Student Senate Meeting Minutes

Committee Updates: Academic Affairs

The Academic Affairs Committee is planning a town hall meeting to discuss Faculty Course Evaluations. Academic Affairs is also focusing on Early Course Evaluations, which will be distributed soon. The Committee wants to get Student Advisory Councils for every academic discipline involved as well.

**Ex Officio Report: Pascal Petter **

Pascal Petter, director of dining services, gave a presentation to Student Senate on upcoming changes in Carnegie Mellon’s various dining locations. Petter showed plans and materials for new seating in the Carnegie Mellon Café, and discussed the recent push for healthier food on campus. The Underground, for example, has a revamped, healthier menu, while Entropy+ is carrying more fresh fruit.

Petter is making changes to dining at Carnegie Mellon based on feedback from students, especially those on the Dining Student Advisory Council.

Special Allocation: Activities Board

Student Senate approved an allocation for $1,600 to replace broken microphones. Although no Activities Board representatives were at the Senate meeting, Activities Board’s previous microphones were almost 30 years old, and recently broke.

Special Allocation: International Film Festival

Student Senate granted $8,000 to the Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival to pay for travel and lodging for the guest lecturers and producers they are bringing in, including the first lady of Poland. The allocation was originally $3,000, until a motion to raise it to $8,000 was made. The Senate body agreed that the organization deserved the money in light of Senate’s history of granting their allocations and the importance of the Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival, which serves not only Carnegie Mellon, but the Pittsburgh area, and typically draws almost 1,000 people.