Residential Council Minutes - October 16, 2007

Attendance: Alex Dean, Pete Donnelly, Mark Fuller, Allison Kwong, James Reed, Kyle Evans, Albert Carter, Michael Morgenstern, Scott Middleton

Absent: Adam Axler, Laura Supkoff (expunged)

1. ResCouncil Recruitment

a. Council will ideally recruit four alternates, preferably sophomores

b. Rich is willing to pay for one-quarter page recruitment advertisement in the BDH

i. Al is appointed to create said advertisement, with Council input and approval

ii. Discussion of ad content - emphasis on RPL issues, heating problems, lottery complaints. Explain that joining ResCouncil will allow applicants an active voice in residential issues.

c. Other means of recruitment: Greek Council, Daily Jolt, Facebook

2. Policy Update

a. Al makes the following proposal to repair windows in Wriston lounges.

i.

Given that residence hall lounges are often too cold to use, particularly the lounges in Wriston Quad, ResCouncil proposes the following actions:

1. We request that Residential Life enlist Facilities Management in making the following changes to Wriston residence halls identified as having gone through Phase I renovation:
1. Replace all broken or missing clam locks on said lounge windows
2. Install weather stripping on all windows
3. Install plastic sheets on all central windows directly above heating units.

 

Residential Council will identify and provide a list to Residential Life of all residence halls that have gone through Phase I renovation, and will inform the community assistants of all affected residence halls and program/Greek house leadership about both Program/Greek House lounges and independent lounges in order to enlist their assistance in making the lounges accessible for repair, as well as informing their residents about the need for the repairs.

There are several reasons we believe this plan of action is necessary.  Firstly, many Wriston residence halls are too cold to use in the winter.  Though these lounges are not utilized as intended as a result of their temperatures, their heating systems still cannot be cut off, therefore, wasting large amounts of energy. The placement of heating units directly below windows in Wriston lounges is exacerbates this energy loss.

With Brown’s current focus on energy conservation, it is important that these changes be made, to further solidify Brown’s status as an environmentally and energy conscious campus.

Finally, the above renovations are extremely inexpensive compared to the cost of replacing the windows themselves and would, according to Kurt Teichert, former Director of Sustainable Energy & Environmental Initiatives at Facilities Management, and current Environmental Stewardship Initiatives Manager, help alleviate both the inability of the windows to insulate and the loss of heat caused by heater placement.

ii. Al moves to approve proposal - Motion passes unanimously

3. Program House Update

a. Kyle and Alex to meet with Rich to discuss consequences of failing fall review

b. Discussion of program house faculty advisors

i. Advisors currently play only minimal role in program houses

ii. Should advisor requirements, which are now largely unfulfilled be expanded, lowered, or abolished altoghether?

iii. Dean Forsberg suggests rewarding what we consider to be good advising rather than punishing houses for not living up to standards.

iv. We could incorporate advising into "university relations" review requirement

v. Members of the administration should be allowed to serve as program house advisors