Community Council update

Author: Hilary Hall

On March 10, the Community Council met to discuss its plans for the remainder of the spring semester. Following the unanimous approval of last week's minutes, Acting Dean of the College Gus Jordan brought up the Community Principles plan from last semester. Community Principles, which, though two years in the making, is still in a fairly early stage of administrative progress, is a plan for a type of social honor code. It will ask students to look after each other and keep each others', and the community's, best interests in mind.

"It is a cultural change," said Tahirah Foy '10.

Community Council had sought faculty approval on this issue, only to be rebuffed by the Faculty Council, which questioned whether or not it was necessary to sign another document considering what is already in the handbook. The Community Council believes strongly that it is, and Jordan and Wonnacott Commons Dean Matt Longman have put considerable time and energy into building support for the issue.

Citing these challenges with faculty, though, Hiba Fakhoury '09, in her first Community Council meeting as Student Government Association (SGA) president, offered to take it on, as SGA has decided to focus on the honor code for the rest of the spring. The Council thus voted to have SGA members and Community Council members Foy, Raymond Queliz '11, Assistant Professor of Spanish Juana Gamero de Coca and Director of Health and Wellness Education Jyoti Daniere meet with the Faculty Council to move forward on the issue.

"It has to be lived and breathed," Daniere said.

The Council then discussed the social house reviews, which are still in progress, and decided to create a standardized protocol for future years.

The meeting adjourned after a brief discussion about the new alcohol policy - which is in the works and waiting for President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz's review - the Queer Studies House's first year and the SGA's data collection concerning the Honor Code.