembly at each meeting of the financial status of the Assembly;
2) To present complete financial reports at the first and last General Assembly meetings of each term;
3) To inform the General Assembly of any expenditure made by the President or the Executive Committee at the first meeting of the General Assembly following the expenditure;
4) To be the liaison of the Assembly to the Student Activities Office for all financial matters;
5) To serve on the Executive Committee;
6) To serve as President should both the President and Vice President be absent or incapacitated;
7) To act as the Student Assembly representative to Special Programs and Events Council (SPEC);
8) To check that all bills conform to the co-sponsorship policy, as outlined in the Bylaws ;

Section IV. Secretary
A) The Secretary shall be elected from among and by the General Assembly;
B) The Secretary shall be elected at the second organizational meeting held by each Assembly;
C) The duties of the Secretary shall include the following:
1) To monitor attendance records for all General Assembly and committee meetings;
2) To record the proceedings of General Assembly meetings and make
available the minutes of those meetings to the Assembly and the
student body through a centralized, and organized mechanism in
hardcopy and electronically;
3) To serve on the Executive Committee;
4) To work in cooperation with MIAC in maintaining Assembly records;

Section V. D) The Secretary shall collect and tally all votes;

Spokesperson
A) The Spokesperson will be chosen by the Student Body President from among the members of the student body, and approved by a majority vote of the General Assembly;
B) The duties of the Spokesperson will include the following:
1) To manage any Assembly ads placed in campus publications;
2) To determine the content of weekly campus e-mails;
3) To produce or obtain any tangible advertisements needed by the Assembly;
4) To be the official spokesperson for the Assembly;
5) To deliver feedback to the Executive Committee from campus publications;
6) To gather any feedback from the Student Body necessary for the proper
function of the Assembly;
C) The Spokesperson will be considered an Officer of the Assembly, and he or she will serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee;
D) The Student Body President shall reserve the right to activate and/or deactivate this position at any time during his or her administration, and assume such duties him or herself;

Section VI. Vice Presidents, excluding the Student Body Vice President
A) Two Vice Presidents for each Standing Committee shall be nominated by the President and approved by a majority vote of the General Assembly;
B) The duties of said Vice Presidents shall include the following:
1) To conduct regular committee meetings;
2) To nominate a Committee Secretary to record the proceedings of their committee meetings, and make available those minutes to the Assembly and the student body;
3) To serve on the Executive Committee;
4) To present to the General Assembly a written justification of any and all decisions to reject a motion;
5) To take and report attendance at committee meetings to the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee and the Secretary;
6) Provide a written report to the Secretary at the end of each term concerning accomplishments from that term, and future action to be taken;
C) The Vice Presidents must be in residence for at least two of the four terms of the academic year for which they serve;

Section VII. No individual shall hold more than one of the Vice Presidencies at a given time;

Section VIII. Parliamentarian
A) The Parliamentarian shall be chosen by the Student Assembly President from among members of the student body;
B) The Parliamentarian shall have final jurisdiction in all matters concerning the Constitution or the Rules of Order;
C) The Parliamentarian shall be considered an Officer of the Assembly, though he or she will not serve on the Executive Committee;

Section IX. Community Service Coordinator
A) Any individual, regardless of his or her status with regard to voting membership in the Assembly, who is not currently serving as an Executive Officer of the Assembly pursuant to this Article, may serve as the Community Service Coordinator of the Assembly;
B) The Community Service Coordinator shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by majority vote of the General Assembly, and shall serve for a one-year term;
C) The Community Service Coordinator shall, throughout the year, design and implement occasions on which members of the Assembly may perform community service in Hanover and the Upper Valley and perform such other duties as appropriate to the position;
D) The Community Service Coordinator may be removed from his or her office by 2/3 vote of the Executive Committee;
E) The Student Body President shall reserve the right to activate and/or deactivate this position at any time during his or her administration.

Section X. Executive Assistant
A) The Executive Assistant shall be the special assistant to the President to aid him or her in the performance of all duties of the Presidency;
B) The Executive Assistant shall be appointed by the President. Appointment to the office of Executive Assistant may occur at any time. The office of Executive Assistant may remain vacant at the discretion of the President;
C) The Executive Assistant -designate shall be a voting member of the Assembly, and appointment to the position of Executive Assistant shall not change an individual’s status with regard to Assembly membership;
D) The Executive Assistant shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Executive Committee, and shall not be a voting member of any other Standing Committee;
E) No individual shall concurrently hold the office of Executive Assistant and any other Executive Office within the Assembly.
F) An individual may be removed from the office of Executive Assistant at the discretion of the President of the Assembly.
G) The Student Body President shall reserve the right to activate and/or deactivate this position at any time during his or her administration.

Section XI. Student Assembly Web Administrator
A) The Student Assembly Web Administrator shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by a majority vote of the General Assembly;
B) The Student Assembly Web Administrator shall be a voting member of the Assembly;
C) The Student Assembly Web Administrator shall not be required to serve on any Assembly committee, but shall attend any Executive Committee meeting at the request of the Executive Committee, at least once per term;
D) The Student Assembly Web Administrator shall be required to be in residence for at least two out of four terms during each Student Assembly year;
E) The duties of Student Assembly Web Administrator shall include the coordination of the completion of the following duties:
1) To maintain and update to the Student Assembly Website;
2) To maintain and update to the Student Assembly Course Guide Service;
3) To develop and maintain projects recommended by the Student Assembly and agreed to by the Student Assembly Web Team;
4) To communicate with each of the Student Assembly Committee Chairs in regards to any Web-related project;
5) To follow up any completed Assembly web projects;
6) To train a new Web Administrator at the completion of his/her term;
F) The Student Assembly Web Administrator shall report directly to the President, and he/she shall reserve the right to remove any Web Administrator who is neglecting to fulfill his/her duties with a 2/3 vote within the Executive Committee.

Section XII. Dartmouth Chapter of the Ivy Council Chair
A. The Dartmouth Chapter of the Ivy Council Chair shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee, and shall be elected and held to standards of office as prescribed by Article I and Article V, Section VI.

ARTICLE II: THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Section I. Elected At-Large Representatives
A) Twelve Representatives shall be elected from each of the current Freshman, Sophomore and Junior classes by their respective classes in the spring term of a given academic year for service in the next academic year.
B) Twelve Freshman Representatives shall be elected from each residential cluster as follows by no later than the third Sunday of the Fall term: three representatives from the Choates, two from the River, one from East Wheelock, three from McLauglin, and three from Tuck Mall (McLane, Fahey, Butterfield, Russell Sage). Elections for Freshman Cluster Representatives shall be publicly announced to the Freshman Class at least five days before said elections are held;
C) Duties of all Upper-class Representatives shall include the following:
1) To regularly consult with and inform the student body about information and issues relevant to Assembly business;
2) To serve on one Standing Committee;
3) To regularly attend General Assembly meetings and Standing Committee meetings unless extraordinary circumstances preclude such attendance;
D) Duties of all First-Year Representatives shall include the following:
1) To regularly consult with and inform the student body about information and issues relevant to Assembly business;
2) To serve on the Academic Affairs or Student Services Committees;
3) To regularly attend General Assembly Meetings and Standing Committee meetings unless extraordinary circumstances preclude such attendance;

