Senate Beat: Senators Discuss Semester Plans, Top 30 “Tight on Money”

Vice Treasurer Frank Gaunt and Assistant Treasurer Salma Huque jointly announced Top 30 allocations, noting that Senate was especially “tight on money this semester.” This semester’s funding circus, Gaunt continued, was only able to provide “barebones budgets” and forced Finance Committee to account remaining money from last semester. He emphasized that Finance Committee was always open to talk with signators on remaining funding issues.

Vice President Isabella Hoff intends to review the use of student spaces on campus with Kristin Holmberg, director for the Office of Student Engagement. In particular, she intends to discuss the future of the Women’s Center in the GCC with this semester’s signators.

Senator Jonathan Lederman, speaking as Disability Support Services (DSS) liaison, intends to set up programming for students with disabilities. He will meet with Assistant Dean for Inclusive Community Dayspring Mattole to discuss creating a peer mentor-style program for students with disabilities, and anticipates some funding from DSS. He also intends to organize a Reed Admit Day panel on Reed’s disability processes. Along with Accessibility Committee, he will also work throughout the semester on minor but substantial improvements across campus, beginning with a focus on Commons and dietary restrictions.

He further announced that he will also meet with Assistant Dean of Students for Resident Life Amy Schuckman to organize focus groups on the organization of the new dorm. He is happy to pass on student concerns about on-campus housing to his meeting with Shuckman.

Huque and Senator Alisha Chen, both members of Student Committee on Academic Policy and Planning (SCAPP), reported that the committee debated changes to the status of the social sciences in Reed’s new group requirements, among other details. These revised group requirements are undergoing modifications throughout the semester, and are to take effect in Fall 2019.

Senator Billy Fish also announced an upcoming meeting of Sustainability Committee, to have met this past Wednesday. He planned to raise the possibility of expanding composting at Reed, as well as a review of Reed’s utility usage.

Finally, Kavi Subramanian has been re-appointed as Honor Council’s Mediation Chair.