On Sunday, the Senate met to discuss events for the remainder of the academic year and problems that have arisen on campus.

Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15 began the meeting by updating the Senate on the recent challenges faced by Cholmondeley’s Coffeehouse. Walia said that the coffeehouse had been suspended due to health and safety issues and that Chum’s was in the process of changing its leadership structure so it would be able to better accommodate students. Walia also addressed the first meeting of the Presidential Search Committee, for which she is the student representative. She has been asked to submit a proposal, incorporating student input about a future president, to the Committee. Walia also discussed a possible upcoming student referendum requested by the Brandeis Labor Coalition.

Student Union Chief of Staff Flora Wang ’15 then addressed the upcoming ’Deis Day event and mentioned a racial justice event she was planning with Brandeis Asian American Students Association and Brandeis Black Lives Matter. Undergraduate Representative to the Board of Trustees Mohamed Sidique ’15 updated the senate about the recent Board meeting, saying that the Board discussed faculty pay and is planning to be more open to the student body in the future.

The Senate voted on recognizing and chartering the Chinese Table Club. The Senate approved charting the club, with 18 senators in favor and one abstaining.

The senate then discussed an amendment to their bylaws. Proposed by Ridgewood Quad Senator Brad Burns ’15, the amendment would change the attendance policy for senators, allowing them three absences instead of the previously allowed two. The amendment would also no longer distinguish between excused and unexcused absences of senators. The change to the bylaws was passed. Foster Mods Quad Senator Kira Setren ’15 discussed the funding of upcoming events. The Union is not certain if they will have enough funds to hold all events they had planned.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on student rights and whether the administration was treating students fairly. The senators concluded that they needed better communication with the administration to ensure that students are being represented fairly.  

—Nikki Nikova