[294] in UA Exec
Re: You are being lied to.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alexandra Jordan)
Sun Apr 4 12:43:47 2010
Cc: hwkns@mit.edu, UA Senate <ua-senate@mit.edu>,
UA Executive Board <ua-exec@mit.edu>
From: Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@MIT.EDU>
To: Anthony Rindone <arindone@mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <m2q17e670ad1004040851x5144fe28hf2194ce4310e68de@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2010 12:43:41 -0400
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And what "course of action" do you recommend if admins continue to
side-step your complaints and conduct business as usual (i.e. with
little to no student input)? I think this is actually the place we
find ourselves at.
With respect to dining, we've done everything under the sun to engage
administrators in a conversation they are simply unwilling to have.
BRDC had student input (though it was mostly ineffectual), and in
response to the BRDC leak, the UA decided to draft its own document
with a heavier student perspective. Dean Colombo had both of these
documents in hand last May and has sat on them ever since.
Throughout the summer, members of the DPC continued to collect
feedback from various parties on the DPC report (including
housemasters). They also tried to discuss the report with Dean
Colombo, who had nothing concrete to say on it, either positive or
negative. Then the academic year started, we got a new Dining
Committee chair, and Dean Colombo also ignored him.
We've seen ZERO changes made to dining in the last 11 months that DSL
has had the BRDC and DPC reports. In that time, however, the UA has
been in constant contact with the Dining Office, trying to secure
programs like a take-out or hot breakfast option. All of which have
been turned down by the admin for the present (although hot breakfast
is likely to happen in the fall, despite the fact that there isn't
currently a plan in place to fix the inefficiencies that make dining
so expensive).
So after 2 official dining reports, 11 months of prodding and
conversation starting, and one bill from the Senate urging Dean
Colombo to respond, where do we--the students and MAJOR stakeholders
in the dining system--find ourselves? Nowhere.
Dean Colombo has set up yet another diversion--HDAG--and devised it
such that students are outnumbered by housemasters and admins.
So again, I ask you, what "course of action" would you take?
Alex Jordan
Chair, UA Committee on Sustainability
Former DPC member
On Apr 4, 2010, at 11:51 AM, Anthony Rindone wrote:
> I think it's irresponsible to create controversy largely on
> speculation, but I'll bite.
>
> I do remember some discussion on that resolution a few months ago,
> and I do recall at least one person pointing out the lack of "bite"
> that said resolutions have. If the people responsible for certain
> obligations (i.e. Colombo) do not meet those guidelines, then what
> really are the consequences? O yeah...people bitch about it on these
> mailing lists.
>
> Members of the UA should approach him in person and grill him on
> these issues during his office hours (if he still has them...and if
> he doesn't he should be grilled on that too...) Essentially, if
> something like this comes up, the gut reaction necessarily should
> not be to shoot off a weak email, but to get into the faces of
> Admins. If they still bullshit you, then come up with a course of
> action.
>
> Talk less, act more
>
> Anthony Rindone
> arindone@mit.edu
>
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 7:45 AM, Daniel Hawkins <hwkns@mit.edu> wrote:
> Task Force report, Summer Housing, Athena - all handled very well so
> far, in my opinion. But something isn't right. Has anyone noticed
> that we've had no real dialogue whatsoever with the administration
> about dining this semester? And not for lack of trying... Student
> engagement my ass. The final decision will be thrust upon us in a
> few weeks, right about the time we need to be studying for finals,
> and in the mean time we are being intentionally blocked out of the
> decision making process.
>
> Colombo refuses to talk to the UAP about dining. Yes, he refuses.
> Just think about that for a moment. Did you ever imagine you would
> have a Dean for Student Life who would refuse to talk with a student
> representative about a student life issue?
>
> Remember that resolution that most of you put your names on back in
> December? The one that demanded dialogue and evidence of
> incorporated student input? Not only did Colombo fail to get back
> to us for an entire three months, but he did nothing that we asked
> for. Absolutely none of it. Our requests were neither difficult
> nor unreasonable, but he chose to completely ignore them.
>
> Instead, three months later, he came up with HDAG, and set a time-
> line that was already severely inadequate for taking student input
> into account in any meaningful way. Then he failed to meet even
> that time-line (according to his plan, the Idea Bank was supposed to
> open up on March 15, almost three weeks ago).
>
> At the exec meeting on Wednesday, I learned that the Division of
> Student Life has been building a web site that they hope will
> minimize blowback from the announcement of the new dining plan.
> Members of HDAG, of course, being the principal advisers in this
> process, had no clue that the web site existed.
>
> I don't know what the hell is going on, but it's not student
> engagement.
>
> Discuss.
