The Ithaca College Student Governance Council met Nov. 17 to hear from David Weil, senior vice president for strategic services, and Casey Kendall, deputy Chief Information Officer, to speak about sustainability and other initiatives in the Office of Information Technology and Analytics. The council also voted on a bill to establish a new artificial intelligence ad hoc committee.

Kendall went over IT’s environmental contributions. Kendall said that IC’s small scale processing data centers run on 100% renewable energy. Other initiatives include the technology renewal program, which recycles old or unused technology on campus. 

First-year student Ari Medvinsky, senator-at-large, said there are concerns surrounding the environmental impact of generative AI and the large energy undertaking of data centers. Weil said sustainability and AI has been an issue that their office has been looking into. 

“[We] have to get more nuanced, you can’t just say AI, you have to say how you’re using AI and then you can have more informed conversations,” Weil said. 

IT is looking to improve communication with students surrounding AI on campus. Weil said he is a personal advocate for AI transparency beyond the college.

“The conversation has to go to a deeper level and I think that’s where we can have some good dialogue back-and-forth,” Weil said. “I would love to engage with that [transparency] and challenge my team to say, ‘We need more information. How much energy did that use?’”

Weil said IC has been evaluating the digital steps that students take through the application process and their time at the college through a process called journey mapping. The college is working with Higher Digital, a consulting and software company that specializes in higher education, to produce this study. The study will include an examination of course registration and financial aid through the lens of different student experiences, such as international students and first-generation students. Weil said focus groups will be held in Spring 2025 to interview students about flaws in the current systems. 

“It’s quite an involved process to really understand what that experience is like,” Weil said. “This is an early step in better understanding the experiences that you have as a student [with] navigating the institution.” 

Kendall said the myIC Student Portal is a new app, available on the web, iOS and Android, that has been introduced to students to help access school resources more easily. These resources include access to IC email, course schedule, student forms and events. Kendall said there will be focus groups Dec. 8 and 10 for students to give feedback and ideas surrounding the new application. 

“This is your student portal and we really want your feedback for how it can be your digital front door to the college as a whole,” Kendall said. 

Medvinsky; first-year student Margaret “Mega” Gem Martinez, international senator; and sophomore Abe Marron, senator-at-large, presented their bill which lines out at the establishment of an AI ad hoc committee. Marron said the purpose of this bill is to establish a committee that will meet twice a semester as well as host town halls once a semester to gather and compile comprehensive student opinions surrounding AI. 

Marron said the committee would require at least two members of each school present at the block meetings and town halls. The co-chairs will be reviewed by the council and must pass with a two-thirds vote. First-year student Aditya Valecha, senator-at-large, said the bill should include a student representative from the Department of Computer Science because they have experience with programs that integrate AI. Marron said it may become extensive to have to consider individual departments.

“Once you start requiring different departments it’s saying, ‘AI matters more in this department then it does here,’” Marron said. “Everybody validly feels AI impacts their major incredibly, but it’s going to be impossible to run the committee if we always need a member from every major.”

Sophomore Jagrit Dhingra, Class of 2028 senator, said the committee should make a point to include members who understand how AI operates. Medvinsky said that having a variety of perspectives beyond AI professionals will ensure that there is nuanced discussion. He said this will help to compile the student body’s current understanding of AI.

“I think that if something needs to be emphasized by the students then there must be [more] education surrounding the use of AI, or what AI is and how it presents itself,” Medvinsky said. “I don’t view that as an obligation of this committee as much as I view it as an obligation of the school.”

The AI ad hoc committee will run for three years and has the opportunity to be renewed for further years. Marron said amendments and other motions of change could be produced from the committee. 

The council then voted on the establishment of the committee. The bill passed with 11 votes with none opposed.

During senator reports, senior Nikki Sutera, senate chair, outlined the current council positions that are available on SGC. These positions are:

• Two Class of 2026 senators
• Two Class of 2027 senators 
• School of Communications senator 
• School of Music, Theatre, and Dance senator
• Transfer senator 
• Students of Color Coalition senator
• Club athlete senator 
• Off-campus senator
• Graduate senator

Next week, the council will hear from Barbie Bargher, director of Student Financial Services, who will speak about financial aid.

The SGC is the sole representative body for the Ithaca College student community. The SGC meets from 7-9 p.m. every Monday in the Taughannock Falls room of the Campus Center. The SGC can be contacted at [email protected].