[1286] in UA Senate
Re: Laptops
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Timothy Robertson)
Sun Apr 24 13:13:14 2011
In-Reply-To: <alpine.DEB.2.00.1104241217150.17357@lunatique.mit.edu>
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:13:10 -0400
From: Timothy Robertson <tim_r@MIT.EDU>
To: Geoffrey Thomas <geofft@mit.edu>
Cc: Jonte D Craighead <jontec@mit.edu>, ua-senate@mit.edu
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I do not believe it is reasonable for us to remain off the record. I am not
opposed to closed discussions, but I believe the Study Group should be
accountable to what they bring to the UA body. Additionally, if we stay off
the record, I would like the Study Group to provide, at the minimum, a
public explanation of this request.
On Sun, Apr 24, 2011 at 12:27 PM, Geoffrey Thomas <geofft@mit.edu> wrote:
> What does "off the record" mean? As a constituennt, can I ask my senator
> what happened and expect them to be able to reply in good conscience?
>
> I have bad memories of Blue Ribbon insisting its meetings were off the
> record, and preventng me as a Dormcon member from having any idea of what
> was going on (until the leaks and 40 UAS 6.4 and all that fun stuff).
> MIT-Online is certainly more preliminary than BRDC was at that stage, but
> also way more important. Is there some summary of the discussion they're
> willing to approve? Can senators take persnal notes not on laptops?
>
> This is what affects a body's ability to be representative. Whether you
> punt on your computers past the Speaker's bedtime is just a question of t=
ime
> management competence and respect, not representation.
>
> --
> Geoffrey Thomas
> geofft@mit.edu
>
>
> On Sun, 24 Apr 2011, William Steadman wrote:
>
> If every representative were to make motions to: close discussion,
>> postpone, etc whenever they felt it was appropriate then you don't have
>> a meeting, you have 30 arguing about procedure.
>>
>> I don't walk into Senate trying to gauge the progress of a discussion
>> because that is not my job. My job as Chairman of Space Planning is to
>> provide appropriate info in that area. Gauging the progress of a
>> discussion is in fact the Speaker's job.
>>
>> I recommend the Speaker move to end discussion or even better call for a
>> motion from the assembly whenever he thinks discussion is not useful.
>> There is a reason he controls the length of debate time. Yet despite the
>> length of all of our meetings it has only been invoked once this year.
>>
>> On Sun, 2011-04-24 at 04:16 -0400, Jont=E9 Craighead (UA Speaker) wrote:
>>
>>> Hi, guys:
>>>
>>> This is meant to be a notice for Monday's meeting.
>>>
>>> tl;dr: No laptops during the guest speaker and no laptops after
>>> 11:00pm.
>>>
>>> The MIT-Online Faculty Study Group has asked that the entire session
>>> at Monday's meeting take place off the record. Because of this, and
>>> the fact that this group will be our guest, laptops must not be open.
>>>
>>> Furthermore, I am going to request that laptops also be closed during
>>> any business that takes place after 11:00pm. If you have noticed
>>> anything this year, it's that, usually, fewer than half of you are
>>> paying attention to the discussion at once past about this time. If
>>> the discussion on the floor is not interesting or useful, you should
>>> do something about it (i.e. move to close discussion, postpone, etc.).
>>> This is your Senate, you should own it. Otherwise, we run into
>>> situations where a small number of participants are the only ones
>>> driving the discussions (and effectively acting as the only student
>>> representatives).
>>>
>>> Instituting this rule is not fun, but I feel it's necessary to keep
>>> people engaged, or at the very least, ensure that our last three
>>> meetings aren't also our longest.
