Student Senate drops Residential Life proposal

Several ideas proposed by Residential Life, formally Residential Housing, were dropped, thanks in part to a bill authored by Southern’s student senate.
In a meeting on last Wednesday, members met in the Henton Room of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union to discuss the scrapped plans.
“We told them that we didn’t want community learning, that people wouldn’t want to house with people in the same major—so we’re not going to have community learning,” said Senate President Stasha Rhodes.
In a Residential Life update on November 6, the department proposed a ‘new Jaguar Living and Learning Community’ to begin what it called ‘Phase 1’ for Spring 2009, but would take place the following academic semester. Students who were planning to live in residential halls (dormitories, according to the update, no longer exist) would live in designated areas that would represent each academic major. Students with the same major would room together, with undeclared major students ‘scattered’ among them to ‘assist them with declaring a major in the future.’
The update included the status of both Bradford and Boley Halls—unsure, and to reopen spring 2009, respectively—and a number of staff changes, among them, resident and desk assistants.
“The Senate and Residential Housing have come together and managed to cancel it,” said Rhodes.
She said Residential life was appreciative of what they called the “right” way to approach administration, and agreed with the senate, commending the students and their senate.
“The senate’s still working on fighting for the meal plan,” said Rhodes, who admitted that the final say would have to come from Chancellor Lomotey and the Southern System. Students living in the apartment-style dorms are largely opposed to purchasing a meal plan.
Senate Bill 21, an appropriation bill to help Southern’s chapter of the Black Executive Exchange Program fund it’s conference was passed favorably for the club.
The only piece of new business to before the senate body was a constitutional amendment by sophomore legislator Langston Williams, who proposed a new tier for Miss Southern and class queens, moving the former to tier 3 with the SGA vice-president and Chief Justice, while refraining hopefuls from changing the positions they’re vying for—but only if it’s on an upper-tier.
The proposed bill was not officially on the floor for a vote, as it had not left its committee.
Many senators questioned the validity of the bill, as a particular queen is named several times, leading many to ask if the bill was written as a “personal vendetta” or an attack.

4 comments

Striving for the Best

Mon Jan 12 2009 02:31

Living-Learning facilities can be quite beneficial. Most universities that have successfully implemented this type of program have made it an option rather than a requirement. (i.e Engineering residence hall, freshman living learning dorm-which have professors rotate living in facility to assist students, Sciences apartment living) Generally, students that request to live in the facility, report that the experience met or exceeded their expectations. I see both sides of the argument but feel SU students would miss a great opportunity if the administration decides to completely abandon the idea without more reconsideration of the structure.

B-T Dub Alum

Sun Dec 7 2008 01:25

Forcing students to live with others in their majors is just plain stupid. SU is a UNIVERSITY, not a boarding school or a big group home. I enjoyed living amongst people with different majors in Washington Hall. Honestly, what is the benefit of this plan from Residential Life?

Housing Expert

Thu Dec 4 2008 12:46

I cant help but comment on this. Students should not be making decisions on whether they want living learning communities or not. This shows the lack of experience, leadership and communication skills on behalf of the University administration. While socializing is a part of the university experience, a small part, academics should be considered first. Yes living learning communities do not support a great deal of socializing with your friends, but it does enhance peer tutoring outside of the class room. Instead of engaging in some meaningless conversation with your roommate or neighbor, maybe you talk about why you missed that question on your test, maybe you prevent someone from missing that question on the test. Most university's have gone to this model, its time to step into the future. Its time to start partying less and thinking more. What the students don't realize, is that they are already being segregated/stratified by gender when it comes to University housing....nobody's is screaming about that . This is for the better, but we cant blame ignorance on the students when the administration is so weak and inexperienced-----Dong roles down hill.

G.P.A Guru

Wed Dec 3 2008 18:15

I hope Stasha Rhodes has the 2.5 G.P.A this spring because the negotiations with housing will have to extend all the way to the Judiciary hearings. She is a joke for a V.P I was never this bad when I served in that capacity. I hope we can stop these 2.5073456 whatever type of people from winning.

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