Section II. Appointed General Voting Members
A) After students attend three consecutive, or five non-consecutive meetings of the General Assembly in any one given term and three consecutive and concurrent, or five non-consecutive meetings of another Assembly Committee in the same term, they shall automatically become voting members;
B) Individual students may petition MIAC for appointment to the General Assembly by sending to the Executive Vice-President an "Application for Membership," the form of which will be determined by the MIAC;
C) Applicants may also be asked to collect the signatures of a number of Dartmouth undergraduates to be specified in the By-Laws;
D) MIAC shall consider said petitions on an on-going basis. MIAC shall render decisions on all petitions within three weeks of their submission;
E) Should an individual be denied petition membership in the Assembly, he or she may achieve automatic appointment by collecting the signatures of a total of 500 Dartmouth undergraduates;
F) The General Assembly can suspend MIAC’s ability to approve new members through petition by up to six weeks by written request of 1/3 of voting members, effective at the submission of the completed petition;
G) Individuals who are given membership on the Assembly through attendance or petition shall hold that seat until the end of the following summer term

Section III. A) All Assembly Members have the responsibility of proactively representing the student body, as well as their communities, organizations, and class. Members should facilitate communication by consulting with their organizations about the activities of, and issues facing, the Student Assembly, and reporting back to the Assembly on the concerns and opinions of their organizations and communities;
B) Specific mechanisms for that reporting may be specified in the By-Laws;

Section IV. All Assembly Members shall be allowed to vote on all issues before the General Assembly, except the President who shall only vote in the case of a tie, and any Member without voting privileges;

Section V. The voting membership of the Assembly shall not be limited except by resolution passed by the General Assembly. In no case shall such limit be less than 50 voting members. In no case shall such limit prevent an individual, who has collected the 500 signatures necessary for automatic appointment to the General Assembly, from gaining voting membership on the Assembly;

Section VI.

Section VII. At the end of the academic year, the incoming President may choose to automatically renew the voting privileges of all existing members for the upcoming year except graduating seniors;

No student may serve as a member of the General Assembly unless elected as an Assembly member, automatically appointed through the submission of 500 signatures of Dartmouth undergraduates or approved by a majority vote of MIAC, appointed as a student organizational representative, or appointed and approved as an executive;

ARTICLE III: MEETINGS

Section I. The Calling of Meetings
A) General Assembly meetings shall be held on a regular basis;
B) The President shall determine the regular meeting time for a given term prior the first meeting of that term, and publicize the meeting time to the student body;
C) Except in the case of extraordinary circumstances, there shall be no fewer than seven General Assembly meetings per term;
D) The President has the discretion to call emergency meetings of the General Assembly but Assembly members must be notified at least twenty-four hours prior to said meetings;
E) A General Assembly meeting shall be called within three days following a request signed by one-third of the Assembly membership with such request being delivered in writing to the President;
F) The date and time of each and every General Assembly meeting shall be announced to Assembly members at least twenty-four hours before the meeting is held;
G) The date and time of each and every committee meeting shall be announced to committee members at least twenty-four hours before the meeting is held, and no two meetings shall occur on the same day;
H) No official business shall be conducted at a meeting if members are not reasonably and adequately notified of the meeting prior to it being held;
I) Meetings shall be held during reasonable hours of the day;
J) No meeting shall be held during the reading period or the final examination period;

Section II. Attendance
A) Attendance shall be taken by the Secretary in a manner determined by the By-Laws at the commencement and adjournment of every General Assembly meeting. Members present for one taking of attendance and not the other shall receive one half of an absence. Members absent for both takings of attendance shall receive a full absence;
B) If a meeting does not adjourn before the time established by the By-Laws then the meeting shall be interrupted and the second and final attendance shall be taken as though it were adjournment. Afterwards the meeting may proceed.

Section III. Quorum
A) An official quorum of the Assembly shall consist of a majority of its membership at the present time;
B) An official quorum for a committee shall consist of a majority of its membership at the present time;
C) No official business shall be conducted without a quorum;
D) All references to votes contained in this Constitution are based on the premise that votes shall be taken out of a majority of quorum except for those instances where it is explicitly stated to be otherwise;

Section IV. Assembly Membership
A) Assembly membership for a given term shall be defined as those active Assembly members living in Hanover or its environs for that term. Members who have lost voting privileges shall not be counted in the Assembly membership;

Section V. Rules of Order
A) All Assembly meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of Order, contained in the By-Laws of the Assembly;
B) All Assembly meetings, excluding meetings of MIAC and the Executive Committee, shall be considered open unless closed in accordance with the Rules of Order;

ARTICLE IV: LEGISLATION

Section I. Proposition of Legislation
A) Any Assembly member may propose legislation at a General Assembly meeting or Standing Committee meeting in accordance with the Rules of Order and the details about legislation in Article IV of the By-Laws;
B) Only Assembly members shall be permitted to formally propose legislation at General Assembly meetings and Standing Committee meetings;

Section II. Review by Standing Committee
A) A legislation (including statements, proposals, and resolutions) to be voted upon by the Assembly shall be considered by a Standing Committee, the Executive Committee excluded, before coming before the General Assembly;
B) The President shall be responsible for the delegation and consideration of all legislation proposed before the General Assembly with regards to the Standing Committees;
C) No legislation may be brought to the Assembly without prior approval of a Standing Committee;
D) Legislation may be proposed within the Standing Committees without first proposition in the General Assembly;
E) Standing Committee Chairpersons shall report the passage of all legislation in committee to the Executive Committee within three days of said passage;

Section III. General Assembly Consideration of Proposals
A) The President, in concurrence with the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for the consideration of all proposed legislation before the General Assembly;
B) Any piece of legislation passed through a Standing Committee and reported to the Executive Committee must be considered by the General Assembly within three academic weeks of said report;

ARTICLE V: COMMITTEES

Section I. Standing Committees excluding MIAC, the Executive Committee, and the Dartmouth Chapter of the Ivy Council
A) Members may give preferences as to which Standing Committee they wish to be voting members of, but the final Standing Committee memberships shall be decided upon by MIAC;
B) Each General Assembly member may work and vote on any committee;
C) The size of each Standing Committee shall be decided on a per annum basis by MIAC upon recommendations of Standing Committee Vice Presidents;
D) The names and functions of said Standing Committees shall be as follows:
1) The Student Services Committee shall address those concerns that enhance the day-to-day life of Dartmouth students and seek to expand the amount and quality of available services. The Committee will recruit heavily from non-Assembly members for its projects. This committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact-Checker” to research impending motions;
2) The Academic Affairs Committee shall solicit student opinion regarding necessary academic changes and then research and accomplish these goals. This committee shall designate at least one member to research impending motions. This committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact-Checker” to research impending motions;
3) The Student Life Committee shall address social, residential, and cultural concerns of the Dartmouth Community; examine the issues and concerns encountered by campus organizations; and be responsible for creating, maintaining, and improving relationships between Student Assembly, the student body, and the alumni of Dartmouth College. The Alumni Liaison appointed by the President will serve on this committee as chair of the subcommittee on Alumni Affairs. Similarly, the Ivy Council chairperson will serve as the head of the Ivy Council subcommittee. This committee shall be responsible to appoint undergraduate representatives to the Dartmouth Alumni Council pending confirmation by the General Assembly using an open, campus-wide application and interview process. This committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact-Checker” to research impending motions;
4) The Diversity and Community Affairs Committee shall address the general concerns of inclusiveness and pluralism in the Dartmouth community, issues of: race, ethnicity, religion, nation of origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, and socio-economic status, as well as the particular concerns of groups including but not limited to GLBTQ students, women students, students of color, and international students. The Vice Presidents will also schedule to attend at least one Campus Climate meeting per term. This Committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact-Checker” to research impending motions;
E) The Vice Presidents may, at their discretion, nominate a Secretary for their committee as well as any Chairpersons necessary for the proper functioning of the Committee;
F) The responsibilities of said Standing Committees shall include the following:
1) To serve as coordinating bodies for the resolution of issues which affect the student body in areas relevant to said committees;
2) To identify and address those needs and issues of student concern relevant to said committees;
3) To review proposed resolutions delegated to each respective committee and determine whether said resolutions should be brought to the Assembly floor by means of a majority vote of committee members;
4) To be respectively responsible for all follow up work and implementation requirements for all resolutions passed by the Assembly which originated from said committees;

