ASUSU discusses resolutions
Members of the Associated Students of Utah State University Executive Council and the university Executive Committee are on the same page after meeting Thursday to review six resolutions the council passed this semester.
The resolutions allow dependent use of the Student Health and Wellness Center, put recycled paper in each computer lab on campus, implement reading days before finals week, start finals after 7:30 a.m., add two more students at large to the University Student Fee Board and require faculty evaluations to be discontinued on the university Web site until Nov. 1.
ASUSU makes resolutions – suggestions, in essence – on behalf of the students and takes them to the president and his Executive Committee for approval.
The committee, composed of administrators, agreed with most aspects of each
resolution.
In particular, President Kermit L. Hall said he agreed with the resolution to implement two non-class study days before finals (reading days) with the possibility of extending the school year to compensate.
“I can’t imagine the fiscal fate of the university will turn because of two days,” he said. “The real issue is about the principle of the matter and whether it’s good for the
students.”
The Faculty Senate makes resolutions on behalf of the faculty and takes them to the president, as well.
The senate is concerned that students will use the reading days as a four-day weekend. However, Hall said those who want to take advantage of it will.
“In a way, it’s healthy for the faculty. [At the end of the semester] there are too many things to do and too little time to do it,” he said.
Joyce Kinkead, vice provost for Undergraduate Studies and Research, said she is concerned about the impact the readings days would have on facilities around campus.
Ericka Ensign, ASUSU Academic vice president, said the extra days would not fall during the cold months, and the buildings would probably be open anyway.
Hall recommended the council present reading days to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee again, without the dead-week policy on the resolution. The policy requires faculty members to not give any tests or quizzes, or assign or accept any papers and projects during the final week of classes.
With or without the dead week policy, Ensign explained, reading days will mostly benefit the average student.
“[The resolution] is not geared to the two polarized ends of student performance. This is for most students, who stand between those two thresholds,” she said.
The council and committee also discussed faculty evaluations Thursday. The senate voted Monday to take them off the university Web site because of inaccuracies.
In its resolution, the ASUSU council required the evaluations be brought back on the site by Nov. 1 instead of being kept off the site indefinitely, Ensign said.
Before Nov. 1, a subcommittee will find a way to improve the way the information about the evaluations is presented.
Brent Miller, vice president of Research and Executive Committee member, said he was very disappointed that the senate voted to take the evaluations off the site.
“There are always going to be problems, but [the faculty] should be responsible to have the evaluations open to the students,” he said.
Hall said he felt the same way.
“We were acting as if we have something to hide, and we have nothing to hide,” he said.
Kinkead said the faculty needs to be accountable to the students.
“We don’t have anything to be ashamed of. We have above-average faculty evaluations,” she said.
Most of the committee agreed with ASUSU’s resolution that provides dependent use of the Student Health and Wellness Center – use by spouses and children of students. However, Hall said he will not go forward with the resolution until a business plan is drawn up by Student Services.
Dax Mangus, ASUSU Natural Resources senator, presented the resolution to put 100-percent recycled paper in the computer labs on
campus.
“We’re sensitive to the fact that using recycled paper costs more money, and we realize it’s not going to happen over night,” Mangus said.
The Student Computer Lab Fee Committee considered the resolution but decided to put 30-percent post-consumer recycled paper in the computer labs.
Hall said any efforts to put recycled paper in the labs should be done over time, because the university still has large stocks of paper that need to be used.
-mmackay@cc.usu.edu