Members of the Connecticut College Student Government Association recently attended the annual NESCAC Student Government Conference. The delegation met with representatives from Bates College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, and Tufts University, and we have much to report.
I am proud to announce that Connecticut College continues to lead the NESCAC in our approach to understanding, investigating, and preventing sexual assault on college campuses. While many of our peer institutions provide a federally-recognized Sexual Assault Victims’ Adovocate (SAVA)— my fellow student leaders and I would prefer that the title change “Victim” to “Survivor”—we distinguish ourselves here at the College by way of the many resources available to us.
In the hour-and-a-half the conference dedicated to this critical issue, other NESCAC student government leaders were eager to hear of Conn’s inclusive, educational approach, and we were happy to celebrate the tireless work of Darcie Folsom (Director of Sexual Violence Prevention & Advocacy/Think S.A.F.E. Project) and her dedicated staff, the Green Dot program, SafetyNet, and One in Four among other campus organizations. We also discussed the College’s institutional move toward a more effective hearing board for cases of alleged sexual misconduct, highlighting Victor Arcelus and Sarah Cardwell’s ongoing efforts to align our policies with Title IX.
Thankfully each of our institutions remains committed to preventing these crimes and providing both justice and peace of mind for its survivors, and the Conn College delegation was grateful to be able to provide our insight in this particular area.
We found another area of distinction in the relationships we, the students have been able to foster among the faculty, staff, and administration at Conn.
Not every school in the NESCAC establishes an open line of communication with its Board of Trustees. Not every school in the NESCAC boasts a series of professors, directors, and deans willing to schedule meetings with students off the clock. Not every school in the NESCAC offers the collaborative leadership we find in President Katherine Bergeron, Vice President of Administration Ulysses Hammond, Vice President of Finance Paul Maroni, Vice President of Information Services Lee Hisle, Vice President of Advancement Ann Goodwin, Vice President of Communications Pamela Dumas-Serfes, Dean of the College Carolyn Denard, or Dean of Admission Martha Merrill.
I include all of these names and titles because here in Camel Country it truly does, as the old adage goes, take a village. Though the decision-making power is not always equal, each of our governing bodies continues to rely on one another, and one does not simply find that level of cooperation at any old college. Many of our peer student leaders were impressed by Conn’s prioritization and execution of both Shared Governance and the Honor Code.
We, of course, had plenty to learn from our friends throughout the NESCAC. It’s no secret around here that off-campus housing is not an option this year, and the Conn College representatives were eager to hear about the different experiences students have had living in the greater communities surrounding Tufts, Middlebury, Hamilton, and Bates. It appears as though even when students at our peer institutions have the option to live off-campus, the decision to do so raises issues of class difference—and by “class difference” I mean both socioeconomic and first year-sophomore-junior-senior—
By and large, our peers have found positive alternatives for off-campus housing in a greater diversity of on-campus living options. The standalone houses, suite-style apartments, and themed communities at each of these residential colleges make for a more dynamic and inclusive social environment. The Conn College delegation was able to experience this environment firsthand in our tour of Hamilton College, the generous host of this semester’s NESCAC conference.
So, it’s clear that we’re taking the right approach to safety on campus. It’s clear that we’re taking the right approach to structure and intra-college relations. The takeaway question of the weekend is as follows:
How does Connecticut College invigorate the social experience on campus?
My answer: We invest in it.
The shared spaces for Friday and Saturday night activities at our peer colleges tend to promote a healthier, more diverse, and more inclusive social environment for all students involved, and personally, I would love to see Conn College start flexing this muscle by building up what I’m going to call “Interactional Infrastructure”.
Imagine the times we could have by expanding “The Barn” behind Cro to accommodate more patrons for dances, concerts, and shows. Imagine if we could use the 1962 Room for more events like the successful Camel Roller Rink back in September. Imagine the improvements we could make to our Social Host programs by utilizing more common rooms, and reinforcing the support beams of the River Ridge Apartments to hold more guests.
It is simply unfair to expect our forward-thinking administration to front all of the potential expenditures attached to these big ideas, but it is worth knowing the relative student interest of including them in future strategic planning. I can tell you upfront that SGA can’t do it alone—our student government has not seen a substantial increase in the College’s budget allocation for the past several years, despite rising tuition. But if we, the students are willing to discuss putting a bit of our own funds towards “Interactional Infrastructure”, then perhaps so too will the members of our long-term college management, who can afford a much more substantial role in partnership. As I mentioned, “It takes a village.”
If you like these ideas, if you hate these ideas, or if you have better ideas, then I invite you to speak during Open Forum at any one of our weekly Student Government Association meetings in Zachs Hillel House at 7:15 PM every Thursday. Just emailsga@conncoll.edu ahead of time so that we can anticipate your brilliance.
Many thanks to the Hamilton College Student Assembly for hosting a wonderful weekend, and to those SGA representatives who participated with me in our several productive conversations: Parliamentarian Sammi Brown ‘15, Windham House Senator Leah Rosofsky ‘16, and Johnson House Senator Sam Lichtenstein ‘17.
Respectfully submitted,
Ethan Underhill
President, Student Government Association
