As we come to the end of a successful and challenging year, it is now time to look back on what has been accomplished as well as ahead towards the work that must be continued. I would first like to thank the entire TCU Senate for all their hard work, support, and dedication, and give a very special thanks to Vice President Vivek Ramgopal and TCU Treasurer Larry Harris.
I am very proud of the accomplishments and progress that have been made on behalf of the student body this year and feel extremely comfortable leaving at a time when there is so much promise. With a solid core of senators returning to finish what we've started, a fiscal house that is in order, some necessary reforms, and voter turnout finally on the rise, the momentum that has been gathered should usher in an era of unprecedented effectiveness for the TCU Senate.
After I was elected TCU President, former TCU President Ancy Verdier advised me that the most important things are follow-through and continuity. Many of the initiatives undertaken this year will take more time to be completed, so I would like to remind the Senate how important it is to follow-through on this year's progress. I was always told to strive to leave something or some place better than I found it, and I know that I have succeeded in doing that at Tufts.
Entering this year I outlined two main goals for the Senate and the student body. I wanted to focus on student participation in University governance and I wanted to push Tufts to make its mark. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not mention the great strides towards increasing Tufts' financial aid packages that were made this year. It gives me great satisfaction that the administration responded to both our internal pressure as well as competitive pressures and committed to achieve a socio-economically diverse student body. The Senate was able to directly address the issue of governance by striving to reform the student-faculty system in order to ensure better representation for students. Stemming from that effort the Senate has received assurances that the student body shall now have a seat on the administration's policy council.
Future challenges regarding issues of student participation are three-fold. The promise of Tufts Polls that caused so much frustration within my administration shall soon become a reality. After an unforeseen corporate buyout of the originator of Polls' company and the realization that the prototype was ill-equipped to handle the students' needs, Tufts Computing Services has offered its assistance and is reconstructing a bigger and better system.
The next two issues are the Boston-Area College Consortium and strengthening the relationship between the student body and the surrounding communities, specifically with regards to voting and housing issues. The groundwork has been laid this year and the challenge for the next administration will be to capitalize upon it. Additionally, Vice President Ramgopal took the lead on ensuring continued post-season play for our athletes by lobbying NESCAC presidents relentlessly.
The second goal I outlined for the year was for Tufts to strive to make its mark. We sought to revive old campus traditions and to begin new ones. As promised, I consulted with leaders of Programming Board, Concert Board, Entertainment Board, Spirit Army, and Lecture Series in an effort to put on more fun events to benefit the entire campus. We succeeded as promised. I met with the aforementioned groups and the result was the first annual Winter Carnival. Hopefully this new event will find its niche as a spring semester kickoff event that entertains and captures the attention of the whole campus. The Senate also held our own pseudo-midnight pancake breakfast in an effort to keep the tradition going. Additionally, the new administration must continue the process of revamping Hotung Cafe to become a center of campus social activity. Finally, senators have been engaged with the recently hired Director of Public Relations to find ways for students to assist in the effort to market Tufts to itself and to the nation. Cindy Pollard has a clear vision through which the perception of Tufts can catch up to its reality, and it is important that students play an integral role in that effort.
Before offering a few final thoughts I wanted to highlight some additional accomplishments and undertakings of this year's TCU Senate. Services Chair Moira Poe had a very productive year working to improve some basic quality of life issues for students: Hodgdon takeout hours have been expanded to 10 p.m. An outside consultant will be examining Dining Services this summer. A new and bigger campus shuttle was secured in order to accommodate student needs. The Alumni Summer Network is in the final planning stages and should be functional for the summer of 2000. Services members lobbied Residential Life to install soap and paper towels in the dorm bathrooms, restore cable in the dorm lounges, and change how Buildings and Grounds responds to dormitory problems. Senator Poe has explained that the Dining Services Committee has "laid the groundwork for next year to be the year where massive changes are made."
The Education Committee, chaired by Neil Farbman, also had a productive year. The committee published (both in print and on the web) a course evaluation guide at the end of each semester. Chairman Farbman and Senator Jesse Levey, in conjunction with Senator Erin Ross and seniors Haley Stein and Dan Pashman, brought the subject of distribution requirements onto the agenda of the Undergraduate Educational Policy Committee. A proposal that would reduce the number of requirements by two or three is currently under consideration and has the full support of the student representatives to the committee. Senator Dan Zandman, in conjunction with Tufts' Feminist Alliance, authored a resolution advocating a women's studies major. The resolution was unanimously passed by the senate and then approved by the faculty. It will be officially added to Tufts' curriculum in the Fall of 1999. The committee set up a book swap which is available for use by the student body via the new TCU Senate webpage. Senator Tamar Jeknavorian, with the assistance of Senator Maria Speridakos, coordinated the first annual Professor of the Year Award, which was presented to Professor Gerald Gill of the history department.
The Administration and Budget Committee sought to research and analyze a variety of issues brought forth by the administration. Some highlights include the Higher Education Initiative, the new fieldhouse, and Senators Levey and Tommy Calvert's Focus 2000+ memorandum. Meetings surrounding the construction of the fieldhouse were unhelpful in terms of crystallizing details and more importantly, having the administration successfully communicate to the student body the specifics and financial tradeoffs inherent in the plans. The committee lobbied the administration to get buses for all potential students for April Open House. Senator Calvert worked to correct problems with Tufts ID cards and also investigated the possibility of new "smart" cards that may provide additional benefits to students. The committee engaged in a "safety walk" around campus with members of TUPD to assess lighting and safety issues on campus. The committee urges next year's senate to remain vigilant in advocating for student parking spaces in safe areas with regards to the construction of the new parking garage.
The Culture, Ethnicity, and Community Affairs committee, led by Lory Ivey Alexander and Alethea Pieters, had what can only be described as a breakthrough year. C & E engaged the community and its culture groups in a series of meetings at the culture houses aimed at opening the lines of communication and identifying key issues. After much research, resolutions were introduced and passed regarding the welfare of the Latino, Asian, and Homosexual communities. The committee pressed for administrative accountability with regards to reports by various Task Forces. It is important that the dynamic and engaging nature that characterized this year's committee transfer over to next year as well. There is still much work to be done on these issues.
There are several recommendations that I would like to reiterate in my conclusion. I have served as a senator for three years and have found those years to be exciting, rewarding, and extremely educational. However, as with all things, the campus political climate is far from perfect. Substantive improvements can be made in several key areas. As I have previously stated, the system of student-faculty committee representation is in disarray and should be reformed as recommended by the resolution passed by the TCU Senate. Furthermore, in my opinion, the campus could benefit greatly from an improvement in journalistic standards and it is my recommendation that both major publications create the position of "ombudsman," a media critic/ethics officer. This would be a step towards even greater professionalism and integrity for our newspapers. Finally, I am excited to announce the constitutional amendment that I proposed has passed and that the next TCU president will have a cabinet. The president needs more support from individuals directly accountable to the executive in order to successfully undertake a full agenda of macro-level initiatives. The benefits include senators freer to interact with constituents and more focused and comprehensive agendas for progress by the only universally elected senator, the TCU President.
It has been a pleasure serving the student body as President this year. I have learned much, am proud of my accomplishments, and feel confident that I leave a better TCU than the one that I inherited. I am well assured that the incoming president will do a fantastic job finishing the work that I have started and guiding the student body into the next century. Good luck, get involved, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to have this incredible experience. Tufts, may the force be with you.
