CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, the reason Ben Jones was not accepted to the University Senate Academic Affairs Committee was misstated. He was not accepted because the available positions had already been filled. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

A resolution was introduced during Monday’s Student Association meeting that would urge Syracuse University employees to change its policy directions for reporting suspected child abuse.

SA Recorder Nick Bonafilia and Nedda Sarshar, a freshman English and textual studies major, presented the resolution to the assembly. The resolution would suggest that SU employees face disciplinary action, including termination, if they didn’t report signs of child abuse.

Bonafilia added that several universities re-examined their policies on reporting child abuse after the Pennsylvania State University sexual abuse scandal.

Assembly members discussed the possibility of changing the proposal to include those 17 and older because it would include the majority of SU students. But Bonafilia said there are privacy issues that come along with raising the age, with 17 being chosen because it is the age of consent in New York state. The assembly will vote on the resolution at the next meeting.

In addition, the Academic Affairs Committee discussed several of its current initiatives with the assembly.

Taylor Bold, the committee chair, told the assembly that his proposal to create an Arabic minor was rejected but he said he was planning on getting students who are in favor of the minor together to show the committee how much support there is for the idea.

Sarshar informed the assembly on the progress of the Information Technology and Services Advisory Board, and said university representatives had been very receptive to SA’s ideas. She added they currently meet once a month, but are looking to meet more frequently.

She also talked about the possibility of implementing grammar components into WRT 105: “Practices of Academic Writing” and WRT 205: “Critical Research and Writing.”

One final concern brought up was the fact that there is no undergraduate student representation on the University Senate Academic Affairs Committee. Bold said Parliamentarian Ben Jones applied to be on the committee, but was rejected because undergraduate students aren’t allowed on the committee.

“It’s a clear violation of student voice on campus,” Bold said. “Ben is absolutely qualified and I think it’s ridiculous.”

Finally, SA will be providing buses at the end of the week from campus to the regional transportation center and airport, as well as to several major cities including Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.

Published on November 19, 2013 at 1:24 am

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