Vice President for Academic Affairs Sara Morris kicked off the Undergraduate Student Association’s senate meeting this week by speaking with the student government body. Morris has been working on the inauguration for the past three months, but now that the inauguration is over, her department is focusing on modifying the curriculum to include more online classes for students, and has been preparing for the school’s evaluation coming from Middle States in 2025. This year, her department will design a self-study of the school to be administered next year.
A few senators asked about the curriculum, such as if the school will offer classes they have not in a few years or if they will ever add new classes to the curriculum. Morris noted that her department has been discussing these topics, but needs to hear more from the students themselves. USA President Jahare Hudson inquired about offering mid-semester course evaluations where students can give feedback on a class halfway through the semester. Morris noted that it would be challenging to get students to participate in something like that given the low rates of end-of-semester course evaluations, but if someone wanted to try to create this, they would have to work with the faculty senate.
Lastly, Gabrielle Kaderli, a sophomore senator, asked about why some professors and departments are not allowing being sick with Covid as an excused absence. Morris was visibly upset to hear this, and said she will talk with the deans about the situation.
Morris asked questions of the student senate, garnering their thoughts on what is core to Canisius’s academics, what Canisius can improve on and what makes us distinctive from other schools. Some senators mention the appeal of small class sizes and getting to know professors, and there was mention by Student Interests Chair Carlo Mastrodonato about improving communication between students, faculty, department chairs and deans.
The cabinet reports consisted of discussion about the Thanksgiving sit-down dinner in the dining hall, sponsored by USA, as well as a new Griffnet app that students can download on their phones. Search “Modern Campus Presence” on the app store and select “Canisius College” once it’s downloaded.
Stress Less Day will be happening on Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Science Hall Commons. The Public Health Committee will be co-sponsoring this event with the Counseling Center. The dining liaison update included an acknowledgment that the hot food station has been officially taken out of The Market in Old Main in order to encourage students to go to the dining hall instead.
The facilities liaison update included a project to get rid of most of the computers in the library by next year. Many senators had issues and questions about this, since many students who don’t have their own laptops (or specific software that school computers offer) rely on those computers for work and assignments. More information will come on this situation.