Conversation with President Zaki
- On a day-to-day basis, may meet with Jim Hoppe, academic administrators, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Financial Officer, head of IT, head of Institutional Research, communications, Benje Douglas
- Responsible to oversee these branches
- Looking at the big picture for Bowdoin
- Regarding AI: I am a cognitive scientist by training. AI has always been at the edge of my work of building models, even when it was just theoretical. Sees the liberal arts as the best place to develop AI
- Question: what is the college actually doing with the money from the Hastings Initiative?
- The donation is unrestricted
- Most of it goes to human power
- Broadening the disciplines that engage with AI. 10 tenure-track faculty in philosophy, anthropology, computational neuroscience; ongoing searches
- Post-doc and post-bacc researchers
- Also thinking about how to increase research opportunities for students on campus
- Question: How does the College plan to address the fact that so many assignments here can be completed using AI?
- We need to convince students that writing is for thinking
- Could develop college-wide policy on AI, but this may not be the right approach. Rules vary based on departments and may not make sense as the technology progresses
- May need to be more oral exams, etc
- Question about Charlie Kirk vigil, its postponement, and how the original email said it would be a continuing conversation
- Invited students to talk with me,Dean Hoppe, and Benje Douglas
- Tried to have a second conversation before Thanksgiving and only one student came
- Question: Could we have speakers come whose opinions are more contentious/students are more likely to disagree with? As a way to invite those difficult conversations and make students okay with feeling discomfort
- Important to remember students aren’t a monolith. Want students to engage with each other, strengthen those coalitions
- Viewpoint Exchange, Bowdoin Conversation Fellows
- Question: What is happening with Dudley Coe?
- Using it as a swing space right now; will be demolished in the future, but not in the next 12 months
- Question: Building a model for RVSP culture at Bowdoin?
- It can be difficult to get a headcount. Students may realize they are not as far ahead in their assignments and can no longer attend an event, for example. But also important to have the conversations BSG has been having about food waste at events, etc. Have to find a way to balance that without constraining participation in a way that hinders the student experience
- Question: Favorite building on campus?
- Hubbard
- Potential renovation project. Restoring Hubbard. Changing entry to the library space.
- For the foreseeable future, going to continue to need the library as an intellectual hub that should be inviting and collaborative
- Comment: It is important to give students a space to work in that is beautiful. Sees the library as a space for students, not necessarily to be taken up by administrative offices as it is currently
- Having spent time at other institutions, what is one thing you think Bowdoin students could benefit from?
- Bowdoin does a good job at picking open-hearted student
- If there was anything, it would be Mountain Day. Loved by students but not always by faculty
Proposal: TCC Guideline Revisions
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- Currently, TCC is made up of 4 class VPs and 2 at large representatives. But BSG constitution says up to at large elected reps. Changing the wording to reflect that
- Currently, applications in fall must be led by at least one student who is not a senior
- Currently, 3 decisions that can be given are: approval, denial, conditional approval. Would like to change wording to tabling/postponement. Don’t want to tell clubs what to do; just give concerns
- Vote passes
Proposal: BSAAC and Men’s Hockey
- Wanted another food truck to incentivize attendance and participation in their fundraiser for cancer research at their home game against Salve Regina on December 13th
- Would cost $2500
- This money would come in from the proposal bin. In return, BSAAC would assist in securing drivers for the spring bus shuttles
- Comments
- Don’t think the donations incentivized would exceed $2500
- Not sure spending this money for a non-conference game is the best use of the money when there
- Lack of information and price tag that is half of our proposal bucket. Proposal to table
- Keep in mind that our next meeting will be 3 days before the game. Won’t be enough time to book a food truck at that point. In name of fairness should give a decision
- Motion does not pass
- Should communicate with BSAAC why we’re saying no and that we would be happy to work with them in the future
TFC Guidelines Discussion
- Before redrafting the guidelines, want to gauge why people did not want to go forward with the proposed guidelines as they were written
- Thought that club leaders could be confused by the wording of the guidelines. They were well explained to us but that did take a while
- Voted against it because it was complicated. May be better to have simple guidelines that are sometimes overridden to give club leaders a clearer baseline. Want people to feel welcome and understand that exceptions are a possibility
- Didn’t like limitation on how many events a club could have
- Food can be crucial to bonding, a reminder of home and the food that affinity groups grew up with
- Would be helpful to convey that the TFC will continue to make exceptions
- What was the reasoning behind imposing limits on food costs and the number of food events?
- The current system is very ad hoc. Thought it could be clarified
- Was trying to help club leaders get food, not restrict them
- Could be helpful, once the guidelines are redrafted, to give a few examples and explain how these events were funded previously versus now
Committee time