Oct. 14
Budget forum for students
Tim McClure, chair of budget and finances, informed the council that a budget forum would be held especially for students on Thursday, Oct. 21 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Syre Student Center. Ray White, Whatcom’s vice president for administrative services, will be on hand to explain the current budget situation and answer students’ questions.
New student e-mail accounts
Ward Naf, director of Whatcom’s IT department, spoke to the council about new individual student network accounts, something the IT department has been trying to get for about 10 years.
The accounts will feature a personal password, 5 GB of network file storage with an online “My Documents” featuring Microsoft Office, and WiFi using a username and password. Students enrolled in classes will have automatic access to WiFi on campus.
As a result of the new accounts, students will no longer need to fill out paper forms to get a campus wireless account.
A new Web site was created for the project to act as a student portal, and can be accessed and used on any campus computer. Another Web site for accessing Orca Card accounts has also been created and will allow students to check their history and balance, add money using a credit card, and deactivate the card if it is lost or stolen. Naf said the new site is slow and has had technical issues.
Naf said other features, such as .edu student e-mail accounts and Moodle integration for online classes, are planned. He encouraged the council to participate in beta testing of the new accounts before they are hopefully implemented for all students next quarter.
Oct. 21
Camp for Christians
The Campus Christian Fellowship has requested a budget not to exceed $1,200 of funding for their Cedar Springs Camp in Lake Stevens, WA, one of two retreats they partake in yearly. The budget would cover the cost of any student that wants to participate but can’t afford the camp. The topic will be discussed further next week.
Food for Active Minds
The Communication Club is holding a trivia bee on Nov. 4, and is requesting $350 for snacks for the event. The event will charge $3 for anyone watching, and $30 for any team participating. The topic will be discussed again in a week.
Late Nights
The Whatcom library has a traditional “Late Nights at the Library” at the end of each quarter, in which the library is open an hour later than usual for the last few days of the quarter, and provides snacks for any students that come in. Linda Lambert, library director, has requested $600 to fund “Late Nights” for the entire school year. The topic is still up for discussion.
Ghoulish Gathering
Whatcom is celebrating Halloween on campus on Oct. 27. There will be pumpkin carving at 11 a.m., and a Thriller dance workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you’ve ever dreamed of dancing along with Michael Jackson, then be sure to participate!
