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AU leaders talk about SG initiatives, other issues during town hall meeting
Kerwin talks about smoking, rights bills
By Jen Calantone on 4/24/08
AU President Neil Kerwin and board of trustees Chairman Gary Abramson answered questions from the campus community about the future of the strategic plan and some of the bills proposed by the Student Government.
Kerwin said he did not support some elements of the Undergraduate Senate's smoking bill after student Will Zeman asked him about his reaction.
"I do not support the construction of shelters for people to smoke in on the campus," Kerwin said. "I do support, and will implement in the fall, a general public information campaign directed at smokers."
Kerwin said the university needed to consider the many elements of the debate about whether to enact a smoking ban on campus.
"We need to think of the unintended consequences of the action," he said.
Kerwin said he has looked at the senate's Student Bill of Rights but has not read it yet. His answer came after another student asked Kerwin and Abramson about the bill, which the student body will vote on in a referendum Monday.
"The impression of it was that it was long, with lots of items, and I don't have any position on it," he said. "I have to give it a lot more thought, a lot more study than I have in order to be responsive to the question."
SG Vice President-elect Andrew Woods said Kerwin's uncertainty about the Student Bill of Rights is disheartening.
"Hearing that Kerwin couldn't comment on it makes it a little uncertain," he said. "It's disappointing for the senate who was very adamant about a call for reform."
SG President-elect Seth Cutter asked Kerwin about the future of a women's resource center in the budget. Kerwin said he has not yet considered the center, but would discuss it when the budget panel meets this summer.
"The issue has been active for a number of years on this campus," he said. "We would not be surprised by a request to fund it more fully in the next two year cycle."
Kerwin directed a student's question about the strategic plan to Bill DeLone, Strategic Planning Steering Committee chair.
"We're really in the phase of collecting all the ideas and input on the campus community as possible." DeLone said. "The main focus is to participate in the discussion that is taking place."
The AU community will soon be allowed to contribute its ideas to a blog on the plan's Web site, DeLone said.
One student, who identified herself as the chair of the student committee for the strategic plan, asked about a student proposal that discussed social responsibility within the strategic plan.
"Social responsibility in one form or another has been part of the tradition of this institution since it was created," Kerwin said.
Kerwin said he did not support some elements of the Undergraduate Senate's smoking bill after student Will Zeman asked him about his reaction.
"I do not support the construction of shelters for people to smoke in on the campus," Kerwin said. "I do support, and will implement in the fall, a general public information campaign directed at smokers."
Kerwin said the university needed to consider the many elements of the debate about whether to enact a smoking ban on campus.
"We need to think of the unintended consequences of the action," he said.
Kerwin said he has looked at the senate's Student Bill of Rights but has not read it yet. His answer came after another student asked Kerwin and Abramson about the bill, which the student body will vote on in a referendum Monday.
"The impression of it was that it was long, with lots of items, and I don't have any position on it," he said. "I have to give it a lot more thought, a lot more study than I have in order to be responsive to the question."
SG Vice President-elect Andrew Woods said Kerwin's uncertainty about the Student Bill of Rights is disheartening.
"Hearing that Kerwin couldn't comment on it makes it a little uncertain," he said. "It's disappointing for the senate who was very adamant about a call for reform."
SG President-elect Seth Cutter asked Kerwin about the future of a women's resource center in the budget. Kerwin said he has not yet considered the center, but would discuss it when the budget panel meets this summer.
"The issue has been active for a number of years on this campus," he said. "We would not be surprised by a request to fund it more fully in the next two year cycle."
Kerwin directed a student's question about the strategic plan to Bill DeLone, Strategic Planning Steering Committee chair.
"We're really in the phase of collecting all the ideas and input on the campus community as possible." DeLone said. "The main focus is to participate in the discussion that is taking place."
The AU community will soon be allowed to contribute its ideas to a blog on the plan's Web site, DeLone said.
One student, who identified herself as the chair of the student committee for the strategic plan, asked about a student proposal that discussed social responsibility within the strategic plan.
"Social responsibility in one form or another has been part of the tradition of this institution since it was created," Kerwin said.
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