The Senate has laid out an ambitious agenda for the year. Its five highest priorities are increasing student involvement in policy making decisions, improving factors relating to academic performance, increasing awareness and facilitating improvement of student rights, working with the President’s cabinet to improve the quality of living, and increasing the Senate’s presence on campus.

Compared to previous bodies, this Senate as a whole is quite experienced. It is led by Grand Marshal Chris Mather who has served on the Senate since he came to the RPI as a freshman. The body also returned eight senators from the previous year; double the number from last year. Mather cautioned the new freshmen Senators last week that, “the Senate is a big time commitment, at least four or five hours a week.”

Mather also urged Senators to seek help or come to him if they were having difficulties balancing their schedules.

In its weekly meeting, the Senate announced the creation of a new ad-hoc committee, primarily responsible for advertising, chaired by Max Yates.

In addition to the new committee the Senate has five standing committees; each of the committees has a set deadline to deliver specific results to the body on specified dates.

Many past Senates have found it difficult to actually change their goals into results that make a positive difference for students. In the past some bodies have not set calendar dates for committees to report their progress and ultimately deliver policy which the entire Senate can vote on. That has changed with this year’s Senate.

This week the Senate received reports from its student representatives on the Board of Trustees. President Jackson and each vice president at RPI report to a Board of Trustee committee.

“The Board of Trustees is like the Board of Directors for a corporation—in this case RPI. They ultimately decide the direction of the Institute, and come to campus four times a year. They are very powerful and two to three senators sit in on each of their committees,” said Mather.

Senator Horace Simms provided an initial report from the Board of Trustees finance committee. The highlights of the meeting according to Simms were “an improving fiscal health for the Institute in terms of capital bonds with Morgan-Stanley at 4.5 to 5.5 percent.”

On Monday, Independent Council Senator Jacob Hunt delivered the report on the Physical Facilities Committee to the Senate.

Among the highlights were the renovation of Academy Hall as a new “Student Life Center” which will house the Dean of Students Office, the Archer Center, the Health Center and will host activities.

The final renovations will be completed after the Biotech building is completed. Hunt also reported continued investment in West Hall, delaying a handicap access fix to the Ricketts Building and taking over the Charter One Bank and turning it into a hotel.