SGA tackles guest lists, grading

Author: Derek Schlickeisen

Following up on the campaign promises of many recently-elected senators, Middlebury's Student Government Association (SGA) met with administrators last Sunday to discuss the impact of College policy regarding private parties and social life on campus. The SGA also unveiled the results of its student survey on grade inflation during the meeting.

In a presentation to the SGA, Dean of the College Tim Spears, Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson and Center for Campus Activities and Leadership Director Doug Adams attempted to clarify the College's response to renewed vigilance by State Liquor Inspector Michael G. Davidson.

Specifically, the three tried to explain what was expected of social houses that use guest lists to control admittance to parties at which alcohol is served. According to the clarified regulations, guests whose names appear on the pre-approved list must operate by the "plus one" rule that limits each party guest to one additional guest of his or her own: "For each guest invited," read the regulations, "a space must be provided on the guest list next to the invitee's name and the guest's name added upon arrival."

In addition to limiting the number of additional guests each guest can bring to a party, the new interpretation of state law restricts the total number of invitees to an event to "twice the capacity of the space," and requires that the list be made available to the Department of Public Safety before the party begins.

"What [the administration] wants to do most of all is support an enjoyable but safe atmosphere on campus while complying with state law," said Spears. "The College's lawyers have told us that we have very little wiggle room."

To counter what many students have described as a more limited social scene following implementation of these policies, the administrators informed SGA members that they have been looking into the possibility of permanently licensing various social spaces on campus. These licenses would allow spaces such as Proctor, Ross and Atwater Dining Halls and McCullough Social Space to legally function as bars, much like The Grille does now.

According to Spears, without such a license, a party at which alcohol was served in one of these spaces would require specific approval from the state three weeks in advance. "By obtaining licenses for each space, the College can have parties that serve alcohol without sending dozens of requests to the state," he said. "It's not that we want to organize parties under the table, but it would allow us to plan for them more spontaneously."

Hanson said the College may be able to obtain licenses for these social spaces "in the near future."

Following the discussion with administrators, SGA Director of Academic Affairs Francie Kammeraad '08 presented the results of an SGA survey of student opinion concerning grade inflation. The poll, taken of roughly one-third of the student body, revealed that a vast majority of students - 73 percent - believe that grade inflation exists in some form on campus, although 36 percent believed that the inflation "exists in some academic departments but not others."

Disparity among various departments proved to be the cause of much of the student concern surrounding grade inflation. Seventy percent found the discrepancy to be "problematic," and anecdotal evidence in the form of 71 student essays submitted to the survey committee suggested that those majoring in the sciences and mathematics are most resentful. "I am taking a lot of science courses. Most include labs, which means I have twice the amount of class time [as students with other majors]. The fact that an A is almost impossible to achieve is really not fair," read one of the essays, which were presented anonymously so that students could speak frankly.

Although some students took issue with the state of grade inflation on campus, very few - 14 percent - said they wanted the school to implement policies that would reduce grade inflation. Another student wrote in an essay, "Should there be a restrictive grading policy… students would have no incentive to learn together and benefit from one another. They might even feel threatened by each other."