Suny Downstate Medical Center

The board discussed a variety of operational and programming topics, including past event reviews, upcoming campus event scheduling, and responses to a recent emergency closure of the Student Center due to water damage. Key actions included the approval of funding for cleaning staff meals and the creation of a Student Service account to manage internal budget transfers. Additionally, the board reviewed constitutional revisions, weight room updates, advisor reports on mini-courses, and the status of ongoing campus facility repairs.

The meeting included discussions on class updates for the 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 cohorts, addressing issues such as pre-paid printing cards, library annex open hours extension, student feedback on OSCEs, and student center Sunday closures due to staffing shortages. Trending topics involved updates on the feasibility of international rotations for students in the Global Health pathway, noting that the university is not permitted to allow group international travel for credit at this time, and an inquiry regarding the estimated time of arrival for the Patagonia order. Several budget requests were presented and approved, including funding for conference travel for Kunika Chahal and Michael Lynch, and funding for an event hosted by the Anesthesia Society at Downstate.

The key discussion topics for the Nursing Student Council (NSC) Leadership Team meeting focused on several procedural and logistical matters. These included planning for an upcoming meeting with Dr. McHugh to discuss ensuring required clinical hours are met despite delayed starts, clarifying health clearance requirements such as background checks, reviewing cohort feedback, and addressing the need for improved staff-student communication. Furthermore, concerns were raised regarding inconsistent accommodation for Jewish holidays during clinical rotations and specific issues with clinical ID access at Bellevue due to communication breakdowns. Updates were also provided concerning feedback received from the ABSN cohort and the lack of communication from RN-BS clinical instructors.

Key discussions included budget management, emphasizing the necessity of submitting forms to prevent account freezing, with budget request forms to be distributed at the subsequent meeting. Nominations for SOHP Council officers for the following year are scheduled to open in March. Planning for the Midterm Breakfast on March 10th, celebrating Women's History Month, was addressed. Updates from the University Council highlighted low SOHP participation in the MultiCultural Fair and solicited participation for an event at Medgar Evers on March 23rd, along with reminders about graduation registration. Upcoming SOHP events included a career exploration day on March 14th with the BMWC Chapter and KAVI, and a two-day Career & Networking (CANE) event scheduled for April 13th (In Person) and April 14th (Virtual). Discussions also covered potential senior portraits, the COTAD Ramadan & Lunar New Year Event on March 5th, and information regarding Spring Mini Courses and the SOHP 60th Anniversary Event on April 21st.

Key discussions during the meeting centered on operational updates and financial constraints. The Office of General Services (OGS) provided an update regarding the external boiler system, with hopes that the Student Center could reopen soon. A significant concern raised was the drastic decrease in Work Study Funds compared to previous years, which jeopardized the ability to fund student center staffing for the remainder of the month. A motion was passed to utilize roll over funding from COVID-19 resources to support student center staffing.