Banning Micro-beads

Kevin Kane, a third year Management student, came to speak to Student Government (SG) Senate. He talked about the banning of products containing micro-beads from campus because it causes harm to aquatic environments. As of right now, micro-bead containing products are available at Crossroads, Sol’s Underground and the Clinique counter at Barnes & Noble. A charge was passed to the SG Sustainability Committee in regards to the issue.

Intersession Report

J.F. Naveda, chair of the Office of Intersession and Summer Task Force, presented the Intersession Report to SG Senate. The contents of this report are as follows:

• The Intersession Task Force was charged to evaluate the Intersession term; determining if it met expectations, and if keeping Intersession is deemed worthy, as well as what would be a reasonable timeline to realize its potential.
• There are two options: keep Intersession, or remove it starting the 2017-18 Academic Year (AY)
• The expectations of intersession were: student participation, robust participation by faculty, limit credits taken by students, introduce something different, keep educational values, offer meaningful, helpful and attractive courses, help students stay on track, explore new academic experiences, attract new students and centrally coordinate new office for new offerings.
• Limiting courses over Intersession is limiting opportunities; enrollment in Intersession classes is down and Intersession credit hours are negligible.
• A lot of faculty and staff want to discontinue Intersession from a graph of survey results, students say we should modify Intersession.
• Conclusion: Eliminate the Intersession term, effective 2017-18 AY.
• Intersession-less calendar characteristics: same number of instruction hours as we have today, three equal length terms (14 weeks of instruction), summer interchangeable with fall and spring terms.
• Three to four week winter break to support activities, such as course preparation, research and study abroad
• Retain basic course scheduling pattern (M-F) with appropriate changes.
• Report approved.

Robin Thicke Resolution

RIT SG Senate has introduced an official resolution to the controversy surrounding Robin Thicke coming to RIT’s Gordon Field House to perform at Jingle Jam, sponsored by 98PXY. The details are as follows:

• RIT SG has introduced an official response with issues of Robin Thicke performing on campus during 98PXY's Jingle Jam.
• The song "Blurred Lines" has been criticized and condemned because rape culture is propagated by the song.
• 98PXY and Robin Thicke’s agents have been called by SG to prevent his songs from playing while at RIT, Pawprints petitions to stop him from coming on campus have been signed, but also a petition to let him perform in regards to free speech has been started.
• SG will not seek to ban performance.
• SG will offer meeting space and set up peaceful demonstration or alternative programming.