Section II. Membership and Internal Affairs Committee (MIAC)
A) There shall be five members, including the Student Body-Vice President;
B) Members of MIAC, excluding the Student Body Vice President, shall be elected from among the General Assembly by a plurality vote of the General Assembly at the first organizational meeting of each Assembly in the spring term of a given academic year for service in the next academic year;
C) Election to MIAC shall proceed as follows:
1) Membership on MIAC shall be open to all Assembly members;
2) The candidates with the four highest vote totals in the in-Assembly election shall become members MIAC;
3) Each Assembly member shall be permitted to cast a maximum of four votes in said election;
D) The Student Body Vice President shall serve as chair;
E) MIAC may, at its discretion, elect a Vice-Chair from among and by its members, who will serve on the Executive Committee without voting rights;
F) The responsibilities of MIAC shall include:
1) To appoint student representatives to all Dartmouth College committees and councils where required;
2) To render judgment on General Voting Member applicants from petitions and confirm them to the General Assembly;
3) To confirm the Summer Assembly Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson by means of a majority vote;
4) To conduct a review of any Assembly member upon the request of any voting Assembly representative. MIAC shall have the power to suggest removal from office pursuant to the procedures outlined in Article VII, Section II;
G) Requests in the form of petitions or nominations for appointment must be acted upon within three academic weeks after the petition or nomination is submitted;
H) Members of MIAC, excluding the Student Body Vice President and the elected Vice-Chair, if applicable, shall not hold an Executive Office on the Assembly;
I) All MIAC meetings shall be closed except to members of said committee and those persons invited by the Student Body Vice President, or Vice-Chair of MIAC;

Section III. Executive Committee
A) Voting members of the Executive Committee shall include the following: the President, Student Body Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Chair of Ivy Council, Alumni Liaison, Vice Presidents of the Assembly, and Spokesperson;
B) Non-Voting members of the Executive Committee may include Chairpersons of Ad Hoc Committees, at the President's discretion, the Executive Assistant;
1) The status of Ad Hoc Committee Chairpersons must be made explicit at the creation of said committee, and may not be changed as long as the committee operates;
2) Chairpersons of Ad Hoc Committees may hold other Executive Office;
C) The responsibilities of the Executive Committee shall include the following:
1) To approve agendas for all meetings of the General Assembly;
2) To coordinate the activities of the Standing Committees of the Assembly;
3) To provide information on issues of policy and finance to General Assembly;
4) To finalize, in conjunction with the President, the Assembly agenda for the year;
D) All Executive Committee meetings shall be closed except to members of said committee and those persons invited by the President, with prior notification to members of the Executive Committee;

Section V. Ad Hoc Committees
A) Ad Hoc Committees may be formed and dissolved at the discretion of the Executive Committee with majority rule;
B) Ad Hoc Committees are to be formed to address extraordinary issues and concerns for which the Standing Committee structure is inadequate;
C) Membership in Ad Hoc Committees shall be open to all Assembly members;
D) Membership in Ad Hoc Committees shall be open to the student body at the discretion of the Executive Committee;
E) Ad Hoc Committee Chairpersons shall not exceed two in number;
F) Ad Hoc Committee Chairpersons shall be Assembly members prior to selection as Chairpersons;
G) The Executive Committee shall be responsible for determining the processes for nomination and confirmation of Ad Hoc Committee Chairpersons with majority rule;
Section VI. Dartmouth Chapter of the Ivy Council (DIVC)
A) Dartmouth Chapter of the Ivy Council, herein referred to as “DIVC,” shall function as Student Assembly’s representative to the Ivy Council, the collection of all eight Ivy League student governments;
B) DIVC membership may include Dartmouth students not associated with the Assembly so that students not normally involved in Assembly affairs may still contribute to Dartmouth’s voice among the Ivy Council;
C) The DIVC chair shall serve as an Executive and be elected for a one-year term by majority vote of the General Assembly in the Assembly’s spring organizational meetings. In the event that the Chair cannot serve a full year, an appointment may be made on a term basis;
D) The DIVC chair may, at his or her discretion, select a Vice-Chair to assist in the organization and to chair in his or her absence. The Vice-Chair need not be a member of the General Assembly;
E) The DIVC chair shall also serve as Head Delegate and be responsible for attending all steering meetings of the Ivy Council;
F) It is the responsibility of DIVC to select delegates to represent the Assembly at the meetings of the Ivy Council;
G) The DIVC chair shall facilitate election of liaisons to the Ivy Council at his or her discretion;
H) DIVC shall request funding from the Assembly for travel and registration to both the Fall and Spring conferences of the Ivy Council as well as the Ivy Leadership Summit (ILS) in the Winter;
I) The DIVC chair shall provide an update to the General Assembly subsequent to each Ivy Council conference;

ARTICLE VI: FINANCES

Section I. Authority
A) The Assembly shall have full authority over all revenue placed under its control;

Section II. Expenditures and Allocations
A) The President shall have the authority to make expenditures on behalf of the Assembly for programming and administrative purposes only, not to exceed a specific amount to be determined in the By-Laws; said expenditures shall be reported by the Treasurer to the Assembly at the next General Assembly meeting;
B) The Executive Committee shall have the authority to make expenditures on behalf of the Assembly for programming and administrative purposes only, not to exceed a specific amount to be determined in the By-Laws; said expenditures shall be reported by the Treasurer to the Assembly at the next General Assembly meeting;
C) All other expenses shall require a resolution passed by the General Assembly;

ARTICLE VII: REMOVAL FROM OFFICE, RESIGNATION, AND INACTIVITY

Section I. Justifications for removal from office shall include but not be limited to: embezzlement, ethical misjudgment, honor code violations, and gross violations of the Constitution;

Section II. Procedure for Removal
A) Should MIAC find grounds for removal in its review process, it may, by a four-fifths vote, suggest that member's removal to the Executive Committee. This holds for all Assembly Members and Executive Officers, excluding the President, the Student Body Vice President, and the Parliamentarian. Said suggestion shall take the form of a statement by MIAC and by the Vice President who chairs the committee on which said member serves;