>>>
>>> I would be happy to answer any questions here, but if you have
>>> comments or want to start a discussion, please move this e-mail to
>>> ua-senate@.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Jont=E9 Craighead
>>>
>>> Speaker of the Senate
>>> MIT Undergraduate Association
>>> Course 1C: Class of 2013
>>>
>>
>>
>>
--=20
Tim Robertson II
MIT 2011
Mechanical Engineering
UA Senate Office Hours:
EC-B515 Sunday 5-8pm
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I do not believe it is reasonable for us to remain off the record. I am not=
opposed to closed discussions, but I believe the Study Group should be acc=
ountable to what they bring to the UA body. Additionally, if we stay off th=
e record, I would like the Study Group to provide, at the minimum, a public=
explanation of this request. <br>
<br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Apr 24, 2011 at 12:27 PM, Geoffrey T=
homas <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:geofft@mit.edu">geofft@mit.ed=
u</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margi=
n:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
What does "off the record" mean? As a constituennt, can I ask my =
senator what happened and expect them to be able to reply in good conscienc=
e?<br>
<br>
I have bad memories of Blue Ribbon insisting its meetings were off the reco=
rd, and preventng me as a Dormcon member from having any idea of what was g=
oing on (until the leaks and 40 UAS 6.4 and all that fun stuff). MIT-Online=
is certainly more preliminary than BRDC was at that stage, but also way mo=
re important. Is there some summary of the discussion they're willing t=
o approve? Can senators take persnal notes not on laptops?<br>
<br>
This is what affects a body's ability to be representative. Whether you=
punt on your computers past the Speaker's bedtime is just a question o=
f time management competence and respect, not representation.<br><font colo=
r=3D"#888888">
<br>
-- <br>
Geoffrey Thomas<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:geofft@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">geofft@mit.edu</a></fon=
t><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br>
<br>
On Sun, 24 Apr 2011, William Steadman wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
If every representative were to make motions to: close discussion,<br>
postpone, etc whenever they felt it was appropriate then you don't have=
<br>
a meeting, you have 30 arguing about procedure.<br>
<br>
I don't walk into Senate trying to gauge the progress of a discussion<b=
r>
because that is not my job. My job as Chairman of Space Planning is to<br>
provide appropriate info in that area. Gauging the progress of a<br>
discussion is in fact the Speaker's job.<br>
<br>
I recommend the Speaker move to end discussion or even better call for a<br=
>
motion from the assembly whenever he thinks discussion is not useful.<br>
There is a reason he controls the length of debate time. Yet despite the<br=
>
length of all of our meetings it has only been invoked once this year.<br>
<br>
On Sun, 2011-04-24 at 04:16 -0400, Jont=E9 Craighead (UA Speaker) wrote:<br=
>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Hi, guys:<br>
<br>
This is meant to be a notice for Monday's meeting.<br>
<br>
tl;dr: No laptops during the guest speaker and no laptops after<br>
11:00pm.<br>
<br>
The MIT-Online Faculty Study Group has asked that the entire session<br>
at Monday's meeting take place off the record. Because of this, and<br>
the fact that this group will be our guest, laptops must not be open.<br>
<br>
Furthermore, I am going to request that laptops also be closed during<br>
any business that takes place after 11:00pm. If you have noticed<br>
anything this year, it's that, usually, fewer than half of you are<br>
paying attention to the discussion at once past about this time. If<br>
the discussion on the floor is not interesting or useful, you should<br>
do something about it (i.e. move to close discussion, postpone, etc.).<br>
This is your Senate, you should own it. Otherwise, we run into<br>
situations where a small number of participants are the only ones<br>
driving the discussions (and effectively acting as the only student<br>
representatives).<br>
<br>
Instituting this rule is not fun, but I feel it's necessary to keep<br>
people engaged, or at the very least, ensure that our last three<br>
meetings aren't also our longest.<br>
<br>
I would be happy to answer any questions here, but if you have<br>
comments or want to start a discussion, please move this e-mail to<br>
ua-senate@.<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
Jont=E9 Craighead<br>
<br>
Speaker of the Senate<br>
MIT Undergraduate Association<br>
Course 1C: Class of 2013<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>Tim Roberts=
on II<br>MIT 2011<br>Mechanical Engineering<br>UA Senate Office Hours:<br>E=
C-B515 Sunday 5-8pm<br><br>
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