[2721] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: [Mit-talk] Group Property and GIRs
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Andrew Lukmann)
Thu Oct 19 19:31:39 2006
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:30:50 -0400
From: Andrew Lukmann <lukymann@mit.edu>
To: Derric Tay <derrict@mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <45380014.2000505@mit.edu>
Cc: ua-exec@mit.edu, mit-talk@mit.edu, ua-senate@mit.edu, ec-discuss@mit.edu,
senior-house@mit.edu
Errors-To: mit-talk-bounces@mit.edu
In response to Derric's statement, I honestly hope to convince anyone
who feels that "they can't do anything" about the proposed changes to
the GIR's that they are quite incorrect. In fact, my comments (on
student opposition to the Freshman Experience and changes to
Orientation) at the faculty meeting the other day were met not by
hostility or defensiveness by President Hockfield, administrators or
faculty members but rather by an eagerness to engage the student body.
It is in this period, when the faculty is just beginning to parse the
report and when actual policy changes are just beginning to be proposed
that we can have the greatest effect. According to the President, once
the report is committed to the CUP, the process will likely take 18
months before recommendations from the report are actually implemented
(if the faculty choses to do so). This recent flurry of activity
surrounding the release of the report should not be seen by students as
the end of an opportunity to influence change, but rather as a new
beginning. I have been regularly monitoring this discussion list as well
as others to gather feedback, but if you are particularly passionate,
please engage the UA and the Ed-Comm SAC. Contact your UA Senators, the
UA SCEP or myself at ua@mit.edu for more information.
-Andrew L.
UAP
Derric Tay wrote:
> I was just saying this earlier today. How come people are making such a
> bigger deal over something like this, as opposed to something that would
> much, much, more significantly affect the future of MIT and MIT students
> and alums.
>
> I may be a senior myself, but (1) I recognize that the reputation that
> MIT gets, based on how various school officials (as well as students)
> manage the Institvte, will affect me and other people who have completed
> the GIRs by now, and (2) If possible, I don't want to allow ill-advised,
> unwise decision-making to screw over future generations of MIT students.
>
> The feeling that "we can't do anything about this" is not supposed to
> exist. If it does exist, I believe it can be attributed to decisions
> that were made by MIT's administration and/or others in such a way that
> student input--and by student input, I don't mean impractical nonsense
> that is generally associated with "college kids", but I mean realistic,
> reasonable, practical, intelligent, and wise suggestions from the
> students--were not given thoughtful and due consideration.
>
> ~DT
>
>
> Jeff Roberts wrote:
>
>> As an alum, I think that MIT should quit giving money to student
>> groups. Students obviously have no idea how to spend money properly.
>> I'm going to ensure that all my future donations to MIT come with the
>> stipulation that they cannot be spent by students.
>>
>> MIT should hire some more Deans. Now THOSE guys know how to spend money right!
>>
>> I'm pretty amazed how much more discussion there's been on this topic
>> than on the proposed GIR changes, which seem like they could be pretty
>> significant ... Jeff.
>>
>> On 10/18/06, Jeremy H. Brown <jhbrown@csail.mit.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> jhbrown@csail.mit.edu (Jeremy H. Brown) writes:
>>>
>>>> Oh, space. The ASA has, for a long time, been "in charge" of most of
>>>> the student office space and bulletin-board space, and has
>>>> periodically reallocated it. In practice, in my era, at least, all
>>>> they usually did was take office space away from defunct groups and
>>>> give it to groups that wanted space, and other such more-or-less
>>>> inoffensive changes. Even there there was often controversy, but
>>>> whatever. Every group knows that their office space is nominally lent
>>>> via the ASA; it's clear, and they should be under no illusion that
>>>> they "own" it, because it's spelled out.
>>>>
>>> One final (you hope, anyhow) point: long-established groups like LSC,
>>> the Tech, WMBR, etc. have office space which is generally considered
>>> sacred when the ASA goes to reallocate offices. Most other groups are
>>> still jostling for space. I know when I was a student, the years that
>>> office space reallocation was coming up, the more politically-aware
>>> groups would work hard to put a number of members into the ASA in
>>> order to make sure their interests were thoroughly represented.
>>>
>>> I've also heard of people trying to do Finboard stacking, but I never
>>> knew enough about Finboard's procedures to know how well that worked.
>>>
>>> Anyhow, coming around to my actual point: If the UA gets the power to
>>> reposess resources that they deem under-utilized, eventually some
>>> wacky student group is going to stack that committee/wing/whatever,
>>> and go to town with it.
>>>
>>> Actually, that could be kind of fun. I'd love to see what the Campus
>>> Crusade for Cthulhu would do if they had control of the UA Committee
>>> for Taking Other People's Stuff.
>>>
>>> Jeremy
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> MIT-talk mailing list
>>> MIT-talk@mit.edu
>>> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/mit-talk
>>>
>>>
>>
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