B) All College Committee appointees are expected to attend the meetings of their respective committees. Failure to attend such meetings and their respective Assembly Committee meetings to the satisfaction of the faculty College Committee chair or the Vice President who chairs their respective Assembly Committee will result in review by MIAC and removal by the procedure outlined in Article VII, Section II, Part A;
C) The Executive Committee shall review any appeals in writing, and may, by a two-thirds vote, reinstate said member to their College Committee or the Assembly.
D) MIAC members shall not participate in any votes regarding their own removal.
E) A Vice President whose removal has been suggested shall not participate in any votes regarding his or her removal.
F) The Vice President supporting a member's removal shall deliver his or her reasons for this decision to the Executive Committee, but shall not participate in the removal vote.
G) Removal of the Student Body President or Vice President may be brought to the floor only by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly. Removal shall require a three-quarters vote of the General Assembly conducted at the Assembly meeting following the call for removal, and a verified petition for removal signed by 500 members of the student body (to take effect for the 2008-2009 Assembly);
H) If the Executive-Vice President is removed from his or her position, the Executive Committee shall appoint a permanent member of the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee to chair said committee until such time as a new Student Body Vice President is elected.
I) All Vice Presidents, excluding the Student Body Vice President, nominated by a given President-elect shall be removed from said Executive Offices if said President-elect, prior to becoming President, vacates said position;
J) All pending nominations for Vice Presidents shall be automatically withdrawn if the nominating President or the nominating President-elect vacates said office or said position, respectively;
K) In the case that the President is replaced while still in tenure, the incoming President may dismiss the Vice Presidents serving under the previous President, with any such dismissal taking effect upon nomination and confirmation of a replacement;
L) Any member who is removed from Dartmouth College or who ceases attendance at Dartmouth College shall be automatically removed from the Assembly;
M) A call for the removal of a Vice President, excluding the Student Body Vice President, may be made by the President. The Executive Committee shall review this petition, and may, by 2/3 vote, remove said individual from his or her Vice Presidency;

Section III. Voting Status
A) Any Member of the Assembly who is unexcused for the equivalent of three General Assembly meetings in a given term, shall immediately be removed from the voting rolls and be referred to MIAC, which shall meet within one week to determine whether it will reinstate said Member to the Assembly or allow him to remain on without voting privileges;
B) A Member who has lost his voting privileges will not have a vote either in the General Assembly or his committee, including the Executive Committee, and shall no longer be counted as part of the active Assembly membership, but may retain all other privileges of membership, including his or her committee assignment and/or Executive Office;
C) Excused absences from General Assembly meetings will be left to the discretion of the Secretary. Excused absences shall only be granted in extreme circumstances;
D) At the discretion of the Student Body Vice President, a member may be excused from a meeting not at the regular time if that member submits a request in writing at least two hours prior outlining the reason why he or she can not attend;
E) Absence from scheduled committee meetings shall be considered similarly to Article VII, Section III, Part A);
F) When a member has accumulated the equivalent of two absences, the Secretary shall in writing and electronically inform that member, MIAC;
G) MIAC will evaluate all members who have lost voting privileges at the end of the term, and may by, majority vote, reinstate any member to full voting status for his following term in residence;

Section IV. Removal from Executive Office
A) All Executive Officers may be removed from said positions under the procedure outlined in Article VII, Section II, but may still retain General Assembly Voting Member status;
B) A petition for removal of an Executive Officer shall clearly state whether removal shall be from said Executive Office or from the Assembly;

Section V. Resignations
A) Resignations shall be submitted to the President in writing, except in the case of a Presidential resignation which shall be submitted to the Student Body Vice President in writing;
B) An Executive Officer may resign from office but may still retain General Assembly Voting Member status;
C) Resignations shall take effect immediately after being received by the appropriate official;
D) Replacement proceedings for a resigning member may begin upon announcement by said member of pending resignation;

Section VI. Inactivity
A) An in-residence member, not holding an Executive Office, may become inactive for a prolonged period of time under extraordinary circumstances; however, such inactivity must be noted to the President in writing and must receive the approval of the President;
B) A member acting under Article VII, Section V, Subsection A may appeal the decision of the President to MIAC which may, by majority vote, allow a member to become inactive for a prolonged period of time;
C) A member may become reactivated at his or her discretion, but said member must notify the President of the change in status in writing;
D) A member who is inactive while in-residence for a cumulative period of more than seven academic weeks shall be considered removed from the Assembly and may not reactivate;
E) A member shall be considered inactive while not in residence and shall be automatically reactivated upon returning to a status of in-residence without need of notifying the President;

Section VII. In the event that an elected Freshman Cluster Representative is removed, resigns, or is elevated to the Presidency or Executive Vice Presidency, the residence cluster he or she had represented shall hold another election within one week's time;

ARTICLE VIII: REPLACEMENT OF OFFICERS

Section I. President
A) In the event that the President is removed, resigns or becomes permanently incapacitated, the Student Body Vice President shall assume the Presidency;
B) In the event that the President-elect is removed, resigns, or is permanently incapacitated, the Student Body Vice President-elect shall assume the Presidency-elect;

Section II. Student Body Vice President
A) In the event that the Student Body Vice President is removed, resigns, becomes permanently incapacitated, or is elevated to the position of President, the following procedure shall occur:
1) An election shall be held within the General Assembly;
2) All Assembly members shall be eligible to run;
3) A candidate receiving a majority vote shall become Vice President;
4) If no candidate receives a majority vote, then the candidate with the least number of votes or those candidates tied with the least number of votes shall be dropped from the ballot and another election shall be held amongst those candidates remaining from the previous election. Said procedure shall be repeated until a candidate receives a majority vote;
B) The same procedure described in Article VIII, Section II, Subsection A shall be employed for the replacement of the Student Body Vice President-elect, except that candidates who ran for Student Body President and Vice President in the most recent general election but lost shall also be eligible to run;
C) If both the Student Body President and Vice President or both the President-elect and Vice President-elect are removed, resign, or become permanently incapacitated in conjunction with one another, the procedure described above in Article VIII, Sections II, Subsection A and, if applicable, Clause B shall be employed for filling both offices;

Section III. Other Executive Offices
A) If the Treasurer and/or Secretary are removed, resign, is permanently incapacitated, or elevated to the Presidency or Executive Vice Presidency, election(s) to replace them shall be held within the General Assembly. Candidacy in said elections shall be open to all Assembly members. The outcomes of said election(s) shall be determined by plurality vote;
B) If any of the appointed Vice Presidents is removed, resigns, is permanently incapacitated, or is elevated to the Presidency or Vice Presidency, the President shall appoint a replacement, subject to the approval of the General Assembly;

Section IV. Representatives
A) In the event that a non-freshman Representative is removed, resigns, becomes permanently incapacitated, or is elevated to the Presidency or Executive Vice Presidency, or an elected Representative seat is left vacated after General elections, MIAC may appoint a new representative, at its discretion;

