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IHC Minutes: January 26, 2006

meeting called to order in Chandler

absent: Brandi Cossairt

guests: Mike Conry, Mike Chang, John Shen, Jean Li

  1. Todd Gingrich has expressed a desire to work more closely with the IHC and to help improve the credibility of ASCIT.
  2. It sounds like Diana Buchwald is going to resign from the Scholarships and Financial Aid Committee as a result of the town hall meeting.
  3. The IHC approves a couple of members of Fleming running for interhouse track a few days early. (All but one of the House athmen have already agreed to this, as well.)
  4. The IHC reviews some compromise plans that members of the IHC have been discussing with administrators and faculty.
    • Requiring only freshmen to be on 7-day board, with some cost increase (in the $50-150 range) for upperclassmen, and possibly also with a small decrease in declining balance.
    • Increase in prices at lunch venues to bring them more in line with market prices.
    • Offering an opt-out fee that can be paid to avoid purchasing a 7-day meal plan. Possibly also a higher opt-out fee that comes with a low-price electronic device (iPod, etc.), bought in bulk by the bookstore. (E.g., instead of opting out for $150/yr, opt out for $300/yr and get a $250 piece of electronics.)
    More student input is needed to evaluate these plans.
  5. The IHC similarly reviews alternate ideas for making for Caltech the money 7-day board is supposed to make.
    • Licensing of Caltech's name in Asia. (Tom Mannion reports that Caltech brand recognition is enormous there, and this is potentially lucrative.)
    • Eliminating the duplication between CDS and Athanaeum catering.
    • Close Citrus Bistro or replace it with a less expensive venue.
  6. Peter Foley will arrange an IHC meeting with Margo Marshak for next week to followup on yesterday's town hall meeting.
  7. Members of the IHC that have been involved with the committe of administrators, faculty, and students currently reviewing the Institute alcoholy policy report on that committee's progress.
    • The committee has met three times.
    • So far, the committee has focused on hearing the perceptions of administrators, students, etc. on what the alcohol policy actually is, and on gauging opinion of the current policy.
    • The committee will soon begin discussing possible changes to the policy.
    • The committee members are primarily concerned with keeping students at Caltech safe, although Dean John Hall is also very concerned with legal/liability issues.
    • We may put on of the new IHC members on the committee in Matt Krogstad or Mike Chang's place, so that there will still be an IHC member on the committee when the current IHC term ends.
    • The IHC must continue to track the committee's progress, to try to ensure that enforcement and punishment provisions of the alcohol policy do not endanger students. (For example, requiring RA's to report violations, which would prevent students from going to them for help.)
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