Senate considered adding another day to UTD’s Thanksgiving schedule at the Oct. 18 Student Government meeting.
Kayla Klein, Academic Affairs Committee chair and neuroscience junior, suggested using one of the traditional Reading Days as a break somewhere else in the semester. Reading Days are two days given off to students each semester, specifically designated for studying before finals.
Senators are surveying students to see if they would prefer keeping both Reading Days, cancelling one of the Reading Days and taking off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—as well as a day in the spring — or cancelling one of the Reading Days and removing Saturday finals. Changes, if any, will be made next semester at the earliest, Klein said.
Sam Scott, SG treasurer and accounting and information management sophomore, addressed student concerns regarding the new scantron policy.
The policy only provides free scantrons to students during midterms and finals. SG spent $3,079.23 on scantrons in 2010 and $6,171.80 on scantrons in 2011. With the increase in students at UTD, free scantrons are simply not sustainable anymore, Scott said.
Scott dismissed suggestions to have a secretary monitor scantron distribution or scan Comet Cards, stating no SG employee is designated for such a task.
Suggestions that will be looked into are additional student fees, specifically for scan-trons, and additional vending machines that contain scan-trons.
Kaitlyn West, Residential Student Affairs Committee chair and biology sophomore, surveyed students after a student complaint that, with 8 a.m. classes, the 7:30 a.m. Dining Hall opening time is not early enough.
According to survey results, 65 percent of students ap- prove of the current Dining Hall hours and 78 percent of students would rather have the Dining Hall close later than open earlier.
Sharkey Andrews, SG president and Arts & Performance senior, suggested the issue is not opening the Dining Hall earlier but putting the food out on time. Further research will be given to this issue, Andrews said.
Cody Willming, SG vice president and political science junior, reported that the University-Wide Communications Task Force is considering implementing digital video screens across campus for better advertising. The task force is also looking for student representatives from Student Media and other student organizations to evaluate UTD advertisement.
Willming also reported that a leadership summit will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the Faculty Dining Hall. A guest speaker will be in attendance and lunch will be provided. All students are welcome to join. Know Your Rights Day is scheduled tentatively for 1 p.m. to 4p.m.on Nov.8 in the Galaxy Rooms. Know Your Rights Day is an annual SG event that targets freshmen and international students.
The event includes speakers, pizza and a state and federal rights component; however, there will also be several new features this time, Andrews said. The program will be much more interactive and will also cover party rights and academic rights, she said.
Marilyn Kaplan, faculty ad- viser, requested that credit by exam for language courses be offered at UTD. UTD is one of the only schools that does not offer these tests, Kaplan said. Currently UTD students have to take a test at a community college if they wish to gain a foreign language credit by examination.
Kaplan also requested senate create rules on bike safety, after witnessing several instances of reckless biking on campus.
Carrie Chutes, manager of Auxiliary Services, reported that dining officials are finishing the details of a proposal for a dining hall take-out program.
SG allocated up to $200 each for the A&H Town Hall, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 3, EPPS Town Hall, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 9 and NSM Town Hall, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 15. Each town hall will take place in the Founders Atrium.
The next senate meeting will be at 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 1 in one of the Galaxy Rooms.
