Opening Mediation

AGENDA: Talk about flat screen TV & flyer policy, international student concerns, hoodie update, mug holders for next week, next week talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas party

TV: Dean Lightsey wants to know where students want the flatscreen TV.  This is the class gift from last year, it’s been purchased, just have to figure out where to put it.  It will have announcements about STH events, possibly managed through Dean Lightsey’s office likely through Valentina.  General consensus for basement placement.

Flyer policy: Ability to advertise is limited.  Dean Lightsey’s office offered easels on floors 1-3 in the meantime.  Already bulletin boards on floors 1 & 2 but they’re locked and STHSA body would like a more democratic way /less red rape way of having student organizations advertise.  Discussion:

• Some students prefer email; may not pay attention to a bulletin board.  Though other students articulate that they get so many emails they often don’t read them all and would appreciate other physical reminders in the STH building.
• Physical boards allow people outside the STH bubble to advertise to us
• Is a screen really green?  Is the carbon footprint actually smaller with a TV screen?
• If concerned about how much paper is around, having designated space cuts down on the amount of flyers.  Also get a lot of emails per day and often ignore so personally likes flyers to catch your eye.
• Also proposed an optional comprehensive Google calendar for the school you can be a part of if you want to.  A calendar does currently exist but only about 5 people in the school can edit it.
  • Ashley had tried to get organization presidents to send their events to make a master calendar but no one got back to her
  • A desire to use Facebook/social media in addition, not in place of a place to post hard copy flyers.
  • Desire for regulation over how flyers get posted AND taken down after events end.

Yun Jeong – international student concerns.

Writing works is a great, free resource, but international students have particular issue with the policy surrounding editing of take-home exams or final papers:

• STH prohibits assistance with exams.  Know school has limitations on making writing center works, but there are only 3 employees and they’re often booked and international students get frustrated that there isn’t an international student only source.  Can there be a priority for international student use?
  • Existing tension with domestic students that Writing Works is heavily booked by international students in the past
  • Professors can say writing works can be used for take-home exams or papers for grammatical help only if they email the Writing Works Center.
  • Proposed idea of more workshops for international students throughout the year, utilization of ESL writing skills appointments at the Education Resource Center (university-wide writing resource) in addition to the Writing Works Center at STH.
    • Supposedly there’s a handbook for international students in Boston, though Yun Jeong never received it.  Could be helpful to have introductory course or time connected to orientation.  Would likely be more helpful if the handbook were offered before orientation and in multiple languages.
    • Jospeh, Yun Jeong, and Jason will work together to draft the email and send it off for consideration at the next AAPF meeting.  Will include the deans in the email.
    • Proposed idea to have students be proofreaders for 1 or 2 credits per semester.
    • Proposed idea to expanding new student orientation to have time before the first year orientation for international students only.
      • Housing could be an obstacle; maybe reach out to current students that wouldn’t mind housing international students temporarily
      • We will also reach out to the international chaplain at Marsh, Brittany, to see what she already has going or how she might be able to help.
      • Proposed idea to expand the mentorship to have a specific focus on international students
        • Maybe get KSA involved and have people who have been here longer be mentors
        • Ashley has tried in the past and couldn’t get much response but willing to try again

Kristen – Hoodie Competition

On the basis that we did not have a quorum of students voting and that all possible designs were not included, we will revote Monday-Wednesday of next week AND have a paper vote at Community Lunch next Wednesday.

• On design went to Kristen’s spam folder and wasn’t found until after voting had ended.
• A design from a few years ago was brought to the officers’ attentions
• General consensus is a desire to reopen voting, as some had discussed doing their own separate hoodie and this was viewed as divisive by some and there is an overall desire to have unity with this design.