Smith College SGA
We are the Student Government of Smith College. Here year round to (primarily) serve, but also to entertain.
This blog is run by the SGA Cabinet, and any opinions expressed do not represent Smith College administration.
CC206 | sga@smith.edu | www.smith.edu/sga
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Post reblogged from Gas Station Sushi
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All students are eligible to apply for any of these committees (with the exception of CMP – see below). We are hoping to appoint a wide range of students from different classes to ensure that the student body is well represented in these committees and all voices are heard.
If you are interested in serving on the Curriculum Committee, you must participate in an application process. From the application pool, finalists will be asked to interview. The application is in your email and is due on April 7th in the SGA Office by 4 PM. We will notify candidates of their status by April 10th. For those applicants offered an interview, the interview will take place the week of April 15th. Each interview will take 10 to 15 minutes.
If you are interested in serving on any other one of the committees, you must participate only in an interview process. Each interview will only take 10 to 15 minutes, you need not prepare anything specific, but we ask that all candidates bring a copy of their current resume. Sign-ups for interviews begin Monday, April 1st and end on Friday, April 12th. Sign-up forms can be found on the door of the SGA office (CC 206). Interviews will take place April 15th- May 2nd.
If you are currently studying abroad, you can still interview for a position.
To sign up for appointments please email Greta Stacy at gstacy@smith.edu with the subject like: “SGA Appointments from Abroad:[insert committee here].” Interviews will be conducted via Skype.
If you have any questions, please email Greta Stacy at gstacy@smith.edu.
—-Advisory Board to the Resource Center for Gender and Sexuality
The resource center provides a space for many different communities at Smith to come together. This board is looking for students who would like help the space foster more queer community as well as more activism at Smith. The board is very interested in supporting the queer organizations on campus as well as forwarding and expanding Smith discussions on diversity.
Bookstore Advisory Committee
The Bookstore Advisory Committee is a newly formed committee that deals with issues regarding the Smith College bookstore. Student representatives will engage in conversation with the bookstore management team along with other members of the administration and faculty. Through this committee, students will learn more about the bookstore industry and its constituent roles and responsibilities. The committee meets two times per a semester.
College Council on Community Policy
The Smith College Council on Community Policy is a broadly representative, deliberative group that meets to consider issues of common concern to the campus community. Its mission involves promoting the well being of the community—its capacity for collegiality and the pursuit of its general welfare while providing an excellent education to women. The committee is made up of a broad range of faculty and staff members. The committee meets once a month.
Committee on Missions and Priorities
The Committee on Mission and Priorities is made up of two student representatives and members of the faculty and administration who advise the president on strategic, financial, human and physical resource planning for the college’s next decade. The committee solicits, generates and reviews proposals for major projects and initiatives; assesses progress in achieving the goals of current initiatives; and recommends priorities for the allocation and reallocation of resources. The committee meets regularly with the Committee on Academic Priorities, the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation and the appropriate committees of the board of trustees to both inform the work of those committees and to be informed by them. Periodically the CMP reports its findings and recommendations to the Smith community at large. Meetings are generally held once a month on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons. Two students (a junior and a senior) serve on the committee, each with staggered terms of two years. Time commitment: two years. Only rising juniors are eligible to apply.
Curriculum Committee
The Committee is responsible for keeping the student senate and the campus at large informed of curriculum concerns and changes. The committee assists the administration with the college’s mandatory faculty teaching evaluations and holds forums to discuss timely educational policy issues. The Curriculum Committee serves as a resource for academic representatives, department liaisons, and the student body at large, traditional and non-traditional aged students alike.
Library Advisory Committee
The Committee shall review the Library operating budget, capital budget requests, space, staffing, long-range planning, and other Library matters. The Committee may make recommendations on these matters to the Provost and Dean of the Faculty. It shall consider the way in which the Library’s policies and practices can best meet the curricular and scholarly needs of its users. The faculty members of the Committee shall have the responsibility of conveying to the Committee as a whole the faculty’s concerns.
