Minutes 9/02/08

MCSG

LB Minutes: 09/02/2008

Absent: Joe Schubert, Jeff Yamashita, Dimitri Da Gama Rose, Molly Griffard, Krista Yank

Excused Absence: Rudy Herrera Marmol

7:10 Meeting called to order

• Roll Call
• Announcement: Dan Truchan (Class of 2009) is no longer a part of LB
• Short discussion on the events surrounding the RNC and related campus programming. Everything seems to be more or less running smoothly.

Financial Affairs Commission (FAC) Business

• FAC Commission applications now available. There are 2 openings for current LB members and 6 openings for the student body. Application due date: Wednesday, September 10^th

Student Services Commission (SSC) Business

• Observed that a significant number of first years picked up applications for campus committees at the Org fair.

Academic Affairs Commission (AAC) Update

• Need representatives for the Educational Policy and Governance (EPAG) Committee, one of which must come from the LB. The meetings for EPAG are 4:00 - 5:30 pm on Wednesdays.

External Relations Commission (ERC) Update

• First year elections on Friday, September 5^th: received 12 applicants for 5 positions (best in recent years). It was also noted that majority of applicants were Turck and Dupre residents, with hardly any applicants from Doty.
• Short Discussion of the MCSG Awareness Campaign: the initiative is geared towards making a larger proportion of the student body aware of the role of MCSG and its pertinence to campus life. One step that has been taken so far is the implementation of a new user-friendly MCSG website, which was largely designed by Chloe: it can be accessed at www.macalester.edu/mcsg

Program Board (PB) Update

• Fall Fest - Battle of the bands. Bands from all over Minneapolis and Saint Paul will come to compete at Macalester, and the first place band will receive an opportunity to play at First Ave.
• Offering of subsidized Twins tickets to the student body - coming up very soon.

Presidential Commission

• Giving out lollipops in SPOs once per semester with a note containing 5 or 6 points of what we would like to accomplish this year.
• Posed the question of whether it is beneficial or not to meet as classes or commissions. A few LB members expressed their preference for meeting as commissions.
• Invited President Rosenberg and possibly the Provost to a future LB meeting (probably within October).

Update from Dean of Students, Jim Hoppe

• Police on campus yesterday: 6 police officers were situated at the flag pole, providing security for marchers. They didn't react with anyone once College staff arrived on the scene. It was re-iterated that there is no guarantee that College staff will be informed prior to all events that occur on campus.
• First Year Orientation Information: A record number of first years completed the sexual education and alcohol modules; approximately 370 first years showed up to Faces of Macalester; 5 incidents reported involving first years during this first week, compared with 26 incidents reported last year during the same period.
• Campus Climate meetings: every third Thursday, 11 -1pm in the Weyerhaeuser Boardroom (with Jim Hoppe, Keith Edwards, Tommy Woon, and a representative from the Exec). The first meeting will be held on September 11^th.
• Distributed Off-Campus Student Brochures: initiative to connect with Macalester off-campus students, and educate them on their rights and responsibilities as members of the Saint Paul neighborhood community.