Williams:
We spent last weekend at Connecticut College, attending a conference for NESCAC student governments. While this institution as a whole is far from perfect, we realized how fortunate we are to go to a school that values student input as much as Williams does. As Williams students, we have the ability to effect positive change on this campus and to actually take charge of our own education.
As for College Council: we implemented some of your Great Ideas and we are addressing issues relating to mental health. We are also working to facilitate the types of conversations about our community that distinguish Williams from many of the schools we spoke to.
These are just the highlights! Check out collegecouncil.williams.edu to read through our meeting minutes. As always, e-mail your thoughts, questions, and Great Ideas (big or small) to [email protected]
W H A T H A S C O L L E G E C O U N C I L D O N E ?
SuperFan
To build community by increasing school spirit, CC passed a resolution in support of the program and promises teams one SuperFan away bus per season. If you are interested in organizing a SuperFan away bus or in having CC sponsor a home game SuperFan event this spring, e-mail April Jenkins, CC Treasurer, at aej1.
Social Scene
Why are there 5 parties on one night, and none for the next two weekends? Is your student group having a hard time advertising your event or finding somebody to co-sponsor it with? CC and the Office of Student Life have partnered to create a Social Scene Task Force that will encourage communication and collaboration between programming bodies to make the social scene better reflect your diverse interests.
Getting a cappella groups into the spaces they need
Council worked with the Dean’s Office, the Office of Student Life, Security, and EphCappella to allow our a cappella groups to be able to hold their final performances in Brooks-Rogers and Chapin again.
Forming a new student group
CC’s Student Organizations Committee has streamlined the process for creating a new student group. This past week, Council approved two new organizations: the Williams Globalist and the Williams Triathlon Club. Have an extraordinary extracurricular in mind? Go to the Student Group tab on the CC website.
CC & MinCo Forums
We are implementing a series of all-campus discussions regarding community issues. Future topics include work-study and financial aid, being a student of religious faith at Williams, and body image.
Updating Sawyer’s Video Game Library
We’re purchasing new games for the Video Game Library. E-mail Katy Carrigan ’14 (kmc2), Spencer At-Large Representative, if there’s a certain title that you’d like.
Textbook Reserve
This is a College Council-sponsored program that allows you to check out books from the most popular classes at Williams and to use them on reserve in the library.
Williams Day 2012
CC is sponsoring and assisting in the planning for the second annual Williams Day, scheduled for April 28th.
The “little” changes that make the Williams experience brighter:
a. Purple Cow gelato: Dining Services introduced its Lickety Split-inspired creation! Yum.
b. Paddle tennis purchase: pick up the paddles and the ball from Security’s office in the basement of Hopkins and play at the courts behind Mission. A Great Idea submitted by Benjamin Allison ’14!
c. COLOR printing: we are working to make more options available to you in the libraries.
d. Final paper/exam return: After a productive conversation with the Committee on Educational Policy and a mention at the March faculty meeting, the Faculty Steering Committee followed Council’s recommendation to urge professors to return their final papers and exams.
M E N T A L H E A L T H
JA Resources through the Health Center
JAs, make sure you’re taking care of YOU before you can take care of your frosh. The counselors from Let’s Talk, Paresky’s walk-in hours, are now more fully versed in the role and responsibilities of Junior Advisors. Check Daily Messages for times and locations.
Grief Relief
Life Raft, a grief support group facilitated by Chaplain Rick Spalding, has been reinstated. It takes place on Thursdays at 9pm in Jenness.
Paresky Resource Board
The board, which will list information pertinent to mental health and wellbeing, sexual assault, academic resources, religious services, and more will serve to remind students of the resources available on campus.
F U N D I N G
ROLLOVER
Council painstakingly allocates almost every penny of its $400,000 budget each year, but student groups don’t always end up using their entire budgets. When we cleared out all of our groups’ accounts for the first time in 2009, we were left with $150,000 of rollover money. Since then, almost $30,000 of that initial $150,000 has been used toward the Great Ideas Campaign, the Capital Investment Fund, the Charity Fund, and the Nationals Fund. But what should we do with the rest of the rollover money, and the money that we’ll continue to collect at the end of each fiscal year? Should we create an endowment? Should we devise a plan to spend it responsibly? CC is committed to having this conversation. What a wonderful opportunity to send your thoughts to [email protected]
Capital Investment Fund
We evaluated the potential of this fund, which is intended to aid clubs that necessitate long-term and larger investments for the continued existence of the organization, to serve student groups. We decided it makes “cents” to give the fund another year before we consider making any changes to it.
Funding Bylaws
At the request of group Treasurers across campus, we are continuing to clarify and slim down CC’s funding bylaws: they were long, wordy, and redundant, just like this sentence.
I N P R O G R E S S
Student Activities Resource Center
We are working alongside the Office of Student Life and OIT to determine how best to make the space serve your needs. The renovation will be completed during the summer.
Tracking Your Meal Points Online
We received word from Dining Services that they will work to make this option available to students beginning with the implementation of the Fall 2012 meal plan cycle.
Bulletin Boards in Paresky
Exploring the idea of buying large bulletin boards for use in the student center.
SophomOrientation
Planning for the fourth installment of the program, with a committee chaired by Class of 2015 Representative and D4 resident Ben Augenbraun (bla1), is under way.
BikeShare
After pumping the brakes on this initiative last year, Council is reaching out to the coordinators of successful programs at other colleges to determine how to make the system work at Williams.
Better Gym Hours
We are hoping to “work out” an arrangement that allows you to use the gym earlier on Sunday mornings.
A C C R E F R E S H E R
1.) We meet: on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9pm in Hopkins Classroom 001.
**All meetings are completely OPEN and we’d love to have you!**
2.) We post our meeting agenda and our minutes: on WSO, in the CC Updates section.
3.) CC is on Facebook. Search “Williams College Council.”
4.) We have a website with lots of helpful information: collegecouncil.williams.edu
5.) We want to know your thoughts: [email protected]
6.) We walk around campus: stop us and tell us what’s on your mind.
Please help us to better advocate for you!
It is a privilege to represent you.
Krista and Peter
CC Presidents
P.S. Apply to be on a College committee! Each year, CC appoints students to over 20 student/faculty committees. Look for an e-mail from Peter next week with details about the committees and how to apply.