Palaeopitus senior society recently compiled a "State of the College" report to build dialogue and community on campus. The report gives administrators a snapshot of students' experiences so that they better understand problems that the College currently faces. Palaeopitus expects to publish and distribute the report to the student body, co-moderator Cole Adams '13 said.
Divided into sections on academic life, community life and administrative accountability and relations, the report focuses on sexual assault and Greek life.
Palaeopitus may publish a separate report for President-elect Phil Hanlon when he assumes office.
"Given the upcoming presidential transition and the high level of administrative turnover right now, we wanted to issue a report on what we think are the most important issues after our four years here," delegate Brendan Woods '13 said. "The hope is that President Hanlon will take our recommendations into consideration as he transitions into the presidency."
The report touches on recent events such as the Dimensions protest and its impact on campus.
"I hope President Hanlon's administration steers a more stable course than we've seen recently, one which is not as susceptible to external pressures and more focused on developing solutions that are carefully crafted for Dartmouth rather than simply expedient," Adams said.
To maintain unanimous support the report avoids adopting strong positions on some issues, co-moderator Kristen Clifford '13 said.
The report noted the "supreme complexity" of Greek life and encourages houses to work toward common goals, including providing students with increased financial support to diversify houses' membership.
The report raises concerns about the "cultural dominance of the Greek system to the detriment of non-Greek social organizations and spaces." It cites changes in affiliation rates as evidence of Greek life's dominance on campus. While only 50 percent of eligible students were affiliated in 2000, 70 percent were affiliated in 2012. The society suggests that residential life initiatives may be the best way to offer social alternatives.
The report also addresses sexual assault, expressing support for the Dartmouth Bystander Initiative, an intervention program launched in the winter to train students to recognize and prevent incidents of sexual assault.
The report supports the "spirit" of a fall petition issued by students in a women's and gender senior seminar that condemned the College for preserving "a culture that inhibits the development of feminist consciousness."
Throughout the report, the society focuses on the College's academic programs, noting that pervasive grade inflation has hindered the College's academic rigor and prevents students "from realizing the full potential of their Dartmouth education." The report stresses the need for a credit-hour system that reflects a course's workload and an "identity course requirement," which would facilitate student conversations about inclusivity and community ethics.
While the report offers specific responses to several campus issues, Clifford said that delegation members recognize that they are not experts on any one of these topics and could only speak for their collective experiences.
"Our intention with this document is twofold, to motivate change in the Dartmouth community and to preserve these present-day concerns for institutional memory," she said.
Community members have power to affect administrative decisions, Woods said.
"We encourage all students to reach out the administration and President-elect Hanlon to let them know their opinions," Woods said. "As always, we're at a pivotal time in College history and we need students to be proactive."