Section V. MIAC Members
A) If a member of MIAC, other than the Student Body Vice President, is removed, resigns, becomes permanently incapacitated, or is elevated to the Presidency, the Executive Vice Presidency, or any other Executive Office, a special general election shall be held within the General Assembly, open to all Assembly members, to fill the open post in accordance with the rules established under Article V, Section II, Subsection C;
B) All Assembly members shall receive one vote in the special election for every MIAC post open in accordance with Article VIII, Section V, Clause A;

Section VI. Time Period for Replacements
A) All permanent vacancies, excluding General Voting Member vacancies, shall be filled within two academic weeks of the creation of the vacancy;
B) An exception to Article VIII, Section VI, Clause A shall be elected Representative seats left vacant by general elections; said seats shall be filled by the end of the spring term in which said elections are held;

ARTICLE IX: OFF TERM, LEAVE TERM, AND INACTIVITY VACANCIES FOR ALL TERMS EXCLUDING SUMMER TERM

Section I. Executive Offices
A) If the Treasurer and/or Secretary is not in-residence, an acting Treasurer will be elected from the General Assembly by the means established in Article VIII, Section III, Subsection A at the first meeting of the term of the absence;

Section II. Duration of Tenure for Acting Officers
A) Tenure for said individuals shall conclude upon the return of the absent Executive Officer;
B) If an Executive Officer permanently vacates a position while absent, the tenure for an acting officer filling said position shall conclude upon appointment of a permanent replacement to the vacated position;

ARTICLE X: TRANSITION OF POWER

Section I. The newly elected Assembly shall take office at the conclusion of the spring term in which that Assembly was elected.

Section II. The newly elected Assembly shall hold no less than two organizational meetings within the term in which it was elected to conduct the following business:
A) To review and understand the Constitution and procedures of the Assembly;
B) To elect the members of MIAC;
C) To elect a Secretary and Treasurer;
D) To appoint and confirm Vice Presidents for each standing committee, excluding MIAC and the Executive Committee;
E) To make all necessary appointments and confirmations for the Summer Assembly;
F) To fill all elected At-Large Representative seats left vacant by general elections;

Section III. All such business should be concluded before the newly elected Assembly assumes office;

Section IV.

Section V.

Section VI. The current Assembly shall prepare a written report by the end of the winter term detailing the following:

A) From the President, there shall be included all current projects especially as they pertain to administrative contacts.

B) From the Vice President there shall be included all progress completed by MIAC
as well as information regarding membership of individuals and organizations.

C) From each Committee, there shall be included a report on current and accomplished projects, those needing completion and also a list of administrative contacts.

D) From the Assembly as a whole, there shall be included a general report on accomplishments from the previous year and also goals for the next year. The newly elected Assembly should review this carefully as it establishes its own goals for the next year.

The newly elected assembly should hold no less than two meetings with the current assembly to review the aforementioned report. The goal of this meeting shall be to provide a smooth transition between the two Assemblies.

All individuals and instruments of the Assembly shall assume those necessary powers and responsibilities, consistent with office or role, to fulfill the organizational duties hereby prescribed;

ARTICLE XI: SUMMER ASSEMBLY

Section I.
Officers
A) All positions on the Executive Committee left vacant for the summer due to off terms will be appointed by the President, including a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson;
B) The Chairperson shall be the President of the Summer Assembly;
C) If the President is not in residence, or does not wish to serve as Chairperson, the Student Body Vice President shall be Chairperson; if the Student Body Vice President also is not in residence, or does not wish to serve as Chairperson, the President shall, in consultation with the Student Body Vice President appoint a chairperson from among those students who have served at least one term as an Assembly member;
D) The Vice-Chairperson shall be the Student Body Vice President of the Summer Assembly;
E) If the Student Body Vice President is not in residence, is to serve as Chairperson of the Summer Assembly, or does not wish to serve as Vice-Chairperson, the President shall, in consultation with the Student Body Vice President, appoint a Vice Chairperson from among those students who have served at least one term as an Assembly member;
F) The Treasurer and Secretary of the Summer Assembly shall be elected by the membership of the Summer Assembly at the first Summer Assembly meeting in accordance with the rules established in Article I, Section III, Clause A;

Section II. Membership
A) Membership of the Summer Assembly shall include:
1) members of the Assembly elected during the immediately preceding spring term who are in residence during the summer term;
2) Members of the Assembly from the preceding academic year who are in residence during the summer term;
3) The President and the Vice President of the rising Junior Class, at their discretion;
4) Undergraduates in residence who attend three meetings in a row.
B) Membership under Article XI, Section II, Subsection A) ends at the conclusion of the that summer term;

Section III. Responsibilities
A) To fulfill the duties and responsibilities invested in the Student Assembly, during the summer term;
B) To fulfill reasonable obligations assumed by the Assembly through resolutions of previous Assemblies;
C) To research and prepare issues and ideas for the incoming Assembly at the discretion of the incoming Assembly;

Section IV. Finances
A) The finances of the Summer Assembly shall be allocated by the Executive Committee of the forthcoming year and from the budget of the Assembly of the forthcoming year;
B) Guidelines for the finances of the Summer Assembly shall be set forth in the By-Laws of the Assembly;

Section V. Limitations of Authority
A) The Summer Assembly shall not have neither the authority to alter the Constitution nor to overturn resolutions of previous Assemblies;
B) The Summer Assembly shall not make binding decisions for incoming or future Assemblies;
C) Any changes made by the Summer Assembly to the By-Laws or the rules of order shall remain in place only until the conclusion of the Summer Assembly’s tenure;

ARTICLE XII: GENERAL ELECTION

Section I. All undergraduate students of Dartmouth College in the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes of a given year who are in good standing with the college are eligible to vote in Assembly elections for Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, and (with the exception of members of the Senior Class) At-Large Representatives for the following academic year;

Section II. Students who are not in residence during Assembly elections may vote by absentee ballot;

Section III. The students of Article XII, Section I shall each receive one vote for Student Body President, one vote for Student Body Vice President;

Section IV. Pursuant to Article XII, Section I, each student shall be allowed one vote for Student Body President, one vote for Student Body Vice President, and eight votes for At-Large Representatives from said student’s class;

Section V. All undergraduate students of Dartmouth College in the Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior classes of a given academic year who are in good standing with the college and who plan to be in-residence two of the next four terms in the next academic year are eligible to bid for elected committee Vice Presidencies and At-Large Representative seats in Assembly elections for the latter year;

Section VI. All undergraduate students of Dartmouth College in the Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior classes of a given academic year who are in good standing with the college and who plan to be in Hanover or its environs all three terms in the next academic year, that is fall, winter, and spring terms, are eligible to bid for the offices of President and Vice President in Assembly elections for the following year;

Section VII.

The elections for Student Body President, Vice President, and elected committee Vice Presidents shall be conducted through instant runoff voting, in which every eligible voter shall be asked to rank the candidates for each office as his/her first choice, second choice, and so on.

Section VIII.

