A giant chicken, a frog prince and videogame superheroes Mario and Luigi all made an appearance at this week’s session of the Student Government Association Senate-a bit odd, perhaps, had it not been Halloween. Costume-clad senators spent much of the meeting discussing the proposed classroom-civility initiative, of which many senators expressed skepticism or outright criticism.
Paaige Turner, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Communication, answered senators’ questions about the civility initiative. The proposal-which is still being revised and has yet to be approved by the provost-seeks to create “a positive learning environment for everyone,” according to a memorandum issued by Turner to the Senate.
It will provide guidelines for professors to use in responding to inappropriate student behavior, as well as offering “proactive components” to “foster respect and dialogue.”
“These are visions of how we should treat each other,” Turner said.
Public Service Sen. Kevin Grillot asked why a similar document was not in the works to set standards for professors’ behavior; Turner responded that she was open to the idea, but said that she did not have the resources to draft such a document at present.
When asked why instructors needed guidelines for controlling students, Turner reminded senators that many graduate-degree programs do not train future professors on how to run a class.
Turner said that she hoped to take a finalized version of the proposal to the provost for approval, by the end of November.
After Turner’s departure, senators had an opportunity to comment on the classroom civility initiative. They were largely critical of the proposal. Many expressed concern that some professors believe that the document is necessary at all.
“Personally, I feel that if you are teaching in a university, you should have some kind of classroom management skills,” said Sen. Dan Finucane, who represents Marguerite Hall and Notre Dame Hall. “I’m worried that this could turn into a Band-Aid approach.”
Some senators came to the defense of the civility initiative, saying that it would protect students from disrespectful classmates and set clear expectations for everyone. They also noted that the most recent version of the document, which had been revised in light of student concerns, was much more acceptable than the one SGA had first seen.
President Andrew Clifton said that there were “a lot of legit points,” but urged senators to offer constructive criticism and to provide alternative solutions.
“If we are reasonable in our our complaints, it will go a lot further,” Clifton said. “A lot of people are going to oppose [the proposal] no matter what . Things like this are notoriously unpopular, [but] I ask you to think about this patiently.”
Arts and Sciences Sen. Pat Devney asked if the civility initiative would still be put into effect if the Senate ultimately voted to disapprove of it; Clifton said that it might.
The Senate will continue to consider the initiative and seek feedback from the student body; it may consider specific legislation on the proposal in the future.
“This could be one of the most important things we vote on this year,” Devney said.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting:
The Senate unanimously voted to grant $975 to Students United for Africa. Eleven members of SUFA are making a two-week trip to Ghana during winter break; they will visit a school whose construction was financed by the group’s fundraising efforts.
SGA’s spot-funding allocation will pay for the travelers’ lodgings.
Senators also unanimously voted to appoint Commuter Sen. Lucie Swain as this year’s election commissioner. Swain will oversee SGA elections, which will take place next semester.
The Senate confirmed the membership of the SGA Upper-Class Scholarship Selection Committee. The seven-member committee will choose five recipients for the $1,000, merit-based award, which will be distributed before the end of the fall semester. The committee includes three staff members and four students, all of whom are enrolled in the John Cook School of Business.
