Student Assembly Minutes
November 2, 2009
Call to Order: 9:02 p.m.
Professor Ernest Williams, Chair of the Committee on Appointments: Faculty Evaluation Process & Course Evaluations Deadline
a. Course Evaluations Background- Same questions and online process as last year. They are a very important part of the faculty evaluation process. Evaluations are shown to be better online- more content- as opposed to paper evaluations
b. Changes- not using evaluations for courses with 1 or 2 students due to student anonymity concerns. This mostly would affect senior thesis, which are included in the course evaluation process at the discretion of the Department Chair
c. Evaluations will be available the Sunday before the last week of class through Monday of Reading Period; stopping before exams that night. Time based on faculty concerns about a disproportionately negative effect on evaluations from the final exams
d. Q (Question): What about releasing evaluations to students? Course Evaluations in part go to helping the faculty member review their course as a diagnostic tool, other part goes to evaluations on Faculty promotion. These are considered very confidential so no, Hamilton will not be implementing a system similar to ratemyprofessors.com anytime soon.
e. Q: Why shouldn't the final be included in the review of the course, since the final is such an important part of? Studies have shown that student evaluations are strongly influenced by final exams, which could slant the overall evaluation.
f. Q: Can you evaluate the final in any fashion? You can write a letter to the Dean of Faculty or a Department Chair if you think there was something wrong with the process, exam, etc.
g. Follow-up questioning to "Why not include finals?" Idea brought forth about having a secondary evaluation that would cover the final. Professor Williams will pass this idea and others along, as well as other questions posed at the meeting.
h. Q: Is there any mechanism to ensure that tenured faculty are responsive to student evaluations? Yes, salaries could be affected, and Department Chairs and the Dean make various personnel decisions which utilize evaluations as part of the process
i. Personnel Decisions: whenever they occur, professors put forth a list of 15 names that they'd like to write a letter to be included in their assessment. The Dean of Faculty office also randomly picks current and former students from all the rosters of that professor's classes and askes them to also write a letter. The number of students randomly selected vary by the given decision; Reappointment: 15 students selected, Tenure: 35, and Promotion: 35. These numbers reflect the expected changes for the Faculty Handbook, depending on Trustee approval. These letters are generally quite helpful to this process.
j. Q: Some way to facilitate students getting in contact with other students who have taken the course?
k. Q: Maybe have additional support for freshmen selecting courses, since upperclassmen utilize personal networks to learn about courses and professors. One idea is to have student reps from given majors available for consultation, or make it mandatory for introductory courses to post syllabi online
Voting Process for Student Assembly Reviewed
Voting Records are now live on the website!
Funding Decisions
a. The Buffers receives full funding
b. Cooking Club/Lovin' Spoonful receives $150 out of $200 requested
c. Dance Team for the purchase of uniforms receives $1,000 out of $1,652 requested
d. Tumbling After receives $1,383 out of $2,813 requested, going to make up the difference in funding through working paid events
e. These decisions were already pending, are not new proposals, so they don't fall under the Student Assembly decision in recent weeks to limit any additional funding for this semester
Committee Reports
Facilities Committee
i. Wertimer field mice infestation- they have put out traps and are going raid the place over Thanksgiving Break
ii. Lighting on G-Road: trying to get it fixed by the National Grid since they're not Hamilton lights
Technology Committee
i. Gmail survey out: please vote!!!
ii. Lack of Sound in Ghostbuster film on Movie channel will be addressed
Diversity & Accessibility
i. Science Center Atrium, Sunday November 8th at 7:30p.m., open to the general student body
Student Interest
i. One idea discussed is having a day for activities and discounts on the Saturday of reading period to attract students (December 12th) for holiday shopping downtown. Time would be from 2 or 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
ii. Talk about moving the Freshman Orientation Outdoor film showing to downtown Clinton with Clinton's Summer Stroll program to help introduce students to the Town
Food
i. Pineapple Juice- aren't able to get if for the dispenser but are thinking about putting it in the Fridge
ii. Compostable Cups- not beneficial until Hamilton composts
iii. Getting more silverware and plates for McEwen
iv. Revamping snack time schedule
v. Meals for students that are sick are still available, no need to call, have a friend request at dining hall
vi. Due to the sickness going around campus, it's really important for students to use tongs in the dining halls
vii. Nut Grinder coming to campus to make fresh peanut butter
viii. Working on milkshakes for Diner
Social Traditions
i. Citrus Bowl being planned
ii. Feel free to suggest t-shirt ideas, soctrad@hamilton.edu
Meeting adjourned: 9:51 p.m.
