The proposed SAC amendment, which provides for the creation of an SAC Judicial Board to resolve disputes, was passed by the Student Council at this Tuesday's meeting. Since all SAC bylaws must first be passed by the Student Council, this was a necessary step in the plan's fruition. The final say, however, lies within the SAC General Assembly, who will vote on the proposal at their next meeting.
The proposal was not passed without debate. Class of 2002 President Stephen Goutman discussed the possibility that the proposal, which stipulates that the Dean of Students has the ability to adjudicate in any case immediately without the intervention of the SAC Judicial Board, might undermine Student Government. Goutman expressed a desire to "revamp the appeals process" so that both the Dean and students are involved, ensuring that both minor and major cases include students' judgements.
"If we're going to adopt this system [of student governance], we should be involved on all levels," said Goutman.
Treasurer Noel De Santos, who formulated the proposal, supported its necessity and its advantage to students.
"We get power through this document," said De Santos.
Another proposal was brought before the Student Council and discussed at great length regarding the release of exams from previous years. The proposed resolution, which would make all exams from the past four years available on reserve, is designed to "put all students on equal footing" regarding exam material, according to freshman representative Charles Reyner. Reyner, who collaborated with Secretary Manish Gala in formulating the proposal, hopes the resolution will eliminate "small sects of individuals with an unfair advantage," and will "make the system open for everyone."
The proposal was described by Gala as merely an effort to "begin a dialogue" about the availability of exam materials and the decisions of professors regarding testing. There was some contention amongst Council members regarding the fairness and effectiveness of such a resolution. Some argued that the language of the proposal unfairly singled out Greek organizations by describing them as having an "unfair advantage" in possession of exam information. As a result, the council decided to amend the document, removing the mention of "Greek and social organizations" from its clause.
Other Council members conveyed concern for the academic integrity of the measure. Class of 2004 Representative Ali Fenwick expressed that there exists a "danger in a student body that memorizes things rather than learns them." Junior Class President Ravi Kavasery, a proponent of the resolution, described it as purely a means of "assessing that a problem exists." After an extended debate, the proposal was passed by a majority vote. The proposal will go on to the Curriculum Committee and the Academic Counsel for a final decision, at which point its details will be solidified.
In addition, senior Class President Stephen Goutman formally announced the resignation of Senior Class Vice President Shanu Kohli.
"We are looking into how and if we will fill that position," said Goutman.
A few options have been cited by Goutman which will be considered by the Class of 2002 Officers. If the position is left vacant, social chairs will be added "to help satisfy the class' responsibilities," according to Goutman. The other option Goutman sees is "promoting from within" and choosing a current officer to fill the position. In this case, a secretary-treasurer position or a representative position will be open to the rest of the Class of 2002. The final option would be to pull a new vice president from the class itself. Goutman's current course of action is to encourage members of the senior class interested in any of these three positions to contact him. At that point, the responsibilities of the various positions will be discussed, and the interests and strengths of each candidate will be considered.
"We hope to proceed in the manner most productive for the class," said Goutman.
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