Organization Resources Committee
The Organization Resources Committee’s (ORC) main initiative is to serve as a source of support for all chartered organizations. ORC provides these organizations with their annual budgets, distributed in the fall of each year; allocates monies from the Discretionary Fund throughout the year as appropriate; assists organizations in the planning and execution of events; guides new organizations through the SGA chartering process; and works on long-term projects that address the concerns and interests of organizations.
The ORC shall provide SGA support for all student organizations, extending resources and advice as well as approving monetary allocations.
The ORC shall work within the auspices of the priorities of the Student Government Association. These priorities include a commitment to diversity, social and leadership opportunities, student participation in the campus community, and student representation to the college administration and the board of trustees.
Technology Steering Committee
The Technology Steering Committee (TSC) is the senior governance group for technology issues at the college. The committee guides and advises Information Technology Services and senior management on strategic information technology matters. In collaboration with the CIO, the committee recommends IT priorities, policies and strategies. Throughout the year the committee will: evaluate, review, and recommend changes to IT policies; recommend annual technology investment priorities; provide guidance on the balance of central and departmental responsibilities for technology; monitor ITS plans to sustain the necessary capacity, security, and recoverability of the college’s technology infrastructure; and review and make recommendations on new opportunities for 5-college technology collaborations. The TSC is co-chaired by the Provost and the Vice-President for Finance and Administration, and is staffed by the CIO.
Vendor Code of Conduct Advisory Committee
Full compliance with the Vendor Code of Conduct is a goal to be worked toward by all parties in good faith. As a matter of practical necessity, the college recognizes the complexities of the request and the need to allow vendors sufficient time and flexibility to implement compliance plans, which may require still further negotiation and changes in contractual obligations by the vendor with subcontractors, suppliers, and other parties. The college is committed to granting such flexibility so long as vendors are making reasonable progress toward substantial compliance by a firm approved deadline. All specific arrangements will be authorized by the purchasing manager, who, in turn, will consult with the Vendor Code of Conduct Advisory Committee. Plans must contain specific benchmarks and dates for review of satisfactory progress.
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In light of the racist and homophobic events occurring at Oberlin College, we’ve created a banner for Smithies to sign in solidarity with their struggle. We hope you’ll stop by the SGA Office on the second floor of the CC between 9 and 5 Monday thru Friday this week to sign.
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The Smith Diversity Committee is drafting a letter to President-Elect McCarthy about social justice and diversity priorities for her first year—what do you think she should focus on?
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Photo reblogged from for the joy
FOLLOW UP FROM THIS EVENT; FURTHER READING
So this event was tonight, and I hope you all went, but if you didn’t and you want to read a History of Bias Incidents at Smith or a Timeline of Events for Spring 2012, click these links. As in, you should read them, especially if you are a first year or a transfer who is new to Smith College, or if you were abroad last semester. Or, just in general, if you are a connected to the Smith community.
Thank you, Rebecca, for all of your hard work! <3
(Source: mermaidheartsongs)
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Tonight: Conversations Not Being Had: Power and Resistance at Smith
Are you wondering why everybody seems to have forgotten the turmoil of last semester? Or are you a first-year who wishes someone would just tell you what happened? Join us to hear about the history of power and resistance at Smith, and to converse with other students about moving forward from last semester.
Refreshments will be served. Hosted by the SGA Diversity Committee. -
Hello Smithies!
As you think about your next semester and the rest of your years at Smith, keep in mind the diffrent sources of funding that you can access.
At the Class Dean’s Website, you can find information on funds from the following offices: Ada Comstock Scholars, Religious and Spiritual Life, Class Deans’, Dean of the College, Institutional Diversity and Equity, International Students, International Study, Multicultural Affairs, President’s Office and Students’ Aid Society.
There is a variety of purposes for the above funds so make sure to click through and read the descriptions.
This link will take you to the Center for Work and Life’s page. They have compiled a list of funding from the following departments:American Studies, Art,Clark Science Center, Economics, French Studies, Government, Center for Women in Mathematics, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Sociology and Theater.
Specific Funds, Scholarships, Opportunities:
-East Asian Languages and Literature
Student Government Association Funds
The Student Government Association, through ORC and the SGA Cabinet, have several funds which students can apply for. All four funds use the Universal Funding Application.
-ORC Discretionary Fund: Available to chartered organizations.