After voting has closed, the first-choice votes shall be tabulated,and any candidate achieving a majority of votes cast for either office shall be declared the winner. If no candidate obtains a majority, the candidate receiving the fewest first-choice votes shall be eliminated, and the votes of voters naming said candidate as their first choice counted for their second choice. This process of eliminating lower-placing candidates and redistributing their votes continues until one candidate earns a majority of votes;

Section IX. The first ten members of each class receiving the highest vote totals exceeding 10% of their class will be elected At-Large representatives if fewer than ten members of a class achieve this figure, that class will only be represented by those exceeding the threshold;

Section X. In the event of a tie in the election for Student Body President or Student Body Vice President, a special election will be held no later than three weeks after the first election to fill the relevant office. Only those candidates who tied for the lead in the first election will be eligible to run in the special election. All students in residence will be eligible to vote in the special election.

Section XI. In the case of a tie in the general election for the final elected Representative seat, a special election shall be held within the Assembly relevant to the general election, in which each member shall receive as many votes as there are seats in question, to decide a winner or winners by plurality vote at the first organizational meeting of said Assembly;

Section XII. In the case that multiple elections for various Assembly offices are in dispute, the Presidency shall be decided first, the Executive Vice Presidency second, and elected Representative seats third, with all members still involved in a tie at the time of a vote for a particular office being eligible to vote for said office;

Section XIII. General Elections shall be held within the first three weeks of the spring term preceding the academic year of service;

ARTICLE XIII: ELECTIONS PLANNING AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Section I. Duration of Tenure
A) The newly appointed Elections Planning and Advisory Committee (hereinafter EPAC) shall convene at the start of Winter Term proceeding the General Election and dissolve at the close of Spring Term following the General Election;

Section II. Membership
A) There shall be five members of EPAC, including the Chairperson;
B) Members of EPAC shall be selected according to the following criteria:
1) The Chairperson of EPAC shall be the President of the Assembly;
2) If the President is not planning to graduate in the year of the election, the Senior Class President shall serve as Chairperson;
3) If the President is planning to graduate in the year of the election but does not wish to serve as Chairperson, the President shall, in consultation with the Student Body Vice President, appoint a chairperson from among those students who plan to graduate in the year of the election and who have previously run for a Dartmouth office during a General Election;
4) One member shall be appointed by the President of the Assembly and confirmed by a majority vote of the General Assembly;
5) One member shall be appointed from among the active membership of the Palaeopitus Senior Society by a majority vote of the society;
6) One member shall be appointed from among the active membership of the Senior Class Council by a majority vote of the active membership of the council;
7) One member shall be appointed from among the active membership of the Green Key Junior Honor Society by a majority vote of the society;
C) No appointed member of EPAC shall be running for any office in the General Election, nor shall any appointed member actively support a student running for any office in the General Election (including but not limited to giving private campaign advice, hanging posters, or expressing written or verbal support for any candidate);
D) The Chairperson may, at his or her discretion, select a Vice-Chair from among EPAC’s membership to assume the responsibilities of the Chairperson in the event that he or she is unable to perform duties;

Section III. Responsibilities
A) To oversee the General Election process;
B) To ensure a fair General Election process by enforcing the provisions set forth in the General Election Guidelines;
C) To set a timeline for the General Election that does not violate the Assembly Constitution;
D) To publicize the General Election and the process for becoming a candidate in any campus-wide race to all Dartmouth students;
E) To plan and execute no less than two candidate information sessions;
F) To plan and execute no less than two campus-wide events to highlight the Student Body Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates;
G) To determine the eligibility of all candidates as prescribed by the General Election Guidelines and in accordance with the respective Constitutions of all organizations to which representatives are elected;
H) To rule on all campaign-related matters (including, but not limited to, alleged campaign violations and clarifications to the General Election Guidelines);
I) To hear and rule upon appeals made by candidates for office;
J) To publicize and verify the results of the General Election for each race;

Section IV. Removal from EPAC
A) Any member of EPAC, including the Chairperson, suspected to be in violation of Article XIII, Section IV shall immediately be removed by a 3/4 vote of EPAC’s membership;
B) No EPAC member shall participate in any votes regarding his or her removal from the Committee;
C) In the event that the Chairperson is removed from EPAC, the Associate Dean of Student Life shall appoint a student replacement to serve as Chairperson;
D) In the event that a member of EPAC other than the Chairperson is removed, the Chairperson shall appoint a replacement from the respective organization of the removed member;

Section V. Voting
A) The Chairperson of EPAC shall be a non-voting member of the committee, except to cast a tie-breaking vote or in the matter of a vote regarding a member’s removal from EPAC;
B) Each member of EPAC, excluding the Chairperson, shall receive one vote;
C) An official quorum of EPAC shall consist of full membership;

Section VI. The General Election Guidelines
A) The Student Assembly, in conjunction with EPAC, Palaeopitus Senior Society, Class Councils, and the Green Key Junior Honor Society, shall adopt a system of General Election Guidelines which, at a minimum, describe candidate eligibility for elections, the length of the campaign period, campaigning limitations, and the candidate appeal process;
B) EPAC shall have the power to make or propose changes to the General Election Guidelines, so long as they do not contradict the letter or spirit of respective Constitutions of organizations to which representatives are elected;
C) The General Election Guidelines shall be adopted by a majority vote of the Assembly;
D) All amendments and changes to the General Election Guidelines shall be confirmed by a 2/3 vote of Assembly membership;
E) The General Election Guidelines shall have continuous effect once adopted;

ARTICLE XIII: BY-LAWS

Section I. The Assembly shall adopt a system of By-Laws which, at a minimum, addresses those issues left to the determination of By-Laws within this Constitution and establishes a system of Rules of Order for all General Assembly meetings;

Section II. The Assembly shall have the power to make or amend By-Laws to this Constitution, so long as the By-Laws do not contradict the letter or the spirit of this Constitution;

Section III. By-Laws and all amendments and changes to the By-Laws shall be accepted by a majority vote of the Assembly membership;

Section IV. By-Laws shall have continuous effect once adopted;

ARTICLE XIV: AMENDMENTS

Section I. A) A proposed amendment to this Constitution may be submitted by any Assembly member;
B) All Constitutional amendments shall be considered by the Executive Committee, unless the Assembly votes to waive said requirement pursuant to Article XIV, Section 1, Subsection F;
C) A proposed amendment shall be brought to the floor of the Assembly if approved by a vote of the Executive Committee;
D) To become effective, a proposed amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the active Assembly membership;
E) A proposed amendment, unless withdrawn by its sponsor(s) or rejected by the Executive Committee, shall be put on the agenda of the General Assembly within four General Assembly meetings, excluding summer term meetings, of the proposal of the amendment;
F) A proposed amendment may be brought directly to the floor of the General Assembly without Executive Committee review or approval by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly;

ARTICLE XV: ENACTMENT

Section I. Upon ratification by two-thirds of a quorum of the current Assembly membership, this Constitution shall go into effect on 12 October 2007 for the Assembly of 2007-2008 and the election of said Assembly and for all ensuing Assemblies;
Section II. The current Constitution under which the Assembly operates shall be void as of June 1, 2007 for the Assembly of 2007-2008 and the election of said Assembly and for all ensuing Assemblies.

