Copy of Senate Meeting #13

112th Johns Hopkins Student Government Association

Senate Meeting #13 November 12, 2024 / 07:00 PM / Hackerman B17

AGENDA

1. Call to Order and Attendance (1 min)

   1. Excused Absentees: Amy Li, Tim Huang, Angela Xiong, Daarian Rouhani, Arihant Singh
   2. Unexcused Absentees:

2. Convening Business (15 min)

3. Amendment and Approval of the Agenda (1 min)

4. Public Input (3 min)

   1. Survey from Leading Teams Class: https://jh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGzdoQATqywjKaG

5. Reports (5 min)

   1. Cabinet Reports (4 min)
   2. Advisor Report (2 min)
      1. Remarks from Jessica

6. Non-Legislative Business (25 min)

7. Assistant Secretary Confirmations- Secretary Buse Koldas
8. Senate Confirmations - President Nasreen Naqvi
9. Campus Surveillance Discussion- President Nasreen Naqvi and Senator Yashas Mallikarju
   1. LVT Security
      1. Apparently does not coincide with the location of the crimes
      2. LVT - AI-powered; “crime occuring” → deterrent
      3. Potential use of facial recognition and AI; not sure where the data goes and a lack of transparency
   2. “Pretty smart Ring camera” → AI is not necessarily a sentient being.
   3. Issue of privacy and why is this data being recorded in certain locations
   4. More clarification and transparency
      1. If it actually increases security, it could be a good idea, but we need more information and we need to know where the data is going and who has access to it
   5. Feels indifferent but thinks that it looks bad; at least make it look better. More transparency and shed light on reasoning behind it
   6. Certain individuals have mentioned that it does help make it feel safer for certain female residents
      1. Also located near Safeway and 7/11, which is something the businesses may want and could be beneficial
   7. More transparency behind the code and the facial recognition and the technologies
      1. Public vs. Private property locations
         1. Who’s enforcing it and how is it being used; how’s the data being stored; how does it recognize individuals
         2. We do not know how it is being used
   8. Blue flashing light flashes into the windows and violates privacy. Blue flashing light might not be doing the job it’s supposed to be doing.
   9. Problem is lack of transparency and requires more details and how far could AI go. Kind of scary if being monitored by AI and we want more knowledge on it.
      1. Private database, private this and that
      2. Calvin - JHPD
   10. Provide options for individuals who do not want to be surveilled. If you don’t consent to be in this private database, there must be conditions to allow individuals to avoid it. Feels weird that we are not being compensated for our data being taken and specifically for those who do not consent to their data being taken, they must have options.
   11. Mixed feelings of AI on campus - witnessed certain security conditions that the administration has and should
   12. Must take into consideration certain marginalized communities and minorities
   13. There are ways to prevent deep fakes and data from being used
       1. There are multiple CCTV cameras already on campus
       2. Then you should pay for the security being used
       3. It is not conducive to talk about tampering of video evidence or data compensation
   14. Ownership of the footage remains in the property of JHU (company that hires the security)
       1. If you are on social media, you are consenting to that
       2. How does this differ from the others and you being in someone else’s photo online
   15. How is this able to be on public land? (sidewalk) → it’s on the parking lot of the 7/11, it is the same as security cameras in every store → seems intense
   16. We will ask for more transparency, to what extent they perform facial recognition and A.I. use
10. Menstrual Product Initiative- Senator Omotara Tiamiyu Menstrual Product Initiative.pptx
    1. Spring 2024 and want to continue Spring 2025
    2. Most of these in 2023 were broken and not working
    3. 2016 - SGA passed a bill that supported Wings initiative
    4. Act was terminated abruptly due to lack of support from Administration
    5. Service provided by University and dispensers are now covered by University
    6. New menstrual product initiative bill
       1. Med–campus → not much resources and not being provided enough
          1. Reach out to School of Public Health and Women and Gender Studies
       2. Health Promotion and Wellbeing has a unit devoted to this and would be down to collaborate
          1. Not sure about the funding, but school would provide the resource
          2. Maybe also helpful to speak to custodial services
       3. Publicize the map of menstruation products
       4. Previous bill was passed in 2019
       5. How big is the cost barrier for new dispensers and supplies?
          1. Manuals are more efficient
       6. Brody Towel Initiative → mostly custodians who don’t replace it; reach out to different building custodians and others
          1. MSE Annex could use one
       7. Expand this initiative to Peabody
          1. Inconsistent and not restocked
       8. The Violet Project → having a packing party event with Ole
11. AP/DE Credits Survey- Senator Jazzlyn Fernandez
    1. Making AP and DE credits more accessible, for all classes
    2. Maining only STEM AP credits being taken
       1. Especially AP languages and psychology
    3. How do you want to see the credit used?
       1. Count as a distribution requirement, substitute a class, etc?
    4. Consistency, should also consider adding IB credits, maybe also A-level
    5. Limit of only like 12 credits; a lot stricter with DE and more specific credit details (almost against a student)
    6. What efforts have been made and speak to specific departments → first need statistics though, before approaching departments, so less likely to get shut down
       1. Every AP is also considered differently. Different universities have different expectations and different caliber for certain classes. More tailored approaches to different courses and departments; might also not be necessarily compatible.
       2. Potentially reduce requirements and credit requirements, especially since some individuals do not come from AP or IB schools
    7. This has already been brought up by Academic Affairs, and a challenging task. Start momentum and build upon the work being done and further the progress.
    8. DE; remove syllabus? → Main point is that the process is already challenging enough and difficult; such a complicated process and would like something more solid. You turn something in and you know something will come out of it.
       1. All universities have slightly different versions and not sure how to improve the current process → Still looking into it and DE itself needs to be more concrete.
       2. How can we make it more efficient for the student body?
12. Election Discussion Post Cohort Time- President Nasreen Naqvi

