A Look Back At Spring 2013

Oscar’s, the late-night dining venue located in the lower level of Hasbrouck Dining Hall, was reintroduced in full capacity at the beginning of the spring 2013 semester after an overwhelming outcry from the student population, Executive Director of Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) Steven Deutsch said.

The Women’s Studies major at SUNY New Paltz officially changed its name to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies this semester. The new name is a more honest reflection of the current program and the ways it has morphed to keep up with changes in the field according to Associate Professor Heather Hewett.

After a seven-year long process, the SUNY New Paltz School of Business has earned initial accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. Dean of the School of Business Hadi Salavitabar said he learned of the achievement, which just less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools receive, on Feb. 4.

After compiling results and contacting artists over the past several weeks, Student Association Productions (SAP) plans to administer a new survey concerning the SAP Spring Concert due to complications booking the top four artists on the survey as chosen by the student body, Vice President of Programming Esthephanie Peralta said.

New Paltz community members gathered in The Atrium to celebrate One Billion Rising, a dance movement that shows support for female victims of violence worldwide.

A document sent to SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian highlighting concerns students had with the current campus environment divided student senators for weeks over the way in which concerns are brought to administrators. The document spawned tension filled senate meetings and a response from Christian himself.

Over the course of this semester, New Paltz Secrets, a Facebook page where anonymous users can share secrets to be broadcasted to more than a thousand followers, has gained not only popularity among the SUNY New Paltz student population – but ire from multiple clubs and organizations who have condemned the page’s more “offensive” postings.

After refusing to leave a Campus Auxiliary Service (CAS) Board meeting, students were escorted out by University Police officials. During last Wednesday’s meeting, the CAS Board called for an executive session after the 10 minutes designated for public comment ended. After the board voted 6-4 in favor of an executive session, a group of 15 to 20 students did not adhere to the request and refused to leave.

After the discovery of vandalism on both a campus parking lot sign and flyers for an advocacy panel for LGBTQ identified people in communities of color, student leaders discussed the effects of the postings on the campus community.

Deborah Amos, the 2013 James H. Ottaway Sr. Professor of Journalism at SUNY New Paltz,  was introduced to the campus community by President Donald Christian this past Tuesday evening at the Honors Center. President Christian interviewed Amos about her life and career as the NPR Middle East correspondent to an audience of about 80 people.  Christian asked her five questions and then opened the floor to the audience for a question and answer session.

After two rounds of voting, SUNY New Paltz’s Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) Board chose to renew Sodexo as the food service provider on campus for the next five years. During their rescheduled meeting on Wednesday, April 10, members of the CAS Board voted in favor of choosing Sodexo’s proposal over those presented by contractors Aramark and Chartwells by a count of 6 to 4. The vote came after Aramark and Sodexo tied in an earlier round of voting.

Beginning next semester, there will be three gender-neutral suites in Bevier Hall, according to Coordinator for Housing Options Rafael Calderon. The suites will differ from the “gender-mixed” suites currently available in LeFevre Hall, which will be moved to Dubois Hall in the fall, and the co-ed floor in Gage Hall, Calderon said.

Dean of the School of Business Hadi Salavitabar will be leaving SUNY New Paltz to become provost at the College of Saint Rose in Albany. Salavitabar, who has worked at New Paltz for 31 years and as a dean for 12, said he has “grown up” with the business program, as it was just being introduced when he first began working here.

Despite a push from the SUNY Board of Trustees, SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian thinks a potential SUNY-wide ban on tobacco products could be a drag. Last June, the State University of New York Board of Trustees passed a resolution to support a SUNY-wide ban of tobacco. However, Christian said there has been “no guidance” from SUNY about how campuses should begin enacting the policy.

SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian wants to be blunt – after weeding through different options, he thinks changing the campus’ marijuana policy would be  a dopey idea. However, some students seem to disagree.

Dr. James Schiffer, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S), will be stepping down from his position on June 30 to return to the Department of English as a faculty member.

For the second time this year, student leaders are advocating for more student representation on the Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) Board. A student-led petition, which currently has more than 400 signatures, has been circulated by members of the student senate, piggybacking off two points of legislation supporting the increase in board members passed by the student senate earlier this year.