THE BY-LAWS OF THE DARTMOUTH COLLEGE STUDENT ASSEMBLY
ARTICLE I: STANDING COMMITTEES

Section I. Organization
A) Pursuant to Article V, Section I, Subsection C), there shall be four Standing Committees in addition to the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee (hereinafter “MIAC”). They shall be: the Academic Affairs Committee, the Student Life Committee, the Student Services Committee, the Diversity Affairs Committee;

Section II. Function
1) The Student Services Committee shall address those concerns that enhance the day-to-day life of Dartmouth students and seek to expand the amount and quality of available services. The Committee will recruit heavily from non-Assembly members for its projects. This committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact-Checker” to research impending motions;
2) The Academic Affairs Committee shall solicit student opinion regarding necessary academic changes and then research and accomplish these goals. This committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact Checker” to research impending motions;
3) The Student Life Committee shall address social, residential, and cultural concerns of the Dartmouth Community; examine the issues and concerns encountered by campus organizations; and be responsible for creating, maintaining, and improving relationships between Student Assembly, the student body, and the alumni of Dartmouth College. The Alumni Liason appointed by the President will serve on this committee. This committee shall be responsible to appoint undergraduate representatives to the Dartmouth Alumni Council pending confirmation by the General Assembly using an open, campus-wide application and interview process. This committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact-Checker” to research impending motions;
4) The Diversity and Community Affairs Committee shall address the general concerns of inclusiveness and pluralism in the Dartmouth community, issues of: race, ethnicity, religion, nation of origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, and socio-economic status, as well as the particular concerns of groups including but not limited to GLBTQ students, women students, students of color, and international students. The Vice Presidents will also schedule to attend at least one Campus Climate meeting per term. This Committee shall designate at least one member as “Fact-Checker” to research impending motions;

ARTICLE II: FINANCES

Section I. Presidential and Executive Committee Authority
A) Pursuant to Article VI, Section II, Subsection (A), the President's ability to make administrative or emergency expenditures on behalf of the Assembly shall be limited to a budget of $750 per term. The General Assembly may reimburse specific presidential spending by an up-or-down vote without amendment to the dollar amount;

B) Pursuant to Article VI, Section II, Subsection (B), the Executive Committee's ability to make administrative or emergency expenditures on behalf of the Assembly shall be limited to a budget of $2000 per term. The General Assembly may reimburse specific executive spending by an up-or-down vote without amendment to the dollar amount;

Section II. Summer Assembly Finances
A) Pursuant to Article XI, Section IV, Subsection B) the Summer Assembly shall be allocated no less than $3000 for administrative costs;

Section III. Ivy Council Steering Meetings
A) The General Assembly shall fund the travel expenses of its Head Delegate and any executive officers of the Ivy Council who are Dartmouth student for each meeting of the Ivy Council Steering Committee. In no case shall such expenditure exceed $150 except by resolution of the Assembly;

Section IV. The Student Assembly will fund projects on the basis of the following standards:
A) Any project created and approved by the Assembly will be funded;
B) Any external project believed by the Assembly to fill a need which the Assembly intended to address will be funded;

Section V.

In order for an external organization to receive funding from the Assembly, all of the following criteria must be met:

A) Funding must be requested at least 10 days before the event;
B) The group requesting funding must have demonstrated a commitment to the Assembly prior to the funding request in one of two forms:
1) A member of the requesting group who can prove membership in said group is a current SA member;
2) The requesting group has collaborated with the Assembly in the past;
C) All relevant funding organizations must have already been consulted, a summary proposal of the reasoning behind these funding decisions prepared by the requesting organization, approved by those organizations, and submitted to the Assembly by the requesting organization before the 10-day deadline;
D) Tangible opportunities for direct involvement by SA members must be presented at the time of application;

ARTICLE III: RULES OF ORDER

Section I. Protocol
A) The President or his designee is completely in charge of recognizing members and ruling on points of order. All dialogue is addressed to the Assembly;
B) Members must be recognized to speak by the President or his designee;
C) Members may not interrupt the speech of other members except as allowed by parliamentary procedure;
D) The Parliamentarian rules on all questions of parliamentary procedure;
E) Points of order must directly relate to parliamentary procedure;

Section II. Presenting Motions
A) Member makes motion, saying “I move that we...”
B) The President will ask for a second;
C) Another member seconds;
D) The President may read the motion if he feels it is necessary;

Section III. Motions Pending
A) After the Chair introduces the motion, the sponsor(s) will make a presentation outlining the motion and discussing the benefits and supporting evidence behind the motion. The Chair shall have the discretion to set a limit on the time of the presentation; however, the time allowed shall not be less than 2 minutes. After the sponsor’s presentation is complete, members will have the opportunity to ask questions about the motion to the sponsor(s);
B) After questions have been answered, any amendments to the motion will be considered. The sponsor of an amendment will speak in favor. Then, one speaker will be allowed to speak in opposition. After the opposing speaker has finished, the amendment will immediately be voted on;
C) After all amendments have been considered, the Assembly will debate the motion. The first speaker shall be a member opposed to the motion. If there is no member willing to further speak in opposition to the motion the Assembly shall move immediately to vote on the motion;
D) If, and after a member has spoken in opposition, the President will compile a speaker list of everyone wishing to speak on the motion. No Member may change his or her position on the speakers list;
E) No Member will be allowed to speak on the motion twice until everyone who wishes to speak has had his or her chance to speak once. Prior to the beginning of debate, the Chair will have the discretion to set a uniform limit on the total number of times a member may be placed on the speaker’s list; however, the limit shall not be less than three times per member. Furthermore, prior to the beginning of debate, the Chair will have the discretion to set a uniform time limit for each speaker based on his/her judgment of interest in the motion. Unless the Chair otherwise indicates, the time limit for each speaker will be 45 seconds; however, the time allowed for each speaker shall be no less than 45 seconds.
F) No motions to close debate or vote are allowed until everyone on the speakers list has spoken.
G) No debate is allowed on motions to close the speakers list or end debate.
H) After debate has ended, the President may read the motion, if necessary. Then, the Secretary will take the vote.
I) The Secretary states the outcome of the vote for the record.

Section IV. Amendments
A) In reference to previous clause, all rules pertaining to the debate of motions apply to the debate of amendments. If the amendment passes, the original motion is formally amended. If it fails, the original motion stands. Amendments deemed friendly by the author of a motion can be incorporated into the motion without a vote.
B) Amendments should be submitted to the Student Assembly or the Secretary’s blitz mail account by noon the day of the meeting.

Section V. Voting
A) A roll call vote will be taken unless a motion for voice vote is made by unanimous consent.
B) Abstentions are not counted in the final vote tally. However, if more than half the number of voting members present abstains, the motion is tabled until the following meeting.

Section VI. Adjournment
A) After all business on the agenda has been discussed the meeting can be adjourned by a majority vote.

Section VII.

Section VIII.

Section IX. B) The meeting can be adjourned before all items on the agenda have been discussed with a 2/3-quorum vote.

