The Campus Life Council (CLC) unanimously passed a resolution to enhance student life for Native Americans during its first meeting of the semester Monday in LaFortune.
The body resolved that the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs "be strongly urged" to work with the Office of the President to appoint a permanent member of the faculty or administration to serve as an official advisor to Native American students.
Members debated the wording of this particular line, as Dr. G. David Moss, assistant vice president for student affairs, said Vice President of Student Affairs Father Mark Poorman was already "very sensitive to these issues" and urged care in making such strong demands.
No amendments were made, however, since student body president Lizzi Shappell agreed to include in her cover letter to Father Poorman an explanation that CLC and the Senate feel strongly about the issue but did not wish to be demanding of its beneficiary.
The resolution also included collaboration with University departments to "render an overall sensitivity and respect for the Native Americans previously inhabiting the University area" in describing the history of Notre Dame.
The Student Senate Multicultural Affairs committee's original resolution passed unanimously at a Nov. 2 Senate meeting, but the CLC decided at a Nov. 14 meeting to create an ad hoc committee to revise it.
Revision committee chair and Welsh Family hall rector Candace Carson said the committee took the basic resolution and worked alongside Kellen Lewis, president of the Native American Student Association of Notre Dame, to clarify areas in which the body wished further inquiry at the Nov. 14 meeting.
In other CLC news:
uChair Liz Brown said the Student Voice and Input task force is prepared to place the application for the University committees online as soon as the student government Web site is up and running.
uThe resolution for the Domer Dollar swipe card system is ready for presentation to Senate on Wednesday, Student Concerns task force chair Danny Smith said, and pending passage it will return for CLC approval at the next meeting.
uThe ad hoc Student Safety task force will present the information put together for the freshman Contemporary Topics book at the next CLC meeting, chair Katie Cordelli said.
uStudent body vice president and chair of the Conduct Awareness task force Bill Andrichik said his task force is finalizing its report about freshmen "disorientations" following general student conception, hall staff and rector research. Gambling in the dorms is the next topic which the task force looks to address.
