The final Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate meeting of the semester took place in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room last night with discussion of the final version of the Diversity Report and an announcement regarding the Committee on Student Life's (CSL) "justified departure" policy.
TCU Diversity Council Affairs Officer Darien Headen announced that the final version of the school's Diversity Report was released on Thursday and is set to be implemented beginning next semester. Senate members discussed some critiques of the report, such as its use of the term "non-Anglo" to group members of many marginalized communities together in one category, which had upset senators. Additionally, several senators argued that the report credits the administration, rather than student activism, with the creation of the Africana major and Asian-American studies minor.
The CSL reported that a final decision has been made regarding the school's "justified departure" policy, following a semester-long comprehensive review. The results will be announced early next semester.
TCU President Joe Thibodeau congratulated the Senate members for reaching the final meeting of the semester and encouraged them to continue doing research for their projects over winter break; a Google form will be released in which Senate members will be able to record their progress.
TCU Judiciary Chair Jon Jacques announced the four newest groups to gain recognition on campus: Black Student Union, RacEd Magazine, Turkish Alliance of Tufts and South Asian Literary Arts and Music Magazine.
TCU Treasurer Adam Kochman announced that the Senate currently has a supplemental fund of around $160,000, having started the semester with $300,000. He also said that the Senate has so far succeeded in implementing its system of selling Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) passes to students at the Mayer Campus Center information booth. Next semester, the Senate will consider ways in which to further promote and publicize this system.
During the Allocations Board report, the Senate voted 17-12-0 to grant $977 to the newly recognized Futurism Society, overturning the board's initial proposal of $258. The Senate voted 30-0-1 to grant $8,536.41 to Alliance Linking Leaders in Education and the Services (ALLIES) in order to fund the seventh annual China-US Symposium. The Senate also provided $3,054.76 to the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS); $961.10 to the Tufts Podcast Network; $584 to the Tufts Education Society; $435 to Generation Citizen and $3,896 to Tufts Quidditch, which will be participating in the 2014 International Quidditch Association World Cup in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Following the meeting, Thibodeau and TCU Vice President Stephen Ruggiero reflected on the Senate's progress over the semester and expressed their excitement for the road ahead.
"We've had a productive semester," Thibodeau said. "We've got great momentum going, and I'm excited for when we get back in January so that people can keep working on the projects which they've initiated."
"I think we're going to use break to send e-mails, tie loose ends, and recharge our batteries," Ruggiero said. "We're going to come back next semester just as strong as we were this semester. A few seats are opening up on the body and we're excited to meet our new members."