>
> -hwkns
>
__________________________________
Alexandra Jordan
MIT 2011
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science
Political Science
amjordan@mit.edu
916.813.7740
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">And what "course of action" do =
you recommend if admins continue to side-step your complaints and =
conduct business as usual (i.e. with little to no student input)? I =
think this is actually the place we find ourselves =
at. <div><br></div><div>With respect to dining, we've done =
everything under the sun to engage administrators in a conversation they =
are simply unwilling to have. BRDC had student input (though it was =
mostly ineffectual), and in response to the BRDC leak, the UA decided to =
draft its own document with a heavier student perspective. Dean Colombo =
had both of these documents in hand last May and has sat on them ever =
since. </div><div><br></div><div>Throughout the summer, members of =
the DPC continued to collect feedback from various parties on the DPC =
report (including housemasters). They also tried to discuss the report =
with Dean Colombo, who had nothing concrete to say on it, either =
positive or negative. Then the academic year started, we got a new =
Dining Committee chair, and Dean Colombo also ignored =
him. </div><div><br></div><div>We've seen ZERO changes made to =
dining in the last 11 months that DSL has had the BRDC and DPC reports. =
In that time, however, the UA has been in constant contact with the =
Dining Office, trying to secure programs like a take-out or hot =
breakfast option. All of which have been turned down by the admin for =
the present (although hot breakfast is likely to happen in the fall, =
despite the fact that there isn't currently a plan in place to fix the =
inefficiencies that make dining so =
expensive). </div><div><br></div><div>So after 2 official dining =
reports, 11 months of prodding and conversation starting, and one bill =
from the Senate urging Dean Colombo to respond, where do we--the =
students and MAJOR stakeholders in the dining system--find ourselves? =
Nowhere.</div><div><br></div><div>Dean Colombo has set up yet another =
diversion--HDAG--and devised it such that students are outnumbered by =
housemasters and admins. </div><div><br></div><div>So again, I ask =
you, what "course of action" would you =
take?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Alex =
Jordan</div><div>Chair, UA Committee on Sustainability</div><div>Former =
DPC member</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Apr 4, 2010, at =
11:51 AM, Anthony Rindone wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite">I think =
it's irresponsible to create controversy largely on speculation, but =
I'll bite.<br><br>I do remember some discussion on that resolution a few =
months ago, and I do recall at least one person pointing out the lack of =
"bite" that said resolutions have. If the people responsible for certain =
obligations (i.e. Colombo) do not meet those guidelines, then what =
<i>really </i>are the consequences? O yeah...people bitch about it on =
these mailing lists.<br> <br>Members of the UA should approach him in =
person and grill him on these issues during his office hours (if he =
still has them...and if he <i>doesn't</i> he should be grilled on =
<i>that</i> too...) Essentially, if something like this comes up, the =
gut reaction necessarily should not be to shoot off a weak email, but to =
get into the faces of Admins. If they still bullshit you, then come up =
with a course of action.<br> <br>Talk less, act more<br><br>Anthony =
Rindone<br><a =
href=3D"mailto:arindone@mit.edu">arindone@mit.edu</a><br><br> =
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 7:45 AM, =
Daniel Hawkins <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a =
href=3D"mailto:hwkns@mit.edu">hwkns@mit.edu</a>></span> =
wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: =
1ex;"> Task Force report, Summer Housing, Athena - all handled very well =
so far, in my opinion. But something isn't right. Has anyone =
noticed that we've had no real dialogue whatsoever with the =
administration about dining this semester? And not for lack of =
trying... Student engagement my ass. The final decision will =
be thrust upon us in a few weeks, right about the time we need to be =
studying for finals, and in the mean time we are being intentionally =
blocked out of the decision making process.<br> <br>Colombo refuses to =
talk to the UAP about dining. Yes, he refuses. Just think =
about that for a moment. Did you ever imagine you would have a =
Dean for Student Life who would refuse to talk with a student =
representative about a student life issue?<br> <br>Remember that =
resolution that most of you put your names on back in December? =
The one that demanded dialogue and evidence of incorporated student =
input? Not only did Colombo fail to get back to us for an entire =
three months, but he did nothing that we asked for. Absolutely =
none of it. Our requests were neither difficult nor unreasonable, =
but he chose to completely ignore them.<br> <br>Instead, three months =
later, he came up with HDAG, and set a time-line that was already =
severely inadequate for taking student input into account in any =
meaningful way. Then he failed to meet even that time-line =
(according to his plan, the Idea Bank was supposed to open up on March =
15, almost three weeks ago).<br> <br>At the exec meeting on Wednesday, I =
learned that the Division of Student Life has been building a web site =
that they hope will minimize blowback from the announcement of the new =
dining plan. Members of HDAG, of course, being the principal =
advisers in this process, had no clue that the web site existed.<br> =
<br>I don't know what the hell is going on, but it's not student =
engagement.<br><br>Discuss.<br><br>-hwkns<br><div style=3D"display: =
inline;"></div> <div style=3D"display: inline;"></div> =
</blockquote></div><br></blockquote></div><br><div =
apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
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style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
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"><div>__________________________________</div><div>Alexandra =
Jordan</div><div><br></div><div>MIT 2011</div><div>Earth, Atmospheric, =
and Planetary Science</div><div>Political =
Science</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"mailto:amjordan@mit.edu">amjordan@mit.edu</a></div><div>916.813.77=
40</div><div><br></div></div></span><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></div></body></html>=
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