<f the biggest challenges college administrators face is deciding how to communicate with students. Viewed as strict, rule-making bodies intent on preventing students from having fun, the administrations of post-secondary educational institutions are often removed from the living, breathing college communities they serve. In order to ensure Carleton’s administrative entities do not fall into this trap, the College, in coordination with the Carleton Student Association, has created positions for students eager to communicate student concerns to governing bodies and in turn effect policy change.
As Carleton Student Association’s College Council liaison senators, Steve Moran and I fill one such position. Serving as the link between the Council and the student body, we are responsible for relaying the recent actions of the College Council to the student body. In addition to speaking to students on behalf of the College Council, Steve and I gather student opinions on administrative policies in order to accurately convey students’ individual and collective interests to the College Council. The Council then takes this feedback and uses it to inform their policy-making decisions.
So far this term, the College Council has met twice, on Monday, October 8th, and Monday, October 29th. During the first meeting, President Poskanzer, Chair and Convener of the College Council, opened with a few general updates. The first update regarded the 1.5 million dollar gift Carleton recently received for student scholarships. Reserved for students of middle-income families who are not from metropolitan areas, these scholarships aim to provide students who could not otherwise afford private education the opportunity to attend Carleton.
In his second update, the President discussed staff vacancies. According to his report, two hiring committees are well into their search for a new Director of the Career Center and a new Director of Information Technology Services, and should arrive at a decision in the near future.
In his third and final update, President Poskanzer noted that the number of prospective students visiting campus is up relative to last year. The President also stated that no conclusions could be drawn until more information is gathered.
Once these updates were given, the committee spent the rest of the meeting reviewing the Strategic Plan. After much discussion, the College Council voted to approve the Strategic Plan with the understanding that some small changes would be made to enhance the clarity of the document.
At the second College Council Meeting, President Poskanzer recapped the meeting of the Board of Trustees that took place seventh weekend. The President also explained the small changes that were made to the strategic plan, and discussed which of the plan’s initiatives would be pursued first. Wayne Eisenhuth, Director of Security, led the last portion of the meeting. In his report, Mr. Eisenhuth discussed the College’s initiatives to improve campus security.
If you have questions regarding the specifics of any of these discussions, please contact Becca Giles or Steven Moran, or refer to the minutes of the meeting listed on College Council Website. The College Council meets regularly during the term, and invites all members of the Carleton community to attend its meetings.