The SA’s got the right idea. But it could use some better execution.
If you go on SA’s website and look for Senate and committee minutes from their meetings, you’ll find very few documents from this semester.
The Senate has met several times, and the only Senate minutes document is from Sept. 3. We’re not saying the meetings haven’t been productive. But if they have, it would help if the students knew this.
Six of the seven committee-minutes folders haven’t been updated since the spring. Or much earlier. Or never, in the case of International Student Affairs and SAAC.
Yes, SA has been posting the entirety of their Senate meetings to Facebook. But not everyone has the time to devote to meetings that can go well past the hour-mark.
So, we wholeheartedly support SA’s approved motion, Minutes of the Week, to recap the content of each week’s meetings. We’d just like some follow through on that motion. SA could start by posting minutes for every meeting, even if there’s a bit of a delay.
Additionally, SA should complement this work by getting the word out more. Every UR student has an email, and SA has those emails in a list. Yes, nobody likes spam, but SA could send a survey first to gauge expected readership.
Sending out updates on Facebook would be more effective, though the two forms of distribution could certainly be used in tandem. As for the neglected minutes folders, just start updating them.
People go on Facebook for quick diversions. Not for documentary-length videos. So, short and informative bits highlighting important moments from meetings would be far more effective.
Part of transparency is sifting through the muck and shining the light on what matters. The government’s job goes beyond talking about things in a room. Even though it’s an open room since anyone is welcome to attend Senate meetings.
The Minutes of the Week motion is designed to supplement SA’s existing minutes for every meeting. So why do we have neither?