Ethan Spitz/The Polytechnic

DEAN OF STUDENTS MARK SMITH EXPLAINS the rationale behind the Handbook revisions at an open meeting with the Senate.

Monday, the Student Senate endorsed changes to the Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities regarding academic integrity, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and postponing a decision on the more controversial revisions regarding off-campus jurisdiction.

The policy on “Academic Dishonesty” now reads “Academic Integrity” in all instances, and the two penalties for dishonesty were clarified. (Formerly, it was unclear whether both could be applied to one violation; in the revised wording, students are subject to “one or both” of the penalties.)

The sexual assault policy gained an additional sentence: “Under no circumstances will the Institute’s obligation to carry-out its disciplinary process be excused by a person’s contemporaneous pursuit of the incident through the criminal system.” Also, the following sentence was altered (the addition is italicized): “Students, employees, or third parties aware of any incident of campus sexual assault are encouraged to contact Public Safety (available 24 hours a day), the Dean of Students Office, and/or the Division of Human Resources as soon as possible.”

More extensive changes occurred in the sexual harassment policy. Most of the changes focused around adding so-called “third parties” to various clauses, in accordance with new state laws. According to the revisions, “‘The term third parties,’ as used in these Rensselaer Policies, refers to any non-student, non-faculty, or non-staff individual who is on Rensselaer premises and participating in an academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic or other program that is either a program of Rensselaer, authorized to be conducted on Rensselaer premises, or using Rensselaer’s facilities.” In addition, the revised policy now defines harassment in greater detail, clarifies that RPI will investigate regardless of “the individual’s choice to exercise his or her right to pursue criminal alternatives,” allows for the extension of the 180 day reporting time limit, adds the option for either party to appeal, and outlines new responsibilities for the Human Resources Office, along with several other smaller revisions.

Although Senate did not choose whether or not to endorse the changes involving off-campus jurisdiction, many senators (and other students) spoke with Dean of Students Mark Smith on Thursday primarily about that section.

Originally, there were numerous revisions to Article VI: Off-Campus Freedom of Students in the Student Bill of Rights, such as the removal of “Institute authority shall not attempt to duplicate the function of public authority,” the addition of “Rensselaer reserves the right to address off-campus student conduct which violates Rensselaer Grounds for Disciplinary Action through the Institute’s judicial process regardless of a decision by civil authorities,” and a change from “Off-campus misconduct will typically not be the basis for disciplinary action” to “Rensselaer reserves the right to review off-campus student misconduct and determine will not typically be the basis for disciplinary action.”

“[The changes are] intended to create a standard,” explained Smith, adding that the main goal is to protect the reputations of student body and the Institute. “It affects you individually as an RPI student.”

At the meeting, student leaders (including Grand Marshal Kevin Dai ’14, Executive Board representative Dan Hakimi ’12, senator Elizabeth Anderson ’14, and Senate finance, facilities, and advancement chair Russell Brown ’14) raised concerns from the RPI student body about the Student Handbook revisions.

“I don’t see how [off-campus conduct] is any of RPI’s business,” said Hakimi. Students should be treated like adults, he argued. According to Brown and Dai, many students took issue with the broad wording of the changes to Article VI.

Smith was willing to slow down the process to address students’ problems. “What’s so important is the discussion,” he said, suggesting a goal of December to finalize the revisions to Article VI.

When the Student Handbook went before the Senate on Monday, almost all of the jurisdiction-related changes were omitted. The only additions remaining were the following (italicized):

• “Off-campus and on-campus, students are expected to conduct themselves in a civil, respectful and lawful manner.”

• “No student’s status at Rensselaer shall be altered on the basis of pending legal action or conviction for any crime, except when, in the judgment of the Institute, the presence of such student could constitute a danger to the safety of person or property on the premises of the Institute.

Also, the following sentence was removed from the Handbook:

• “If a student incidentally violates Institute regulations in the course of his or her off-campus activity, such as those relating to class attendance; he or she shall be subjected to no greater penalty within the Institute than would normally be imposed.”

Still, Senate did not decide whether to endorse these reduced changes to the Bill of Rights.

The entire meeting with Smith is available online from RPI TV at http://www.rpitv.org/p/470/. The version of the handbook discussed at that meeting, with additions and deletions highlighted, can be found at http://docs.studentsenate.rpi.edu/documents/2035/.

Andrew Chung/Engineers for a Sustainable World

MEMBERS OF THE CAPSTONE DESIGN TEAM from left to right: Kyle Gleken ’12, Casey McEvoy ’12, David Hackett ’12, Andrew Chung ’13, Nelson Lim ’12, ESW member Alex Worcester ’12, Elliot Kim ’12, Dylan Martinez ’12, and professor Michael Jensen.

Over the course of the past few months, RPI’s chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World, in conjunction with a senior capstone design team, has conceived, designed, and constructed what they hope to be a sustainable way to house Haitian orphans. Their design uses a shipping container for much of the structure and involves the use of solar panels to provide the structure with power.

