The Independent Council reported a new campus program called “Blitz.” The program will include IC members involving and informing students on campus in a wide range of student life issues.

Liaison Robert Odell, from the Interfraternity Council, talked about the evaluation of rush, in which he said there were no house violations. All bids have gone out and some were still waiting to be returned. A proposal to expand Greek Weekend is also in the works.

The Community Relations Committee, chaired by Cody Powers ’06, reported its progress on the program to expand RAD use off-campus. The committee has been talking to salespersons to see the program more in-depth and work out the details. A concern that will be tackled is the use of RAD at restaurants that serve alcohol. The possibility of not allowing the use of RAD on any age-based purchases, however, will be most likely. The committee will be putting together proposals to the Institute, justifying revenue effects, and setting goals of this initiative. Pizza with the Mayor has also been scheduled for November 8.

The chair of the Campus Communication Committee, Mark Andrews, and his team have been working on the mid-week mailing, a proposal to buy and utilize a reusable banner for the footbridge and George M. Low Center for Industrial Innovation areas, and creating programs to offer them to Residence Life in order to help Resident Assistants form productive programming. The program will be expanded to greek life as well as individual parties.

The Facilities, Finance, and Advancement Committee, co-chaired by Daniel Horvath ’08 and August Fietkau ’08, will be preparing a finance report for the Board of Trustees for the 2006 fiscal year. Facilities has been working on adding a RAD management to the Student Information System. The shuttle route may be changing based upon evaluation by teams of administrators riding different routes. There is a pressure to get shuttles out of the interior of campus before snowfall begins.

Energy conservation initiatives through the facilities division have been discussed further, and have enlisted the help of Professional Development II students. The committee will start contests and challenges to spur energy conservation projects.

The new pavement around the ’86 Field will be used by delivery trucks. A new central receiving station is in the works, possibly to be in the new paved area. This is meant to block off other in-campus roads to only pedestrian traffic.

The Committee on the Judiciary and Student Rights will be tackling a few issues, such as dealing with complaints about Quixtar activity in the Union, equality in Union budgeting rules, and policies regarding all-night parties in the Rensselaer Union. The CJSR will also be approving Review Board members, then conducting interviews based on the recommendations made by the Grand Marshal. Carlos Perea ’07 recommended Pat Keenan ’08, Chris Gearns ’08, and Bob Fishel ’07 be appointed as permanent members. The members, after approval by the CJSR, will be presented to the Senate to vote on.

Julia Luesner ’08, chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, has been working on the peer advising program. She spoke to Dr. John Harrington, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, on the possibility of starting the peer advising program with the EMAC curriculum as a pilot program. Further contact needs to be made with Mike Hanna at the Advising and Learning Assistance Center to promote this program.

The Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee has been revaluating the four-credit, four-class system RPI currently holds. Changing back to a three credit, five class system is being proposed in order to help students specialize in their respective fields.

Perea this week spoke with Vice President for Enrollment Management Jim Nondorf on the expansion of a program for pre-freshmen who are considering attending RPI. The program would include the high school students engaging in a class and dorm experience, rather than just the regular college visit many prospective freshmen carry on.