-ORC Equipment Fund: Available to chartered organizations. Items bought through this fund must last the organization at least 5 years.
Please review ORC Funding Policy before submitting applications.
-SGA Conference Fund: Available to any Smith student, can be used to cover costs of attending an off-campus conference.
Please Review SGA Reimbursement Policy before submitting an application.
-SGA Sawyer Fund: Any student or organization may apply for support through the Sawyer Fund to hold free, on-campus events.
»Do you know of any other sources of funding that are not listed here? Send a message to the SGA Tumblr or to Odette De Jesus Marti and we’ll be sure to include it. Or if you have any questions!«
-OMDJM
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By Emily Wald, SGA Diversity Committee
I will start this off with a disclaimer: I am not an expert. I know more about microaggressions than many, but I still have a lot to learn. A discussion with a friend the other day made me realize some microaggressions I had been perpetrating unknowingly. This is an important reminder that we all must always challenge and question our own words, thoughts and actions, and work to undo the socialization we have been subjected to as members of society.
“Microaggression.” If you are a current Smith student, you have probably heard this term used more than once. But do you find yourself wondering what it really means?
The truth is, there is no set-in-stone definition of what microaggressions are. But here is a foundation for understanding it: a microaggression is a casual statement or action that often unintentionally reinforces assumptions and stereotypes. Still confusing? Here are just a few examples of common microaggressions, as experienced or witnessed by me, told to me by others and found at The Microaggressions Project at microaggressions.com:
- Asking someone where they are “really” from.
- Telling someone that they speak English really well.
- Using female pronouns to address a group that may include a non-female-identified student.
- Insistence by men of carrying heavier items and giving women lighter items or nothing at all.
- Dress codes that demand women dress in a way not distracting to men.
- Touching other people’s hair, particularly common with “cultural hairstyles” such as afros, braids, twists, locs, etc.
- Asking someone if their hair is “real.”
- “It’s just a phase,” regarding any form of coming out or change in appearance.
- Asking people with visible disabilities what is wrong with them.
- Assuming that a disability you cannot see is not a “real” disability.
It is possible that you have unintentionally committed one of the microaggressions listed above, or that you have been a victim of one. Have you ever felt like someone was expecting less of you because of some aspect of your perceived identity? Have you ever felt like some aspect of your identity was invalidated because you did not fit the stereotypes? If so, you have been a victim of a microaggression. And we have probably all committedmicroaggressions ourselves – unconsciously, unintentionally – and never realized it.
What is so bad about microaggressions, really? It is just one little innocent statement. “I didn’t mean it like that.” But microaggressions build up. Assumptions are made again and again. They are more than isolated incidents:microaggressions are a symptom of the oppression that so many minorities still face in the U.S. After a while, a victim of microaggressions might begin to wonder if anyone is an ally. Your intention might be innocent, but the impact can be devastating.
So what can you do to not commit microaggressions? What can you do to be a better ally? First, do not assume that a person of a certain identity is not present in a group you are addressing. If something you are saying might offend someone of a certain background – don’t say it. Do not make ethnic, racial, sexist, classist or other jokes. Do not ask people of a certain identity to speak for or represent that entire identity, and do not assume they are “lesser” because they do not fit your perception of that group. When you express an opinion, couch it as such – just an opinion – and do not assume everyone agrees with you. Be open to disagreement.
Above all, if someone calls you out on something you said that was offensive, do not dismiss it. Do not try to argue. Do not let yourself off because you “didn’t mean it.” Instead, listen to what is being said to you. Really try to understand. Apologize. Make a conscious effort to not make the same mistake again.
To be a good ally, pay attention to what others say. If you notice a friend saying something that could be amicroaggression, do not ignore it just because it does not affect you. Say something. The best way to be an ally is to speak up so that victims of microaggressions do not have to always be the educators.
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Link reblogged from The Smith Microaggressions Project
The new Smith Microaggressions tumblr, an initiative of the SGA Diversity Committee, seeks to make visible the everyday microaggressions that occur on campus in order to acknowledge the difficulties of campus life for many groups on campus, offer ways to avert microaggressions, and encourage Smith to engage in critical thought on how -isms manifest in the everyday life of our campus. Check them out at http://smithmicroaggressions.tumblr.com
WHAT are microaggressions?
