The Student Government Association delivered their completed proposal to change the intervisitation policy to Interum Dean of Students Bruce Vieweg on Jan. 24.
SGA’s intervisitation committee has been working on the proposal since September. They have hosted weekly meetings to work on the proposal. Since the beginning of this semester, the main portion of their work has been editing the final draft.
The recently completed proposal is now in its final stages, which includes delivery to and review by a number of different campus officials and groups. After review by Vieweg and Director of Residence Life Jasi O’Connor, the Student Affairs Committee will look at the proposal. The committee, which includes Vieweg, consists of three students, three faculty members and three staff members.
Mark Besonen, sophomore representative to SGA, expressed his hopes for the proposal after the review process.
“I’m hoping they approve it in a timely matter,” Besonen said.
After the Student Affairs Committee reviews the proposal, there is the possibility that meetings between SGA and the administration will occur. The proposal will also be sent to the president for review.
SGA’s executive assistant Kate Engstrom gave her thoughts on the meetings to come.
“Hopefully they wouldn’t need to have extensive meetings before saying yes,” Engstrom said.
The final version of the proposal included the request to eliminate intervisitation restrictions all together. Engstrom stated that this wasn’t in the original draft because the committee was concerned it was too sudden to ask for complete removal of the policy.
“The entire committee had wanted to propose to get rid of intervis,” Engstrom said.
The decision to change perspectives came after the survey results were compiled. SGA’s intervisitation survey was conducted during fall semester and asked students a variety of questions about current intervisitation policy and possible changes that could be made.
“Students were widely in support of expanding hours,” Engstrom said.
This fact, in combination with a large participation rate of nearly 50 percent for the survey is what influenced the decision to ask for elimination of intervisitation policy. SGA President Tyler Dugger commented on the wide turn out.
“We had, really, an astounding response,” Dugger said.
He also commented that the survey completion rate was astonishing considering that many students live off campus.
The proposal also included a history of the intervisitation policy within Concordia, a survey of similar policies at sister institutions and the reasoning behind wanting to change the policy. Some of the issues brought up are equality, enforceability of the policy, roommate and floor-related privacy and comfort issues, gender issues and the desire for better student interactions.
Members of the committee spent many hours compiling and editing the proposal so that it would be polished for the final draft.
“I think the proposal is really well written and well thought out,” Besonen said.
Vieweg also commented on the quality of the proposal.
“I think it is very well done… very well written,” Vieweg said.
Dugger gave some final thoughts on intervisitation policy as the proposal proceeds forwards.
“I think that there’s the potential now to retire this issue,” Dugger said.
While the proposal is being reviewed, SGA will be busy with many other initiatives. These include campaigns for a new campus publication, reduction of energy use and a new award to recognize service to the student body.
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