The first issue discussed at the third Senate meeting of the semester was the de-chartering of 37 clubs. The Senate decided with an overwhelming majority to de-charter all of the clubs that recently had not completed their club renewal forms. 

The Senate then discussed two new University committees that will have Student Union representatives: the Health and Wellness Council and the Brandeis Undergraduate Library Council. The Health and Wellness Committee consists of members of the faculty, administration and student body. Its main purpose is to discuss ways to improve health and wellness on campus, especially mental health. The Library Council is still looking for undergraduate student members who will work with library staff to make library functions more accessible for students.

The Union has also been asked to release a statement affirming their support for survivors of sexual assault. Senator-at-Large Aaron Finkel ’20 reported that the statement, requested by Provost Lisa Lynch, is currently under development and should be released in the near future. 

Additionally, members of the Senate attended the State of Sustainability event last week. Finkle described a service called UCapture, a web browser extension that will donate a percentage of Internet purchases, such as Lyft and Uber payments, to support sustainable and wildlife initiatives.

The Senate also discussed creating shuttle services on weekdays to give students increased access into Boston during the week. The Senate is currently working with title Jim Grey to find a solution and funding, as this proposal is still in early stages of development.

The next topic of discussion was library fines. The Senate acknowledged that the fines were hefty for the unreturned or late books, and is looking to find a way to reduce them. 

In addition, the Senate is seeking to collaborate with the Hiatt Career Center in order to gain more University-specific internships by connecting with alumni and other companies in the Boston area. This would give Brandeis students an advantage in the job field. 

On the topic of sustainability for Rosenthal and Skyline Quads, title Joshua Hoffman ’20 is currently engaged in ongoing communication regarding heating for students in those residencies. Currently, temperatures are constant at 72 to 73 degrees and students do not have the ability to change them. 

Finally, The Senate plans to connect with Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas to discuss better ways to incorporate diversity events for the campus-wide community.

—Jocelyn Gould contributed reporting.