Student Body President Eric Tanner '11 said that the new format will revolve around student conversations with high-level College officials rather than resolving trivial matters. Tanner confirmed that upcoming General Assembly meetings will feature discussions with College President Jim Yong Kim, Chief of Staff David Spalding, Director of Dartmouth Dining Services David Newlove and Athletics Director Harry Sheehy. Tanner is still waiting for a response from Provost Carol Folt and acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears, he said.
"I thought tonight's meeting went great," Tanner said. "It is great to use [the Assembly] as an opportunity for any student to come meet with administrators."
In previous years, General Assembly meetings have featured debate among Assembly members over pieces of legislation that allocated funding for various Assembly-sponsored events.
"This is part of [the Assembly's] new initiative to have fewer, yet more impactful, General Assembly meetings in which the student body's voice is heard by administrators," Assembly co-speaker Rohail Premjee '14 said. "We want to show that [the Assembly] isn't exclusive and that we want others to participate."
Fielding questions and concerns from students in attendance, Thompson spoke primarily about residential life at the College. Thompson said that the Dartmouth Board of Trustees considering mixed-class housing for all years as one possible way to increase a sense of community at the College. Many students at the meeting, however, said that they preferred separate freshmen and upperclassmen housing.
Kim is in the process of brainstorming alternative activities for students to participate in between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., a time often associated with pre-gaming, in an effort to reduce alcohol harm on campus, Thompson told the Assembly.
"People attend events because of the ability to get alcohol," Assembly member Nick Judson '14 said in the meeting. "If we provide alcohol at an event, we might be able to monitor how much people are given."
Thompson, who supports the Good Samaritan policy at Dartmouth, said that the College cannot legally provide alcohol to underage students, and that administrators will be more open to discussing a lenient policy once students stop going to the hospital for alcohol intoxication.
Thompson asked for students' opinions regarding the prevalence of cheating on campus, which students at the meeting described as a common practice among their peers.
Since an advisory committee, consisting of students and administrators, is currently meeting to discuss how to transform the basement of '53 Commons into a social space, Thompson asked the Assembly for its input on how to transform the space into an active social spot.
"It's really a blank slate," Thompson said. "It could be a coffee shop, a sports bar, a bowling alley, a concrete floor with a stage or something transformable possibly something that can be used as a coffee shop during the day and a fraternity formal at night."
While Thompson said that it is too early to tell how well the opinions of the student body are reflected in the new Assembly format, she said she appreciates having "quick and easy" access to students for discussing policy issues.
"It is powerful and meaningful to me that student government is sharing their thoughts about these things and that it has an opinion," Thompson said. "It is really important that students reinforce what they want and need."
The Assembly will send out biweekly e-mails to the campus regarding the endeavors of Assembly committees and Assembly representatives on administrative committees. The e-mails will also include General Assembly meeting summaries in an effort to increase Assembly inclusivity.
Legislation from Diversity and Community Affairs and for Undergraduate Finance Committee reorganization was not introduced, although an e-mail sent to campus on Tuesday indicated that a vote for the legislation would be taken during the meeting.
