SA discusses online syllabi

    The Student Assembly debated allocating $1,000 for a website that will compile past course syllabi and voted to allocate additional funding to the “Sister Split” event during Tuesday’s meeting.

    p. When Sen. Matt Skibiak ’08 presented the Syllabus Availability Act for a vote, he announced an amendment that would allocate $1,000 from the consolidated reserve to set up a website that makes past course syllabi available to students.

    p. SA President Zach Pilchen ’09 endorsed the bill and was responsible for hiring Ben Strahs ’09 to construct the website. Strahs works professionally as a website designer and is usually paid $100-$150 an hour. He originally estimated that the site would take 10 hours to build, but he has worked additional hours without further pay. The $1,000 is a one-time fee.

    p. “You’ll be able to see exactly what is required for that class,” Pilchen said. “It’s pretty worthwhile since it’ll be here for decades.”
    Many senators criticized Pilchen for only having a verbal contract with Strahs.

    p. “I’m worried that’s a bad price bar to set,” Sen. Walter McClean ’09 said.

    p. The bill was sent back to the finance committee.

    p. “This shows how the senate puts stuff off in random committees,” Skibiak said.

    p. The SA heard an appeal from Constance Sisk ’08 over the funding allocated by the finance committee to the “Sister Split” event. The Nov. 9 event features six lesbian spoken word performers with an anticipated attendance of 200 students. The event is sponsored by the Lambda Alliance, the Meridian Coffeehouse and Vox.

    p. Sisk informed the finance committee that the speakers charged $1,500. Secretary of Finance Andrew Blasi ’10 said that last year’s event cost $1,000 and allocated $400.

    p. “The price [of the speaker] has gone up,” Sisk said.

    p. She had originally asked the senate to allocate between $600 and $800. The senate voted 14-4 to allocate $350 in addition to the initial $400.

    p. Senators said they were concerned about the state of the Activities and Events Fund.

    p. “If you divided our total money by the number of weeks, we are slightly above track,” Blasi said.

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