13. First Reading

14. Second Reading

    1. SARU Funding Bill- Vice President Srigouri Oruganty
    2. Affirmative Action Resolution- Senator Nayshawn and Senator Cynthia
       1. Expand on the already established I&I training that First-years are required to do
       2. First year students are expected to take that class but also make it more accessible so students can continue diving deeper and provide opportunities to get some kind of certification
          1. Ex., Cornell has a certificate program that students can complete; option to make it accessible and this should come at no extra cost to students.
          2. Not just admissions, but more diversity overall
          3. Requiring more numbers & awards that student groups had won
       3. Taking these classes, not because they have to, but rather for training and skills. Skill Sets and at a college level, these opportunities should be offered to students. The certificate can be something extra.
       4. Lack of data on a lot of these weakens the arguments. Feels disingenuous. Ultimately, we do not know the exact factors or what Hopkins did or did not do.
          1. Do we want them to have a conversation or do something?
          2. Look at the numbers from peer institutions when our numbers dropped more than others
          3. We do not know what happens behind the scenes and there may have been a lot we do not know; especially with QuestBridge, that is something that Hopkins is working towards addressing and improving on
       5. Hone in and focus more on single points; how can the University engage more with People of Color and try and make it clearer.
       6. Add a TLDR to the end of the email → will be the slides on IG
       7. Ask what is going on behind the scenes; Admissions did come and talk to a senator and they saw like a huge increase in Black student applications. Admissions should be speaking to the student body, not just faculty
       8. Does not consider the legal ramifications and
       9. Advisor → there are some things that the University is already working on to address the situation. Making edits accordingly. Other administrators also need a stamp of approval before this goes out.
       10. Vote on the version that was actually sent out; table it to next week?
       11. If tabled next time, save time and make it more efficient by comments on the document.
       12. Advisor - this will change and this will be tabled for next week. This is tabled fr next week
    3. Lighting of the Quads Tabling- Chair Tim Huang
       1. Have to prep and this year, made an emphasis to up the number of items and merch; hoping to do a little bit better

15. Prospective Legislation & Announcements (5 min)

16. Adjournment (Estimated 9:00 PM)

Time-length and adjournment estimates are provided for the benefit of guests at Senate meetings. However, SGA meetings are always slated to extend until 9:00 PM and SGA members are expected to remain in the Senate chamber until official adjournment by motion, whether before or after the adjournment estimate.

112th Johns Hopkins Student Government Association

Senate Meeting #13 November 12, 2024 / 07:00 PM / Hackerman B17

MINUTES

11. Call to Order and Attendance (1 min)

    1. Excused Absentees: Amy Li, Tim Huang, Angela Xiong, Daarian Rouhani, Arihant Singh
    2. Unexcused Absentees:

12. Convening Business (15 min)

13. Amendment and Approval of the Agenda (1 min)

    1. MotApproved the agenda.

14. Public Input (3 min)

    1. Survey from Leading Teams Class: https://jh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGzdoQATqywjKaG

15. Reports (5 min)

    1. Cabinet Reports (4 min)
    2. Advisor Report (2 min)
       1. Remarks from Jessica

16. Non-Legislative Business (25 min)

17. Assistant Secretary Confirmations- Secretary Buse Koldas
18. Senate Confirmations - President Nasreen Naqvi
19. Campus Surveillance Discussion- President Nasreen Naqvi and Senator Yashas Mallikarju
20. Menstrual Product Initiative- Senator Omotara Tiamiyu Menstrual Product Initiative.pptx
21. AP/DE Credits Survey- Senator Jazzlyn Fernandez
22. Election Discussion Post Cohort Time- President Nasreen Naqvi

23. First Reading

24. Second Reading

    1. SARU Funding Bill- Vice President Srigouri Oruganty
    2. Affirmative Action Resolution- Senator Nayshawn and Senator Cynthia
    3. Lighting of the Quads Tabling- Chair Tim Huang

25. Prospective Legislation & Announcements (5 min)

26. Adjournment (Estimated 9:00 PM)

Time-length and adjournment estimates are provided for the benefit of guests at Senate meetings. However, SGA meetings are always slated to extend until 9:00 PM and SGA members are expected to remain in the Senate chamber until official adjournment by motion, whether before or after the adjournment estimate.