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Show ) Board of Trustees meet to discuss future of Westminster Giving thanks in a new way Student, faculty, staff propose recommendations Jeff Chipian StaffWriter On campus groups plan Thanksgiving Samantha Jacobson StaffWriter The board of trustees of Westminster College met this month with President Michael Bassis and student representatives to keep the college moving forward. According to Westminsters website, the board of trustees is comprised of a group of about 30 dedicated and dynamic community leaders. The board members are volunteers who contribute time, expertise and financial resources to promote the well-respect- ed, Westminster College prepared for Thanksgiving in various ways from Thanksgiving dinners on campus to shuttling students to and from the airport. success of Westminster. INTERNATIONAL CLUB Club celebrated Thanksgiving by hosting a potluck dinner for members of the International Student Association as well as some faculty and staff who work with the international students. The dinner took place at a faculty members house located within walking distance of campus where the turkey and traditional side dishes were provided, and students were encouraged to bring a dish from their country to share with the group. Sara Demko the director of Student International Sendees said in an email, the end result is quite a mix of different cuisines. So its a traditional American Thanksgiving with an international twist. Demko said the International Club started hosting the dinner last year because the international students were getting together informally to celebrate Thanksgiving, since most of them cannot go home for the short Thanksgiving break. They would get together to celebrate the holiday with friends, she said. Last year, we decided to host the dinner at a faculty members house, and make it a more organized event so that all international students could experience a traditional American dinner. Demko said it is important that The International Club celebrate holidays because they are studying in the United States to learn about our culture. Thanksgiving and other holidays are an important part of our history and heritage, so its a great way to learn first-haabout American holidays. The International nd SODEXO on the Monday before Thanksgiving because they want ft THANKSGIVING on page 14 : m ' JO Cl E . ' s - ..A , j A t m t i- - t . planning process. The board of trustees meeting lasts two days. The meetings begin with the presidents hour. Bassis meets with the board to go over issues that should be covered in the future meetings as well as more serious issues concerning overall higher education. After the presidents hour, the board separates into - Shaw will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal. L investment committee. According to van Duyvendijk, the point of this committee is to decide how to manage Westminsters investments, mainly large endowments. The current mission of the committee is to diversify the See BOARD on page 16 Director of the Diversity Union no longer with the college Westminster students write letters, sign petition Whitney Roseborough StaffWriter Bridget Newell, associate provost of Diversity and Global Learning said, The official word is that Denise Montano is no longer with the college. previous Director of the Diversity Union Denise Montano was dismissed last month. is dismissal Montanos causing a strong student response. Students have written a letter and will soon send it to President Michael Bassis, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Cid Seidelman, and other members of administration. There is also a petition circulating on campus. A member of the Diversity Union, Adam Young, was one of the first students to take action with a letter to the administration. In the letter, Young said, It is common knowledge that Denise had different methods. Her methods have had an overwhelmingly positive effect on diversity, inclusion and general student life. As the letter continued, Young said, The Diversity Center, the Diversity Union and the role of Diversity Director should not function solely as statistical devises designed to increase Westminsters enrollment and prestige. Rather those sources should be and have been functioning to provide a safe environment for racial, sexual, ethnic, social and ability disability groups, as well MgaSHB VOLUME XLIII: ISSUE 7 Westminster. ASWC Director of Budget and Finance, Stefan van Duyvendijk is the student representative on the Westminsters Sodexo hosted a Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 23 at 11 a.m. in Shaw. They served a full Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. They hosted the dinner See Members of the board take time out of their schedules to assure Westminster College has the resources it needs to succeed as a top college. Each member of the board is hand picked by Westminsters faculty and staff. According to Westminsters website, the board is entrusted with the fiduciary responsibility for the college. The board is responsible for helping the president and senior leadership of the college develop, clarify and fulfill the mission and vision of Westminster. The board plays an important role in the strategic committees to discuss topics within their respected division. There are six major committees that meet with the board members. Each committee is made up of a handful of board members, faculty, staff, alumni and students. The six committees are campaign, investment, student institutional planning and effectiveness, and management, learning, resource planning trustee affairs, audit and presidential evaluation and compensation. Each committee has a designated area of focus. For instance the student learning committee focuses on the acceptance of new classes proposed by faculty and staff, along with the promotion of faculty members. Another example is the resource planning and management committee. This group focuses on the maintenance of the current buildings and future buildings of 2 as for all members of the Westminster community. Young went on saying, Montanos dismissal moves the school away from Westminsters proclaimed desire to create a safe learning community for everyone. He ended the letter saying, I encourage the administration to reconsider the decision it has made and to consider the input of Westminster students. According to conversations students have had with Montano, she was fired because she could not produce a paper trail to document the time she spent with students and clubs. On Facebook Young said, This bureaucracy is an excuse to dismiss a good employee who had disagreements with her supervisor as she attempted to institute programs that have benefited students, faculty and visitors. See PETITIONS on page 15 |