At the beginning of the semester, ESW was approached by To Love a Child—a nonprofit organization based in Clifton Park, NY, which “provides humanitarian assistance to impoverished children and their families throughout the world to help create a better future and quality of life for all”—about the project. The idea was to take a shipping container and modify it using sustainable technologies to create what would essentially be an orphanage for children in Haiti. At this point, though, commented Andrew Chung ’13, it was only an idea without funding.

ESW is a Rensselaer Union-funded organization with a budget of $100. However, the students involved, as well as their mentor, Professor Michael Jensen of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, determined that this would not be nearly enough to fund their project. Through their fundraising efforts, the students were able to acquire over $10,000 from various sources. The major contributors were Engineers for a Sustainable World, To Love a Child, Jensen himself, the Multidisciplinary Design Lab, the MANE Department, the Office of the President, and the School of Engineering.

The structure involves the use of a shipping container as its main part. Having determined that the high temperatures of Haiti may be an issue, the team applied foam insulation to the inside of the container, followed by a plywood lining. They also coated the outside of the container with a special reflective paint. According to Chung, the temperature difference of the air inside the container compared with the outside was as high as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. He added that, when he placed his hand on the top of the container during the day, it was remarkably cool. The design also includes windows. However, for the container to be allowed overseas, these cannot be cut out until it reaches Haiti. Also, rather than relying on the original doors of the container, the team built a new wall and door at the end of the structure. Chung stated that this was both to make it easier for the children to enter and exit the orphanage and for security purposes. It also employs a fan to circulate air through the container and solar panels, provided by General Electric, on the roof to provide power. Tarps on each side also provide shade for children outside. A ramp complying with guidelines set by the American Disability Association will be installed at the front of the orphanage. The overall design, Chung added, also utilized natural convection.

The rationale behind using a shipping container for the structure was that the team was initially informed the orphanage might need to move. Additionally, it is also a way to recycle the shipping containers. Chung mentioned that, as the U.S. and Haiti manufacture very little, these containers simply enter the U.S. and lie unused in ports.

According to Nelson Lim ’12, each member of the team put over 100 hours of work into the project. The team also received a significant amount of help from Jensen and organizations such as service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. Chung said that the project is “almost done” and that the shipping date for the orphanage is May 25. In August, a team of ten students will install the orphanage in Haiti.

Although the main purpose of the shipping container is to act as an orphanage, on the trip to Haiti it will also serve its original purpose, as groups like To Love a Child and the Empire Haiti Coalition will fill the container with donated items for the children to use. The team will begin accepting donations to fill the container on May 17, once construction is complete.

Other than their orphanage project, ESW will also be sending its members to Mexico over the summer to install solar panels in Mayan homes. For more information about ESW and its various projects, visit their website at http://esw.union.rpi.edu/, or look at their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ESWRPI/.

Courtesy of Georges Belfort

PROFESSOR GEORGES BELFORT STANDS next to a notice about his lecture at the Institute of Bologna Academy of Science.

Over the last two months, Institute Professor of the Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Georges Belfort has become a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems. He was also elected to be a foreign corresponding member for the Institute of Bologna Academy of Science.

The Institute, located in Magdeburg, Germany, is a member of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, and is named after Max Planck who was, according to Belfort, “one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century.” There are approximately 80 institutes included in the society, but Belfort mentioned that the Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems is the only one that has a focus on chemical engineering.

Belfort explained that there are Scientific Advisory Boards assigned to each institute. The Board of 8–12 experts in a given field of science, who each serve for six years, visit the institute for two days every other year. The institute they visit displays its research, the goals of the institute, and its plans for the future. The Board evaluates the research and direction of the institute, and give members of the institute recommendations on how to proceed with its business. The Board then compiles a report with their observations and submits this report to the director of the Max Planck Society, who is currently Peter Gruss.

The Board Belfort serves on is composed of 11 members. Of these members, Belfort stated, Martin Strohrmann is the only one who comes from the industry. The other ten members are professors. Belfort is the first member of the RPI community to ever be invited to the Society.

Belfort commented on his visit to the Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, mentioning that it was a “big honor.” He added that “everything was in English,” despite the institute being located in Germany and the entire process being run by German scientific experts.

The Institute of Bologna Academy of Science is one of the oldest institutes in the world. Although the website for the Academy is through the University of Bologna’s website, Belfort insists that the Academy and University are separate entities. Belfort is, again, the first member of the RPI community to be elected as a foreign corresponding member of the Academy. He is also one of three such members from the U.S.

Belfort was particularly interested in this visit, again stating it was a “very big honor.” While there, he gave a lecture entitled Configuring Science and Engineering for Molecular Separations: Thoughts from a Career. He mentioned that in the room in which he gave the talk, there was a statue of Galileo Galilei that “really blew him away.” The room was also full of paintings. Overall, Belfort felt that the aesthetics of the Academy were “terrific.”

Over the course of his career, Belfort has received numerous awards and honors from such organizations as the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the National Academy of Engineers, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. In 2008, he was named one of the “100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era.”

Belfort’s research involves high level biological and chemical areas, including “membrane separation processes, transport phenomena, interfacial phenomena and rheology, bioseparations and sensors, and protein misfolding and aggregation.” For more information about his research, interested members of the RPI community can contact Belfort at belfog@rpi.edu.