The Senate convened on Sunday to recognize two clubs and vote to put 69 clubs on probation for violation of a bystander training mandate.

The Brandeis Asian American Task Force approached the Senate for recognition. Hin Hon (Jamie) Wong ’17, the president of BAATF, told the senators that the group is structured to hold discussions and plan for initiatives regarding Asian American students on campus. BAATF has pushed through several changes since its founding in 2015, creating the course “The Asian American Experience” — offered through the American Studies Department — last semester and advocating for an Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies Department.

Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman asked Wong if the task force had considered joining forces with Brandeis Asian American Student Association to use the latter’s name recognition as a platform for advocacy. Wong responded that combining the two groups would put too much of a strain on BAASA’s leadership and resources. However, as a former executive board member of BAASA, she has set up a solid working relationship between the two, she said. The Senate voted to recognize BAATF.

North Quad Senator Jack Rubinstein ’20 then addressed his fellow senators, asking for recognition on behalf of Vocal, a club dedicated to facilitating open mic nights and poetry slams. Rubinstein noted that the club used to be recognized and chartered but lost both when its former president graduated. The club has since been revived and has hosted several slam poetry events in the last few months, he said.

Student Union Vice President Paul Sindberg ’18 told the senators that he wanted to make sure the Senate would hold Rubinstein to the same standard to which other club leaders are held, citing loose structure in portions of the club’s proposal. The Senate voted to recognize Vocal on the condition that club leaders devise a more formal meeting schedule and have a check in with representatives from the Senate.

The Senate then discussed a resolution regarding mandatory bystander training for leaders of clubs recognized by the Student Union. With Sunday marking the deadline for such training, the Senate voted to put 69 clubs on probation for failing to complete this training. Probationary status prevents clubs from utilizing funds allocated by the Student Union or reserving spaces on campus. Conference and Events Services will receive a list of clubs on probation and will check the list before approving reservations for clubs, Sindberg said. East Quad Senator Elijah Sinclair ’19 asked whether clubs that had signed up for a future session could ask to suspend their probation. Sindberg responded that many clubs had signed up for sessions but then skipped them and that club leaders have known about this requirement for months. “It reaches a point where we have to start enforcing things,” he said.

Moving on to a discussion about diversity in the Union, Executive Senator Hannah Brown ’19 told the Senate that the Union is seeking to make itself more diverse and will soon establish benchmark data to track improvements in diversity.

Brown added in executive officer reports that the Senate will soon hear an amendment to abolish the Castle Quad Senate seat and establish a seat for international students.

In individual senator reports, Senator-at-Large Matt Smetana ’17 announced that he has begun efforts to petition the University to hire a professor of climate science to lecture at the University. Hiring an individual for three years would cost upwards of $500,000. As such, Smetana is looking for grants to cover the cost of the proposed new faculty member.

—Abby Patkin