Although the last regularly scheduled Haverford Plenary left the student body in a state of “frustration” and worried for the future of student agency at the college, Fall 2023 Plenary concluded on a significantly more positive note. As she dismissed the student body, Students’ Council Co-President Maria Reyes Pacheco ‘24 enthusiastically stated, “We did it y’all.” A link to the Fall 2023 Plenary Packet can be found here.
Plenary Begins
Fall Plenary met to hear the annual State of the Fords address, consider three student resolutions and ratify the Alcohol Policy. Furthermore, in a new addition, Students’ Council dedicated a section of Plenary to a “community comment time.” Students who signed up in advance could speak for up to two minutes on any topic of their choosing.
The community comment time originated in the context of the October student walkout led by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). In a pre-Plenary email to the student body, Pacheco and Co-President Jorge Paz Reyes ‘24 proclaimed, “It would be wrong for us to announce Plenary without giving room for the concerns of the community, as such we want to make sure that Plenary serves as a time for students to voice their concerns to the student body and the Haverford community at large. For this reason, at the beginning of Plenary, we will include an open mic for anyone who would like to come forward and speak to the community.” (For more reporting regarding the controversy surrounding community comment time, click here.)
On Sunday, November 5, students lined up outside the Gardner Integrated Athletic Center (GIAC) long before the scheduled start time of 2:00 PM. Students’ Council also offered the use of two “satellite rooms” —Sharpless Auditorium and GIAC Room 203—to students who wished to participate in Plenary from quiet, sensory-friendly spaces. In each of these rooms, a StuCo representative connected to the Plenary Zoom and projected the sound to the room. Students in these rooms could ask questions or offer comments through the chat function. Finally, students who needed an official accommodation could pre-register for a Zoom link.
State of the Fords Address
Student organizations Bounce and HaverRitmo performed as students filed into the GIAC. Plenary quickly reached the required two-thirds quorum. In their State of the Fords address, Pacheco and Reyes discussed StuCo’s recent actions and current projects. They highlighted their ongoing “learning” process and commitment to “support[ing]” the student body.
After the address, the new community comment time debuted. Students spoke on a wide variety of subjects, including Bi-College Consortium Mutual Aid, a Tri-College Consortium connections project, the Gaza conflict and the upcoming general election. Most speakers obeyed the two minute time limit, with Pacheco issuing just one reminder. Afterwards, Plenary moved into three student resolutions. Students ratified the agenda and rules of order without debate.
Resolution #1: COML Election Procedure
Presented by: Jillian Aguilar-Garfias, Samuel Diaz, Maya Cheam, James Wayman, Sydney Rucker, Eliana Brown
This resolution’s presenters included the current cohort of Community Outreach Multicultural Liaisons (COMLs). They sought to change the COML election process to elect both pairs of Liasons in the spring. Under the current system, one pair is elected in November and the other in April.
This system created issues related to training because the November pair received full training much earlier than the April pair. After the presenters introduced their resolution, the moderators asked for Q&A, Pro-Con, and Amendments. No students spoke during these periods, and the resolution easily passed the two-thirds supermajority vote.
Resolution #2: Students’ Council Clean Up
Presented by Students’ Council
This resolution sought to address various internal issues related to Students’ Council. In particular, the resolution writers identified difficulties with training new Council members and administering the Facilities Fund. To address these concerns, the resolution solidified the positions of Junior and Senior Representatives to the Board of Managers and made various election adjustments. After a brief discussion, the resolution easily passed the two-thirds supermajority vote.
Resolution #3: Raise the Student Minimum Wage
Presented by Oliver Wilson
This resolution was perhaps the most anticipated of the day. As Wilson pointed out, Haverford’s minimum wage for student workers ($10.50 per hour) is the lowest in the TriCo. Bryn Mawr’s minimum student wage is currently $13.00 per hour, while Swarthmore’s will be $15 per hour by July 2024. This discrepancy created great angst among the Haverford student body.
Wilson’s resolution proposed a gradual increase in the student minimum wage to $14/hour, $15/hour, and $16/hour by the beginning of the 2024-2025, 2025-2026, and 2026-2027 academic years, respectively. The resolution also laid out a Task Force to address this issue that would include Wilson, Dean John McKnight, Director of Employee Relations Donna Hawkins, a representative from the controller’s office, and four students “representing various impacted communities on campus.”
Several students spoke in favor of the resolution. After these students spoke, the student body unanimously voted to pass the resolution.
Ratification of the Alcohol Policy
Presented by JSAAPP (Joint Student-Administration Alcohol Policy Panel) Student Representatives
During every Fall Plenary, the student body debates and ratifies the Alcohol Policy. After the JSAAPP representatives presented the policy, the student body did not hold substantive discussion or offer any amendments. The ratification of the policy easily cleared the required fifty-percent threshold.
At the conclusion of Plenary, Pacheco announced that all resolutions would be sent to President Wendy Raymond to ratify within thirty days. She thanked the community for their participation in and engagement with a very successful Fall Plenary 2023.
