Just three months into her first official term as Student Body President, Frances Vernon '10 has made progress toward checking off several of the major goals outlined in her campaign including large-scale changes to the Organization Adjudication Committee. Although Vernon has not yet addressed all of her campaign platforms both changes to Hanover's alcohol policy and COS reform, for example, remain largely unresolved she has sought to take action on at least three of the five main issues she raised as a candidate.
In her campaign statement, Vernon called for the College to "open the dialogue about a student-run judicial board model ... to hear cases on alcohol violations."
In an apparent realization of that vision, acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears announced earlier this month that an OAC student board would be formed to hear allegations of minor misconduct involving student organizations. The board, which will be comprised of 50 students, will be formed by Winter term, Spears told The Dartmouth at the time of the announcement.
"The credit [for that project] goes to students," Vernon said, adding later, "It's a board for the students by the students."
Assembly spokesperson Rebecca Hellerman '11 called the OAC changes "representative of everything [Vernon has] wanted to do with her candidacy" because they are "all about students."
Student Body Vice President Cory Cunningham '10 said that he and Vernon met with April Thompson, director of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs, and Nathan Miller, assistant director of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs, and "hammered out the details" of the OAC proposal, Cunningham said.
"[Vernon] did her leg work in getting it rolling," he said.
Cunningham is a member of The Dartmouth Senior Business Staff.
Zach Gottlieb '10, president of the Inter-Fraternity Council, said that he has been pleased with Vernon's efforts to reach out to the College's Greek community, particularly on the OAC reform effort.
"She's really helped bridge a historical gap between Student Assembly and the Inter-Fraternity Council," he said.
Gottlieb is a staff columnist for The Dartmouth.
Vernon and Gottlieb have had several one-on-one meetings Gottlieb said, and Vernon has also attended a meeting of all fraternity presidents.
"When those connections are being made and the lines of communication are open between IFC and Student Assembly, it becomes a much more congenial and comfortable approach to policy," he said.
Vernon has now turned her attention to the Undergraduate Finance Committee, which allocates money from the student activities fee a project which recalls the UFC reserve fund proposed in her campaign. The reserve fund was intended to address the increased funding requests from organizations following last year's budget cuts by providing an alternative means of funding within the UFC.
Vernon said her ideas for UFC reform have evolved in recent months, noting that the Assembly is now considering how to "better streamline" the distribution of funds.
Vernon said she is meeting on Friday with several UFC organizations, including Programming Board and the Council on Student Organizations, to discuss creating a common funding application for student groups who receive funding from the UFC.
"It's not just about funding," she said. "It's the entire process of what each organization does and really defining how we work with each other."
Vernon said the Assembly is also working to become "more integrated with students on campus" an aspiration outlined in Vernon's campaign statement.
Hellerman said she has been working with Vernon to better advertise the Assembly to students.
The Assembly will improve its web site to allow students to access updated information, she said, and Assembly leaders plan to hold open office hours.
"We're just really trying to work on increasing transparency," Hellerman said. "Up until this point, there has been literally none."
Some of Vernon's campaign promises, however, remain unfulfilled: In her platform, Vernon said she would seek to push the Town of Hanover to modify its alcohol policy.
"It does not make sense that Dartmouth students are over 15 times more likely to be arrested than students at any other Ivy League school," Vernon wrote in her statement. "It also does not make sense that there are barriers in accessing help at a moment when students need it the most. As president, I will ensure that the Town of Hanover meets us halfway on this critical issue involving the safety of all students."
Vernon said efforts to make changes to the town's alcohols policy are still in the planning stages.
"We're still in communication about alcohol policy, both on a local and a state level," Vernon said.
Although Assembly policy chair David Imamura '10 is working with the Dartmouth College Democrats and local state representatives to implement a state-wide "Good Samaritan" law, which would make it more difficult for police to arrest intoxicated students in need of medical attention, the Assembly is not yet involved in the process, Cunningham said.
"[It] may become a higher priority once we find out how feasible it is," he said.
During the campaign, Vernon also said she would seek reform of the practices of the College's Committee on Standards, calling for "more transparency for both sentencing and processes." Vernon said she would push for the creation of a group of peer advocates to aid students in hearings before COS.
Although a group of student advocates for students going before COS already exists at the College, Vernon told The Dartmouth she wants to improve the process by which they are trained and made available to students. Vernon said that Thompson was "receptive" to her suggestions to change the program.
As the Assembly seeks to forward these future projects, however, it may be impeded by budget cuts, Cunningham said.
"Budget cuts are going to become such a priority in the coming months," he said. "[They] will take up a lot of resources."
Hellerman said that, although she would like to see a higher retention rate among Assembly members, new students coming to Assembly meetings this year may be an indicator of improvement.
"Maybe that speaks to the fact that we've been doing something right this term," she said.