Microaggressions are remarks or actions that demean a person’s heritage or identity.
These actions have the effect of excluding, negating, or nullifying a person’s thoughts, feelings, or lived experience. Microaggressions are so named because they are symptomatic of larger (macro) systems of oppression. Microaggressions generally occur interpersonally and are often unintentional. They are especially harmful because of the way that they can accumulate.
WHO can commit microaggressions?People of dominant identities are not the only people that can microaggress. Microaggressions can also transpire between those of non-dominant groups because of the internalization of cultural stereotypes within and between groups.
EXAMPLES of microaggressions
Microaggressions can be intentional, but are most often committed unintentionally because of internalized -isms. Here are just a few examples:
EXPLICIT:
- Using racial slurs or other hate speech
- Whistling at a woman on the street
- Displaying hateful symbols such as swastikas or Confederate flags
IMPLICIT:
- Not using someone’s preferred name or gender pronouns
- Assuming that someone is not from the US or does not speak English well because they are a person of color or have an accent. “You speak English so well! Where are you really from?”
- Touching someone’s hair without asking or asking them if their hair is “real”— commonly experienced by those with braids, afros, etc.
- Asking people with visible disabilities what’s “wrong with them”
- Turning someone’s identity into an insult (i.e. “That’s so gay” or “That’s retarded”)
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As we approach Otelia Cromwell Day, we wanted to give you an update on social justice initiatives happening within SGA and the Smith community.
Otelia Cromwell Day, taking place on Thursday, November 8 and founded 24 years ago, is an opportunity for Smith students to reflect on race issues on campus and in society. All afternoon classes are cancelled so that you can attend the keynote and workshops around the theme of “Social Justice, Activism and New Media.” The keynote begins at 1 PM in Sweeney Concert Hall in Sage Hall and features Latoya Peterson, a social media guru and self-identified anti-racist and “hip hop feminist,” and the publisher of racialicious.com, a blog about the intersection of race and pop culture.
After the keynote, she will be leading a workshop on creating inclusive spaces and coalition building. Other workshops include Neda Maghbouleh ‘04’s “Pearls and Complacency? Tumbling Elitism, Co-opting Resistance,” Professor Kevin Rozario’s “Learning from the Civil Rights Movement: The Problem of Political Activism in the Age of (Corporate) Social Media,” and an interactive theatre workshop focusing on theatre as a tool for resistance and social justice work. That night, the Shaha Storytellers will be performing at 7 PM in John M. Greene Hall about race, class, sexuality, and gender issues.
Weaving Voices takes place the following night at 8 PM in Earle Recital Hall in Sage Hall and is a student-run initiative to create a safe space for everyday unspoken lived experiences and stories from all over campus. The entire Smith community is invited to share, learn, listen, and perform.
Also, the Weaving Voices Intergenerational Archives Project is documenting stories and experiences from the bias events of last semester to memorialize and learn from the crimes that were committed last semester and encourage future generations of Smithies to learn from the past to envision a brighter future. We encourage everyone to submit a testimonial by December 15 and support this important initiative. Check out their call for testimonials here.
Other initiatives from the Diversity Committee you should be on the lookout for are:- The Smith Microaggressions Project is an initiative of the SGA Diversity Committee and seeks to make visible the everyday microaggressions that occur on the Smith campus. Through visibility and education, we hope to envision a stronger, more just community. For more information, visit http://smithmicroaggressions.tumblr.com
- Social Justice and You, a joint initiative between the SGA Diversity Committee and the House Presidents’ Association. This bi-weekly bathroom newsletter will be available in all houses, and seeks to educate the Smith community on critical social justice issues on campus. Keep your eye our for our latest edition on Microaggressions, coming this week!
- Smith Sophian columns, by members of the SGA Diversity Committee, giving in-depth views on social justice issues in our community.
For more on initiatives like these, visit our Facebook page and Tumblr page! For feedback on social justice issues at Smith, see your house Diversity Rep or email me at mhamilto@smith.edu.
In solidarity,
Mac Hamilton
SGA Diversity Committee Chair