Impeachment
A) All speakers are automatically limited to 45 seconds, and may only be on the speaker’s list twice per person, excepting the member being impeached, or their official designee;
B) The member being impeached will have the opportunity to defend him/herself to the Assembly for no fewer than 5 uninterrupted minutes;
C) In the event of a presidential impeachment, the Secretary will assume responsibility for managing the floor debate;

General Assembly Meeting Length
Members shall not be required to attend meetings longer than ninety minutes;

General Assembly Attendance
A) Attendance shall be taken at the outset of the meeting through distribution of voting placards to Assembly members;
B) Attendance shall be reviewed at the completion of the meeting through submission of said placards;

ARTICLE IV: LEGISLATION

Section I. Protocol
A) Any Assembly member can propose legislation to be considered in accordance
with Article IV, Section I of the Constitution of the Dartmouth College Student
Assembly;
B) Legislation can be of three types depending upon the various goals and
purposes of said legislation. These types include Statements, Proposals, and
Resolutions;
C) The President, in conjunction with the Executive Board and the
Parliamentarian, is responsible for confirming the categorical label attached to
each piece of legislation;
D) Any disagreement over the label placed upon a particular piece of writing may
be submitted to the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee by any Assembly
member no more than three days after the legislation has been passed by General
Assembly. MIAC will then confirm or reject the categorical label and report their
findings to the General Assembly within two weeks of when the complaint was
filed;

Section II. Statements
A) A statement may be put before the Assembly as a piece of legislation looking
to make a formal statement of the Assembly’s feeling about a topic, event, or
policy. This type of legislation generally includes no plan of action, and instead,
speaks only of Assembly’s opinion on a particular matter of interest;
B) A statement must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the Assembly
members present during the vote on said legislation.

Section III. Proposals
A) A proposal may be put before Assembly as a piece of legislation which makes
a statement about Assembly’s feeling on a particular topic of interest as well as a
plan of action. These may include plans to fund an event or pursue administrative
response.
B) A proposal must be passed by a plurality of members present during the vote
on said legislation;

Section IV. Resolutions
A) A resolution may be put before the Assembly as a piece of legislation which
makes a statement about Assembly’s feeling on a particular topic of interest,
proposes a plan of action, and presents researched campus opinion related to the
topic. Research may involve, but is not restricted to, a campus-wide referendum;
B) A resolution must be passed by plurality of members present during the vote
on said legislation;

ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Section I. Procedure
A) MIAC shall not approve any student for individual membership until said student has attended 3 meetings of the General Assembly and submits an application for membership. This clause shall not apply to seats left vacant by general elections. Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors who have ended a previous Assembly membership in good standing and served for at least one of the prior three terms can be automatically placed on the ballot for At-Large Representative during spring elections. If a member in good standing chooses not to do so, or does not win his or her election, that member may become a voting member through the aforementioned means.

Section II. Uniformity
A) MIAC shall establish a uniform application and criteria for all prospective Assembly members. The exact application form and criteria shall be left to the discretion of MIAC. The forms and criteria shall be made available to the student body.
B) All individual applicants to the MIAC for Student Assembly membership will be required to present proof of nomination by 50 non-Member undergraduates to be eligible for consideration. A list of these undergraduates whom the applicant wishes to solicit must be submitted in advance for preliminary MIAC approval.

ARTICLE VI: COMMUNITY FORUM

Section I. Following the initial taking of attendance, the first agenda item of each General Assembly meeting shall be Community Forum. The Assembly leadership is encouraged to find non-Assembly members to speak at these forums;

Section II. During Community Forum, the Chair may only speak to address questions asked or comments made by non-Assembly members present during Community Forum;

Section III. Assembly members may only speak after being recognized by the Chair to address questions asked or comments made by non-Assembly members present during Community Forum;

Section IV. At all other times, Community Forum shall exist solely for members of the Dartmouth community, who are not members of the Assembly, to address the General Assembly on any topic of their choosing;

Section V. The Chair may, prior to the beginning of Community Forum, at his discretion, set a uniform time limit for Community Forum speakers. The minimum time that the Chair may set is five minutes;

Section VI. Community Forum shall end by a two/thirds vote or when there are no non-Assembly members of the community wishing to speak.

ARTICLE VII: EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION

Section I. Representation to External Persons and Organizations
A) MIAC will assign members to personally represent the Assembly to specific administrators and to external student organizations;
B) Those members are expected to report on the Assembly’s work to their respective administrators and organizations, and to report back in writing on ideas and comments by those individuals and groups to the relevant committee chairs;
C) Members may request specific organizations, but full discretion is left to MIAC;
D) Any open positions must be filled within two weeks of its availability;
E) Failure to achieve these duties may, at the discretion of the President or MIAC, result in grounds for removal;

ARTICLE VIII: IVY COUNCIL

Section I. Delegates
A) Pursuant to the Constitution of the Ivy Council -- the representative body for the undergraduate student governments of the Ivy League -- each student government shall be represented in the Ivy Council by four delegates, one of whom shall be the Head Delegate (who shall also serve as Dartmouth’s representative to the Steering Committee of the Ivy Council).
B) Dartmouth’s Head Delegate shall be appointed by the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee upon approval of the President of Ivy Council at Dartmouth. The Head Delegate to the Ivy Council shall serve for a one-year term commencing on May 1st and ending on the following April 30th. Upon the vacancy of the office of Head Delegate, the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee and Ivy Council at Dartmouth officers shall appoint a replacement within two academic weeks who shall serve the remainder of that one-year term. The duties of the Head Delegate to the Ivy Council shall include: attendance at all Ivy Council Steering Committee meetings and Ivy Council Conferences during his or her term of office, regular reporting to the Assembly of the business of the Ivy Council and to the Ivy Council of the business of the Assembly, and coordination of Dartmouth’s participation in all Ivy Council Conferences and events. Pursuant to the Constitution of the Ivy Council, the Head Delegate to the Ivy Council may, with the consent of the Ivy Council Steering Committee, appoint a temporary replacement for purposes of attending and voting at Steering Committee meetings;
C) The remaining three Dartmouth Delegates to the Ivy Council shall be appointed on an acting basis by the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee, in consultation with the President of Ivy Council at Dartmouth, after such time as the Executive Committee has been seated but before June 1st of the year in which the President was elected. The Acting Delegates to the Ivy Council shall serve terms commencing June 1st and ending the following October 15th, at which time the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee, in consultation with the President of Ivy Council at Dartmouth, shall appoint the Delegates to the Ivy Council to represent Dartmouth until the following June 1st. The duties of the Delegates to the Ivy Council shall include: to represent the Assembly in the Ivy Council in any and all votes and matters which come before the Ivy Council. Any and all vacancies in the offices of Delegates to the Ivy Council shall be filled in the manner set forth in this sub-section;

Section II.
Conferences
A) Pursuant to its Constitution, the Ivy Council shall hold two conferences each year for the purposes of information exchange and meeting in general assembly. Each member school shall have the right to send to each conference its four delegates and such others as it wishes (subject to the cap on the number of attendees set by the Ivy Council Steering Committee);
B) The Assembly shall, for each meeting of the Ivy Council Steering Committee, fund the travel expenses of its Head Delegate and any Executive Officers of the Ivy Council who are Dartmouth students. In no case shall such expenditure exceed $150 except by resolution of the Assembly;

ARTICLE X: AUTHORITY OF BY-LAWS

Section I. By-Laws vs. Constitution
If a matter of ambiguity arises between the Constitution and the By-Laws, in all instances the Constitution shall take precedence over the By-Laws.

2000-01-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

NLB
NLB
NLB
NLB
NLB
NLB
NLB
NLB